Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., April 22, 2009 Nisan 28, 5769 | | Israel Time: 12:43 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 09:20 07/04/2009
Pharaoh for Passover, a dead son, and the Jews
By Bradley Burston, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Pesach, Jerusalem, Hebron 

It was late, maybe midnight
When we opened the door for Elijah
Fully expecting
A
Advertisement
unt Ida, in sable.
But it was Pharaoh that walked in to the wine and the whining
and asked for a seat at the little kids table
saying he had a few questions for us.

He said his son would have asked them
Had he been able to attend, that is,
had we not killed him.
But that was then, and they,
not we,
we hastened to mention,
and even they, one supposes, were decent of intention.

Our mother later insisted he'd been a perfect gentleman.
But for his beard,
and the bandages
he could have been one of us.
Oh, and except for the dust in the shake
of his hand
It isn't on all other nights, he began
that you toast the anniversary of a slaughter of lambs,
the painting of blood on the side of a door.
My son died Erev Pesach. What for?
To teach me my place? You didn't seen the look on his face
when the embalmers came to powder and pump and wrap him
into immortality.
They drained him like a crankcase.
You didn't see the look on his face.


But what of the faces whose traces you bear,
As a mirror bears ancestors
As if you were there
sandcrazy, sunblind, crowdcrazy, chainblind,
scared of the dark and the blood in the street
tired of freedom and nothing to eat
but half-baked masonry that tasted like sweat
aching to remember and afraid to forget
what slavery was like.
Admit it.
By the waters that parted you sat down and wept
when you remembered Goshen.

Once you were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt
and once, for a while, you were free.
But now you are masters with burdens more pressing
than dressing a desert in perfect triangles of mud.
You failed your God
when he sent a second flood
to make of a people, a Noah and more. What for?
Some thanks he got. A pawnshop in the wilderness.

"Let's see something in a god we can pen up and milk."
You needed that calf in its 14 carat clothes.
But just who were you fooling with the ring in its nose?

Tonight the celebration of the killing of lambs,
their blood dried to doorposts,
horseradish jam on the table it took you a week to set.
At least a week more, 'fore you get your digestion back right.
You couldn't leave Egypt if you wanted to tonight.

When they came to tell me about my son
in that dialect that doctors affect
the big words snaking past you like bad handwriting,
"In cases such as yours," they began, "let's speak frankly,
in cases of ... amputation,
it is not uncommon to encounter
the selfsame itches, burns, ticklishness
shooting as before from the direction of the ... amputee."
As if nothing had occurred.
As if I hadn't heard correctly.
As if he were still a part of me.

In cases such as mine, the good news is the area to which
the damage has been confined:
To my son, and another in every family in the land.
An extra place-setting at every household tonight,
except for the ones with the blood on the door.
What for? A lesson to mothers, drowning slowly in loss?
To fathers, who went quicker, strapped to chariots?
To horses, perhaps, their eyes bulging back against life, against sea.
And all so that you could be free.

Mine is the son unable to ask questions.
His is the blood in the libel of generations.
His, the wineglass untouched at the table.
His, the line that descends from Abel.
He will quietly crash your celebrations.
he will spike your festival punch with a vague taste of cracked glass.
Why on this night do you so carefully spill his blood
onto your best china?

Next year in Jerusalem,
or Hebron, or Shechem, don't say I didn't warn you
when playing the master has shaken and torn your dreams
to small sandy pieces.
Your God never did sell his property.
He only lets leases.
So shackle that promised land of yours.
Take, as your deed, your birth.
But know how much a promise is worth.
For once
you were promised
to me.


Gezer, Erev Pesach, 1979

_________________


Recent blogs:

The Mideast conflict in 27 words or less
Why does the world media love to hate Israel?
The racist Israeli fascist in meHillary Clinton, Gaza, and the six-state solution
Winslet, 'Waltz,' and how Hollywood likes its Jews
Sure the Israeli right won? Peace lost? Look closer
Will Livni, Netanyahu settle for rotation, sharing premiership?
Israel Election Guide: Can Netanyahu be stopped? Can Lieberman?
The Gaza War as reality television
Mr. Obama, grant Hamas the freedom to fail

_______________



The guiding principles of the talkback forum for this article will be mutual respect and openness to dialogue. Participants, even if they rule out, dismiss or oppose coexistence, must, within the confines of this forum, practice it.

