The other night there was a moment in rehearslal for The Lehman Trilogy that caught me and stood out. The moment is in one of the more comic scenes of the play. Given what’s happening around and to us in the world these days, the truth behind it isn’t very funny. Then again, sometimes comedy is the best mirror in which to see ourselves.
That moment goes like this:
Young Herbert Lehman is a trouble maker in school for always asking too many questions. His Rabbi asks the class to recite back to him the ten plagues God visited on Egypt. The Rabbi does everything in his power to keep from calling on the young troublemaker, choosing every boy in the class, until at last there’s only Herbert left to regurgitate the answer.
RABBI: I suppose I should hear the last plague from you Herbert Lehman.
HERBERT: HaShem let the children of Egypt die.
RABBI: That’s wrong, Lehman. HaShem did not do that.
HERBERT: Yes he did, Rabbi.
RABBI: No, he didn’t.
As usual, you want to interpret, rather than to learn.
According to the scripture: ‘At midnight HaShem slaughtered
every firstborn in the country of Egypt.’
Every Firstborn is not the same as ALL the children, Lehman.
HERBERT: Whatever it says, Rabbi.
I have a problem with HaShem’s decision.
Why massacre the children of Egypt who were innocent?
RABBI: Lehman…
HERBERT: I have a problem with all of the plagues.
RABBI: Lehman! This is intolerable!
HERBERT: In my opinion, HaShem – instead of wasting time with plagues – should have simply killed the pharaoh…
RABBI: HaShem does not take advice from Herbert Lehman!
“Interpret rather than to learn” is what caught and what catches. For much of our lives, and I daresay for much of the lives of those who’ve populated the planet since humanity wiggled out of the slime we’ve been both blessed and plagued by the margins between “interpreting” and “learning.” Witness current events and how violently we seem to disagree over interpretations of things we’ve supposedly learned.
You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome and check out The Lehman Trilogy Diaries here.
Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 3 