Vayigash N

The Pharaoh dreamed of cows devouring beef
but needs a foreign seer to read the sense.
So Joseph's elevated to be chief.
The land's dependent on his competence.
Now, Benjamin must play his brother's part,
to try the mettle of the elder ten.
Yehudah's had a total change of heart.
The rest--who'd been such louts--might now be men.
The fratricidal fantasies of youth
that strained Joe's loyalties to kin, and clan
were capital, if judge in simple truth
but Yosef haTzadik's a pious man.
The jerks who sold their brother as a slave
had grown to men the latter now forgave.

Vayigash III

Climactically, the brothers reconcile
once Yosef's satisfied they've grown to men
discarding his disguise, he's done with guile
they've spurned his bait, demurred to sin again.
If precious Benjamin has been ill-used
it's in a higher cause, to heal the rift.
Renewed, the brotherhood that binds all Jews--
although, he can't consent--becomes Ben's gift.
A hope that kingdoms split can reunite
sold as an allegory of twelve sons
who--having feuded--still can get it right
as brothers meant to face the world as one.
Before the plagues smite Egypt and its gods
we've got to make one staff from sundry rods.

vayeshev

and Jacob settled, thinking he was done
two names, and thirteen children seemed enough
Our focus turns now to his best-loved son
for whom the family saga's getting rough.
The Leah clan resented Jacob's love
reserved for Joseph and the younger wife.
Where others got a hug, he got a shove
and then conspiracy against his life.
Maturity's late-dawning on these guys.
Their father learns his eldest boy's a creep.
While they repay his trust by spinning lies
as if their brother were not theirs to keep.
Paternity took Judah back to school
to forge the soul of one who's fit to rule.

Chayye Sarah III

Rebecca's heavy lifting at the well
showed Eliezer this must be the one
a coded way for his lord's God to tell
him here's the bride to bring his master's son.
Yitzhak's been silent, since we saw him, bound
expecting that his father'd take his life.
He's not to travel, tethered to the ground
but providence must bring him the right wife.
His father looms heroic in his eyes;
his sons will seek adventure in the world.
but Yitzhak's less the player, than the prize
still trusting dad will get him the right girl.
Reluctant actor on his own life's stage, 
we never see him wholly come of age.

vayeitze II

When Jacob emigrated towards Haran
Rebecca sent him fleeing for his life
his brother's bent on vengeance for the con
let Isaac think he's gone to meet a wife.
The man who'd lurked in camp, now works outside
his only shelter's heaven's starry dome
but nights are warmer with his double bride.
Without a  house, he yet contrives a home.
The stolen blessing never seems to work;
his uncle cheats him every time he can.
A score of years in service to that jerk
grew callouses all over our "smooth man".
Yeshuran, who'd been crooked can go straight
when first he's overcome his brother's hate.

Vayera P

When Tantalus served up his only son
Olympus shuddered at the very thought.
That's not how sacrifices should be done;
the favors of the gods were not so bought.
They resurrected Pelops to a tee;
Poseidon loved the lad, from toe to head.
Who--for his part--expressed his piety
performing nightly in His water-bed.
The text of Genesis reworked the plot,
and Gospel writers made it something new.
One God replaced the whole Olympic lot.
This pagan Greek's recast as pious Jew.
The angel staying Abraham's raised knife,
renewed a pagan myth to vibrant life.

Lech l'cha

Two sides of beef stand witness to the b'rit
our patriarch sprawls tripping on the sand.
Where Avram chased off vultures from the meat
his seed would hold clear title to the Land.
A toothless promise, murmured in the night
no rainbow seals the end to death by Flood.
The Promised Land must still be won by fight,
the covenant's not sealed, except in blood.
The dream that Herzl swore was not a dream
was wrested from the Ottomans' defeat
a remedy for peace-time too extreme
took war and devastation to complete.
Yet Makhpelah's not his, 'til it's been bought;
the Conquest--foreordained--must still be fought.

b'reishit N

A serpent guards that garden in the East
where we could picnic, free from thorns, and ants.
Until, conversing with that subtle beast,
we found a need for modesty, and pants.
Uncounted worlds of angels, singing praise,
left Him unsatisfied, and oddly bored.
So our account conceives, in seven days
a "very good" device to please the Lord.
The Tree of Knowledge let God off the hook.
Without freewill, He can't be wholly good.
Theodicy's there in the op'ning book.
It's we that chose to not do as we should.
Let theologians categorize sin;
morality, like God, must dwell within.

Noach II

Each clockwork cosmos, pure, and fair, and just
was found deficient; none could clear the rod.
And yet this compromise, wrought from their dust,
proved somehow satisfactory to God.
Free-will lets monotheists off the hook.
Although there's Evil, God can still be good.
While revelation's there in His good book,
it's willful man that won't act as he should.
The line of Adam must ride out the storms
although our violence screams to the skies,
to build again society, and norms
where no one does what's good in his own eyes.
Repackaged Gilgamesh, and snakes, and mud
lay ethics on old stories of the Flood.

b'reishit N

FirstLight, created ere the moon, or sun
was stored away--for those who can--to find
each spark redeemed, a sacred battle won
perceived not with the eyes, but with the mind.
The written word made history's first mark
preserving poetry of those who'd died
sustaining what might gutter in the dark;
what had been deep could also, now, grow wide.
But is it metaphor? Or the BigBang?
black-body of a cosmos screaming hot?
A pre-galactic, thermal birthing pang.
Perhaps we'd better read it as p'shat.
FirstLight could cast no shadows in our cave
'til Wilson thought to look in microwave.

