8: Not to destroy objects associated with His Name
The Book of Knowledge
Fundamentals of Torah
Not to destroy objects associated with His Name (Deut 12:14)
an ASTRONOMER working late in the night
the room is bare
wood floors wood walls a desk one door
she studies a map of the stars
she sips a cup of coffee
there’s a knock at the door
she ignores it
the knocking continues
she keeps trying to ignore it
the knocking continues
the knocking grows louder
the knocking grows more insistent
she covers her ears and tries to concentrate
but the knocking is too loud
the knocking stops for a moment
silence
and then
BAM
a heavy object hits the door
in a clear attempt to break the door down
the ASTRONOMER gathers up the items on her desk
her maps her pencils her tools her books
she runs to the center of the room
with her bare hands she rips a floorboard up
revealing a dirt floor
she digs a hole in the ground again with bare hands
she digs and digs as the slamming on the door continues
finally there is enough room
she puts her materials in the hole
she uses great care as she puts the materials in
she looks around the room
goes back to her cup of coffee
downs it and puts the cup in the hole
she remembers her talit hanging by the door
she goes to grab it
a particularly loud SLAM causes her to drop the talit
hurriedly she picks it up and kisses it
she brings it to the hole
kisses it again
and buries it
the ASTRONOMER looks around the room one more time
is there anything else?
SON
momma?
the ASTRONOMER turns
her SON has emerged from his room
SON
what's that sound?
the slamming grows even louder
as though multiple people were working on the door now
the ASTRONOMER brings her son over to the hole
she places him in the hole
he vanishes into i
it's much deeper than expected
the ASTRONOMER shouts down to him-
ASTRONOMER
JUST KEEP GOING KEEP DIGGING
at the door singing has begun
a muffled rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
the singing and the slamming continues
the ASTRONOMER takes one more look
she hops into the hole
she pulls as much dirt in over her as possible
she pulls the plank of wood back over herself
and she's gone
for a moment the empty room is still
until-
...
BANG
with one final slamming the door falls down
the men at the door are lit from behind by a blinding light
we cannot see their faces
they don't immediately come in
they remain at the threshold
and they keep singing
slowly quietly reverently
MEN AT THE DOOR
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on
silence
the MEN AT THE DOOR do not move
END OF PLAY