Rivkin “Lessons from the past: Mutations as a mode of Jewish survival” (Unpublished Manuscript)

Response to Persian 

NLB references to Pardes of Persian origin, Nehemiah references transition and cooperation with Persian Leadership, Ecclesiastes references his practice of creating Pardes environments, and SoS the sensuality of Pardes as kosher and desireable

“The persian imperial masters preferred to exercise control through indigenous priestly classes, whenever possible, rather than through puppet kings. It was, therefore essential that the newly restored Israelite community not only recognize this fact, but take advantage of the opportunities which a hierarchically run society opened up for them. Priestly hegemony as proclaimed by the Pentateuch was thus a far maore viable solution than a dogged persistence in hoping for a monarchical restoration, especially in view of the miserable record that the kings of Israel and Judah earned for themselves during the years of independence and quasi-indepensence.”

“The Pentateuchal-Aaronide priestly mutation proved to be a virile and durable strain. For more than two hundred years, the Aaronides exercised effective and creative leadership. They far excelled prophets and kings in making a Yahwistic society work. They had that very rare capacity for sustaining economic prosperity, exercising firm authority and encouraging a high degree of intellectual and spiritual creativity. For though the Aaronides phased out the prophets, they gave free rein to Psalmists, purveyors of Wisdom (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom of Ben Sira), and profound explorers of the human condition (Job).”

“The psalmists especially touched the individual who sorely needed a compassionate and powerful God to lean on. They plumbed the recesses of personal loneliness, and they dipped deeply into the wellsprings of dispair and hopelessness. Indeed, the Psalmist was so attuned to the agony, suffering and piteous yearning of the individual’s soul, that we find ourselves at a loss even today to articulate such feelings with equivalent resonance.

And the Song of Songs. To which, Song of Songs, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, the Talmudic Rabbis added the attribution of authorship by King Solomon. Also reference Akiba’s blessing.