A depiction of the pillar of fire, by William WestA Poem for Passover: ‘The Pillar of Fire’ by Brian Yapko The Society April 5, 2023 Culture, Poetry 31 Comments . The Pillar of Fire from Exodus 13: 19-29 A giant, flaming pillar bars our way; The sea yawns open for the Hebrew tribes Permitting them to flee; the horses neigh With fear—sights bound to mystify our scribes! Great Pharaoh, hear me! Don’t command this host Of chariots to slay the Hebrew slaves. Your pride would slash each one into a ghost But it is we you order to our graves! This God of Slaves displays a might much higher Than Ra, Osiris, Horus and the rest. He gives us warning with this shaft of fire. O, Great One—do not put him to the test! Return the host to Egypt. We can learn Of kinder ways to build a royal city. Let Moses and his people go. Let’s turn Away from this infernal place. Show pity! You listen not. The flaming pillar dies. “Pursue the slaves!” you order with a frown, “Into the sea! Their deaths shall be my prize!” Obey we must. Our destiny to drown. . . Brian Yapko is a lawyer who also writes poetry. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 31 Responses Jeremiah Johnson April 5, 2023 Brian, I enjoyed the perspective of the poem. Have recently been reading through Exodus with my 8 year old son and have particularly noted Pharoah’s inability to heed the warnings of his own people. In a way it’s mystifying that his men followed him in to that sea – yet, in a way, it’s not. Ever seen the movie, “The Big Country,” – great psychological case study from a classic film. Reply Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you, Jeremiah! Human nature is a very peculiar thing and pride and resentment are powerful fuels for destructive behavior. I actually came across The Big Country on YouTube a few weeks ago but never saved it. Now that you’ve recommended it I’ll look for it again and watch it! Reply Damian Robin April 5, 2023 Very powerful, Brian. I have just come from a Poetry Please run by the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) in the UK. There was a poem celebrating a friendship with matzah (though disliking its taste) and (as yours above) one on the journey out of Egypt. This was by Jessie E. Sampter – 1883-1938 – an American who was a Zionist educator who went to Palestine (as it was) in 1919 when the British were in charge. Sampter ‘s poem could be called jingoistic. Yours handles well the contrast between the pride and arrogance and stubbornness of the Pharaoh and the patient persistence, humility before great forces, and obedience of the soldier. Keeping things human within the overview of the mighty is a keen way to handle it. Reply Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you, Damian. It’s always difficult to find the right point of view to tell a story so I’m glad you like my choice of the obedient soldier who sees more than the Pharaoh but is subject to his sovereign’s will. I’ve never heard of Sampter so I’ll look him up. Reply Damian Robin April 19, 2023 You will have found, Brian, if you have started looking for Sampter that she was a she. I showed and read your poem, without asking you, for which oversight, apologies, at the AJR Poetry Please! today. It was warmly received and members were glad to see a poem on the passover and from the point of view of the other side. It was connected to the Charge of the Light Brigade: ‘Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die’ Brian A Yapko April 20, 2023 Dear Damian, I’m thrilled that you showed and read my poem at AJR Poetry Please! No need to ask my permission — once I submit a poem and it’s published I’m delighted to have it shared however readers may see fit. Thank you for doing this! Roy Eugene Peterson April 5, 2023 Excellent poetic portrayal of the Exodus with the juxtaposition of the God of the Israelites who displayed true power versus those of the hapless Egyptians. This event has always been an object lesson for me about what happens when there is a stubborn leader, even after the plagues suffered by the Egyptians immediately prior to the Exodus that should have prevented the pursuit. Well done, as always. Reply Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you very much, Roy! Stubbornness can surely be a two-edged sword. It’s one thing to have firm moral resolve regarding something. It’s an entirely different thing to cling to a stubbornness based on pride and resentment. In the face of Egyptian suffering from the ten plagues and the clear display of God’s might, it’s unfathomable that Pharaoh would still pursue the Hebrews into the sea. I call that madness. Reply Julian D. Woodruff April 5, 2023 To me, Brian, there is a simplicity and directness about this poem that draw the reader into a contemplation of the irrational resistance of Pharaoh, and how so much of attitudes and behavior in the present day are of the same kind: when it comes to dealing with the Almighty, so many want to play Pharaoh–and win. (I’m also reminded of the end of Watership