Eastern star for women8/24/2023 I will leave you with this short poem I found about Adah. Simply do what you can, and when it is time to fill your obligation, don’t drag your feet, go willingly, like Adah and Jephthah, even if it does feel like its going to end in your death. No one will fault you for it, many older Masons are aware that burnout can happen very quickly. I think that those of us in the Masonic communities are at risk for this kind of behavior, not because we are bad people, but because there tends to be so many things to sign up for, so many events that need help, committees that need chairs, and parts that need to be done. Its so easy to sign up to help out at an event, and instead of going, stay home and watch TV. So often we say we are going to do something, and don’t. I think that this is the biggest lesson in this story. Both Adah and Jephthah were willing to fulfill their obligations, even if doing so meant death for one, and a great loss for the other. Adah was a virgin, yes, but she was also probably a fairly young girl as well, since she was not yet wed. Another big thing Adah focuses on is innocence. I am not so certain that if my father told me he had vowed something similar, that I would have gone through with it. So, what does that mean for people in OES? What does this story of sacrifice teach us?Īs far as the story given during an initiation, Adah teaches us fidelity, loyalty, and intelligence. Some versions say that she simply was banished to the mountains, or that she was to remain a virgin forever, but the majority of the versions agree that the sacrifice was made. The story is incredibly similar to that of Isaac, except in Adah’s case, her father actually goes through with her murder. As you can imagine, this story carries a lot of controversy with it. Part of me really wonders if anyone read the stories of the women that were picked to be the star points. After that time, Jephthah did as he vowed. It is said that she asked for it to be delayed by two months, so that she could spend some time with the other women of the village, and “mourn her virginity”. Jephthah really doesn’t want to go through with this sacrifice anymore, but after explaining the situation to his daughter, she agrees that the vow must not be broken. The celebration is short lived however, because the first thing that comes out of his house upon his return, is his daughter, called Adah (in OES). Jephthah is victorious, and everyone is quite happy with the result. He made a bargain with G-d, that if he was victorious in the battle, he would sacrifice whatever was the first thing to come out of his house when he returned. Just before battle our friend Jephthah made a bit of a boo-boo. He also agreed, that if he was victorious in this fight, he was willing to lead the people from there on out. Everyone in the area asked Jephthah to lead them into battle, and he agreed. There were a number of skirmishes and wars going about at this time, and soon enough, Jephthah and his people found themselves being attacked by a people known as the Ammonities. He became known as a bit of a fighter in the area. Or, at the very least, Jephthah’s daughter. Because of this, he was driven out of his hometown, and basically became an outlaw, all because of his heritage. Jephthah had a bit of a shaded past, his mother was a prostitute, and his father could have been any number of men. Adah is the name given to the daughter of a man called Jephthah, who is talked about in the Old Testament book of Judges (more specifically, Judges chapters 11 & 12, you can read the original here). Adah has a bit more story behind her than that of Electa however. The story of Adah is a little bit like that of Electa there was an unnamed woman in the Bible, whom Rob Morris, the creator of the Order of the Eastern Star, simply gave a name to, and made a star point. If you’ve missed out on the others, you can find their stories here: So, I didn’t realize until today, that only two of the five star points have been discussed! I’ve obviously been slacking a bit.
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