FALSE GODS I. As it is said, “…a woman came with a handful of fine flour to offer to Teras’ idols, which were now in the charge of Abraham. He took a stick and broke all the images except the largest one, in the hand of which he placed the stick which had worked this wholesale destruction.” Bereishit Rabbah My people know false gods when they see them Pretenders to the throne who abuse their power Who whore and lie and steal from their subjects Who surround themselves with hypocrites and fools Flatterers and lackeys hoping to cash in Who, though secretly contemptuous Grovel and bow Double-tongued and self-deceiving… They fill the court of the mad king My people know false gods when they see them Narcissists and sociopaths Who require you to flatter Who demand obedience, loyalty and praise Who never ask forgiveness no matter how guilty Who think they are ahead of God Ahead of Torah Ahead of those they claim to serve Who place themselves upon a pedestal They will not relinquish peacefully After 4,000 years My people know false gods when they see them Preening tyrants who require us to cheer To glorify “conquests” no matter how gained To exalt their “deals” The hugeness of their tough but beautiful deals Which nobody else in the world could have made After 4,000 years My people know false gods when they see them Emperors and czars who require us to fawn To gaze in rapture upon their glorious achievements Their pyramids and hotels Country clubs and walls Their very tough but beautiful walls To bow down before their numbers Never in history have there been such numbers Incredible numbers Ratings Crowds Not to mention the thousands who died while the mad king dithered After 4,000 years My people know false gods when they see them Most of my people Most of the time Of course there will always be some Who bow down to idols Who worship the calf that Moses burnt up