Peace is Great - Sharing a Poem - It's Poetry Month

This week's word of the week is שיר - shir. It can mean song, or poem.  שירה (shira) can mean a song or poetry. Since it's Poetry Month I thought it would be nice to share with you a poem that I came across in the last few weeks, that I've come to really love.

The poem is by Yehuda Amichai, an Israeli poet that lived through too many wars - you can see it in his writing.

The poem was written in Hebrew (which I've posted at the bottom of the page).

Enjoy!

Wildpeace
 - Yehuda Amichai. Translation by Chana Bloch

Not the peace of a cease-fire,
 not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb,


but rather
 as in the heart when the excitement is over
 and you can talk only about a great weariness.


I know that I know how to kill, 
that makes me an adult.


And my son plays with a toy gun that knows
 how to open and close its eyes and say Mama.


A peace 
without the big noise of beating swords into ploughshares,
 without words,

without 
the thud of the heavy rubber stamp: let it be
 light, floating, like lazy white foam.


A little rest for the wounds –
Who speaks of healing? 
(And the howl of the orphans is passed from one generation 
to the next, as in a relay race:
 the baton never falls.)

Let it come 
like wildflowers,
 suddenly, because the field
 must have it: wildpeace.

It seems that the poet is pointing to some time in the future when people, perhaps of the whole world - "the field" -  demand peace.

In the Jewish religion the concept of peace is in many ways central - the Talmud states that "peace is great" - גדול השלום - so great in fact, that we end our prayers only with peace - עושה שלום - Oseh Shalom (maker of peace) , or שלום רב - Shalom Rav (great peace). 


Over the past few months I've been working with an Israeli student on his Bar Mitzvah.

We've been reading the prophet Isaiah, in preparation for his Bar Mitzvah in Israel. We've read and discussed Isaiah's vision of peace, redemption, and return to Israel.

I think it's fair to say we are both inspired and depressed by the words - it seems like on the one hand it's come to fruition - we have (in part) returned to the land (well, parts thereof at least), and yet, the element we need to enjoy it - peace, is so distant. I wonder if it's even possible. And so, we are left with this sense of longing despite the existence of The State.



So what's going on with those prophecies?

I learned a beautiful teaching this morning:

"The prophet predicts only that which should be."

(Tosafot on Talmud Yevamot 50a)







I'd love to hear your thoughts... please comment below, and share if you feel comfortable.


Below you will find a source sheet I wrote on peace in the Jewish Bible - the Torah. If you're interested in teaching it / using it, just right click and save the image, and print - if you use it, let me know how it goes. Mickfine@gmail.com

Also some full curriculum / lesson plans using poetry to teach Jewish History below, scroll to the bottom.

Sharing some resources for educators...

• A series of poems by Amichai  -  lessons, worksheets, etc.
• Exploring Israel through the arts - poetry, sculpture, art - full unit
• A lesson focusing on the Partisans - underground fighters during the Holocaust - and their poetry