Censorship will be unapologetic.

Political orientation will have absolutely no bearing on whether a comment is posted or rejected.

The following will be grounds for deletion:

1. Racist remarks, as well as slurs on the basis of religion, ethnicity and gender.
2. Use of the terms Nazi, Hitler, to describe the actions and policies of Israelis, Palestinians or other parties to the Israel-Arab conflict.
3. Disparaging remarks, personal attacks, vulgarities and profanities directed at other participants in the forum.
4. Advocacy of violence against individuals or religious, ethnic or racial groups, including statements which may be construed as urging attacks on leaders, officials, security forces or civilians
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Branding Eli Wiesel
WATCH: On Holocaust Day, Ahmadinejad entourage calls Nobel laureate a 'Zio-Nazi.'
Remembering Shoah
IN PICTURES / Annual memorial day begins with ceremony at Yad Vashem museum.
  1.   Midda keneged Midda/ Measure for Measure 10:24  |  Joe 01/04/07
  2.   Brad, we take out wine so that our cups don`t "runneth over", not 11:35  |  Robert 01/04/07
  3.   Hag sameach! 12:02  |  Nik Miller 01/04/07
  4.   How could you wish each other Hag sameach..when 13:11  |  KA 01/04/07
  5.   bradley burston, i just want to say 13:15  |  eric 01/04/07
  6.   BRADLEY CAN YOU TELL US WHICH PHAROAH IT WAS ?? 13:43  |  paul harris 01/04/07
  7.   As much as the land of Goshen was fine for the Jews 15:10  |  Joseph E . Post 2 01/04/07
  8.   War-old men furthering their careers by sending young to die 15:11  |  Yossi Cronenberg 01/04/07
  9.   Is it worth dying for a corrupt country like Israel? 15:55  |  Rafa 01/04/07
  10.   Jews came from Africa 16:06  |  Tamir Gaza 01/04/07
  11.   #10 RELATED TO PHAROAH ?I KNOW ITS APRIL 1 TODAY BUT REALLY 17:13  |  paul harris 01/04/07
  12.   Hag Sameach and Happy Easter to Everyone 17:15  |  CHGODMK 01/04/07
  13.   KA: Reading Too Much Orhan Pamuk, Are We? 17:22  |  CHGODMK 01/04/07
  14.   As much as the land of Goshen was fine for the Jews 18:00  |  Joseph E . Post 1 01/04/07
  15.   Hebrews did not kill the first born, so what`s the point 20:09  |  McQueen 01/04/07
  16.   PASSOVER EXODUS NEVER HAPPENED 20:14  |  Muhammud al-Swain 01/04/07
  17.   rafa: Is it worth dying for a corrupt country 21:14  |  Randle Bate 01/04/07
  18.   #16 swaine the claim to the land is CALLED THE 1922 MANDATE 21:26  |  paul harris 01/04/07
  19.   INHUMAN TREATMENT HA HA HA 21:28  |  TOBIA 01/04/07
  20.   Next year in Jerusalem 21:45  |  sg 01/04/07
  21.   Mr Mohammed Swine 22:11  |  Jasmine Murphy 01/04/07
  22.   Hag sameah to everybody 22:28  |  Hastaroth 01/04/07
  23.   One more thing.... 22:32  |  Hastaroth 01/04/07
  24.   KA GIVE MODERN DAY EXAMPLE 22:36  |  TOBIA 01/04/07
  25.   KA,this is a Jewish newspaper 22:36  |  Hastaroth 01/04/07
  26.   #10 The best April fool joke ever 22:41  |  Hastaroth 01/04/07
  27.   Who`s to bless who`s to blame? 22:43  |  Billy Jack 01/04/07
  28.   # 4 KA 23:14  |  Lynn 01/04/07
  29.   al Swain from Dearbornistan 23:18  |  Lynn 01/04/07
  30.   Burston, you write poetry badly, BUT 23:20  |  d.dor 01/04/07
