Shlach Lecha/Not a Sound

Last updated on: June 7, 2018 at 2:38 pm by Hebrew College

Shlach Lecha/Not a Sound 2018-06-07T14:38:52-04:00 Hebrew College

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

(Parshat Sh’lach (Numbers, 13:1-15:41)

By Rabbi Gray Myrseth

And
all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron
and
the whole congregation said to them,

“I
wish we had died in the land of Egypt or that we had already died in this wilderness!”
(Numbers 14:2)

Fear
is not an animal.
It
is not warm.
It
does not bend.

Once
the ocean bent
beneath
my hand.
Was
it that simple?
Yes.

The
crabs and fish
felt
the dawn of their apocalypse.
The
ground we walked on
was
a moving thing, fins and shells
spread
out beneath our feet.

Now
I would offer
all
my songs of praise
in
exchange
for
a fish in my hand.

While
I walk, I dream
of
translucent muscle and silvery scales.
While
I walk, I clutch a stone
and
will it to become water.

Fear
is this stone in my hand.
Fear
is this stone in my mouth.

If
stones do not turn to water,
did
water ever become dry land?

The
sky over my head
is
neither land nor water
and
it does not speak a word.

Rabbi Gray Myrseth was ordained in 2017 by the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in Newton, MA, and is currently serving as School Director at Kehilla Community Synagogue in Piedmont, CA.

Interested in a possible career in the rabbinate? Read Rabbi Dan Judson’s article “Jewish Lessons on Meaningful Work.“ Rabbi Judson is Dean of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College. He has a PhD in Jewish history from Brandeis University.

Seventy Faces of Torah

Torah

Previous Post

May 29, 2018

Divine Presence is a Cloud that is Fire

Next Post

June 12, 2018 Look Inward: Learning from Korach’s Downfall

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2026 March 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz