In line with my Drash on T-Swift's
Blank Space, I will add another modern-song pairing to the
great tradition of Judaism. Ilu Finu is part of the Nishmat Kol Chai
prayer. And it's pretty. “Even if our mouths were full of song as
the sea.” We don't write shit like that any more (Ecc. Has informed
me that it's all been written before), or do we? It took me a while
to figure out what Ilu Finu was reminding me of. It wasn't just the
glory of nature—though that's there and wonderful—it was CLEARLY
Disney's Pocahontas.
Things they have in common. Glory o'
Nature people. It's all around us all the time. Soak it in. Liken
yourself to it. More importantly, they both describe a task that may
be impossible. Every time I feel useless or like I can never solve a
big problem (for example racism, which is prevalent in the song being
discussed), Pirkei Avot, reminds me that even if I can't complete the
task, I am not allowed to desist from it (2:16).
Ways in which they differ. Well, for
starters, Pocahontas makes it and John Smith doesn't get clubbed to
death. Though I and Kol Israel will probably not be able to thank the
Ultimate G-Unit for everything. More importantly, they differ in
tone. In spirit. In language. One is subjunctive, it's passive and it
pulls inward in it's expectant failure. As beautiful as Ilu Finu is,
it's a cop-out. Even if I were better, I would not succeed. That's
what I hear as the sun rises: I fall. Whereas Pocahontas, is all
active. Calling upon Creation to help her achieve her task: keeping
in mind that she has no idea if she's running to John's bloody flesh
puddle.
What if, my mouth WAS as full of song
as the sea? What if I raced to prayer as if my love's life depended
on it. As IF the fate of my people depended on it? To some extent the
last one is not a case of if. Because even if I can't fly and my
mouth is mouth-sized and not Mediterranean-sized, I can never praise
G-d inadequately as long as I am trying.
special credit to my girlfriend for making columns happen
