Parsha Poem: Pekudei / פְקוּדֵי

שְׁמוֹת / shemos / shemot / Exodus 38:21-40:38

Printable PDF versions here:  Ashkenaz, Sefard.

Bonus:  “Hearing the Message”, a one-page poster summarizing the theme of each of the 5 books of the Torah (connects with the poem).  PDF downloads here:  Ashkenaz, Sefard.

 

Parsha narrative overview here.  Copywork and parsha activities available here.

Final image by Laura Bolter; I love her designs… visit her Etsy shop and buy something – I did!

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Bereishis comes first, and then we’ve begun;

Shemos is up next, and our learning’s getting fun.

Soon comes Vayikra, Bamidbar, and at last,

Devarim comes to wrap it up:  our Torah year is past!

 

In Bereishis we learn that Hashem made us all,

Brought us to a garden, but we did not heed his call.

Sent us out but never stopped loving us each day;

Chose His special people; our Avos led the way.

 

In Shemos we begin with a mighty tale indeed,

A people bound by slavery, who all at once were freed.

Hashem kept His promise to the nation He held dear,

So we built a shining Mishkan so we’d feel Him always near.

 

Next Vayikra is a little book that tells us how to act,

Keeping up our promises, our people’s holy pact.

The things we eat, our marriages, the Mishkan still so grand,

And all the ways we must behave within the Promised Land.

 

Bamidbar is a sorry tale, a story long and woeful,

Of wanderings from land to land, I could fill up a show-full.

We kvetch and mumble miserably, a long and sandy shlep,

Hashem forgives us every time and helps us to keep step.

 

Last of all Devarim, which is full of repetition,

A generation taking up our people’s holy mission.

Before he died, Moshe made sure we’d all be ably led,

Then away he left to Har Nevo, where he lay down his head.

Each sefer is a branch of life for readers young and old,

The stories of our people, on which we all take hold.

So read with us and know that next year we’ll all be back;

For now just stand up very tall and say it loud – Chazak!