Emor — speak (Leviticus 21:1–24:23)
Let us not speak of all the things
we are not supposed to do because
the list is long and the Omer
isn’t going to count itself.
I’m writing these words on the eighteenth
day of the space between the second telling
of the feast of unleavened bread, and the day
our top ten laws were etched in stone.
I’m writing these words after reading the
ancient words which tell me to do this counting.
It’s a real Inception-level situation.
Let us not speak of the day the manna
stopped falling out of the sky, and we
had to learn to fend for ourselves.
Or is that assumption a lack of faith?
If it is a lack of faith, let us not speak of it.
The truth is, if you got me in a room,
I’d be willing to speak of almost anything.
I’d list all the laws, like one of those memes
where you give yourself a point for
every one you followed, or don’t follow.
You could share your score in the comments.
Let us not speak of each other’s scores.
Let us not speak of my blasphemy and
how I disguise it as poems. It is spring today
and when all this counting is counted
we can speak of anything we want.
Let’s do that. Let’s put it on the calendar.
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
