Swallowed in the Ground
转诇诪讜讚 讘讘诇讬 诪住讻转 住讜讟讛 讚祝 讬讗 注诪讜讚 讘
讚专砖 专讘 注讜讬专讗: 讘砖讻专 谞砖讬诐 爪讚拽谞讬讜转 砖讛讬讜 讘讗讜转讜 讛讚讜专 – 谞讙讗诇讜 讬砖专讗诇 诪诪爪专讬诐… 讜讻讬讜谉 砖诪转注讘专讜转 讘讗讜转 诇讘转讬讛诐; 讜讻讬讜谉 砖诪讙讬注 讝诪谉 诪讜诇讚讬讛谉, 讛讜诇讻讜转 讜讬讜诇讚讜转 讘砖讚讛 转讞转 讛转驻讜讞… 讜讛拽讘”讛 砖讜诇讞 诪砖诪讬 诪专讜诐 诪讬 砖诪谞拽讬专 讜诪砖驻讬专 讗讜转谉, 讻讞讬讛 讝讜 砖诪砖驻专转 讗转 讛讜诇讚, … 讜诪诇拽讟 诇讛谉 砖谞讬 注讙讜诇讬谉 讗讞讚 砖诇 砖诪谉 讜讗讞讚 砖诇 讚讘砖 …讜讻讬讜谉 砖诪讻讬专讬谉 讘讛谉 诪爪专讬诐 讘讗讬谉 诇讛讜专讙谉, 讜谞注砖讛 诇讛诐 谞住 讜谞讘诇注讬谉 讘拽专拽注, 讜诪讘讬讗讬谉 砖讜讜专讬诐 讜讞讜专砖讬谉 注诇 讙讘谉… 诇讗讞专 砖讛讜诇讻讬谉 讛讬讜 诪讘爪讘爪讬谉 讜讬讜爪讗讬谉 讻注砖讘 讛砖讚讛… 讜讻讬讜谉 砖诪转讙讚诇讬谉 讘讗讬谉 注讚专讬诐 注讚专讬诐 诇讘转讬讛谉…讜讻砖谞讙诇讛
讛拽讘”讛 注诇 讛讬诐 讛诐 讛讻讬专讜讛讜 转讞诇讛, 砖谞讗诪专: (砖诪讜转 讟讜) 讝讛 讗诇讬 讜讗谞讜讛讜
BT Sotah 11b
R. Avira expounded: As the reward for the righteous women who lived in that generation, the Israelites were delivered from Egypt . . . After the women had conceived they returned to their homes; and when the time of childbirth arrived, they went and were delivered in the field beneath the apple-tree . . . The Holy One, blessed be He, sent down someone from the high heavens who washed and straightened the babies’ limbs in the same manner that a midwife straightens the limbs of a child . . . He also provided for them two cakes, one of oil and one of honey . . . When the Egyptians noticed them, they went to kill them; but a miracle occurred on their behalf so that they were swallowed in the ground, and [the Egyptians] brought oxen and ploughed over them . . . After they had departed, the Israelite women with their children broke through the earth and came forth like the grass of the field . . . and when they had grown up, they came in flocks to their homes . . . When the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself by the Sea of Reeds, they recognized Him first, as it is said, “This is my God and I will praise Him” (Exodus 15:2).
Swallowed in the ground,
Saved from forces stronger than ourselves,
Hooves over our heads.
A miracle occurred.
The dirt in our noses lungs teeth
Is this a miracle or a great hiding?
Succumbing.
Yes, plow us over.
Please.
Don’t make us labor under the apple trees
Or worse.
Let us hide here, safe
From the hardness of our hearts, and yours.
Reborn, this time with babes in arms,
Pushing, breaking through the earth,
Like the grasses of the field
Under the apple trees.
Redemption.
Return to me, for I have redeemed you.*
We would never have known
(without them, without the pounding of oxen overhead).
It is safe to break free.
But oh, what redemption it was, it is
To push up out away from the earth,
Reborn as the grass of the fields,
A blossom full with spring
And so very strong.
*Isaiah 44:22