Down.) Reply Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you so much, Julian! I really like your observation about those who want to play Pharaoh even in the present day. Until you said it, I’d never before seen it in those terms but you are absolutely right! You’ve really given me something to chew on. Reply Margaret Coats April 5, 2023 Our God is the God of Slaves, and of the “mixed multitude” that went out from Egypt with the Hebrews. If there were any right-thinking soldiers like your speaker, who had not taken whatever earlier opportunity they had to join the Hebrew slaves, I hope they recognized one last chance to escape slavish obedience to evil, and pursued the Hebrews with the aim of joining them, even if that race put them among the first to drown while doing so. You give that speaker good logic, Brian, but you refrain from having him say anything that might imply a final flash of faith. It’s the correct author’s choice for who he is and when he lived, but you make him one for whom we wish to hope. Powerful lines! Reply Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you so much, Margaret! You bring up a profound issue regarding those who find themselves on the wrong side of a good versus evil situation and how should they proceed? This has implications for the “good” Egyptian soldier. It also has implications for good Germans during World War II or those who find themselves today marching in a protest for a cause they don’t actually believe in but feel themselves pressured to accept. What are the spiritual consequences of a “good” person’s slavish obedience to evil authority — or the mob? If they are obedient can they still call themselves “good”? I don’t know how to answer, though I personally believe God will always reward those who stand with Him even if there are dire consequences. I like your idea of the good soldier joining the Hebrews. It was probably never going to happen but it would actually make for a fascinating story. Reply Patricia Allred April 5, 2023 Brian! What an extraordinary masterpiece as the sun sets, and Passover begins! Thank you, Patricia Allred Reply Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you very much, Patricia! Reply Cynthia Erlandson April 5, 2023 What an extremely original way of telling this profound historical event — from the point of view of one in Pharaoh’s army! And you tell the story with great compassion for the narrator, and even for the horses that “neigh with fear.” Reply Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you so much, Cynthia! I can very much imagine the frustration of a soldier who knows that Pharaoh is leading his men into disaster and yet must obey! I can certainly think of other situations where one might be forced to comply with a government decree one doesn’t agree with! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant April 6, 2023 Brian, I appreciate the smooth and accessible language in these compelling quatrains. I thoroughly admire the way you use narrative perspective to give an intriguing viewpoint that has left this reader thinking deeply, which is one of my favorite pastimes. ‘The Pillar of Fire’ reminds me of the film ‘Risen’ (Jesus’ crucifixion from a Roman Centurion’s point of view). I watch it every Easter to remind me that we are blessed with eyes and minds of our own and the rewards for using them wisely are immense. Brian, thank you! Reply Brian A Yapko April 7, 2023 Thank you so much, Susan. I thought it would be interesting to present this story from the point of view of someone who (sort of) recognizes the magnitude of what was happening but finds himself on the wrong side. I think this is something that may well be happening in modern culture where many do not agree with certain governmental decisions yet nevertheless feel compelled to obey. I’m so glad you mentioned the movie “Risen” which I’ve seen twice now. It’s a wonderful movie, largely because of its unexpected point of view. I think we will watch it again on your recommendation. If you want another Christ-story that is told from an unexpected point of view, I highly recommend Robert Browning’s poem “An Epistle of Karshish” which is a dramatic monologue in the voice of a 1st Century Arab physician. He encounter’s Christ, the healer, as a uniquely gifted physician and ends up experiencing the improbable wonder of someone from a non-Western background who nevertheless recognizes that he has encountered the divine in the flesh. As is most of Browning, it’s quite wonderful! Reply Joshua C. Frank April 7, 2023 Brian, this is really good! You’re clearly the best at dramatic monologues. I like Margaret’s idea of that soldier choosing to defect to the Hebrews. As you know, Exodus doesn’t merely say the Hebrews left Egypt; it says, “all the army of the Lord went forth out of the land of Egypt” (12:41). The first time I read that, I knew it had to include Egyptians who had discovered God. In Genesis, we see that Joseph’s pharaoh and many others knew God and had not switched to the pagan gods of Egypt, so it’s likely that they somehow