For Parshat B'Shalach

 

What do we take from God?

 

i

The people gather manna,

grain from God,

all through their years in the Desert,

gathering one omer for each person.

*

An omer is one-tenth of an efah

is the last phrase

of the story of manna.

 

ii

Moses tells Israel:

bake what you will bake of the manna;

and the word for bake is ofeh,

like efah.

So say an efah

is a measure of baking.

*

Later Moses says

bring an omer of your harvest

before God.

So say an omer

is a measure of gathering.

 

iii

Then an omer is one-tenth of an efah

is a translation of what we gather from God

into what we make from it.

*

Then to know we can translate

from omer to efah

is to know that from God’s works

we make our own forms.

 

iv

This knowing is the final gift

that God’s gift leaves for us.

 

_____
Sparked by an idea of my friend Yossi Kra

 

_____

Shabbat shalom,

Abe

 

Please pray for Neshama Emunah bat Batya

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