Cloud by Day and Fire by Night

[Shibolet]

CLOUD BY DAY AND FIRE BY NIGHT

I have just read the book of Hugh Joseph Schonfield, "And the Bible was Right." The man exhausts himself to prove that there was nothing supernatural about the column of cloud by day and the column of fire by night during the crossing of the Israelites through the desert.

There was no need for the struggle though, Moses revealed the whole secret in Numbers 10:29-32. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had a son born in the desert, where he lived all his life. Hence, he knew every inch of it. His name was Hovav.

Just prior to the Exodus, Moses invited Hovav to come with him and serve as a guide; for payment, he would share with the prosperity of the People as a result of God's blessings.

Hovav decided to play hard-to-get and declined. As he expected would happen, Moses insisted and begged: "Please Hovav, do not leave us now! You know where we can camp in the desert and where we ought not. You will serve as eyes for all of us." Hovav agreed and became the eyes of Israel throughout the desert as a guide.

Joseph Schonfield was right. There was nothing supernatural about the pillar of cloud by day and that of fire by night. It was indeed all a phenomenon naturally present in the desert. What he missed though is that those pillars would, metaphorically, point to Hovav, Moses' brother-in-law, who was the eyes of Israel by day and by night.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Do you have a question about Judaism? If not, perhaps we could ask to have this moved to a more appropriate forum.

 

[Shibolet]

Do you have a question about Judaism? If not, perhaps we could ask to have this moved to a more appropriate forum.

And what would you call a more appropriate forum? I could not bring this to a Christian forum because it wouldn't be too wise to go for a Christian opinion about a Jewish issue in the Jewish Torah. What's your opinion about this matter, literal or metaphorical?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

And what would you call a more appropriate forum?

Possibly the parent forum: Abrahamic Religions DIR

What's your opinion about this matter, literal or metaphorical?

See here

 

[Levite]

See here

That's not too bad a piece, actually.

In any case, I like it better than trying to identify Moshe's father in law with either a pillar of cloud or of fire.

Myself, I tend to side with Ravad (R. Avraham ben David), who says that the pillars of cloud and/or fire are metaphysical signatures, possibly akin to visions, associated with God's presence becoming more manifest in revelation. But, as he usefully points out, citing 1 Kings 18, God is never literally "in" visions like fire or cloud, but rather the visions or signs are there to clue us in that in this moment and this place, revelation is readily to be found if one is open to it.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

That's not too bad a piece, actually.

There is, however, an interesting alternative. Let me post a question/suggestion ...

Edited to add:

See here​

 

[Shibolet]

That's not too bad a piece, actually.

In any case, I like it better than trying to identify Moshe's father in law with either a pillar of cloud or of fire.

Myself, I tend to side with Ravad (R. Avraham ben David), who says that the pillars of cloud and/or fire are metaphysical signatures, possibly akin to visions, associated with God's presence becoming more manifest in revelation. But, as he usefully points out, citing 1 Kings 18, God is never literally "in" visions like fire or cloud, but rather the visions or signs are there to clue us in that in this moment and this place, revelation is readily to be found if one is open to it.

But, as you can see, Levite, not everyone is ready to discuss a Jewish subject.