rediscovered Him through His call. Reply Brian A Yapko April 8, 2023 Thank you so much, Josh! We certainly know that Moses’s adoptive mother, daughter of the previous Pharoah and whose name in Jewish tradition is Bithiah, joined the Hebrew slaves in the Exodus. Bithiah did so even though she was 100% Egyptian and of the Royal House bred. There were very likely others. Reply Yael April 7, 2023 Nice Passover poem, thank you Brian. I enjoyed the unusual narrative viewpoint of Pharaoh’s soldier. You asked “What are the spiritual consequences of a “good” person’s slavish obedience to evil authority — or the mob? If they are obedient can they still call themselves “good”?” The true story of how Franz Hasel and his Seventh-Day Adventist family served their Savior during WWII would shed light on this issue I believe. You can read about it in the book A Thousand Shall Fall, by Susi Hasel Mundi: https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Shall-Fall-Electrifying-Practice/dp/0828015619 Franz Hasel was drafted into the Nazi military and in order not to sin he replaced his mandatory sidearm with a black painted plywood cutout. If any of his commanders or fellow soldiers had noticed it he would have been executed on the spot, but God protected him throughout the entire time. He saved nearly his entire platoon via a Bible study on the book of Daniel and Revelation, which caused his superior commander to make the right decision at the right time or else they would have perished in Russia. His family faced harrowing experiences in Germany and also survived. His youngest daughter wrote the book based on extensive notes and recorded family conversations. Caution: this true eye-witness account may offend some people who hold a black and white view of who was good and who was evil during that time in history. Reply Brian A Yapko April 8, 2023 Thank you very much, Yael, for your comment on the poem as well as for your bringing up Franz Hasel — someone I have never heard of before. His story sounds like it should be broadly shared. I’ll order A Thousand Shall Fall. It sounds like an inspiring read! As for that black and white view… my father was American Jewish, but my mother was German Lutheran. She was raised under Hitler and her father fought for Germany during World War II (World War I, too), ending up in a British Prisoner of War Camp. My father (a G.I. from Brooklyn) met my mother in Nuremberg in 1946, where she was a translator for the war-crime trials and he was part of the American Occupation Forces. From hearing their first-hand experiences, I have a pretty intense but nuanced view of the War. And the day will come when I write their story. Reply Yael April 8, 2023 Wow, what an amazing family history you have! I look forward to reading about it some day. With your background I believe you will really enjoy the book A Thousand Shall Fall. While I don’t personally know the Hasel family, I was born and raised just a few kilometers from where they used to live in Germany, and Susi Hasel Mundi has family who live here in Tennessee, about 60 miles away from Turtletown where I live. I’m friends with people who know her and her family well and I was blessed by reading her book. Monika Cooper April 13, 2023 I also look forward to the day when you write the story. Living history in the family, education by witnesses, is a powerful force against the sanitized and sensationalist propaganda so often fed to us as history. About your poem: the situation of Pharaoh’s elite reminds me of the noble 600 in The Charge of the Light Brigade. We have to on some level admire. As they sink like lead in the mighty waters, we can respond, as to the destruction of the world in the greater Flood, “who has known the mind of the Lord or who has instructed Him as His counselor?” He knew what He was about. May He have mercy on us and on our human enemies. Brian A Yapko April 13, 2023 Thank you very much, Monika. Your words have inspired me to go forward with my own family history as a writing project. You’re so right about the importance of witnesses! And I appreciate your comments about questioning the Lord. The profound words of Job come to mind. What holds up the pillars that support the Earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the World? Humans are so subject to flaws of character and other failings, some more evil than others, some more pride-driven than others. To obey flawed humans carries great risk. God alone is truly faithful. David Whippman April 11, 2023 Brian, thanks for this Passover poem. Obviously it was very relevant at this special time for a Jewish person like me; but I was also reminded of Shelley’s “Ozymandias”: the age-old theme of a powerful man failing utterly to understand his own limitations. And as in any conflict, it’s the common soldiers who pay most of the price. Reply Brian A Yapko April 11, 2023 Thank you very much, David. I had not thought of “Ozymandias” but I like your observed connection between his arrogant self-sabotaging character and that of Pharaoh. I hope you had (are still having) a wonderful Passover! Reply David Whippman April 14, 2023 Well living as I do in a town without a big Jewish community, it’s tricky getting the right food and stuff for a festival. But for me it’s more the spirit of the thing anyway. Brian A Yapko April 14, 2023 I’m in the same boat, David. It’s not easy to find kosher items in Santa Fe. Ordering on-line is the most reliable way. Monika Cooper April 14, 2023 “To obey flawed humans carries great risk.” Yes. But when God sends a Moses, it’s a risk we do well to take. Reply Brian Yapko April 14, 2023 Amen, Monika. May God indeed send us another Moses! