Mashber: Crisis and Birthing
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ByRabbi Margie Jacobs
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Tisha B'Av and Tu B'Av: Letting Go and Building Anew
מלכים ב י״ט:ג׳
(ג) וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ יוֹם־צָרָ֧ה וְתוֹכֵחָ֛ה וּנְאָצָ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ בָנִים֙ עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן לְלֵדָֽה׃
II Kings 19:3
(3) They said to him, “Thus said Hezekiah: This day is a day of distress, of chastisement, and of disgrace. The babes have reached the birthstool [mashber = crisis], but the strength to give birth is lacking.
רש"י על מלכים ב י״ט:ג׳:ג׳
עַד מַשְׁבֵּר. עַד צָרָה הַדּוֹמָה לְאִשָּׁה יוֹשֶׁבֶת עַל מַשְׁבֵּר וְאֵין בָּהּ כֹּחַ לֵילֵד.
Rashi on II Kings 19:3:3
Unto the breaking/delivery chair [ad mashber]. Crisis that is likened to a woman sitting on the birthstool [mashber], but not having strength to give birth.
Dr Melila Hellner-Eshed points out that the Hebrew word for birthing stool (mashber) is from the root for “to break.”
Questions for Discussion:
  • What is being born/ breaking/ breaking open: in this country? In your own life?
  • What is your experience of this birthing/breaking, and what is your role in it?
“Resilience only comes from acknowledging that what is broken won’t be repaired. It’s always about knowing how you are going to bring together the shattered pieces of your life to create a stronger story for times of despair. A wonderful word in modern Hebrew is mashber, or crisis. Originally, it meant birthing stool.”
We are in a time of mashber, she said. “It’s a time of anger and hope, death and life. It’s the birthing of something new and no one knows what that’s going to be.” Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur

