mezuzahs as spiritual cocoons

There is a wonderful history program running on PBS, the Story of the Jews in which Simon Schama poses that 10 million dollar question: how have the Jews survived for almost 4000 years in the face of violence and numerous attempts at annihilation? ?What is the secret of a group of people, perhaps a family, who call themselves a nation, that has kept them alive while powerful civilizations have faded into archeological memory? Why are there still Jews on the planet?

We are not better or smarter, luckier or more talented, richer or more powerful, or more beloved. But we are still here. 

For a secret to work it must be hidden, and yet easy to find to be effective. So what is hidden in plain sight, and easily found that is distinctive to the Jewish faith?

That was my a-ah moment...our entire faith, theology, and belief system is hidden safely in plain sight. Anyone who looks can find it. Anyone willing to invest time and energy can uncover it. By wrapping everything that matters in a protective cover we are demonstrating what we consider valuable.

Much like a cocoon protects a caterpillar as it becomes a butterfly, our wrappings become places that speak of and guard transformation. We put the Torah...our story...into garments. We place some of the holy prayers into T'fillin which are used during prayer. We create pray shawls that we wrap ourselves in as we pray so that we might transform. And we create beautiful wrappings for the words of the Shema blessing to mark our doorways and gates.

These mezuzah covers that mark Jewish doorways reach back to the story of the exodus, when marking our doorways protected us from the angel of death and the last plague. Then we were told to use blood; now we are told to use the words of our central prayer. And we wrap these words in something beautiful so that they are safe and accessible. They look like art, or decoration, and, that same way that way a cocoon blends into the branch on which it hangs, mezuzahs blend into the doorway attracting little attention. Unless of course you know what it contains.

And this is the second gift of the wrappings. Words and stories and prayers can be unwrapped and used. Sacred does not mean untouchable; sacrosanct does not mean out of reach. The words are here, the story is alive, the shawls and coverings are lovely but not holy unto themselves. What they cover is holy, and still accessible. 

I am sure there is more to Jewish longevity than this, but perhaps the wrappings have kept our true secret safe. While Romans stole gold and silver from the temple, that left the words and prayer and stories behind, disguised in their spiritual cocoons.