Dovid loved his father who everyday went into a special room just to write beautiful and important things. The most important were Torah scrolls, tefillin and mezuzahs. Dovid’s father “was a scribe, expert in the law of Moses that the L-rd G-d of Israel had given (Ezra 7:6).
One morning, after his father went to the old wooden shul to pray, Dovid quietly went into his father’s special room to write his own Torah. The room was so neat, the surface of his father’s writing desk clean and ready. Dovid took a sheet of parchment from a large wooden drawer. He took a jar of ink and a quill off the shelf and climbed into his father’s chair so he could reach the top of the desk. He poured some ink into a small glass just like his father. And as he dipped the quill into the ink, he trembled a little as he was filled with awe and joy at the same time. Dovid would write his own Torah! The Torah of his father and his father’s father, who received it from the rabbis, who received it from the prophets, who received it from the judges, who received it from Joshua, who received it from Moses himself, who stood in G-d’s Holy Presence at Mount Sinai. And for a moment Dovid was there, he was there at Mount Sinai with Moshe and Aaron and Miriam. Dovid saw the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud. He heard the strong voice of the Holy One, blessed be He began to speak the words that all nations heard and the deafening silence that followed. He watched as G-d held the holy mountain over the people’s heads. And Dovid the sofer’s son said to no one in particular, “Na’aseh v’neeshma. I will do, and I will listen.” (Exodus 24:7)
So Dovid began to write the first few words, Bereishis (In the beginning), Barah. (created), Elokim (G-d). “Yes!” Dovid thought. What could be more true and perfect and full of love then G-d in the beginning creating the world and us in order of give us the most beautiful and holy book ever? In order to give it to me?
Just then, his father walked into the study. Dovid looked up at his father and looked back at his work. Drips of ink on the desk. Smudges on the back of the parchment. And three beautiful words of Torah.
“Taty, I’m writing a Torah.”
His father picked him up and scolded him and told Dovid
never to do this again
and that Dovid did a beautiful job and
never to do this again
and how proud Papa was of Dovid and
never to do this again.
His father put Dovid back in the chair, a tear of joy in his eye. “We’ll clean this up together.”
But in his heart his father said:
“Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha-Olam shecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higyanu lazman hazeh.” (Blessed are You, O L-rd our G-d, for giving us life, sustaining us and allowing us to reach this joyous time.)
And G-d looked down at Dovid and his father and all the beautiful and holy words they had made had made. And G-d said, “Tov Me-od.” It is very good.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)