|
|
A piyyut for 5786-5787 responding to the war in Gaza
Download pdf
This piyyut (liturgical poem) is a response to what I think of as the second war with Gaza since October 7, the one started on March 18, 2025, when Israel broke the ceasefire. At that point it became clear that war was being driven not by rescuing the hostages or eliminating Hamas, but rather by Netanyahu needing to unite his coalition, including its fascist partners and elements eager to colonize Gaza. I was also responding to the glee to destroy that accompanied some soldiers' desire to punish all of Gaza, which was being expressed in song, tik tok, etc., and to the repeated declaration made by various Hardal rabbis that all of Gaza is Amalek, and to the apparent careless way (like the WCK workers) or intentionally cruel way (like the ambulance drivers) way that life has been taken by gun and sniper and drone and missile.
Given the unending violence despite the ceasefire, the threat of Hamas staying in power, the refusal of this govt to investigate Oct 7, the rising violence in the West Bank, and criminal gangs in Arab (Palestinian Israeli) cities, the piyyut still seems appropriate to use this year of 5787.
In the spirit of all of us taking responsibility for any of our sins, as a , much of the piyyut is in the first person. What is real above all and behind my thinking is the sin enumerated in the Syrian Vidui Hagadol: "Lo Bacharta Bachayyim, We did not choose Life."
Note: this poem uses some piyyut (poetic) forms that are not normal Hebrew, like "Artzakh" instead of "Artzekha" or "Beit" instead of "Bayit". Also, "Asireha" (her captives) echoes the poem by Yehudah Halevi, "Tziyon halo tish'ali lish'lom asirayikh". It was a reference to the hostages but the call at this point is more broad, so I've added "Oshkeha" (her downtrodden).
״אֵיךְ אֶשְׁאָל״
Download pdf
“Eikh esh’al - How can I ask?” A piyyut responding to the violence of the Gaza war and elsewhere in the land of promise
אֵיךְ אֶשְׁאָל לְגַלֵּל הָחֶרְפָּה מֵעָלַי וְעֵדוּתֶיךָ לֹא נָצָרְתִי
הֲסַּכִּין בְּיָדִי בְּעַדִי עֲדַיִין וְאֶדְרֹשׁ מֵאֵת פִּיךָ מְחִילָה לִי
לְהַכּוֹת אֶגְרוֹף הַמְחָאָה בַּחֲזֶה, לְבַקֵּשׁ מֵעֵדִי בּוּז תָּסִיר מֵעָלַי
נְהָלֵי עַמְּךָ יְעֵנֵי מִדְבָּר לְאַכְזָר, מִגּוֹדֶל נֶזֶק הַמְּחָבְּלִים עָלַי
כְּפוּל כְּפָלִים נָמְטִיר עֲלֵיהֶם כִּי קָטְלוּ הָאֵם שַׁד בְּפִי יְּנִיקָה
אָז אָמַרְנוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשׂוּ לִי אָסוֹן, אֶעֱשֶׂה כֵּן גַּם אֲנֹכִי לָהֶם
וְהֶרֶס הֵהָרֵס בֵּית וּבִנְיָן לְאָבָק, מַחְלָקָה וְרוֹפֵא, בְּאֹהָל פְּלִיטֵי פְּצָצָה
כְּאִלוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ אוֹיְבַי כִּלָּם מִגְּרוֹנָם וְקוֹל צַעֲקָה שֶׁהֵרִים מִפִּיהֶם
קוֹלֵינוּ קוֹל עֵשָׂו נֶעֶשָׂה לֵאמֹר מֵחֶטְאָם הָאָשָׁם עוֹלֶה, לֹא לָנוּ הוּא
וְהֵיכִי לְשִׁמְךָ תֵּן כְּבוֹד חָסְדֶךָ וְכִי יְדֵי יַעֲקֹב חַרְבֵי בָּרְזֶל הֵעָשׂוּ
הִגָלֶה וְרָפֵּא פְּצוּעֵי לִבָבֵנוּ שֶׁנְתָּקֵן כָּל עָמִים אֶת אָרְצָךְ עִם עוֹלְמֵנוּ
אָז נִדְרֹש אֲסִירֶיהָ, עוֹשׁקֶיהָ וּנְּבָקֵשׁ הַשָּׁלוֹם וְיַעֲלֶה בִּזְכוּת סְלִיחָתֵנוּ
1. How can I ask that the disgrace be rolled off me,
when I have not preserved Your testimonies? (Psalm 119:22)
2. The blade still in my hand, for my purpose,
would I yet seek forgiveness from Your mouth for me?
3. To strike with protesting fist upon my breast;
to seek, from my Witness: “Lift the scorn from me.”
4. Your people's leaders -- cruel desert birds (Lam 3:4);
for such great trauma from from those who brought ruin (hamechablim) came upon me.
5. "Double, redoubled I shall rain upon them,
for they slew the mother, while breast nursed child,"
6. we said then. "As was done to me, such calamity,
so shall I do to them." (Deut 12:30)
7. Destruction — reducing house and building to dust,
hospital ward and doctor, those in tents who fled bombs.
8. As if in order to hear, “my enemies finished them all” (Lam 2:22) from their throats,
and a voice, screaming out (Gen 27:34), rising from their mouths.
9. Our voice has become the voice of Esau (Gen 27:22),
saying, “from their sin the guilt rises — it is not on us.”
10. Then how shall Your Name be ascribed the glory of Your steadfast love (Psalm 115:1),
when the hands of Jacob, becoming iron swords, have done all this?
11. Reveal and heal the wounds of our hearts,
that we all, all the peoples, may restore Your land along with our world.
12. Then let us search out her captives and downtrodden and pursue Peace;
by such merit, may forgiveness for us ascend.
Don’t forget to check out neohasid's other High Holiday and Sukkot resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