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Jeremiah Johnson April 5, 2023 Brian, I enjoyed the perspective of the poem. Have recently been reading through Exodus with my 8 year old son and have particularly noted Pharoah’s inability to heed the warnings of his own people. In a way it’s mystifying that his men followed him in to that sea – yet, in a way, it’s not. Ever seen the movie, “The Big Country,” – great psychological case study from a classic film. Reply
Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you, Jeremiah! Human nature is a very peculiar thing and pride and resentment are powerful fuels for destructive behavior. I actually came across The Big Country on YouTube a few weeks ago but never saved it. Now that you’ve recommended it I’ll look for it again and watch it! Reply
Damian Robin April 5, 2023 Very powerful, Brian. I have just come from a Poetry Please run by the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) in the UK. There was a poem celebrating a friendship with matzah (though disliking its taste) and (as yours above) one on the journey out of Egypt. This was by Jessie E. Sampter – 1883-1938 – an American who was a Zionist educator who went to Palestine (as it was) in 1919 when the British were in charge. Sampter ‘s poem could be called jingoistic. Yours handles well the contrast between the pride and arrogance and stubbornness of the Pharaoh and the patient persistence, humility before great forces, and obedience of the soldier. Keeping things human within the overview of the mighty is a keen way to handle it. Reply
Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you, Damian. It’s always difficult to find the right point of view to tell a story so I’m glad you like my choice of the obedient soldier who sees more than the Pharaoh but is subject to his sovereign’s will. I’ve never heard of Sampter so I’ll look him up. Reply
Damian Robin April 19, 2023 You will have found, Brian, if you have started looking for Sampter that she was a she. I showed and read your poem, without asking you, for which oversight, apologies, at the AJR Poetry Please! today. It was warmly received and members were glad to see a poem on the passover and from the point of view of the other side. It was connected to the Charge of the Light Brigade: ‘Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die’
Brian A Yapko April 20, 2023 Dear Damian, I’m thrilled that you showed and read my poem at AJR Poetry Please! No need to ask my permission — once I submit a poem and it’s published I’m delighted to have it shared however readers may see fit. Thank you for doing this!
Roy Eugene Peterson April 5, 2023 Excellent poetic portrayal of the Exodus with the juxtaposition of the God of the Israelites who displayed true power versus those of the hapless Egyptians. This event has always been an object lesson for me about what happens when there is a stubborn leader, even after the plagues suffered by the Egyptians immediately prior to the Exodus that should have prevented the pursuit. Well done, as always. Reply
Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you very much, Roy! Stubbornness can surely be a two-edged sword. It’s one thing to have firm moral resolve regarding something. It’s an entirely different thing to cling to a stubbornness based on pride and resentment. In the face of Egyptian suffering from the ten plagues and the clear display of God’s might, it’s unfathomable that Pharaoh would still pursue the Hebrews into the sea. I call that madness. Reply
Julian D. Woodruff April 5, 2023 To me, Brian, there is a simplicity and directness about this poem that draw the reader into a contemplation of the irrational resistance of Pharaoh, and how so much of attitudes and behavior in the present day are of the same kind: when it comes to dealing with the Almighty, so many want to play Pharaoh–and win. (I’m also reminded of the end of Watership Down.) Reply
Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you so much, Julian! I really like your observation about those who want to play Pharaoh even in the present day. Until you said it, I’d never before seen it in those terms but you are absolutely right! You’ve really given me something to chew on. Reply
