A Poem by Benjamin Z. Rudski
鈥淚f I am not for myself, who is for me? 状讗执诐 讗值讬谉 讗植谞执讬 诇执讬, 诪执讬 诇执讬.
But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? 讜旨讻职砖侄讈讗植谞执讬 诇职注址爪职诪执讬, 诪指讛 讗植谞执讬.
And if not now, when?鈥� 讜职讗执诐 诇止讗 注址讻职砖指讈讬讜, 讗值讬诪指转指讬:状
鈥揈thics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avot) 1:14
From . English translation by Dr. Joshua Kulp; additions by original translator.
听
The winter of our lives
Spent curled in a ball.
We live in a burrow,
Closed onto ourselves.
Navigating life
All on our own.
Waiting for the spring
To emerge.
We are the groundhogs.
Living onto ourselves.
Deep in our winter slumber.
Navigating life
Safely within our communities.
Waiting for the right moment
To emerge.
When is the moment
To go out and meet the Other?
Surely encounters
Should be in April or May.
The weather is nice,
The snow has melted.
The comfort of encounters
In the pleasant sun.
But alas, that is not to be!
The time to emerge
Is not May,
Nor April.
Not even March.
The time to emerge,
On Groundhog Day,
Is in the coldest month鈥�
February.
We await not the
Pleasant Warmth
Before we emerge.
We leave the safety
Of our burrows
Not in plenty,
Nor in warmth,
Nor during long days.
These encounters are urgent,
And cannot wait.
To connect, we must go out
In February.
Forget the comfort.
But emerge slowly
And carefully
We must.
Lest we get scared
By the shadows
And retreat back
Into our burrows,
Prolonging our winter
By six weeks longer
Or more鈥�
About this poem
Isaiah chapter 5 relays the story of a vineyard. The owner toils to produce fine grapes but is disappointed by the poor quality of his produce (see ). I do not have a vineyard, but my family鈥檚 backyard does host a number of animals. The most notable of our natural neighbours is a beloved groundhog. During many summer days, we have watched the groundhog slowly move about, happily helping itself to our grass and bushes.听
As I write this text, we are currently far removed from that summer warmth. I composed this poem in late January, and I draft this introduction in the aftermath of two successive snowstorms. So, why talk about the groundhog? In popular culture, the groundhog is not most famous for its summer grazing; in the west, the groundhog gains the most attention at the beginning of February, when Groundhog Day is celebrated. The traditional explanation of this holiday states that after a winter of hibernation, the groundhog emerges from its burrow. If the weather is sunny, the groundhog sees its shadow and retreats in fear, indicating that winter will continue for six additional weeks. Otherwise, spring will arrive early (again, as I write this, I can assure you that we are not having an early spring).听
In this poem, I present a new take on Groundhog Day. Many of us like to live in the comfort of our burrows. Life is easy when we live in close communities of like-minded individuals. But the world is full of different views, faiths and practices. To make the most of life, we must venture out into the world of interfaith dialogue. Like the groundhog, we cannot wait until the comfort of the summer; at that point it will be too late. Instead, we must make an effort each day to slowly emerge, making sure not to get scared by our own shadows. Interfaith dialogue must be performed slowly, carefully, and right now. By actively engaging in interfaith dialogue and leaving our comfort zones, we will ensure that the fruit of our vineyard will indeed be sweet.听
