Читать книгу The Myth of the Shiksa and Other Essays - Edwin H. Friedman - Страница 8

Having been involved in marriage and family therapy for almost thirty years, I thought it appropriate that I give a historical perspective by seeking out and interviewing the first creature in history to give advice to a married couple. Since all rabbis are given three outrageous wishes after ordination, and I had used up only one, I decided to cash in my second and received permission for this interview. I can’t tell you where it took place, but I can say it was over a period of several months.

First, an etymological note. In Hebrew the word “Satan” is pronounced sah-tahn. It is not a name but the noun form of a verb that means “to entice,” or to be an “adversary.” The grammatical form sah-tahn means, literally, one whose profession is to tempt, entice, or be adversarial. In rabbinic literature the term sitra achra is often used instead, lest by calling Satan by name one might invoke him. Sitra achra means “the other side.” It has always intrigued me that the late Dr. Murray Bowen’s understanding of paradox was an effort to get on “the other side” of the madness you are confronting, which he called a “reversal.”