Hassagot השגות

What became of the house

For a long time, they lived without a house.  Sometimes, they lived in tents.  On other occasions, the tents were knocked down and they traveled from place to place looking for a spot to pitch their tent in peace.

They experienced a peaceful time when their tent was secure.  Their tent grew and they rejoiced.  It was at this moment that a great storm came and destroyed much of their tent.

Soon after that, they merited to build a house.  Happy they in their new house!  Many celebrated its dedication and found shelter in its chambers.

Some bored of the house.   They could not recall the tents, the winds that blew them, the destructive storms that buffeted them.

Some mistook the house for a great mansion.  However, since it was not a mansion, they blamed its imperfections on those who directed the house.   With one hand they supported the house and its directors; with the other they sought to undermine it.

Many came to resent the house.   Happier would we be to have no house at all. 

There were some there who thanked G-d for making the house, with all of its drawbacks, possible.

-- H. A. Massig

They said, "The main thing is..."

The people gathered and asked, "What is the main thing?"

The people split into factions.

Some said, the main thing is to deny that there is a main thing.  They wandered off and ceased to be a faction, though some wandered back and others could be heard seeking a path through the mist.

Some said, the main thing is to forgive our elders their error and to eat our juniors' sour grapes.  They could explain the elders's errors but were blind to any error in the juniors.  They began to be overwhelmed by mist.

Some said, we must learn.  That is the main thing.  They were very learned, but their prayers were made of lead and fell to the floor of their prayer rooms, which became filled with heavy prayers.

Some said, we must do, but we must not know.  They built cities and roads, an entire country.  Their hands were strong, but their hearts atrophied.

Some said, we must be.  And since we are, we are good.  And we must continue to be who we are.  These people felt very good about themselves and applauded themselves for being so good.

Some said, we must worship an image.  They loved the image and waved flags.  Their world filled with flags and icons. 

Some said, the main thing is G-d.    And they said, we must love and fear G-d, we must worship; we must know, we must be, we must do, we must learn

-- H. A. Massig

Some Searched for G-d

Some searched for G-d. 

They looked in the books and read and read.

There they learned that there is a certain way.  Some say it goes up, some down.  Some insist that it is strewn with rocks, some that it is smooth.  So they built a road.  They made it go up and down at one.  They made it strewn with rocks and smooth at once.

They worked hard at this road, building it with wood and stones and earth and water.  In the end, the road they built was very small.  In fact, it did not exist at all.

Upon the ground grew sweet greens.  They sought refreshment and wished to eat the greens.  They cleaned the greens of bugs.  As they cleaned, the bugs multiplied until they filled the space between heaven and earth.  All the people could see were bugs.

This is how they searched for G-d but found bugs.

-- H. A. Massig

Giants of the Western World

Seven giants of the western world,
each one greater than the rest,
each one better than the best.

One giant a he who sees himself a she,
or a she "a he."

One who yearns to love himself
and seeks his mirror image in another's flesh.

One who loathes himself and his humanity.
If self-love is vain, what of self-hatred?

One who pays his parent for years of patient care
by condemning him in print for all to see.

One who saves himself the pain of caring
for his helpless child by removing her womanhood.

One who pays lip-service to the good
but worships at the shrine of the beautiful.

One who will not forgive the creator
for having created him.

-- H. A. Massig