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And you shall – a poem for Parsha Eikev

The list of what I have to teach my son keeps getting longer...
[additional-authors]
August 22, 2024
Michael H/Getty Images

And you shall teach [these words] to your children to speak with them鈥
~
Deuteronomy 11:19

The list of what I have to teach my son keeps getting longer.
It started with brushing his teeth 鈥 not how to do it, but

remembering to do it. We moved on to trying new things
though green vegetables are still a struggle. I鈥檇 like to

describe the look on his face when I point to the kale
and say it鈥檚 not that bad, but there isn鈥檛 enough space.

Enough years have gone by that we鈥檝e moved on to
the car is too far to the right, try to learn where

the middle of the lane is. We鈥檙e spending weeks on
which way to turn the wheel when backing up.

Money management is coming soon, but a friend of
mine in another poem spoke about going to the forest

and stuffing cash in the tree stumps for the animals.
I鈥檝e always wanted to send all the deer to college

but I hope when it comes to my son鈥檚 bank account
I鈥檒l have more sensible things to say.

And then there鈥檚 these words from this old text written by,
well, you prove to me who wrote these words.

These words which distinguish us, but don鈥檛 make us better.
Remember, son, these words, just tell us who we are.

Other people are other things and that鈥檚 okay.
It鈥檚 more than okay. I say these words to you diligently.

Because they were said to me, and they were said
to the people who said them to me, and so on all the way

back to when these words first came down the mountain.
I hope you鈥檒l pass them on to whomever you make.

It鈥檚 your task, now, to listen and to teach and to do.
This is the chain, I will never break.


Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 28 books including 鈥淕od Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.鈥 Find him online at

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