Nadab

Apr 16th, 2009

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photo: The Simpsons, from Jon Pattillo's Blog

photo: The Simpsons, from Jon Pattillo's Blog

Leviticus 10:1-3

Brother,
these rules will be the death of us:
this “how to please me”
this tutorial of the soul.
How can passion
wear a girdle?
Answer questions?
Wash?
Where is the sacrifice
in this ritual
if our flesh isn’t in it?
Our everything,
sewn together with time…
Brother,
this lust
grows dusty
with regulation
and waiting
and brain;
It’s the ancient inertia again.
Time we climbed out of the Egypt in ourselves…

When we were slaves,
we moved,
we cried;
The One We Long For
split the sea
for bony wretches in shrouds
- – in clouds.
And now:
Princes
in regal whites,
we lounge like old women – -
knitting our urges into underwear,
cozy and maddening
and pink.
Brother,
it will be
the death of us
to think.

- SKE, May 2001

This poem was inspired by, and is imprecisely based on, a class on the Torah Portion of “Shmini,” given by Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg.

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  1. 2 Responses to “Nadab”

  2. Thanks Sara. That’s quite a powerful statement you make there and one I wholeheartedly agree with.

    The so-called rules of religion are something which I’ve never been comfortable with. Scaremongering, nothing more.

    By Marc - WelshScribe on Apr 16, 2009

  3. I agree with your premise. However, I could not have written as well as you. I have always questioned the man made rules…I think the heart rules.

    By mary ann herstein on Apr 4, 2013

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