Vayakhel-Pekudei — And he gathered / Amounts of (Exodus 35:1–40:38)
I just returned from B’nei Mitzvah in Chicago
where all the people of Israel (or so it seemed…
it was a big room…) gathered to celebrate two
more of our own, adding their strength to
our community’s continued existence.
War broke out in the middle of the festivities
as seems to happen far too frequently when
we gather to express joy and celebrate.
War has become an inevitable annoyance
in the middle of the Macarena, which isn’t
one of our dances, but it’s close enough
to the spirit of what we do when the night
comes and the Torah has been read and
it’s time for our newest adults to go up
in chairs, made possible by the strength
of those assembled. Everyone had a great
time, despite the war, which was so new
it hadn’t developed that new war smell yet.
I would gather anywhere, if invited, (The war
excluded) just to communicate to the inviters
my appreciation of the weight of the invitation.
When people so gather, I gather. When people
say give, I give. I’m not trying to show off.
I’m just following the example of the Red Sea
pedestrians at the foot of the mountain.
This is when they taught us everything – How to
gather and give, how to war and peace, how to Hora
and Macarena. This is the knowledge they inherited
in Chicago, while war danced the night away.
Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 29 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” Visit him at www.JewishPoetry.net
