Thursday 24 May 2012

This week's parasha is the first one in the book of Numbers. In Hebrew, the book (and this week's parasha)  is called "Bamidbar", which means "in the Wilderness".  In this week's parasha, God instructs Moses to count the children of Israel, and the census is the inspiration for the following song.  Whilst there is a clear link between census and numbers, given the events which take place during the whole book, I think the term "numbers" could be amplified to read "numbers of people who suffer a horrible death"

Bamidbar
(to the tune of “Annie’s Song” by John Denver)

Go fill up my census of the Children of Israel
From age twenty to sixty, all the military men
While they’re here in the desert, and the tribes aren’t in motion.
Don’t include the Levite; leave out the Cohen.

Count the Priests with the Levites, cos they give their lives to me,
From one month up to eighty, let these guys not bear arms.
They must pray and inspire you; they will lead you and bless you;
They don’t need redeeming, by Pid ‘yon Ha Ben.*

Go fill up my census of the Children of Israel
From age twenty to sixty, all the military men
While they’re here in the desert, and the tribes aren’t in motion.
In a subsequent Parasha,  we’ll do it again.

* a ceremony in which a first-born son, who is symbolically dedicated to God at birth   is "bought back" from God's representatives, the Cohens (priests) at one month old. First-born sons of priests and Levites are exempt from this requirement.