Parshat Ki Tisa informs us about the sabbath and the census, but it also speaks about uncontrolled rage. When the golden calf is smelted from the women's gold, God sees the fickle nature of God's people and God rages. Later, when Moshe descends from the mountain and witnesses the people worshiping the calf, Moshe's anger overwhelms him and with his rage he smashes the stone tablets, grinds it into dust and makes the Hebrews drink the potion he made by mixsing the gold dust with water.
Rage. It happened then. It happens now in households across the world. It doesn't matter if the family is rich or poor, large or small, living in the city or the country, the anger or frustration of a family member overflows and violence, whether physical or psychological, is inflicted upon family members. The effects of this violence can forever scar family members. I have chosen a male as the aggressor here, but it could just as easily be a female , young or old or anywhere in between.
Although it would be easier to write about fragrant oils or the sabbath this week, today's snippet is about anger and families.
May we hear good news soon.
Leann
Still
the morning floor
uneasily hosts
shards of glass from his outburst.
The kitchen is the witness.
tomato sauce paints the wall
where he threw his dinner.
The room echoes his shouts.
uncontrolled and hoarse.
His wife still bears the burdens of his insults,
His curses like knives to her psyche.
Angry venom spilled forth like lava
hot
burning those it touches.
and cold gray cloud of fear descends upon the house.
The children creep to their rooms
close their doors
so gently.
Pretend to be busy.
Such good children,
they shutter their ears
against the hurricane
raging below,
shrinking themselves. Oh,
so small, they are.
If they are tiny enough
perhaps they can
just
disappear.
He yells and steams.
His cup runneth over
as his anger drains
away like the rumble
of
departing thunder.
He is emptied now,
a wrinkled bladder
emptied of its contents.
Those around him have swallowed
his wrath,
like dirtied rags,
they absorb
that which should have been solved
so long ago
and now are stained,
while he
lowers his head.
The house is very still
as he uneasily
rests.
וַֽיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר קָרַב֙ אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הָעֵ֖גֶל וּמְחֹלֹ֑ת וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֣ף מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ מִיָּדָו֙ אֶת־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר אֹתָ֖ם תַּ֥חַת הָהָֽר׃
As soon as Moses came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he became enraged; and he hurled the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain.
Exodus 32:19
Where to get help with domestic violence:https://www.oprah.com/relationships/domestic-violence-organizations-where-to-get-help
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֣ף מֹשֶׁ֗ה
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