Vayera M

The voice of God? Or some demonic wraith?
commanded Avraham to bind his son
where Reason balked, he carried on, on Faith
although his seed's invested in this one.
He'd saved his nephew from the fiery rout,
but dared not go to bat for his sole heir.
It took a Shakespeare to ennoble doubt
and lay a hero's vacillations bare.
The man who charged his Maker to be just
won't stay his own hand when the task is hard.
The skepticism tempering Hume's trust
discarded by the mystic Kierkergaard.
But who of us'd endorse the zealot's zeal
without assurances what he'd heard's real?

Vayera N

The voice of God? Or some demonic wraith?
commanded Avraham to bind his son
where Reason balked, he carried on, on Faith
although his seed's invested in this one.
He'd saved his nephew from the fiery rout,
but dared not go to bat for his sole heir.
It took a Shakespeare to ennoble doubt
and lay a hero's vacillations bare.
The man who charged his Maker to play fair
won't stay his own hand when the task is hard.
The skepticism Hume would bring to bear's
discarded by the mystic Kierkergaard.
But who of us'd endorse the zealot's zeal
without assurances what he'd heard's real?

vayechi

what revelations lurk beside the Nile
once famine's chased him off the fam'ly land
that no one'd thought to teach the youngest child
but Benjamin must own, now he's a man
the figures whom he'd always looked up to
who'd seemed so worthy in his boyish eyes
the elder brothers whom he thought he knew
now show their growth acknowledging old lies
his sons have cousins born beyond the fence
untainted by the plotted fratricide
co-equal with him in inheritance
now haughty Reuben's lost his place of pride
to heal the family after all these years
is worth Yosef's deception and some tears

vayechi

one final trick, ere Genesis is done
the trickster tricked, who'd grown rich sowing strife
'though Jacob's right hand's on the younger son
he's not the author of his end of life
imploring Little Joe to swear an oath
he laid his thigh upon his scion's hand
'though Goshen's blessed his flocks and seed with growth
he won't lie mold'ring in this foreign land
the stolen blessing never really paid
he bowed to Esau, and died in galut
regardless of the life-plans he had made
the famine in the land made all that moot
who'd dare to laugh when God brings Jacob home
if only to the fam'ly catacomb

side by side

two nations struggling in one narrow womb
begin the narrative of Toledot
stark competition for the finite room
who gets the pasturage, who gets the vote
the same law binds your stranger and your king
if you're to build a kosher Jewish State
it's all about the Justice, not the bling
and no one buys your PR that "it's great!"
a single state from Jordan to the sea
would have to disenfranchise half the folk
a shabby parody of Herzl's dream
replays the prophecy as bitter joke
the TwoState pact ben-Gurion endorsed
to get to Peace, will have to be enforced

Lekh l'chah

exogamy requires a foreign bride
to love the Lord if not to take  His hand
so Abram left Euphrates' riverside
to journey sight-unseen to a new land
the epic stalls; his flocks increase like Lot's
but that's not how one's legacy gets done
it isn't about silver, sheep, or goats
strange patriarch that doesn't have a son!
at last, there's Yitzchak, but now who's the sire?
the neighbors speculate about those three
who came in common travelers' attire
but rocked the tent with unaccustomed glee
an Ugaritic text might help, perhaps
but 'til it's found, midrashim fill the gaps

l'havdil

God took a rib--or should we read a "side"?
'cause it's not good that  Man should be alone
to bring Adom Kadmon his perfect bride
alike as flesh and blood and skin and bone
in splitting Sea from Land, and Dark from Light
divisions were each made in equal part
analogously, cleaving Man from Wife
His scalpel should have cleft right through the heart
an equal share of Ruach Elohim
is granted Woman in our Primal text
translators made her less in our esteem
projecting their skewed notions about sex
translations sacrifice the poetry
confronted with such ambiguity

another voice

a camping trip with dad could do us good
away from mom and flocks and chores and tents
he's got the fire and I've the dry split wood
was I supposed to bring the sacrament?
his promise doesn't make sense in this life
although our little clan has all we need
fulfillment would require I have a wife
to propagate his values and his seed
if I'm to die, how's that supposed to work?
mom's always told me I'm his only one
since he kicked out that woman and her jerk
where's he--so old--to get another son?
we two alone, my old man's flipped his lid
convinced that I'm the sacrificial kid

vayigash II

his brothers can't know Joseph laid the trap
nor even that he isn't lying dead
to set up Benjamin to take the rap
for which Yehuda pleads to serve instead
it's Joseph--playing God--directs this show
and Judah gets to ponder a new pit
to sin again and none need ever know
that as a brother, he'd been so unfit
no restitution can give back the years
elapsed in which the fam'ly was estranged
and yet teshuvah prompts a flood of tears
when each acknowledges the other's changed
with time and life, Yehuda's grown some sense
the shirking putz steps forward as a mensch

Chaye Sarah

the well-scene found a bride, but lacked a groom,
to shower gifts upon the blushing lass.
Instead, a servant must contract her doom,
and gold attested to the suitor's class.
when Laban put the question in her ear
would she betroth the guy what sent such wealth
Rebecca answered "I'm so out of here!"
and barely pause to wish them all good health.
The hospitality of Laban's tents
had come to feel constrictive at the seams
and she'd been thinking it was time she went
to find the distant husband of her dreams.
For Isaac who could never leave the Land,
a bride fell from her camel to the sand.