In days of old we wandered free
Across the sands and through the heat
Not knowing where the next night we would sleep
We trusted that we were safely on our way
Yet worries grew and trust slowly faltered
We were tired and dirty and the old ways were calling
The familiarity we knew seemed better than uncertainty
And we began to doubt if we did the right thing
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When we finally arrived at the foot of the mountain
The top was obscured by the cloud of divinity
We trembled with fear and our doubts magnified
We thought the place where we had been a better place to be
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So we built a calf of collected gold
And replaced blind trust with something we could see
While high above inside that cloud
Our destiny was forged as we dwelled in our misgivings
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We built a fire and gathered around
We sang out in joy and embraced our past
And when MosesThe quintessential Jewish leader who spoke face to face with God, unlike any other prophet, and who freed the people from Egypt, led them through the desert for forty years, and received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. His Hebrew name is Moshe. came down with tablets in arms
He dropped them in shock and fury and shame
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“You defile the one who has set you free
You build an idol to the gods our taskmasters embrace
This is not why your freedom has been returned
This is not how we will find the promised land”
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And Moses returned to the top of the mountain
And once again listened to the words of HaShemLit. The Name, referring to the ineffable name of God; used as a substitute for any of the more sacred names of God when not speaking in prayer. Particularly used in conversation.
And again the tablets were hewn and carved
And again he returned with them to our people
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The commandments were given and all people heard
None among us dared to refuse or disobey
The journey resumed and we wandered on
In search of the promise HaShem had made
