the miracle tonight

.

sure....miracle..and fire
...is sometimes required
to take us from 1 to eight
to show us the light
.......when we think it's too late

..but the goal
ultimately
is the realization
....that lights and miracles
can be released from our grasp (it's ok)
....for its really all here inside us
and these truly last

so raise your voice
.....and rejoice
at empty and darkened windows
...tonight
for the true miracle
needs to ignite
..deep inside
..its the miracle of night nine



.

deep in the woods

.


Deep in the woods
cold and dazed
been walking for
days
..and weeks
perhaps years
oh there are people
here and there
..but they dont see me
and it's so dark
the moon has gone
I can no longer
.........move
I grab onto
..the tallest TrEE
in the woods
I become rooted
..this is what must've
happened to the trees
......I muse
confused
when suddenly
..........a light
verrry faint
but....a light!
my weakened legs
propel me
breathless
...running
barefoot
scraping my skin
against thorny
barbed wire
thru brushfire
..into brick
walls
..medieval
through roman
cobblestone
I can see it now
..its a temple
familiar
...........glory
I stop..to gasp
but i remember the story
...........so I hurry
to reach it
..before
tis extinguished
I tumble down
the dark hill
...into the valley
and then back
up the hill
I shield my eyes
from the light
panting in the
shadows of her
.....ramparts
drawn to the
healing warmth
...I find him
and warn him
of the imminent end
but he looks at me
quizzically
and says
...son this is it
the 3rd one
..no one is taking
this away
.
I step back out
and look out
..over the woods
below
low lying
flanked by 2
mirroring mountains
..and temples
the one across
distant....in flames
and there..in
....the valley
I can faintly make out
.......the tallest
TrEE in the woods
and a young man
...lighting
a menorah
at its base
.





.

gift of the rabbi

.



I'm sure you meant well
.....perhaps
he was a co-worker
....named Seth
or a cousin
..named Beth
you probably thought
hmm something Jewish
..for their kiddies
a little try at kiruv
...on your own
That's what I though
as..I waited in line
in a Manhattan lobby
near the tree
...all sparkly
near the drop box
....unopened gifts
unfortunate christian kids
...when something caught my eye
the double take confirmed what I spied
that indeed it was
..an unopened box

.......of the
Mitzvah Matching Game




.

I see a jerk....

.


The piano was playing in the background, hitting just enough off notes to help form the overall impression of a swank trendy lounge. Shloimie, Isaac and Yanky were waiting for their meals of steak and lamb chops. The complimentary rolls were disappearing one by one as they talked in a tone just a tad too loud for the restaurant they were in. Yanky was just finishing a story about a steal of a deal he had pulled off at work the other day when Shloimie called out "listen to my steal of a deal."
"You know my property on East Birch St, it's a mess. It's full of leaves and tree limbs and all kinds of garbage. I called a guy up, some Mexican guy, and he wanted $200 for the job."
"That's a good price", said Yanky.
"I started bargaining, the guy didn't know what hit him..he ended up agreeing to do it for $75!", said Shloimie triumphantly.
"Wow, how did you do that..?"
"The guy saw I wouldn't budge....that's the key to bargaining.."
Just then their food showed up..

About 30 miles away Pedro was serving dinner in his small uptown apartment. He was tired. He held his face in his hands and looked at his young daughter with sadness in his eyes.
"I'm sorry Rosita but Papa couldn't get chicken today so we will have soup with the bread from yesterday.", he said in his heavy accented voice.
"Hopefully tomorrow God will send some more money our way...", he said as his eyes turned toward the window and the setting sun.

Some people look at this and see the free market at work. They see Capitalism in all it's glory.
I see evil.
I see evil hiding behind such lofty terms as "free market" and "economic freedom"

They see an aggressive entrepeneur...

I see a jerk...




.

license to damage...

.



Personally I find it insane that you need a license to....

Counsel couples teenagers and children..
Babysit..(did you know that?)
Own a dog..
Breed a dog..
Do work on your house..
Be a plumber..
Go fishing...
Broker the sale of a house..

And yet..ANYONE can have children!
You read the news and hear stories from therapy and listen to messed up teens and you just shake your head.

Basically, You could raise children 24/7 for 18 years...but the person you go to for advice ..one hour a week..needs a license to show competency!
You could be in charge of your child's welfare for 24 hours a day 7 days a week..but if you leave for a wedding...the babysitter needs a license..for those 2 hours.

To argue that somehow because they're yours means you know what to do instinctively is simply not the case.
Is there some kind of biological freedom that comes before the limitations placed upon us by society?

I seriously believe that in order to have a child you should need to take courses..and receive some kind of license..to prove competency.


.