You’re not that righteous, said the Rabbis.
In another generation, you’d be average –
Just look at Abraham
Father of the Jewish people,
Light unto the nations.
Now that’s a righteous man!
As always, Noah nodded, but thought
To himself, But have you ever tried
To keep a yahrzeit candle,
Faintest flicker of a single flame
Alive in the flood?
© 2020 Jewish Young Professional
Jewish Young Professional 
The question at the close really makes us all think. Thought provoking indeed. So nice to see you at the Muse!
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Thanks for the inspiration, Carrie!
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Exactly, yet, being a Tzadik “in his generation” seems, objectively, well, he was right, the majority opinion supposes…
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True
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Just popped back by to say hello!
Layla Tov,
Shira
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Boker tov! 🙂
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Boker Ohr! 🙂
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Very nice post, btw!
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ain’t it though? 😀
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It is! 🙂
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🙂
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Nice!
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💕
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🕯🌊🌧☔️🕊💗
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After reading your beautifully composed poem, I did a bit of research as I did not know of the yahrzeit candle …. I love when good poetry educates.
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Thank you. I don’t like explaining or providing a glossary of terms (I used to overexplain and define in all of my college poetry and boy was it awful!) but I’m glad that the poem was still accessible.
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was one yizkor candle enough?
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Good point! I guess it’s kind of like when the shuls will do one candle or 6 candles on Yom HaShoah to remember 6 million Jews. How exactly do you memorialize a world?
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🕯️ yeah now that I think about it, he probably didn’t want to set all that tar on fire 🔥
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Haha, yes, that would certainly be impractical!
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That is very cool. The image and the ending come together very powerfully.
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I think not! And besides, Abraham won no father of the year awards.
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Good point. Yeah, hard to see taking parenting advice from Abraham (or arguably anyone in the book of Genesis)!
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What would someone have to be or do for them to be good enough to get parenting advice from?
Abraham fought against child sacrifices, and built a legacy for his children. I try to imagine what I would be like in that era. Yikes!
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Well-noted and good point! I should not be so quick to judge!
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Btw,I should have noted that this is Shay (Fireblossom) in WordPress clothing.
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Your poetry on the Fireblossom blog is amazing!! “Lucky” and “Patos Extraños” – these are incredible! I wish there was an easy way to comment on there with a WordPress account. Maybe I need to subscribe? I’m kind of new to this. Anyway, I love your work over on Fireblossom.
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Thank you! I had to make separate account
s cos I had the same issue. 😦
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Keeping that flame alive in tough conditions is difficult – but necessary. Beautifully written.
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It really is tough to keep that singular flame alive during a storm. Thank you!
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You are very good , this verse is succinct but loaded with meaning. Well done girl. Well done.
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Thanks!
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The post ends with a question leaving readers for introspection. Nice one!
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Thanks!
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Ha! I didn’t see that ending coming! Beautifully done
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I was not familiar with the yahrzeit candle, but after research I well see the poignancy of your final words. Beautifully penned, and thank you for widening my world.
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Thank you! I don’t do a lot of explanation of Jewish terminology and vocabulary in poems (I used to do this in all the poetry I wrote in college and those poems were so dreadful!), and I am so glad to to that the poem was still pretty accessible for you. Thank you for your kind words!
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This made me smile and think-
The duality of the greats having been so great on the one hand yet not good enough on the other.
The point of the Rabbis is that he might not even had to light a yahrtzeit candle, had he tried to influence the people and get them to repent. But maybe he was an introvert like me?
Story of anyone’s life, when is good enough good enough? Is it ever?
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Great point! It’s a good question re: what is good enough.
Yes, the Rabbinic interpretation is that Noah should have done more to get the people to change their ways. I sometimes wonder if maybe Noah was just realistic. Abraham didn’t live in Sodom or Gomorrah (although Lot did) and thus, could optimistically believe there were 10 righteous people there.
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Everyone’s a realist in their own version of reality, though. As Steve Jobs is quoted as saying “Those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do”. Or my other favorite, attributed to Henry Ford: “whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right”.
Sodom and Gomorrah’s evil ways were known to the public, it was basically their creed. They punished people who were kind and giving in such horrific ways, that I doubt anyone still wanted to try it (again, if I lived in era😟…) So he could believe it, but if he were a realist he’d know it wasn’t really possible.
But that is not the only reason the Rabbis say Abraham did more than Noach – almost everyone Abraham came into contact with, ultimately became a believer. He used every tool he could think of to show people there is a G’d. It wasn’t enough for him to keep the knowledge and enlightenment to himself. He needed to share the light and bring people closer to G’d. That was the greatness.
Basically, Avraham was Chabad😄.
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Those are some great quotes re: realism. Very inspiring!
Point taken re: Sodom and Gomorrah. (Husband, who is more of a scholar than I am, just confirmed that Sodom was renowned like the equivalent of Las Vegas in reputation, which sounds unfair to Vegas ;)) Chabad is a good description of Avraham!
I have felt that the Rabbinic interpretation was somewhat unkind to Noach in that it doesn’t consider how hard it is to maintain a spark of goodness and be righteous when everyone else around is so terrible. But I suppose the counterpoint is that you could follow Avraham’s model and inspire others to monotheism and a path of righteousness so you wouldn’t be quite so lonely because you wouldn’t be the only righteous person around! Hard for an introvert (or a regular old non-biblical patriarch) to do though!
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You gave Noah a very human quality.
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Brilliant. What a powerful metaphor. The last three lines gave me chills.
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I think those are my favorite lines too! Thank you for stopping by and for the feedback!
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I’m not familiar with Jewish rituals but I have heard of Noah. I like his cheeky riposte. And I have heard of the Y candle. I read a very fine poem on it once — Mark Tulin may have written it — which I copied down because it was so well written
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I was right. It’s called ‘Watching Candles Burn’ and it’s by Mark Tulin and it’s online !!! if you get a chance check it out. I just know you will appreciate it 🙂
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Awesome, thanks for the recommendation! I will have to check it out!
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do; it’s online; it’s a ripper 🙂
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This is so beautifully composed, a simple yet penetrating dialogue.
In religious, spiritual and political history comparisons are made
Justifiably? I don’t think Providence would dethrone or have a problem with our thoughts, but in fact enjoy the passages or doors we throw wide open for deeper spiritual understanding.
In the political context, there is a voice booming in my country, ” Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela is and was not enough…..”
“But have you been a candle of hope, behind bars for 27 years?” I asked.
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