by Rabbi Peter Schweitzer, 2011 The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
Listen up pay attention to my narration I have a tale to tell about degradation, About a people who suffered from starvation And terrible taxation without representation.
The evil Pharaoh made a proclamation To cut down on the Hebrew population. To baby boys there was no toleration They were doomed for confiscation and suffocation.
But Jocheved and Amram had an inspiration To disobey that horrible legislation. They bundled up their baby with trepidation And set him down in the reeds for observation.
Came Pharaoh’s daughter covered with perspiration She sought relief in the river from heat prostration. When she heard a cry and had a realization That a tiny little baby needed consolation.
Then out popped sister Miriam to provide information About a wet nurse she knew who could give sweet lactation. So Moses was nursed and escaped condemnation Before moving to the palace in line for coronation.
But one day in the street he saw a confrontation Which he broke up out of moral obligation. But then he needed to flee for his own self-preservation He couldn’t stick around and risk accusation.
He fled on foot, ‘cause there was no bus station To hop a ride to his desert destination Where the sun is intense and messes with your concentration And causes burning bushes to appear among the vegetation.
So Moses laid back and had himself some rest and relaxation That restored his energy and renewed his motivation To seek justice truth and new legislation On behalf of his family and the rest of the Hebrew generation
He returned to Egypt and prepared for confrontation Because he knew that Pharaoh was opposed to moderation. Moses planned to afflict him with darkness and infestation And other sorts of slimy icky aggravation.
Now Pharaoh was used to admiration And adoration and adulation. So he didn’t know what to do with agitation Or one plague after another of vexation.
Then the night turned dark and by Moses’ calculation It was time to start the big emigration. They reached the sea and felt great excitation Could they swim across and get a vacation?
So this is the story of how they achieved liberation Which we now tell from generation to generation at our congregation. And now we drink wine and juice that we toast in celebration. And eat lots of matzoh that gives us constipation.