Wrestling with the Angel [Re-Post]

Re-posted from November 23, 2007

Vayishlach, this week's Torah portion...briefly...

Jacob stays alone
sends the family on ahead
scared of Esau's wrath

By himself at night
he wrestles with an angel
or was it a man?

The man could not win
so he pulled the leg muscle
and he cried "uncle"

but Jacob was wise
"I can't let you go until
a blessing you give."

and so he was blessed
his name changed to Israel
means "wrestler with God."

Jake renames the spot
Peni-el, face-to-God's-face
His life changed a lot!

Negotiating with God

This week's portion is
very very full of stuff.
A lot to speak of!

God told Abe, "it's time!"
"Those cities are really bad."
(Sodom, Gomorrah)

"It's time to wreck them,
destroy their outrage and sin.
I'll sweep them away."

"Um, God? Are you sure?"
Abe had the guts to argue.
"They've innocents there!"

A bargain was struck
as Abe negotiated,
"Let's see who is good!"

"Are there fifty good?
forty? thirty? twenty-ish?
Are there ten good folks?"

God said, "okay, yes,
if there are 10 good people
I'll spare the cities."

Jewish tradition teaches that one of the reasons Abraham is considered "the first Jew" and given the blessings of God rather than Noah is because of this interaction. Noah doesn't argue when God threatens to destroy the world, he basically just does as he is told. Abraham, on the other hand, has the chutzpah to negotiate and argue with God on behalf of the innocent.

A lesson for all of us to fight for the voiceless....

See more Haiku Friday here.

Shabbat Shalom y'all!

Genesis Draws to a Close...Haiku Friday!

Genesis ends now
This week's parsha is the last,
the story, wrapped up.

Jake is gonna die.
He calls Joseph to his bed,
makes him swear a vow:

"Don't bury me here
take me home to lay me down
to rest with my dad."

Joe brings his sons forth
to get blessed by their zeyde*
a whole list of good.

Then the sons are blessed
(Jake's other eleven bros)
Each one hears from Dad.

He reiterates
his yen to rest in Israel's
Cave of Machpelah

Then he dies. Joe cries.
Joe orders his embalming
It takes 40 days.

They took Jake up north
To bury him as he wished
the whole family went.

The brothers got scared
that Joe would retaliate
now that Dad was dead.

Joe told them "Don't fear!"
He committed to protect
all the family clan.

Time flew - Joe got old.
He made his fam swear a vow:
"Take my bones with you."

And thus ends the book
The family saga complete
What's next for the Jews?

(Stay tuned for Exodus...)

*Yiddish word for Grandfather (pronounced zay-dee)

See more Haiku Friday here.

I am Joseph!

Judah comes to Joe
"Please, you can't take away Ben!
It would kill our dad."

"I'm responsible."
He takes Ben's life as his charge.
Clearly he has learned.

Joe is overcome.
He knows his brothers have changed.
he cries and cries - loud!

"I'm Joseph, your bro,
the one you tried to sell off.
And I forgive you."

They couldn't believe!
It was like back from the dead.
They were really shocked.

Joe invited them
to come move down to Egypt
and they said "okay."

Jake came to Egypt
to see his long-lost son, Joe.
Everybody cried.

The children of Jake
prospered in the land, Goshen,
and they multiplied.

See more Haiku Friday here!

The Saga of Joseph (It's Haiku Friday!)

We meet back with Joe
Remember he's in prison
stuck there in Egypt.

Pharoah had a dream:
seven fat cows by the Nile
seven thin ones too.

The thin ate the fat
but they didn't get fatter.
what could all this mean?

Then he dreamed again:
Seven good ears of corn grew,
seven bad ones too.

The bad ate the good
but they didn't get better.
What could this all mean?

Pharaoh was disturbed.
When the pharaoh ain't happy,
then no one's happy.

What did the dreams mean?
His wisest men couldn't say.
The butler spoke up.

"I was once in jail
and I had a dream while there;
a guy helped me out."

Aha! It was Joe!
They cleane dhim up, brought him in.
Pharaoh told the dreams.

Joe credited God.
"God helps me figure it out,
I know what they mean."

Seven rockin' years
full of food and great success
are coming our way.

Then come seven bad:
no food, a famine, it's rough!
Things will go downhill.

Joe gave his advice:
"Get someone to make a plan,
set up a system,

put away extra,
save it for the rainy days
so we can eat then!"

Pharoah said: "It's great!
You're the right guy for the job,
you have God's wisdom."

