Cooper’s Hawk & House Finch : Study Ahead

This is a Cooper’s Hawk hunting a House Finch. The photo captures only an instant in time, but there was a sequence here. The hawk and finch were both in the same tree for shared moments, each one evaluating the other and seemingly planning next steps. I had been studying these birds for quite a while and knew that these hawks are bird-eaters, so the hawk’s play was predictable. I could configure my camera properly, aim in anticipation of the impending action - and steady my excitedly trembling hands. Study. Study brought this all together. And I will confess, with no effort at modesty, that this is one of my very favorite offerings - precisely because it reflects the fruits of intense preparation.

Talmud recounts Hillel summarizing Judaism for a skeptical man considering conversion. First Hillel taught the Golden Rule: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to another.” The second, more overlooked, part of his statement is equally instructive, “That is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study.” The structure of Hillel’s answer teaches too. The aphorism - the Talmudic tweet! - conveys meaning, unquestionably. But only in the fuller context, emphasizing the need to dig into details, to commit to full understanding, does the summary statement find its richest expression. Put another way, without study, this potential convert would never soak in Judaism’s beauty beyond just a headline.

The rush and tumble of our days often interfere with devoting time for study - secular and sacred. Pressing needs are, well… pressing, and we feel compelled to respond to each beep and blare immediately. Without minimizing those demands, let me simply remind of study’s power to anticipate. Preparation provides both perspective and appreciation. The crisis du jour instead becomes a blip within a larger context, an element on a timeline rather than an all-consuming envelopment. Study and perspective allow us to remain conscious and intentional even in the midst of chaos. This photo of the Hawk and the House Finch manifested only because I anticipated; imagine how widely applicable Hillel’s lesson actually is.