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This is a great anti-materialist poem, especially relevant at Hanukkah time.

I found a web site where you can order the book. I've never used the web site so I can't vouch for their reliability: http://www.israeliwishes.com/IsraeliWishes/Hebrew_Children.html

If you know what the word "shmontzim" means or have any other comments, please e-mail me at shai@gluskin.org .

Rabbi Shai

I played with the new battery-powered car for maybe two hours.
That expensive Lego I figured out real fast.
The big ball I forgot about after a few days.
And even my bicycle I ride only once in a while.

It's only the broken shmontzim --
Springs, bolts, and that kind of stuff --
That Dad threw out
From his toolbox
Can I not get enough of playing with and scavenging --
Because these aren't merely toys;
This stuff is real!

(Translation by Shai Gluskin)

Click here to read another Yehudah Atlas poem.