the lord said to the israelites you
have been dancing on the edge
of your dread far too long now
descend into the land of seir and don’t
be afraid remember the night you
struggled desperately against a
dark riverbank flying beads of water
shining in the moonlight like jewels
of tribute when morning
broke you embraced your
reflection and saw the face of
god
now head down into
the valley you will
see there is nothing
to fear
(Deuteronomy 2:2-5)
the lord said to the israelites
when you go into the land
do not dispossess its inhabitants
for if you do you will see them at every turn
you will hear their distant voices
like insects buzzing on a humid summer night
you will feel their breath at your back
like the breeze that rises before a thunderstorm
whispering softly in your ear
everything you think you can possess
can always be washed away
(Numbers 33:50-55)
he flinches and bows as
the stick lands on his
neck again and again
out of the corner of his
good eye he sees the angel of the
lord gesturing sadly toward the
setting sun if god had endowed
him with the gift of speech he’d
say i thought maybe one day
day i’d carry the messiah
himself then his legs buckle
beneath him and he collapses
and dies on the
side of the
road
(Number 22:21-30)
when miriam died and the well
ran dry and israel’s arid soul
surged forth like sand in a
desert storm
moses tore open his robe
picked up his staff
and struck the rock over and
over and over there he remains
to this very day
sometimes when he dreams he
sees the face of god smiling in the rock
as it shatters into millions of
tiny shards but for now he’s still
flailing away at the hard stone
surface blinking away dry tears while the
the people howl at him in white hot
rage why did you make us leave egypt
to bring us to this wretched place
why there isn’t even
any water for us
to drink
(Numbers 20:1-11)
now korach ben levi and his
followers challenged moses
and aaron saying
you have gone too far the end may
justify the means but only as long
as there is something that justifies the
end so what kind of a deal did you
cut with the man inside the tent
moses said no you have
gone too far son of levi he
told the people to stand back whereupon
the earth opened up to swallow korach and
there he remains hiding underground
like a seed preparing to blossom forth
in the spring or perhaps
a land mine buried
but not yet
detonated
(Numbers 16:1-34)
painting by Alimobin Memon
miriam sat curled
knees up head down
eyes shut tight against
the jeers hey snow white if you
were my daughter i’d spit right in your
face
miriam slept
she dreamed the cushite
woman was finally set free she
dreamed that moses prayed
desperately for her healing she
dreamed god’s face had been gazing
at her all along when she
awoke she was told to return to the
camp before they set out she named it
hazerot which means
yes i am a prophet
too
(Numbers 12)
you shall lay your hands upon the
offering at the entrance of the tent do not
hold back you must only slaughter your best
dash your blood on the sides of the altar then
present the choice parts of your well-being
place them upon the wood let it burn until the
smoke fills the emptiness inside you like sweet
sweet rain soaking the dry dead earth this is how
you offer the sacrifice
of your wholeness
(Leviticus 3:2-11)
when jethro high priest of midian heard
all that had happened in egypt he
kissed moses and bowing low he
said blessed be the god who
hears the cries of the oppressed who
liberates the captive the god who showed
such kindnesses to your people will surely
show them to mine as well
as moses ate of jethro’s offering at the
foot of the mountain he did not yet hear the
voice just a plaintive whisper you
must wreak vengeance upon the midianites
tell the israelites to take to the field and
slay every last male how could he possibly know that
the high priest’s sacrifice to his son in law’s
god would eventually be forgotten
like trails of smoke
long vanished
from sinai
(Exodus 18:1, 8-12, Numbers 31:1-7)
"The Delivery of Israel Pharaoh and his Hosts Overwhelmed in the Red Sea" by Francis Danby (1825)
then he sang this song to moses and the
israelites singing i am your god and you will
enshrine me the god of your fathers you must
exalt me i am the man of war who went up
against the false gods of egypt and cracked them like so
much dry straw the one who hurls chariots and soldiers
into the sea like small stones the one who will cast terror and
dread on the inhabitants of canaan for their sins i’m
your champion your protector your god my commands will
soon be revealed to you follow them lest i strike
you down as i’ve destroyed all the others maybe
someday you’ll be ready to serve the master
the one who’s greater yes even greater
than me
(Exodus 15: 1-5, 15-16, 26)
god said to moses i established my
covenant with abraham isaac and jacob to
give them the land of canaan this sounds to me like the
voice of imperial ambition god said to moses i will harden
pharoah’s heart that i may multiply my signs and marvels in
the land of egypt this sounds to me like
the voice of insecurity god said to moses i
have spared you in order that my fame may resound
throughout the world this sounds to me like the voice of
hubris god said to moses lift your rod and
i will strike the nile with the blood of our babies let
it overrun the land of egypt until it rots this sounds to
me like the voice of pain god said to moses i have heard the
cries of the israelites i will free them from their
bondage and set them free to serve an even greater
good this sounds to me like the
voice of god
(Exodus 6:2-6, 7:19, 9:16)
Yedid Nefesh 