Margaret Coats April 5, 2023 Our God is the God of Slaves, and of the “mixed multitude” that went out from Egypt with the Hebrews. If there were any right-thinking soldiers like your speaker, who had not taken whatever earlier opportunity they had to join the Hebrew slaves, I hope they recognized one last chance to escape slavish obedience to evil, and pursued the Hebrews with the aim of joining them, even if that race put them among the first to drown while doing so. You give that speaker good logic, Brian, but you refrain from having him say anything that might imply a final flash of faith. It’s the correct author’s choice for who he is and when he lived, but you make him one for whom we wish to hope. Powerful lines! Reply
Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you so much, Margaret! You bring up a profound issue regarding those who find themselves on the wrong side of a good versus evil situation and how should they proceed? This has implications for the “good” Egyptian soldier. It also has implications for good Germans during World War II or those who find themselves today marching in a protest for a cause they don’t actually believe in but feel themselves pressured to accept. What are the spiritual consequences of a “good” person’s slavish obedience to evil authority — or the mob? If they are obedient can they still call themselves “good”? I don’t know how to answer, though I personally believe God will always reward those who stand with Him even if there are dire consequences. I like your idea of the good soldier joining the Hebrews. It was probably never going to happen but it would actually make for a fascinating story. Reply
Patricia Allred April 5, 2023 Brian! What an extraordinary masterpiece as the sun sets, and Passover begins! Thank you, Patricia Allred Reply
Cynthia Erlandson April 5, 2023 What an extremely original way of telling this profound historical event — from the point of view of one in Pharaoh’s army! And you tell the story with great compassion for the narrator, and even for the horses that “neigh with fear.” Reply
Brian A Yapko April 6, 2023 Thank you so much, Cynthia! I can very much imagine the frustration of a soldier who knows that Pharaoh is leading his men into disaster and yet must obey! I can certainly think of other situations where one might be forced to comply with a government decree one doesn’t agree with! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant April 6, 2023 Brian, I appreciate the smooth and accessible language in these compelling quatrains. I thoroughly admire the way you use narrative perspective to give an intriguing viewpoint that has left this reader thinking deeply, which is one of my favorite pastimes. ‘The Pillar of Fire’ reminds me of the film ‘Risen’ (Jesus’ crucifixion from a Roman Centurion’s point of view). I watch it every Easter to remind me that we are blessed with eyes and minds of our own and the rewards for using them wisely are immense. Brian, thank you! Reply
Brian A Yapko April 7, 2023 Thank you so much, Susan. I thought it would be interesting to present this story from the point of view of someone who (sort of) recognizes the magnitude of what was happening but finds himself on the wrong side. I think this is something that may well be happening in modern culture where many do not agree with certain governmental decisions yet nevertheless feel compelled to obey. I’m so glad you mentioned the movie “Risen” which I’ve seen twice now. It’s a wonderful movie, largely because of its unexpected point of view. I think we will watch it again on your recommendation. If you want another Christ-story that is told from an unexpected point of view, I highly recommend Robert Browning’s poem “An Epistle of Karshish” which is a dramatic monologue in the voice of a 1st Century Arab physician. He encounter’s Christ, the healer, as a uniquely gifted physician and ends up experiencing the improbable wonder of someone from a non-Western background who nevertheless recognizes that he has encountered the divine in the flesh. As is most of Browning, it’s quite wonderful! Reply
Joshua C. Frank April 7, 2023 Brian, this is really good! You’re clearly the best at dramatic monologues. I like Margaret’s idea of that soldier choosing to defect to the Hebrews. As you know, Exodus doesn’t merely say the Hebrews left Egypt; it says, “all the army of the Lord went forth out of the land of Egypt” (12:41). The first time I read that, I knew it had to include Egyptians who had discovered God. In Genesis, we see that Joseph’s pharaoh and many others knew God and had not switched to the pagan gods of Egypt, so it’s likely that they somehow rediscovered Him through His call. Reply
Brian A Yapko April 8, 2023 Thank you so much, Josh! We certainly know that Moses’s adoptive mother, daughter of the previous Pharoah and whose name in Jewish tradition is Bithiah, joined the Hebrew slaves in the Exodus. Bithiah did so even though she was 100% Egyptian and of the Royal House bred. There were very likely others. Reply