שָׁבַר148 vb. break, break in pieces (NH id.; Sab. תֿבר break, destroy DHMHof.Mus., no. 1(×2). 26 MordtmHI 74; Arabic ثَبَرَ restrain, destroy; Aramaic תְּבַר, ܬܒܰܪ: Assyrian šabâru, break, break in pieces; Ethiopic ሰበረ: break);—
Qal53 Pf. 3 ms. שׁ׳ 1 K 13:28; Is 14:5, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׁבֹּר Je 19:11, -בּוֹר Is 42:3; 3 fs. תִּשְׁבָּר־ Pr 25:15, etc.; Imv. ms. שְׁבֹר ψ 10:15, sf. שָׁבְרֵם Je 17:18; Inf. cstr. לִשְׁבֹּר Gn 19:9 + 2 times, שְׁבוֹר Je 28:12; Pt. act. שֹׁבֵר Ez 4:16 + 2 times; pass. שָׁבוּר Lv 22:22, pl. cstr. שְׁבוּרֵי ψ 147:3;—break, lit., obj. earthen vessel Ju 7:20 Lv 11:33 (P), Je 19:11 (in sim.), cf. v 11 48:38; Is 30:14, flask Je 19:10, gate-bar Am 1:5 (in metaph.), bow Ho 1:5; Je 49:35, and sword Ho 2:20 (מִן־הָאָרֶץ), bone of lamb Ex 12:46; Nu 9:12 (P), and (in metaph.) Pr 25:15, cf. שָׁבוּר i.e. fractured of limb Lv 22:22 (H), yoke Je 28:10, 12, 13, and, in metaph., of deliverance (י׳ subj.) v 2, 4, 11; 38:8 (c. מֵעַל), + 4 times, of rebellion Je 2:20; 5:5, so staff Is 14:5 + 5 times, reed Is 42:3, arm of Pharoah Ez 30:21, 22, 24 cf. ψ 10:15; trees (subj. thunder) ψ 29:5; break in, down, door Gn 19:9 (J); rend violently (of lion), man 1 K 13:26, ass v 28; wreck Tyre (as ship) Ez 27:26; fig. break pride Lv 26:19 (H); crush (fig.) Is 14:25 (cf. Je 48:28 supr.), La 1:15; Dn 11:26; מִשְׁנֶה שִׁבָּרוֹן שׁ׳ Je 17:18; break, rupture, heart (fig.) ψ 69:21 + Ez 6:9 (v. Niph. ad fin.), שְׁבוּרֵי לֵב ψ 147:3; וָאֶשְׁבֹּר עָלָיו חֻקִּי Jb 38:10 broke for it my boundary, of sea, ref. to abrupt ending of mainland; = quench thirst (frangere sitim) ψ 104:11.
Niph.57 Pf. 3 ms. נִשְׁבַּר Ex 22:9 +, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשָּׁבֵר Lv 6:21 +, 3 fs. וְתִשָּׁ֫בֶר Ec 12:6, 2 ms. תִּשָּׁבֵר Ez 29:7, -בַר֥ 32:28, etc.; Inf. cstr. הִשָּׁבֵר Jon 1:4; Pt. נִשְׁבָּר ψ 51:19, fs. נִשְׁבָּרָה v 19, נִשְׁבֶּ֫רֶת Ez 27:34 +, etc.;—be broken, of neck 1 S 4:18, bones ψ 34:21, gate-bars Je 51:30, rod (in fig.) Is 14:21; Je 48:17, idols Ez 6:4, 6, horn Dn 8:8, cf. v 22, arm Jb 31:22 (מִקָּנָה), and (in metaph.) Je 48:25; Jb 38:15 ψ 37:17, cf. Ez 30:22, bough Ez 31:12; Is 27:11, cf. (fig.) of wickedness, like a tree Jb 24:20, other things ψ 37:15 Je 50:23; Ez 29:17 ψ 124:7; cisterns Je 2:13 (id.), pottery Lv 6:21; 15:12 (P), Ec 12:6 (in fig.); = be maimed, crippled (have limb broken), of animal Ex 22:9, 13 (E), and (fig.) Ez 34:4, 16; Zc 11:16, so (fig. of men stumbling) Is 8:15; 28:13; be wrecked, of ships 1 K 22:49 (read Qr נִשְׁבְּרוּ), ‖ 2 Ch 20:37, Jon 1:4, metaph. of Tyre Ez 27:34; fig. be crushed, destroyed (pers., warriors, kingdoms, etc.), Je 14:17; 22:20; 48:4; 51:8 + 10 times; fig. be broken, of heart †Je 23:9; Is 61:1 ψ 34:19; 51:19, cf. רוּחַ נִשׁ׳ v 19.—Ez 6:9 read prob. וְשָֽׁבְרְתִּ֫י (We Sm Berthol Toy Krae); Co בְּשָׁבְרִי.
Pi.36 Pf. 3 ms. שִׁבַּר Is 21:9 +, שִׁבֵּ֑ר Ex 9:25, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יְשַׁבֵּר ψ; 46:10 +, 2 mpl. תְּשַׁבֵּר֑וּן Ex 34:13, etc.; Inf. abs. שַׁבֵּר Ex 23:24; Pt. מְשַׁבֵּר 1 K 19:11;—shatter, break, tablets Ex 32:19 (E), 34:1 (J), Dt 9:17; 10:2; מַצֵּבוֹת Ex 23:24 (E; + Inf. abs.), 34:13 (J) + 7 times; images 2 K 11:18 + 3 times; bronze sea, etc., 2 K 25:13 = Je 52:17; horns Dn 8:7; jaws Jb 29:17 (in fig.); of hail shattering trees Ex 9:25 (J), cf. 1 K 19:11; elsewhere subj. י׳, shattering gate-bars, etc., weapons Is 45:2; 38:13; La 2:9; 3:4 ψ 46:10; 76:4; 107:16, trees 29:5; 105:33, heads of תַּנִּינִים 74:13; wrecking ships 48:8.
†Hiph. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth, Impf. 1 s. הַאֲנִי אַשְׁבִּיר וְלֹא אוֹלִיד Is 66:9 (י׳ subj.; cf. מַשְׁבֵּר infr.).
†Hoph. be broken, shattered (in heart), Pf. 1 s. עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי הָשְׁבַּ֑רְתִּי Je 8:21.

† I. שֶׁ֫בֶר, שֵׁ֫בֶר n.m. Je 4:5 breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash;—abs. שֶׁבֶר Is 51:19 +, שָׁ֑בֶר La 3:47; Pr 17;19, cstr. שֶׁבֶר Is 1:28 +, שֵׁבֶר Am 6:6 +; sf. שִׁבְרִי Je 10:19, etc.; pl. שְׁבָרִים Jos 7:5 Jb 41:17 (dub., v. infr.), sf. שְׁכָרֶיהָ ψ 60:4;—
1. breaking of pottery Is 30:14, fracture of member, limb Lv 21:19; 24:20 (H), especially fig. of people personif. שׁ׳ יוֹסֵף Am 6:6, cf. Is 30:26 (‖ מַחַץ מַכָּתוֹ), Je 8:21; 10:19; 14:17; 30:12 (‖ מַכָּה), v 15 (‖ מַכְאֹב), La 2:11; 3:48; 4:10, also (c. רפא, רפה heal) Je 6:14; 8:11 La 2:13 ψ 60:4, cf. Na 3:19; of sinners Is 1:28; shattering, crushing, of wall (in fig.) Is 30:13; שׁ׳ גָּדוֹל (‖ רָעָה) Je 4:6; 6:1, שׁ׳ עַל־שׁ׳ 4:20; שֹׁד וָשׁ׳ Is 59:7; 60:18; Je 48:3, cf. Is 51:19; הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשּׁ׳ La 3:47; זַעֲקַת שׁ׳ Is 15:5, cf. Je 48:5; of individ. Pr 16:18; 17:19; 18:12; fig., שׁ׳ רוּחַ of spirit Is 65:14, cf. Pr 15:4; so (רוּחַ om.) מִשְּׁבָרִים Jb 41:17 from terror, Di De, cf. Bi, but dub.; Buhl Bu conj. מִשְׁבְּרֵי יָם, Gie מִשִּׁנָּיו גִּבֹּרִים, Du מִשְׁמָרִים.
2. crashing, Zp 1:10 (‖ קוֹל צְעָקָה, יְלָלָה), Je 50:22 (‖ מִלְחָמָה), 51:54 (‖ קוֹל זְעָקָה).
3. breaking of a dream, i.e. its interpretation (solution of mystery) Ju 7:15 (cf. GFM).
4. הַשְּׁבָרִים Jos 7:5, perhaps (Di Benn Steuern) the quarries, as n.pr.loc., 𝔙 Sabarim (< 𝔊 𝔖 𝔗 הִשָּֽׁבְרָם).—שִׁבְרִי Ez 32:9, read שִׁבְיְךָ 𝔊 Co Sta Berthol Krae (not Toy).

† II. שֶׁ֫בֶר n.pr.m. a Calebite 1 Ch 2:48; Σαβερ, A Σεβερ, 𝔊L Σαβαρ.

שָׁבוּר Lv 22:22 v. √ Qal.

† שִׁבָּרוֹן n.[m.] breaking, crushing;—fig.; cstr. שִׁבְרוֹן מָתְנַיִם Ez 21:11 (emotional distress; ‖ מְרִירוּת), read שִׁבָּ׳ also (for MT שִׁכָּרוֹן) 23:33 Co Berthol Krae; crushing of opponents Je 17:18.

† מַשְׁבֵּר, מִשְׁבָּר n.[m.] breach, i.e. mouth of womb;—בָּאוּ בָנִים עַד־מַשְׁבֵּר וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה 2 K 19:3 = Is 37:3 (fig. of helplessness); cstr. בָּנִים מִשְׁבַּר Ho 13:13 (fig. of opportunity).

† [מִשְׁבָּר] n.[m.] breaker, of sea;—pl. cstr. מִשְׁבְּרֵי־יָם ψ 93:4 (‖ קֹלוֹת מַיִם רַבִּים; in comp. of י׳’s majesty); fig. of calamities, מִשְׁבְּרֵי־מָוֶת 2 S 22:5 (חֶבְלֵי־מָוֶת in ‖ ψ 18:5); as sent by י׳, מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ ψ 88:8, מ׳ וְגַלֶּיךָ 42:8 Jon 2:4.—Jb 41:17 v. i. שֶׁבֶר.