  31.   April Fool? 23:24  |  Joseph 01/04/07
  32.   # 8 benefits of war........ 23:24  |  Lynn 01/04/07
  33.   Tamir gaza 23:52  |  Danite 01/04/07
  34.   al swain 23:53  |  Danite 01/04/07
  35.   MOHOMMUD THANKS FOR THE FAIRY TALE 23:55  |  TOBIA 01/04/07
  36.   A HOLIDAY GREETING 23:59  |  BO 01/04/07
  37.   TO 26 00:03  |  crazy horse 02/04/07
  38.   Hag sameach 00:17  |  Simple Tom 02/04/07
  39.   Argue on behalf of a slaver 00:17  |  Efox 02/04/07
  40.   Message to the censor 00:28  |  Bradley Burston 02/04/07
  41.   re: Tamir Gaza 00:31  |  Efox 02/04/07
  42.   At least Bradley was sorry AFTER the fact 00:50  |  Tosefta 02/04/07
  43.   Mr. Al-Swain, read your Koran. It has the story of the Exodus! 01:06  |  Robert 02/04/07
  44.   Danite 01:54  |  Tamir Gaza 02/04/07
  45.   tamir gaza...an israelite saved egypt... 02:15  |  maria 02/04/07
  46.   hey al swain....moses was mentioned in the koran. 02:23  |  maria 02/04/07
  47.   TO THE HONORABLE MUSLIM WRITERS 02:29  |  PERITO 02/04/07
  48.   My Impersonation of an Ancient Egyptian 03:13  |  Efox 02/04/07
  49.   An Isrealite Saved the World 04:38  |  JRN 02/04/07
  50.   # 16 Al Swain 04:41  |  Lynn 02/04/07
  51.   #27 Billy Jack 04:42  |  Lynn 02/04/07
  52.   Thank you BO 04:48  |  Lynn 02/04/07
  53.   Tamir Gaza 06:25  |  Danite 02/04/07
  54.   THE MODERN PHARAOH AND ALL 08:18  |  indrajaya 02/04/07
  55.   Exodus and Passover are relevant today 08:56  |  Don 02/04/07
  56.   Brad wants us to be slaves? 09:25  |  Israeli 02/04/07
  57.   So,Burston feels sorry for the dead Egyptians 09:46  |  Hastaroth 02/04/07
  58.   Only Jewish slaves don`t have the RIGHTS of FREEDOM FIGHTERS? 10:45  |  Michigan 02/04/07
  59.   Passover 15:09  |  Deborah 02/04/07
  60.   indrajaya aren`t they free? 21:27  |  maria 02/04/07
  61.   don`t you know that.... 21:32  |  maria 02/04/07
  62.   Censor protects Koran but not Bible 22:34  |  Michigan 02/04/07
  63.   My favorite Jewish Holiday - Brad tks for explaining 22:45  |  Blinky the Fish 02/04/07
  64.   Our Passover is.... 04:15  |  Virginia 03/04/07
  65.   God`s plan revealed through the Jewish people 04:31  |  For ALL who believe 03/04/07
  66.   #8 Jossi Cronenberg BRAVO!! 06:33  |  hipolito 03/04/07
  67.   # 8 Yossi Cronenberg @ Jerusalem / Israel 11:12  |  Joseph .E 03/04/07
  68.   To Indrajaya 54 18:10  |  Lee 03/04/07
  69.   #50 LYNN 19:54  |  Muhammud al-Swain 03/04/07
  70.   To Muhamman al Swain re 69 22:50  |  Lee 03/04/07
  71.   69Muhammud: Prove it! 03:10  |  Michigan 04/04/07
  72.   To Muhsam Das Schwein # 16 09:57  |  Fortuna Benmayor 04/04/07
  73.   #68, LEE 12:54  |  indrajaya 04/04/07
  74.   #69 - Muhammud al-Swain 15:07  |  Deborah 04/04/07
  75.   #69 - Muhammud 15:24  |  Deborah 04/04/07
  76.   73 Indirajaya 19:45  |  Lee 04/04/07
  77.   God knows Pharaoh`s grief 20:38  |  Virginia 04/04/07
  78.   a song of feedom 20:47  |  jorge ernesto toer 04/04/07
  79.   #71 Michigan 15:48  |  Muhammud al-Swain 05/04/07
  80.   #72 Cartagena 15:51  |  Muhammud al-Swain 05/04/07
  81.   #75 Deborah 18:16  |  Muhammud al-Swain 05/04/07
