Shabbos 7
“All the more so a bench is considered a karmelit.”
Among all the throwing of juicy figs in today’s text is the discussion of a simple bench, which is determined to be a karmelit or an intermediate domain. The bench is described as a place merchants can put their wares, perhaps for just a moment as they carry heavy loads from town to town. It is an intermediate place between different domains. It can also be a place for strangers to sit side by side and for a brief moment share their thoughts and fears before they resume their respective journeys. It is an intermediate place, but the humble wood or stone structure can serve as a connection point among strangers.
For some reason, what came to mind when I read today’s text is a much fancier bench: the iconic bench in front of the Taj Mahal; in its own way it serves as an intermediary between the grand palace that was built as a homage to a lost love in 17th Century India and our world of observers and onlookers. We have seen photos of presidents and royalty and celebrities posed on the bench. Perhaps one of the saddest images is that of Princess Diana sitting alone on the bench while Prince Charles was off on official duties. What is so striking about all the photos of the bench is how it seems to stand in all the photographs as an intermediary among different domains. It does not appear to be of either world; there is an inherent loneliness associated with the photos of those who pose upon it. I even find the photos of happy smiling tourists posing in front of it as somewhat sad. It is as though the photo is a trophy to show that one has visited a world that they can never be a part of.