Richard Wright At The Opera, Richard Wright At The Show

Spoke about miracles today and how they don't work. Went through some Torah structure supporting the point in and around Yitro. Listened - heard some brilliant ideas from kids.

Ben Nanasi said that people always say they wished in olden times when there were miracles - but if someone from then appeared and saw life today they'd see all the advances as miracles!

Rosie Spiegel noticed that Yitro and Moshe, the Torah goes out of it's way to tell us, are always greeting eachother. it reminded me of the story of the letter delivered over many years that was blank except for the Dear X at the top and the Love Y at the bottom. The idea being that some things are hinted to by words but their truth is flying beyond, resting between. The Torah doesn't tell us about touch feely long talks between Moshe and Yitro, but the greetings convey the profound love.

Everyone wanted to know about why every time Yitro is mentioned it says he was Moshe's father in law. Ariel Fremed suggested that it was to give Yiro credit for taking Moshe in to his family. I thought it was to give Moshe credit for his influence on Yitro.

We discussed the use of the word Am - and how some say that it refers to the lower echelons. Some say the complaints and the Eigel were all the Eirev Rav. Sarah Teichman wondered if that's not scapegoating and escaping our own responsibility. This reminded me of how the command to be kind to strangers is stressed so many times. And this reminded me of Adam's passing the very first buck.

This will probably be the last installment of Richard Wright's haiku:

The naked mountains,

Washing themselves in spring rain

As green fields look on.

.

That sparrow bent down,

Its head tucked beneath its wing, –

Sewing a button?

.

A darting sparrow

Startles a skinny scarecrow

Back to watchfulness.

.

The creeping shadow

Of a gigantic oak tree

Jumps over the wall.

.

As my anger ebbs,

The spring stars grow bright again

And the wind returns.

.

On my trouser leg

Are still a few strands of fur

From my long dead cat.