[HANASHIR:8368] Re: Dr. Seuss

[CantorMimi <CantorMimi...>]

In a message dated 2/27/2001 10:13:31 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
meris (at) nycap(dot)rr(dot)com writes:

<< About a week ago someone posted something on a "Dr. Seuss Shabbat."  That
 is, I think it was on this list!   Anyway, if anyone still has it, or knows
 how to get it, could you please forward it to me.   My rabbi wants it.
 Thanks.
 Meris Ruzow
 meris (at) nycap(dot)rr(dot)com >>

How the Grinch Stole Shabbat
  By: Rabbi Ed Feinstein

  Oh, the Jews up in Jewville
  They loved their Shabbat,
  From the oldest of old folks
  To the youngest of tots.

  With candles and wine
  And chocolate chip challah,
  They felt oh so good
  Till way past havdallah.

  They all went to Shul
  To hear Rabbi Schulweis
  Who told them "it's important
  To treat everyone nice."

  And after the service
  They each took their tallis
  And ran to tables
  For cookies and challahs.

  But there was one among them
  Though he was born Yiddish
  Who didn't like candles or hallah or kiddush.
  In fact Shabbat made him so angry and blue-ish,
  You'd hardly have guessed that he was born Jewish.
  Since his bar mitzvah,
  He grew not an inch.
  He was tiny, and hairy,
  And they called him,
  The Grinch.

  He lived on a mountaintop
  Far above town
  On each Shabbat evening
  He'd say with a frown:
  "What's the big deal,
  With their candles and brachas,
  To me, the whole thing is a pain in the tuchas.
  I don't feel any different from Friday till Sunday.
  I don't need your Shabbat - give me any old Monday!
  I'll show them, I'll show them
  I'll steal their Shabbat!
  I'll take all the wine and the candles they've got!"
  So he set about building
  a Shabbat-stealing machine.
  It was nuclear powered
  it was noisy and mean.

  He built the world's first
  Shabbat candle blower-outer
  That blew out the candles
  With ucky green powder.

  Then one Friday night
  While they welcomed Shabbat
  The Grinch saw his chance
  To hatch his ugly plot.

  While they all sat in Shul,
  So polished and clean,
  The Grinch from his mountaintop
  Brought down his machine.

  While the cantor sang prayers
  And the rabbi told fables,
  The Grinch came down chimneys
  To attack Shabbat tables.

  As the Jews in the Shul
  Divined louder and louder
  the Grinch, he rev'ed up
  His Shabbat candle blower-outer.

  He snuffed all their candles,
  He stole all their challas,
  He dumped out their Kiddush wine
  All over their tallis.

  There was no one to stop him
  They were all still in Shul
  As he pour all their chicken soup
  Right in the pool.

  He ate all their kugel
  He ate up their herring
  He ate all their desserts
  Without even sharing!

  
That Grinch he stole Shabbas
  From all their mishpochas,
  From such terrible things
  Some people get nachas.

  He ruined their Shabbos
  He didn't think twice
  He even stole Shabbas
  From Rabbi Schulweis.

  The Grinch stole the Shabbos
  From Jewville's fine Jews
  He went up all their streets
  And down avenues
  Until he finally arrived
  At the road by the crevice
  The very last street
  Where they drink Manischevitz.

  At the end of the block
  Lived little Suzie Le'Jew
  Who couldn't make it to Shul?
  She was home with the flu.

  Of all Jewville's Jews
  Little Suzie was smartest,
  She studied the longest
  She studied the hardest

  She knew Kiddush and Motzee
  And birkat by heart
  She knew Shema and Amida
  And the in between parts.
  That only the cantor and Yossi could say
  If only the rabbi would let people pray!

  Now this little Suzie
  Slept snug in her bed
  While candles and challah
  Danced in her head.
  When all of a sudden she heard such a clatter
  And in through her window came the Grinch on a
  ladder.

  Now Suzie in darkness
  She just couldn't see
  "Who is this visitor?
  Who could it be?
  She thought maybe Zaida
  Had forgotten his key
  Or perhaps cousin Herschel
  Had dropped in for tea.

  So she jumped out of bed
  Gave a kiss and hug
  She whispered, "good Shabbos"
  Into his hairy mug.

  Now the Grinch didn't know
  What hit him that night
  Everyone he would meet
  Ran away in great fright.

  This was the first Shabbos kiss he had got
  Since he was a kid back in Rabbi Jay's Tot Shabbat.

  At that very moment
  His heart started to beat
  He felt warm and tingly
  From his head to his feet.

  Out of his eyes
  Came flowing the tears
  From all of the hugs
  That he'd missed all these years.

  "I've done something awful,"
  The Grinch started to cry
  "I've done something awful
  And I don't know why."

  "We believe in teshuva,"
  Suzie wisely explained
  We believe that your ways
  Can always be changed!"

  "But what can I do
  To earn love in your eyes?
  What can I do
  To apologize?"
  "The Jews of our town are forgiving and true
  The Jews of our town will learn to love you

  But first you must show
  Your words come from the heart
  Clean up your mess,
  That's a good start!

  Put back the candles
  And put back the challas
  Put back the Kiddush wine
  Put back the tallis!

  But hurry up, Mr.Grinch
  It's time to be nervous
  'Cause here come the Jews
  Home from the service!"

  The Grinch he moved fast
  Like a mighty tornado
  The Grinch he moved faster
  Than even Sigfredo.

  He put back their candles
  He put back their challas
  He put back the Kiddush wine
  He cleaned up the tallis.
  He set all the tables with gleaming white dishes
  He filled all their plates with brisket and knishes.

  So the Jews of old Jewville
  Came home singing songs
  And they never found out
  There was anything wrong.

  The Grinch did teshuva
  And changed all his ways
  He learned to love Shabbos
  All of his days.

  All of his meanness and anger and stink
  He got rid of all
  He needed no shrink.

  Instead he had Suzie
  His wise little teacher
  Who taught him that
  Inside the heart of each creature
  Is god's special light
  'Cause in god's image we're made
  And so there's no reason
  To ever be afraid.

  The Grinch loved the Torah
  So much that one day
  He signed up to be a rabbi
  Up at the U.J.

  And so my dear friends
  This Shabbos, let's not miss
  Turn around to someone
  Give a hug and a kiss.

  Suzie has taught us
  That even a Grinch
  With enough hugs and kisses
  Can turn into a pinch.

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