So Many Holidays, So Little Time – A poem for Parsha Emor

These are God’s appointed [holy days] that you shall designate them as holy occasions, [on which] to offer up a fire offering to the Lord ~ Leviticus 23:37

Will you be at work today?
No. It’s the Jewish holiday of
[insert Hebrew-sounding word
that for sure has a ch sound in it
which is not pronounced like
the beginning of the word chair.]

We Jews have so many holidays –
so many opportunities to offer our
fire to the One. It’s a miracle we
get anything done amidst the
prohibitions of our holy days.

Will you be paying the rent today?
No. It’s one of our holidays where
we’re not allowed to commingle
with currency or electricity or
combustion engines. All we can do
is take our pre-lit fire and bring it
to the One.

Check with me on Wednesday.
Though that may be the festival of
[insert another vaguely Hebrew
sounding phrase that, odds are,
is another seven-day period
where we have to live in a hut,
or at least light a candle every day.
And, by the way, come for dinner.
The meal is going to be fantastic.
Probably something fried, or
an entire platter of cheese,
wrapped in anything we could find.]

Will you be bringing your fire
to the Lord today?
No, not today. It’s a work day.

Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 27 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” Find him online at www.JewishPoetry.net