  82.   #70 Lee 18:21  |  Muhammud al-Swain 05/04/07
  83.   You KNOW your TOO much of a ... 19:41  |  Me 05/04/07
  84.   Burston`s Poetry 20:08  |  Michael Greenberg 05/04/07
  85.   Pharaoh who ? 20:30  |  Wendy 05/04/07
  86.   To Muhammed al Swain re 81 23:24  |  Lee 05/04/07
  87.   #81 - Muhammed 04:34  |  Deborah 06/04/07
  88.   If Al Swine`s Correct.... 19:18  |  ERSB 15/04/08
  89.   Ah Khalid, not satisfied with his journalism and rabbinic sheets 20:36  |  Jacob Blues 15/04/08
  90.   Muhammud al-Swain, if Jews are fake, then what does it say for 20:49  |  Jacob Blues 15/04/08
  91.   Table manners 07:23  |  Susannah 16/04/08
  92.   A bit late ... 12:16  |  Motic 16/04/08
  93.   Chag sameach !! 14:07  |  Jan Vlaming 16/04/08
  94.   A Cute Little Poem! Come an Get It! 02:30  |  Yechiel 17/04/08
  95.   Next year in Jerusalem, Without Olmert`s defeatist Government 03:10  |  DAN ROSEN 17/04/08
  96.   Pharoah your son was embalmed in a ravaged pyramid 09:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 17/04/08
  97.   beautiful and powerful poem 18:42  |  Jeff 17/04/08
  98.   Muhammud al-Swain 01:23  |  Elihu 18/04/08
  99.   OLMERT AND LIVNI ARE DEFEATISTS AND EXTREME LEFTISTS 06:04  |  Rachel Rosenthal 18/04/08
  100.   Jewish sickness 06:11  |  Boris 18/04/08
  101.   AHMOSE WAS THE PHAROAH OF EXODUS 21:12  |  RY 18/04/08
  102.   #41 Efox 07:55  |  Deborah 19/04/08
  103.   #16 11:45  |  Ben 19/04/08
  104.   A Blessed Passover to all of Israel, wherever they may be. 15:09  |  Virginia 19/04/08
  105.   That`s A Hard Act To Follow Bradley 17:37  |  Yosemite 19/04/08
  106.   Blinky the FIsh 63 is a fake 22:03  |  Blinky the fish 19/04/08
  107.   "God will never forgive you", KA 06:03  |  Akiva P 20/04/08
  108.   ISRAEL - LAND OF SACRIFICE 21:27  |  Dolly 20/04/08
  109.   `Dear Pharoah"-by Shalom Achshav 02:06  |  BLUETRUTH 22/04/08
  110.   hag sameah 11:49  |  Yair Hadad 31/03/09
  111.   Al swain 10:30  |  Joe W 07/04/09
  112.   No 4 10:47  |  Avram 07/04/09
  113.   112 Avram The day of some fairy tales 12:54  |  Ardi 07/04/09
  114.   Rafa 13:25  |  Daniela 07/04/09
  115.   Muhammud al - swain 13:29  |  Daniela 07/04/09
  116.   Dear Bradley, happy Pesach 13:42  |  Alicia 07/04/09
  117.   # 16 Muhammud al-Swain "PASSOVER EXODUS NEVER HAPPENED" 17:51  |  17 07/04/09
  118.   Hag Sameach and Happy Easter to Everyone 17:58  |  Eylo 07/04/09
  119.   #117: David Wolpe and proof 18:14  |  Spitzer 07/04/09
  120.   # 109 BLUETRUTH - !!! 18:23  |  17 07/04/09
  121.   # 80 Muhammud al-Swain 18:34  |  17 07/04/09
  122.   pessah 19:06  |  zoe 07/04/09
  123.   #69 Muhammud al-Swain 19:22  |  Jan Vlamiing 07/04/09
  124.   Amen, #122 19:27  |  Spitzer 07/04/09
  125.   #122 Chag sameach pesach ZOE 19:30  |  Ardi 07/04/09
  126.   For Deborah An Enlightement..On The Twelve Tribes Of Israel. 22:08  |  Whiskey 07/04/09
  127.   A much simpler analysis - Judaism based on 3 points... 23:24  |  bat yam 07/04/09
  128.   # 42 Tosefta - Hag Pesach Sameach 01:21  |  17 08/04/09
  129.   A much simpler analysis - Judaism is based on 3 points... 01:48  |  bat yam 08/04/09
