Storahtelling

Festival of the New Moon
Torah Reading - Numbers 28:1-15
By Zach Fredman

[NOTE: Amichai Lau-Lavie presented a Maven Torah Reading for the Rosh Hodesh Iyyar Parsha this Wednesday morning at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. JTS student Zach Fredman, who you may remember from his brilliant Bloody Esther performance with Storahtelling this past Purim, chanted Torah and graced everybody with his musical talents. This poem is written in response, by Zach.]

Cycles. Turnings. Practices. Renewals. In Time.

Daily - the Earth twirls

the child honors her mother Sun.

You, do something daily

to honor the child.
At the first evening, light to darkness

Adam and Eve afraid
they then knew this was the way of the world,

darkness to light.
They made love.

Say thank you - daily.
Weekly - your second soul descends,

she will ask you the question
‘Do you want to play with me?’

Say yes, quickly.
Monthly - Adam and Eve left Eden at the New Moon.

The Holy One clothed them in garments of light -

as smooth as a fingernail as beautiful as a jewel.

The moon wears masks,

our garments her light.
At the new moon throw out your old clothes -

be new

honor her light with

your face.