The Odyssey of the Red Ruby of Oblivion
Parsha Pekudei
Parsha Summary: Pekudei (“Accounts”) is the last in a series of five Parshiot (Torah sections) describing the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary built by the people of Israel in the Sinai Desert by Divine command to serve as “a dwelling for G‑d in the physical world.” It contains a) an audit of the gold, silver and copper used in the Mishkan’s construction; b) the making of the priestly garments; c) the erection and consecration of the Mishkan. Source: Chabad.org
An edge glinted in the faint light throwing shapes that sparkled around the cave.
Anicheeba blew on the rock, rubbing the dirt away. Slowly he uncovered a gemstone no bigger than an eye but perfect in its flawless beauty. The stone radiated a warmth. Blood-red and unblemished, it was immaculate and worth a fortune.
Anicheeba furtively glanced around the cave hoping nobody had seen his discovery. Life was hard in Luxmanda (South Tanzania), especially as the son of a slave. He quickly placed the stone into his holdall, fingers gripping the precious gem, feeling its size and weight in his hand. He imagined a world of possibilities, where Anicheeba gave the orders, and everybody obeyed.
Later that night, celebrating his success, Anicheeba fell into a match of Five Rocks. A gambling game played in the drinking holes around Luxmanda. Each stone was five-sided and the winner was the man who correctly rolled the highest value. Anicheeba was quite drunk. Confident with wine and bloated from a night of excess, he pulled out the red gem as a last-ditch stake.
The stones landed in his favor.
Anicheeba scooped his winnings and made for the exit. Outside, the night air was pregnant with promise. Grinning, he breathed deeply, savoring the freshness of an expectant future. The gods of fortune were smiling generously upon him. He offered a short prayer before stumbling into a dagger.
Balizere studiously watched the game.
The players were becoming ever more intoxicated with each passing throw. They were getting careless. Loud boast followed loud boast as the dice were thrown. Men with egos this size were easy to cut down thought Balizere.
Everything hinged on one final play by a man known as Anicheeba. He had been watching this ‘mark’ all night, convinced the man was hiding a huge stash. Sure enough, on the final throw, he pulled out the most magnificent ruby he had ever seen and bet the house, and won. Greedily, Anicheeba hoarded the winnings and left the circle, laughing and whooping as he went.
Balizere followed the man outside and pulled a short dagger from his robe. Anicheeba never knew what hit him as his clothing turned as red as his jewel. Crimson spreading fast, he leaned in to hear Anicheeba whisper his final words.
Balizere shrugged, pocketed his prize, and saddled his camel. He cast a final look at the body of Anicheeba, motionless on the floor, and smiled at his fortune.
Balizere’s life was good.
He had reinvented himself in Egypt as a merchant and considered himself lucky since he acquired the ruby. He made his wealth in the slave trade and possessed an uncanny ability to select the right stock at the right time. Balizere had scrapped and fought his way to the top and finally, in Egypt, he was enjoying the rewards.
Some people though didn’t trust Balizere.
One such person was Peretz, son of a tailor. The pair squabbled over a minor detail in the afternoon heat. Both were agitated. Their temperatures rose as hot as the sandy floor as the argument escalated.
Peretz disagreed with the price and wanted more bang for his buck. His haggling wore on Balizere’s nerves. He had had enough. Balizere, unwilling to back down, cursed loudly before shoving Peretz to the floor. Taking advantage of the man’s disposition, Balizere kicked him in the stomach. Peretz, doubled over in pain, then received a punch to the face, swiftly followed by another blow and then another.
Balizere wasn’t going to stop. He was filled with rage.
A young Jewish lad out for a stroll happened to witness the fight.
He tried to pull Balizere off the prone body of Peretz but the man was too strong. All the stranger could do to stop Balizere was to strike him on the back of the head with a large rock.
A barely conscious Peretz, blinking back the tears, head throbbing with pain, staggered to his feet. One look at the stranger with a bloodied rock was enough to cause alarm. Peretz turned and fled.
Balizere’s story ended with him dying at the hands of Moses, the future prophet of the Israelites.
It was an act of killing that Moses instantly regretted. Hoping nobody had seen his crime, he buried Balizere in a shallow grave.
Tekoa fumed at the injustice of being too young.
The adults shunted him away whenever he tried to help. Wandering the back alleys, Tekoa was bored. Kicking a small rock as hard as he could, he watched triumphantly as it ricocheted against the walls before landing on a small heap in the sand. Tekoa went over to investigate. He could make out something red reflecting off the walls.
Nudging the heap with his foot, a hand appeared, rigid with death and clutching a gemstone of the brightest red. His eyes grew wide as he bent down to pull the jewel from the dead man’s grip. Tekoa ran back home with his prize as fast as his little legs could carry him.
He never spoke of his treasure until Aaron mentioned he needed a ruby to represent the tribe of Reuben. Rubies were rare and only found in faraway places such as Luxmanda. Tekoa showed a surprised Aaron the flawless gemstone he found on a dead body. And like all those years ago when Moshe relieved Balizere of life, It sparkled and glowed with a bedazzling warmth.
Aaron knew G-d would be pleased. It was, after all, a perfect fit for his breastplate.
There was an old movie made in the 1940s called "Tales of Manhattan", which had as its subject the odyssey of a formal dinner jacket as it passed in ownership through all manner of people in American society at that time. The ruby's odyssey is very similar.