Listen Israel
Adonai
Our God
is One
I am listening, here’s what I hear . . .
There’s one guy in the eighth row fidgeting because
he doesn’t remember if he turned his cell phone off.
I hear, a cell phone going off. At least I know I will
invariably even though we all know we should turn them off
a cell phone will go off during a Shabbat Service.
Probably during the Amidah. It’s practically liturgy now.
I don’t know why the Rabbis haven’t written a cell phone ring tone
into the service yet. It’s how we got all our other songs.
The war songs of the Czar’s army became the chasidic songs
we all know. It is very Jewish to take the songs of our enemies
and turn them into our holy melodies.
Listen Israel
Adonai
Our God
is One
I am listening, here’s what I hear . . .
There are a lot of people wondering what an Adonai is.
Can you get one at Target? Do they come in my size?
When you get one, what do you do with it?
Does it come with wifi?
What exactly is my responsibility if I commit to this Adonai.
Is it an every day thing? Even the weekend?
Is my Adonai the same as everyone else’s?
How can it all be one when we all look at the same thing
and see something different? Clouds for example.
You might see Moses and the Tablets, and I might see Snoopy.
How can it all be one?
Listen Israel
Adonai
Our God
is One
I am listening, here’s what I hear…
a thousand breaths, a thousand heart beats
a few empty rows in the back for Elijah and his family.
We come from every corner of Los Angeles
maybe even the wilds of Orange County.
We come from separate . . . some with kippot on our heads
some who don’t want to mess up our hair.
Some who bought a meal at the concession.
some who wouldn’t dream of spending money tonight.
We come from separate to be one.
Look into the face of the person next to you.
If you don’t see God . . . look again. Look harder.
It’s there. We are the collective Adonai.
We are Israel. We are one.
That’s what I hear.
Shema…