So Joe was the guy.
They saved all the leftovers
to pass out later.

(This is a super long Torah portion! I'll finish it next year... ha ha.. Or see the "other version" of the story!)

And for more Haiku Friday, click here.

Wrestling with the Angel...in Haiku, of course

Vayishlach, this week's Torah portion...briefly...

Jacob stays alone
sends the family on ahead
scared of Esau's wrath

By himself at night
he wrestles with an angel
or was it a man?

The man could not win
so he pulled the leg muscle
and he cried "uncle"

but Jacob was wise
"I can't let you go until
a blessing you give."

and so he was blessed
his name changed to Israel
means "wrestler with God."

Jake renames the spot
Peni-el, face-to-God's-face
His life changed a lot!

(okay so this is just one part of the Torah portion...but I'm tired and it's late. And this is a good part!)

See more Haiku Friday here...
Shabbat Shalom!

Jacob's Ladder...in Haiku, of course

Jake left Be'ersheva
On his way to find a wife
He stopped for the night.

He lay on a rock
He slept well - and had a dream
It was a good one.

A ladder he saw
Reaching up to the heavens
Angels on its rungs -

Going up and down.
And God gave Jake a blessing:
Things are good for you -

This land is your land
You will have a lot of kids
You'll spread all over.

Jake woke up and said:
"Surely God is in this place!
How could I not know!?"

"This place is awesome!"
He made an altar of rock
And named it Bethel.

Then Jake kept going.
He ran into his cousin
Pretty girl Rachel.

It's love at first sight!
"I'll work seven years for you"
he told his uncle...

"If I can have her."
And so they agreed - a deal!
But trickery loomed.

(Remember Jake's trick?
He duped his dad for blessing...
Now it is his turn.)

Instead of Rachel
Laban did a switcheroo
Leah was the girl!

After the wedding
Jacob complained he was tricked
Demanded Rachel.

Laban said, "No prob."
"Just work another seven!"
Jacob said okay.

Leah had children;
Rachel did not have any.
Lots of sons were born.

Reuben and Simeon,
Levi and Judah and Dan...
Naftali and Gad.

Asher, Issachar
Zebulon and then Dinah
Finally - Joseph!

Only one was Ray's
The rest were all born by Sis
Or by the "maid" wives.

Jake fin'lly moves on
Decides it's time to get out
But Laban's not pleased.

They leave in the night
Jake and clan sneak out of camp
But Rach messes up.

She steals Laban's "gods"
He finds his idols missing.
So he chases them.

Laban catches up
And searches for his idols
But Rach hides them well

Laban plays "sad dad"
They agree to disagree
The two make a pact.

Laban goes away
Back to his land...Jake to his
They parted their way.

Ah...the joys of Genesis!

See more Haiku Friday here...

Jacob & Esau...It's Haiku Friday!

In this week's Torah portion....Toldot...

Rivka is barren.
Ike prays to God - please, kids, please!
God answers his prayer.

Two babies inside
Two nations within her womb
They won't get along

Esau is born first
Big and hairy, with Jacob
hanging on his heel.

The two are real diff
E likes to hunt, fish, and fight
Jake likes to stay home.

One day E wants food.
Jake has been cooking all day.
"Gimme some of that."

Jake's no fool, he deals.
"I'll trade soup for the birthright.
You don't care for it."

Esau is hungry.
The birthright goes to Jacob.
The soup to E's mouth.

Digressive story
Ike and Ree go to Gerar
"She is my sister."

The tale's familiar
We have heard it once before.
Whew, now that's over.

Back to Jake's blessing...
Logistics of getting it
are a bit tricky.

Ike's sight is real bad,
He knows not about the deal
So he calls Esau.

"Make me food to eat,
Kill it, I'd like meat to eat."
So Esau goes out.

Meanwhile, Ree hears all.
She sends Jake to catch some lambs.
She insists it's time.

Esau is hairy
Jake is not - lambskins cover
Deception - complete!

Into Dad he goes
Sound like one, smell like other
Isaac is unsure.

Jake deceives his dad,
The blessing is his for good.
Esau is upset.

Jake flees to Haran
To escape his brother's wrath
And to find a girl.

Coming up next week
Turnabout is unfair play
Deception for Jake!

*notes:
1. is meanwhile 2 syllables or 3? I think it depends on your accent!
2. The last stanza, I couldn't decide between "turnabout is unfair play" and "what goes around comes around..." -- what do you think??
3. this is probably too much analysis, huh?

See more, possibly less weirdly analytical, Haiku Friday here....