Friday, July 4, 2008

Why the Red Heifer?

This week's Torah portion is Chukat...

Why the red heifer?
We don't know what it's all for
But the Torah says!

It's a sacrifice
and its ashes make a paste
that helps purify.

Touching a dead guy
(or gal for that same matter)
makes you real impure.

Only a red cow
can fix that impurity,
bring back a pure state.

--

They got to Kadesh.
That's where Miriam fell dead.
They buried her there.

--

They had no water
and the people moaned and whined.
Mo and Aaron cried.

God told them to ask
the rock for water, nicely.
But Mo hit the rock.

The water came forth
but Mo was in big trouble
and so was Aaron.

"You did not have faith!"
God was angry with them both.
A punishment came.

"You will not enter
into the Land I promised
to all the People."

--

Aaron died at Hor
and they mourned him 30 days
Things, they were changing...

(Stay tuned for next week, the Talking Donkey!)
Shabbat Shalom from OSRUI!

See more Haiku Friday here.

2 comments:

Vered said...

"You will not enter
into the Land I promised
to all the People."

I always felt that was an incredibly harsh punishment. It was his life's work - and it was taken away from him because of a moment of weakness.

Gemma Wiseman said...

Great to see old stories refreshed in modern haiku.