Ki Tissa

The "sound of battle" Joshua relates
is something like a carnival below.
The efforts building mishkan consecrates,
unchanneled, find another way to flow.
The bulls that gleamed in Jeroboam's cult
enticed some worshippers to skip the trek.
A staid decor, more fit for an adult,
sufficed to satisfy the Temple's spec.
Had Jeroboam known this piece of text,
he'd never have reprised this cultic crime.
Strange worship Torah utterly rejects,
is not the way to launch a rival shrine.
Whatever Aaron wrought on our behalf
in retrospect, must not have been a calf.

This one better; it goes to eleven (b'shelach)

"Eleven plagues" ain't got that certain ring
we're out of fingers, having tallied ten.
But smiting first-borns somehow spared the king;
he's leading the pursuit with chosen men.
The Sea's the weapon to defeat the Nile
no angel, and no seraph, and no elf
can do what God cannot, by force, or guile.
The Pharaoh's got to do this to himself.
While Israelites sing on the shore, dry-shod
seahorses mock the cavalry below
a testament for those with faith in God
with such a monarch, they need fear no foe.
The narrative begins in flowing blood
and ends with Pharaoh stuck fast, in the mud.

b'shelach

"Eleven plagues" ain't got that certain ring
we're out of fingers, having tallied ten.
But smiting first-borns somehow spared the king;
he's leading the pursuit with chosen men.
The Sea's the weapon to defeat the Nile
no cherub, and no seraph, and no elf
can do what God cannot, by force, or guile.
The Pharaoh's got to do this to himself.
The Israelites sing, dry-shod, on the shore
while God upbraids his angels for their mirth
let mortals revel in revenge, and gore
yet He's diminished by each death on Earth.
The narrative begins in flowing blood
and ends with Pharaoh stuck fast, in the mud.

va'era IV

"the stick that's in my hand" is Aaron's rod
what's implemented by a mortal man
is still the action foreordained by God,
all credit to the  Author of the plan.
The royal first-born can't avoid the blow
nor can the Nile demure to turn to blood.
And even when he's let the People go
the Pharaoh's hardened heart's stuck fast in mud.
Our sacred text's repurposed from folklore;
old deities of flesh, and blood, and bone
give form to what's essential metaphor.
The blueprint's ours, to execute alone.
A God so big She's got no place to hide's
no God at all--except She dwells inside.

Bo III

The midrash shows us God dress down his court
for singing as  both Horse, and Rider drown.
Let Moshe sing, but Heaven's own cohort
should sympathize with those who're going down.
The God of Jonah cares for Man, and Beast.
But Exodus is all about His own.
Although--among the Nations--we're the least,
to free us, He'll cast Pharaoh from his throne.
The universal creed that Amos sings
evolved long after we crossed the Red Sea
we're all His children, whoever our kings
One God unites us in fraternity.
Remember going forth! It keeps one meek.
And dwell upon it once--at least--each week.

Bo

The Pharaoh's first-born can't escape the ax.
That's made explicit back in par'sha Sh'mot.
The few Egyptians privy to the facts,
may flee the Land, but they don't get a vote.
The Frog, the Lice, the Darkness, Beasts, and Hail...
threats that would make us tremble, he found vague.
As deities, his pantheon all fail.
All Egypt gets it in the final plague.
The God of Jonah cares for Man, and Beast.
But Exodus is all about His own.
Although--among the Nations--we're the least,
to free us, He'll cast Pharaoh from his throne.
Hard-hearted king, who sneered at snakes, and blood
drowns with his cavalry in RedSea mud.

Shemot II

The bush is marvelously unconsumed
for Moshe, the whole cosmos in suspense
forsaking life with Pharaoh, who's foredoomed,
he'll have to goad his kin to hie them thence.
 Apotheosis only lasts a beat
and then it's back to court, and noise, and mob
so lacing back the sandals on his feet
he quits the wilderness, and takes a job.
But in that moment, destiny's unfurled
no peaceful dotage with the kids, and wife
to bring this revelation to the world
will take whatever's left to him of life.
To quit the courtly pleasures took a prod,
but tending Yitro's sheep, he came to God.

