Latkes vs. Hamentaschen: A Purim Poem

Fried Potatoes and Onions 

Or

Dry Pastry and Prunes?


Mic Drop

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Trisha

I Don't Know: Thoughts On Reading Parsha Mishpatim

I don't know.

I am an American,

And I was brought to believe in democracy with a small d

And I believe in it way more than I've seen it.

I grew up with crazy and arbitrary parents,

In a school system run by martinets

And a religion run by men who wouldn't answer my questions or let me participate

Because I was a girl,

During a war that was stupid and destructive

In a country run by incompetents on a good day. 

And generally, when you set rules before me,

I am going to argue with you. 

As that great sage, Bruce Springsteen, wrote,

“when they said sit down I stood up”.

Or at least that's how I like to think of myself. 

The truth is,

I'm actually a law-abiding coward. 

When they say sit down,

I sit down,

Though I make a few wise-ass comments

Out of the side of my mouth

As I park my butt in a comfy seat.

Well yes.  

But I also sit down

Because

There IS a right and wrong. 

I don't go the wrong way down a one-way street,  

Partly because that's how I was taught

And partly because, well,  

If you go the wrong way down a one-way street

You might get killed

Or you might kill someone else.

We all know this. 

We know what is sensible. 

We are, perhaps, born knowing this.

Don't you all,

Past a certain age,

And assuming you're not a sociopath,

Know the difference between right and wrong?

Do we need religion to be ethical?

Do we need the threat that a supernatural being is going to punish us

In order not to do bad?

Do you need to be a good Jew to be good?

Jewish tradition and teaching

Comes down as firmly as it is possible to come down

On the side of Yes. 

But

I don’t know.

How beloved we were by Moses and our rabbis,

That that they took such care

To make sure we lead safe and righteous lives. 

And yet, how poorly Moses and the rabbis must have thought of us

To need to control us so completely with so many rules?

I don't know.
We may not need God to run things. 

We know what we need.

And maybe we don't need some self-appointed spokesperson telling us what to do,

Most of us know what is right and what is wrong.

We have internalized this God-sense

And what we need is acknowledge it

And listen to

This embodiment of our best selves,

This impulse towards community and peace

And our laws, if done correctly,

Are our blessed parameters,

And this is

Because

As mortal humans

Our vision is limited,

Our compassion sometimes lacks,

Our self-control does not always work

And the rule of law protects us from tyrants and chaos. 

This I know:

We must always remember that

Ethical living is practical and necessary,

That when we are decent to each other,

And when we make decent laws,

We are kadosh, holy,

That we may live together

In Holy Wholeness.

This I know.

If you find this offering of my work valuable or pleasurable, please consider supporting me with a mutual offering, if you are able:

If you use one of my prayers or kavannot for a service or event you can make a one time donation via my PayPal account.  

PayPal  https://www.paypal.me/trishaarlin  

If you would like to support my work as a sacred artist in an ongoing fashion, please contribute (any amount) on a monthly basis to my Patreon account.

Patreon    https://www.patreon.com/trishaarlin

Thank you!

Trisha