  130.   To Susannah wherever she may be..Well said,honestly done. 02:29  |  Jasmine 08/04/09
  131.   #68 Burston 03:35  |  Muhammud al-Swain 08/04/09
  132.   JESUSALEN 03:52  |  JESUSALEN 08/04/09
  133.   to KA at4 04:54  |  chloe 08/04/09
  134.   Here`s to the day.... 05:34  |  Rod 08/04/09
  135.   Pharaoh for Passover? 09:03  |  Yosemite 08/04/09
  136.   A Fruiful Rememberance For All 09:14  |  Eli Wapniarski 08/04/09
  137.   RE: 16 - Muhammud al-Swain 09:35  |  Eli Wapniarski 08/04/09
  138.   Muhammud al-Schwein ? 09:47  |  savta klavta 08/04/09
  139.   HAMAS "You Must Drink From the Blood of MuslimBut Mix It with 10:02  |  PETER SM 08/04/09
  140.   #69 Jan Vlamiing The Quran Apart From The likes of C.Luxemberg. 23:40  |  No Name 08/04/09
  141.   To Wendy Some comment on Burston,, 01:08  |  No Name 09/04/09
  142.   Boycott AMPM 01:12  |  Uri Kaplan 09/04/09
  143.   Blessed Pesach and Easter to all. 02:48  |  Virginia 09/04/09
  144.   Re Al Swain 07:33  |  Rumi 09/04/09
  145.   JESUSALEN 20:54  |  JESUSALEN 09/04/09
  146.   JESUSALEN 21:05  |  JESUSALEN 09/04/09
  147.   PESACH 07:10  |  Rab Burns 10/04/09
  148.   Peter SM 22:30  |  Daniela 10/04/09
  149.   How about replacing that "Next year in Jerusalem" ending 21:16  |  newageblues 12/04/09
  150.   10~Tamir Gaza `jews came from africa 04:36  |  Akram Zekaria 17/04/09
  151.   69~Muhammud al-Swain ask for Allah`s forgiveness & don`t lie! 08:54  |  Akram Zekaria 20/04/09
  152.   TO #16:Passover Exodus a Fiction? 20:17  |  Michael Greenberg 20/04/09
  153.   To #16-part 2 20:49  |  Michael Greenberg 20/04/09
 Haaretz Hot Topics
Durban II conference
Air strike in Sudan
Israel 2009 election results: Voter breakdown
Israel vs. Hamas
Iran: Nuclear and regional ambitions
More Headlines
12:37 After Lieberman remarks, Barak reiterates value of regional peace plan
10:00 Obama aims to push peace through settlement freeze, normalization
10:41 Lieberman: U.S. to accept any Israeli policy decision
09:12 Report: Olmert, Livni may face war crimes charges in Norway
11:53 Ahmadinejad lambasts Israel again after Durban II walk-out
11:02 Netanyahu to hold special meeting on Shalit
09:44 Sources: U.S. may drop AIPAC spy case
22:31 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
11:42 Tourism Min.: Pope shouldn't meet 'terror-backing' Arab mayor
07:16 Hamas smuggling new arsenal into Gaza
05:17 Was 'lost' ghetto archive under researchers' noses for years?
08:51 Israeli captain Benayoun keeps Liverpool's title hopes alive
Previous Editions
Special Offers
Advertisement
Spring Specials-Dan Hotels
Jerusalem from 179$. Tel-Aviv from 223$. Herzliya from 336$
The Meier on Rothschild Tower
Masterpiece Residence in the Heart of Tel Aviv
Dead Sea Skin Care
Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
Camp Kimama Israel 2009
The best place for your children this summer
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Jewish Singles Personal Ads
Find the love of your life on JDate.com
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | | Israel 2009 election results
Site rules | Makom: Engaging on Israel | Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved