san francisco based performance group foreignfire creates aesthetically powerful events in the overlapping area of performance art and jewish ritual

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three selections from the sixth episode of exodus with chanting and translation from marcel goldner-katz on the week of his jewish coming of age, plus voice and harmonium from michal oppenheim-landau

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-and if an ox gores a man or a woman and kills them, the ox shall be stoned to death, and you shall not eat his meat. the owner of the ox will go free of punishment.

-and if an ox is in the habit of goring, and is left unsupervised, and kills a man or woman, the ox shall be stoned to death and his owner will be put to death as well.

-if a death sentence is placed on the ox’s owner and he pays a certain fine, he shall escape death.

exodus 21:28-30

-you shall not curse god’s name, and you shall not disobey the leader of your people.

-you shall not delay your daily duties and responsibilities; and you shall give me any weak links found among your children.

-you shall do to your ox as you do to your flocks; seven days he shall dwell with his mother, and on the eighth day you will give him to me.

-all holy men will be mine, and you shall not eat the meat of an animal found dead; you shall leave it for the wild.

exodus 22:27-30

-and moses sent the young men of the israelites, and they sacrificed cows for god.

-and moses took half the blood and placed it in the basins, and the other half he dashed against the altar.

-and moses took the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people, and the people exclaimed, “all that god has to tell us, we shall do it and listen faithfully.”

-and moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “this is the blood of the covenant, which god put on all of these things.”

exodus 24:5-8