What is a Poem?
At Jewish Newport
September 18, 2020
Thank you to Rabbi Marc Mandel
Also at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewishnewport
Rabbi Marc Mandel shared a short Dvar about the Parsha for tomorrow’s Shabat Shuva, The Shabbat of Return and Redemption,
“This week's Parsha, Ha'azinu, is different from all the other Torah readings, in that it is a poem, and it appears written as a poem in the actual Torah Scroll. It is a poem that Moses presents to the Jewish people as he is about to depart from this world. Of all the talents that Moses had, we never knew he was a poet. During this pandemic, some of us might also be discovering that we are poets, and that poems can offer us comfort during this stressful time. Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova.”
“What is a poem? There is a long article in Wikipedia, and I am exhausted after glancing at it. One thought did stand out,
“A Western cultural tradition (which extends at least from Homer to Rilke) associates the production of poetry with inspiration – often by a Muse (either classical or contemporary).”
For some of us, it is difficult to feel or admit that we are inspired. But if you enjoy or if you write a poem, you are inspired, no matter what you feel.
Ha’azinu starts very promisingly and poetically,
הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה וְתִשְׁמַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃
“Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter!”
יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י כִּשְׂעִירִ֣ם עֲלֵי־דֶ֔שֶׁא וְכִרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵֽשֶׂב׃
“May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass.”
כִּ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה אֶקְרָ֑א הָב֥וּ גֹ֖דֶל לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
“For the name of the LORD I proclaim; Give glory to our God!”
הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פָּעֳל֔וֹ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּרָכָ֖יו מִשְׁפָּ֑ט אֵ֤ל אֱמוּנָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עָ֔וֶל צַדִּ֥יק וְיָשָׁ֖ר הֽוּא׃
“The Rock!—His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just; A faithful God, never false, True and upright is He.”
But then the parsha becomes a rant about the lack of faithfulness of the Jewish people. Moses knew he was about to die, and vented his frustration. Ouch!
Fortunately the Haftarah, (Hosea 14,2-10; Micah 7,18-20), takes the opposite approach. It’s optimistic tone is about redemption, not punishment. It starts with a reference to the dew, a counterpoint to the rain that starts the parsha.
אֶרְפָּא֙ מְשׁ֣וּבָתָ֔ם אֹהֲבֵ֖ם נְדָבָ֑ה כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ב אַפִּ֖י מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
“I will heal their affliction, Generously will I take them back in love; For My anger has turned away from them.”
אֶהְיֶ֤ה כַטַּל֙ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִפְרַ֖ח כַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑ה וְיַ֥ךְ שָׁרָשָׁ֖יו כַּלְּבָנֽוֹן׃
“I will be to Israel like dew; He shall blossom like the lily, He shall strike root like a Lebanon tree.”
And ending with three verses from Micah, 7:18-20,
מִי־אֵ֣ל כָּמ֗וֹךָ נֹשֵׂ֤א עָוֺן֙ וְעֹבֵ֣ר עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית נַחֲלָת֑וֹ לֹא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק לָעַד֙ אַפּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ חֶ֖סֶד הֽוּא׃
“Who is a God like You, Forgiving iniquity And remitting transgression; Who has not maintained His wrath forever Against the remnant of His own people, Because He loves graciousness!”
יָשׁ֣וּב יְרַֽחֲמֵ֔נוּ יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ עֲוֺֽנֹתֵ֑ינוּ וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ בִּמְצֻל֥וֹת יָ֖ם כָּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם׃
“He will take us back in love; He will cover up our iniquities, You will hurl all our sins Into the depths of the sea.”
תִּתֵּ֤ן אֱמֶת֙ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב חֶ֖סֶד לְאַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ מִ֥ימֵי קֶֽדֶם׃
“You will keep faith with Jacob, Loyalty to Abraham, As You promised on oath to our fathers In days gone by.”
May the spiritual rain and dew and the inspiration that we imbibe and transmit during this season enable us to thrive spiritually, poetically, and physically during the coming year.
Shabbat Shalom from Jewish Newport!
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