Blessing with Spinoza

Place an empty chair at the table

Our next glass of wine is brought to you by:

Baruch Spinoza

Jewish Heretic

Famous for equating god and cosmos

In 1656, At 24 years old, Spinoza is excommunicated

From the Portuguese-Jewish congregation in Amsterdam

He has yet to published anything

Perhaps he speaks too loudly at the tavern – or synagogue

Separated from the community

He begins to write with freedom of thought

His excommunication is, for us, a blessing

Let us raise our glasses to him!

We appreciate your heresy and integrity

(Response: Baruch Spinoza)

You discovered the necessity of mythic hygiene

Critiquing and revising old paradigms

And we respect tradition!

For what we now call tradition was, at one time, innovation – and even heresy!

We imagine you in this chair and celebrate you

May we be cursed with your integrity!

Music: "Symposium"

Cursed (Blessed) be he by day

Cursed (Blessed) be he by night

Cursed (Blessed) be he when he lies down 

Cursed (Blessed) be he when he rises up

Cursed (Blessed) be he when he goes out

Cursed (Blessed) be he when he comes in

And so we say all: Baruch!