CHAPTER 1 - Preparing for Children

C: Educational Activities

32. Apocalypse Then
Text-based controversy. (About one hour)

The aim here is to explore the importance of children in the tradition by examining a text of desperation. We suggest the following analysis of the piece from the Apocalypse of Baruch quoted in the main body of the text. This piece raises the question of those who feel that there is no future, that life has become meaningless, and that there is no point in going on and bringing children into the world.

• Ask the members of the group to think to themselves of a time when something happened to them that made them feel terribly sad. Ask them to focus on the moment for themselves and explain to them that they are not going to be asked to share the moment with the rest of the group.
• Now give them the text of the apocalypse.

Blessed is the one who has not been born,
Or who having been born, has died,
But as for those of us who are alive,
We ache because we see the afflictions of Zion and Jerusalem's fate…
Women, pray for barrenness,
For barren women will be the happiest, those without sons will be glad,
And those with sons will grieve.
Why should a woman bear children in pain, only to bury them in grief?
Why should we have sons?
Why should we give names to our seed,
When the mother Jerusalem is desolate and her sons are captive.

Explain that this was written by a Jew who felt hopelessly sad after a great tragedy happened to the Jews. See whether they can suggest what event might have brought this on. They should clarify their answers. Explain the background to the piece.

• Ask them which lines in this lament particularly touch them. Why?

• Now focus on the lines relating to the pointlessness of birth in these circumstances.

• Break up into small groups, with half the groups preparing a list of points that deepen the feelings of the author of the text that there is no point to have more children. The other half of the groups should try and prepare arguments to answer "Baruch" regarding the same issue of having children.

• Now put one group from each side together to discuss the issue of whether or not Jews should have children in the circumstances in which the piece was written.

• In conclusion bring the group together and ask them how the debate looks to them from the perspective of two thousand years later. How do they think the author of "Baruch" would feel today about the piece that he wrote back then?