Yael April 7, 2023 Nice Passover poem, thank you Brian. I enjoyed the unusual narrative viewpoint of Pharaoh’s soldier. You asked “What are the spiritual consequences of a “good” person’s slavish obedience to evil authority — or the mob? If they are obedient can they still call themselves “good”?” The true story of how Franz Hasel and his Seventh-Day Adventist family served their Savior during WWII would shed light on this issue I believe. You can read about it in the book A Thousand Shall Fall, by Susi Hasel Mundi: https://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Shall-Fall-Electrifying-Practice/dp/0828015619 Franz Hasel was drafted into the Nazi military and in order not to sin he replaced his mandatory sidearm with a black painted plywood cutout. If any of his commanders or fellow soldiers had noticed it he would have been executed on the spot, but God protected him throughout the entire time. He saved nearly his entire platoon via a Bible study on the book of Daniel and Revelation, which caused his superior commander to make the right decision at the right time or else they would have perished in Russia. His family faced harrowing experiences in Germany and also survived. His youngest daughter wrote the book based on extensive notes and recorded family conversations. Caution: this true eye-witness account may offend some people who hold a black and white view of who was good and who was evil during that time in history. Reply
Brian A Yapko April 8, 2023 Thank you very much, Yael, for your comment on the poem as well as for your bringing up Franz Hasel — someone I have never heard of before. His story sounds like it should be broadly shared. I’ll order A Thousand Shall Fall. It sounds like an inspiring read! As for that black and white view… my father was American Jewish, but my mother was German Lutheran. She was raised under Hitler and her father fought for Germany during World War II (World War I, too), ending up in a British Prisoner of War Camp. My father (a G.I. from Brooklyn) met my mother in Nuremberg in 1946, where she was a translator for the war-crime trials and he was part of the American Occupation Forces. From hearing their first-hand experiences, I have a pretty intense but nuanced view of the War. And the day will come when I write their story. Reply
Yael April 8, 2023 Wow, what an amazing family history you have! I look forward to reading about it some day. With your background I believe you will really enjoy the book A Thousand Shall Fall. While I don’t personally know the Hasel family, I was born and raised just a few kilometers from where they used to live in Germany, and Susi Hasel Mundi has family who live here in Tennessee, about 60 miles away from Turtletown where I live. I’m friends with people who know her and her family well and I was blessed by reading her book.
Monika Cooper April 13, 2023 I also look forward to the day when you write the story. Living history in the family, education by witnesses, is a powerful force against the sanitized and sensationalist propaganda so often fed to us as history. About your poem: the situation of Pharaoh’s elite reminds me of the noble 600 in The Charge of the Light Brigade. We have to on some level admire. As they sink like lead in the mighty waters, we can respond, as to the destruction of the world in the greater Flood, “who has known the mind of the Lord or who has instructed Him as His counselor?” He knew what He was about. May He have mercy on us and on our human enemies.
Brian A Yapko April 13, 2023 Thank you very much, Monika. Your words have inspired me to go forward with my own family history as a writing project. You’re so right about the importance of witnesses! And I appreciate your comments about questioning the Lord. The profound words of Job come to mind. What holds up the pillars that support the Earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the World? Humans are so subject to flaws of character and other failings, some more evil than others, some more pride-driven than others. To obey flawed humans carries great risk. God alone is truly faithful.
David Whippman April 11, 2023 Brian, thanks for this Passover poem. Obviously it was very relevant at this special time for a Jewish person like me; but I was also reminded of Shelley’s “Ozymandias”: the age-old theme of a powerful man failing utterly to understand his own limitations. And as in any conflict, it’s the common soldiers who pay most of the price. Reply
Brian A Yapko April 11, 2023 Thank you very much, David. I had not thought of “Ozymandias” but I like your observed connection between his arrogant self-sabotaging character and that of Pharaoh. I hope you had (are still having) a wonderful Passover! Reply
David Whippman April 14, 2023 Well living as I do in a town without a big Jewish community, it’s tricky getting the right food and stuff for a festival. But for me it’s more the spirit of the thing anyway.
Brian A Yapko April 14, 2023 I’m in the same boat, David. It’s not easy to find kosher items in Santa Fe. Ordering on-line is the most reliable way.
Monika Cooper April 14, 2023 “To obey flawed humans carries great risk.” Yes. But when God sends a Moses, it’s a risk we do well to take. Reply