beshelach

Barak was warned he'd win no glory here
this week, the women get the credit due
commemorated twice, in prose, then shir
twin heroines in arms to every Jew
humiliated, Sisera must beg
a drink of water at a Kenite's tent
Yael gave him first milk, then a tent-peg
and waived the customary one night's rent
his mother waits, the daylight's growing dim
pathetic coda to the Sturm und Drang
there'll be no joyous homecoming for him
but Israelites will dance the whole night long
her hospitality won Yael fame
Devorah's half-forgotten, save in name

va'era

behind the Wilderness, Moshe kept sheep
a fugitive from Egypt and blood-debt
but now, there loomed the debt he'd have to keep
God keeps accounts, 'though pharaohs may forget
an age untold, the humble thornbush burned
with no observer to attest it's real
but now, this princely shepherd saw, and turned
in awe, but hoping to demur this deal
reluctant prophet, sick with palace life
whose Hebrew was a tongue of last resort
commissioned to abandon son, and wife
and spend his days petitioning at court
epiphany complete, he dons his shoes
and undertakes to liberate the Jews

shemini

Nadav and Abihu drew close and burned
and never brought their insights to the world
once consummated, disdained to return
preferring to dissolve into the swirl
a Light unto the Nations gotta shine
those who've seen more should share it with the rest
an ethic's sterile if it's only mine
we need consensus to enforce what's best
as Moshe rose and put back on his shoes
once private revelation was complete
he had to publicize it to the Jews
and couldn't rest in that communion sweet
to bring the sacred into the profane
takes all we've got of body, soul and brain

Yitro

the public revelation shook the ground
and no two could agree quite what they'd heard
cacaphony of light and flash of sound
as each strove to accept the Perfect Word
but Moses got a private interview
encountering the godhead face-to-face
without a warning to respect the fence
as he knelt barefoot in that sacred space
"two Judaisms" quoth Maimonides
'cause some intuit while the rest need rules
two revelations, but reality
is One beneath the sundry paths and tools
each brain is captive in its bony pod
but intellect soars free to reach towards God

Shemot

once off the track, the bush is not consumed
it's time elapsed that grinds all things to ash
the end's foretold, that track leads to his tomb
but insight--when it comes--comes in a flash
in exile, Moses finds what calms the mind
while tending goats, he's moved to go unshod
each straying kid is worth the sweat to find
and finding it, he's face-to-face with God
to meditate and act take diff'rent gears
and shifting seamlessly takes a rare touch
to keep the goal in sight despite all fears
engaging with the merest dab of clutch
tomorrow looms the epic test of wills
but in the present moment, all is still

beshalach II

the God of Exodus cares for His own
and Pharaoh's toast for getting in his path
in caring for his Chosen Jews alone
He manifest less love than tow'ring wrath
the Talmud knows one God who serves for all
so even Pharaoh's kin, if less than kind
'though Egypt's firstborn still must take the fall
theodicy must trouble a Jew's mind
if God is good, who made the Pharaoh bad?
or is an independent Force at play?
no satisfying answer's yet been had
'though seders last until the break of day
however much the goyim find it odd
makhloket's where good Jews encounter God

beshalach

the God of Exodus cares for His own
and Pharaoh's toast for getting in his path
in caring for his Chosen Jews alone
He manifest less love than tow'ring wrath
the Talmud knows one God who serves for all
so even Pharaoh's blood's gotta be red
'though Egypt's firstborn still must take the fall
theodicy wracks pious brains with dread
if God is good, who made the Pharaoh bad?
or is an independent Force at play?
no satisfying answer's yet been had
'though seders last until the break of day
however much the goyim find it odd
makhloket's where good Jews encounter God

perspective

a thornbush burning makes no spectacle
to hold a trembling nation rapt in awe
but starting intimate was suitable
to turn Moshe to study what he saw
explosive wonders mesmerize a crowd
and get the multitude into the street
but revelation need not be so loud
to reach a  humble shepherd on bare feet
against the cosmos we're the merest blip
asserting we're creation's lofty goal
a species on a diva's ego-trip
insisting ours must be the starring role
a still small voice that's only in your head
is all the hint you'll get that God's not dead

Makhloket

what stiffened Pharaoh's heart against the Jews
was he the object or the actor here
what blame adheres if he's not free to choose
that 'God is just' in this case isn't clear
each seder stirs the family to fight
about a narrative that's long in tooth
but what's a sacred scripture if not right
and how's it sacred if it's not the Truth
the questions animate the seder meal
four cups of wine fan charges to and fro
and 'though the story's old, the passion's real
how much compassion do we owe our foe
the problems stand, too graphic to refute
God's brought into each seder through dispute