Ten (times three) Seder Haiku on Love the Stranger as Yourself ©
Jews around the world
Say Chag Pesach S’Meiach
To kindred and friends
There is so much to
Celebrate and learn tonight
We cement our ties
Retell our story
Look back to our beginnings
Share lessons we’ve learned
We take ourselves back
It is as if we are there
Leaving Mitzrayim
We were enslaved but
Moses spoke the word of God
Let My people go
Finally Pharaoh
Was forced to listen and he
Let our people go
With Almighty’s help
We went across the Red Sea
Finally freedom
But freedom was hard
There was so much more to learn
We were not ready
Enslavement robbed us
Of empathy and judgment
We needed new rules
God saw that great need
Telling Moses to lead us
Straight to Mount Sinai
There we were given
The words of the Almighty
To Moses and us
God’s commandments are
Guidelines; we are in control
Be mindful or not
God’s words in Torah
Include we’re created in
The image of God
We reflect our God
Through our interaction with
All that’s around us
Torah often says
Remember that in Egypt
You were strangers there
There as strangers you
Were scorned, dismissed, and abused
Yes, marginalized
God commands us to
Never wrong the strangers who
Who live in our lands
This commandment is
Really important today
For all creation
Don’t marginalize
Any of God’s creation
Value everything
If you ask someone
For marginalization
Types all will say yes
All have personal
Experience, they know of
The scorn and abuse
For the handicapped
Whether blind or or otherwise
Doesn’t shrink value
For gender fluid
Whether he or she, or they
Doesn’t shrink value
For non-white people
Whether, black, brown, or other
Doesn’t shrink value
For those weight challenged
Whether over or under
Doesn’t shrink value
For all non-humans
Whether in air, land, or sea
Doesn’t shrink value
For all those not male
Whether women, trans or queer
Doesn’t shrink value
For those who are shy
Whether stutter or reserved
Doesn’t shrink value
Remember Seder’s
Words and love Strangers who live
With you as yourself
Even if YOU are
Marginalized, choose Torah
Don’t marginalize
