Poem: "Not the Machines, But the People"
This poem came out of the October 1, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from Dreamwidth user Readera. It also fills the "scare" square in my 10-1-24 card for the Fall Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with DW user Fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Clay of Life.
"Not the Machines, But the People"
It was Rosh Hashanah,
and so Yossele was
sleeping in the wagon
for the rest-day.
The Gentile man
who came across
their campsite was
another traveling smith,
a copper worker who went
from one village to another.
"Come and share our fire,"
the blacksmith invited.
"I am Menachem."
"My name is Tobias,"
he replied. "What is
that great statue in
the wagon, and why
do you carry it around?
Is it for a commission?"
"That is my friend Yossele,"
said Menachem. "He is
a golem, and so he sleeps
on every Sabbath when
no customary work is done."
"Well, to each his own,"
said Tobias. "I have beans
to share for supper, and
a pot of honey, if you like."
"Excellent," said Menachem.
"It is our custom to eat apples
and challah with honey for
the holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
The fruit and bread I have, but
I am almost out of honey."
So they ate, and spoke of
their wishes for the new year,
and how they might improve
both themselves and the world.
"I wish that I could work clay
as well as iron," said Menachem.
"I mean to set aside more time
to study the Torah and learn
more about its subtle wisdom."
"Copper is such a delicate metal,"
said Tobias. "It makes machines
of great beauty and finesse, but
they break so easily. I wish that
I could make sturdier ones."
"May we learn in this new year
that what really counts the most
is not the years but the days, not
the machines we have in our lives,
but the people we have in our lives,
not how much we can accumulate
but how much we can share, and
with whom," Menachem said.
"Wise words," said Tobias.
"Then may this new year
be sweet and fruitful, and
maybe better for us all."
After that, they tidied up
the camp and went to sleep.
In the morning, Menachem
replaced the shem so that
Yossele could awaken.
When the golem sat up,
Tobias squawked in fear.
"Did I not tell you that he was
a golem, and not a statue?"
said Menachem. "Now you
see, this is my friend Yossele."
"How did you make it come
to life?" Tobias wondered.
“Every universe begins in
conversation," said Menachem.
"Every golem in the history of
the world was summoned into
existence through language,
through murmuring, recital, and
kabbalistic charm -- was, literally,
talked into life. That's the power of
the scroll, though it is not my own."
"Now I have seen a wonder,"
said Tobias. "Who knows
what else this year may hold?"
Menachem thought that was
a fine idea to be going on with.
* * *
Notes:
“Every universe, our own included, begins in conversation. Every golem in the history of the world, from Rabbi Hanina's delectable goat to the river-clay Frankenstein of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, was summoned into existence through language, through murmuring, recital, and kabbalistic chitchat - was, literally, talked into life.”
-- Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Explore Jewish holidays.
Rosh Hashanah is the New Year in Judaism. It begins ten days of penitence ending with Yom Kippur,.
In Leviticus 23:23-25, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.”
There are ways to celebrate Rosh Hashanah without attending synagogue, such as when people are traveling.
"Not the Machines, But the People"
It was Rosh Hashanah,
and so Yossele was
sleeping in the wagon
for the rest-day.
The Gentile man
who came across
their campsite was
another traveling smith,
a copper worker who went
from one village to another.
"Come and share our fire,"
the blacksmith invited.
"I am Menachem."
"My name is Tobias,"
he replied. "What is
that great statue in
the wagon, and why
do you carry it around?
Is it for a commission?"
"That is my friend Yossele,"
said Menachem. "He is
a golem, and so he sleeps
on every Sabbath when
no customary work is done."
"Well, to each his own,"
said Tobias. "I have beans
to share for supper, and
a pot of honey, if you like."
"Excellent," said Menachem.
"It is our custom to eat apples
and challah with honey for
the holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
The fruit and bread I have, but
I am almost out of honey."
So they ate, and spoke of
their wishes for the new year,
and how they might improve
both themselves and the world.
"I wish that I could work clay
as well as iron," said Menachem.
"I mean to set aside more time
to study the Torah and learn
more about its subtle wisdom."
"Copper is such a delicate metal,"
said Tobias. "It makes machines
of great beauty and finesse, but
they break so easily. I wish that
I could make sturdier ones."
"May we learn in this new year
that what really counts the most
is not the years but the days, not
the machines we have in our lives,
but the people we have in our lives,
not how much we can accumulate
but how much we can share, and
with whom," Menachem said.
"Wise words," said Tobias.
"Then may this new year
be sweet and fruitful, and
maybe better for us all."
After that, they tidied up
the camp and went to sleep.
In the morning, Menachem
replaced the shem so that
Yossele could awaken.
When the golem sat up,
Tobias squawked in fear.
"Did I not tell you that he was
a golem, and not a statue?"
said Menachem. "Now you
see, this is my friend Yossele."
"How did you make it come
to life?" Tobias wondered.
“Every universe begins in
conversation," said Menachem.
"Every golem in the history of
the world was summoned into
existence through language,
through murmuring, recital, and
kabbalistic charm -- was, literally,
talked into life. That's the power of
the scroll, though it is not my own."
"Now I have seen a wonder,"
said Tobias. "Who knows
what else this year may hold?"
Menachem thought that was
a fine idea to be going on with.
* * *
Notes:
“Every universe, our own included, begins in conversation. Every golem in the history of the world, from Rabbi Hanina's delectable goat to the river-clay Frankenstein of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, was summoned into existence through language, through murmuring, recital, and kabbalistic chitchat - was, literally, talked into life.”
-- Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Explore Jewish holidays.
Rosh Hashanah is the New Year in Judaism. It begins ten days of penitence ending with Yom Kippur,.
In Leviticus 23:23-25, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.”
There are ways to celebrate Rosh Hashanah without attending synagogue, such as when people are traveling.