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The Shavuot Bike
By JUDITH NAOMI FISH
Ben-Tzvi was giving us a homework
assignment.
Two wonderful things happen in
"The Fifth Commandment," he
late spring. My birthday arrives and
was saying, "is 'Honor thy father
so does Shavuot. This year they
and thy mother.' Then the Torah
come out at exactly at the same
goes on to teach that this will
time in May, just like they did the
'increase your days.' I'd like you to
year I was born. In fact, that is why
write a composition — due in two
my parents named me Ruth — after
weeks — on why you think this is
the heroine from the Book of Ruth
the only commandment that
which we read on the holiday.
promises a long life if you follow it.
So I knew my birthday was
And give an example to explain your
coming closer the day Mr. Ben-Tzvi,
reason."
our Hebrew teacher, began talking
I thought about this question
about the Ten Commandments.
after school but again I was soon
"This is the most important
thinking a lot more about bikes.
reason we celebrate Shavuot," he
Since the days are nice and long in
was saying. "Moses received the
late spring, after supper my father
law from God on Shavuot and we
took me to the bicycle shop.
kept these rules — the Torah — for
"A rental for my daughter," he
thousands of years."
told the bicycle man.
I tried to pay attention, but it
The man went in the back while
was hard. Just that morning my
I stared at the beautiful, shiny, new
father had said he would get me a
bike for my birthday and that was all bikes lined up on either side of the
narrow store. When the man
I could think about — a big, red,
returned, he was wheeling a yucky,
shiny bike with skinny tires and a
old bicycle with peeling green paint
horn and a speedometer .. .
and a rusty, baby bell.
"City riding isn't safe,"my
"That's a terrible bike," I
whispered to my father.
"It's all I have to rent in your
size," the man said.
So we walked the bike to the
#10*
park where there's a long, flat path
between two fields.
"I'll hold you when you go," my
father said. "When you want to
stop, what you do is ..
I sat up straight. Any bike is
great to be on, I decided, even an
ugly, old, green one with a rusty
bell. My father was leaning down
4
with his hand on the pedal and
saying something. "Do you
understand?" he asked.
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"Yes!" I almost shouted, too
excited to be following everything.
mother had said while we were
The bike was harder to ride
eating breakfast. "So many cars
than I expected. Each time I almost
and hilly streets and crowded
had it going straight, it wobbled like
sidewalks."
crazy and I had to put my feet on
I stood up and shook my head
the pavement to catch myself.
until I felt my braids smack against
Finally, I asked to do it alone. My
my cheeks. "I'll only ride in the
father moved away and I stepped on
park," I promised. "I just need to
the pedal. Down I went with the
learn how."
bike.
My mother finally nodded and
"I'm okay," I called.
my father said, "Ruthie, I'll make
"It's time to go back anyway,"
you a deal. There's a shop nearby
my father said. "We'll rent the bike
that rents bicycles. If you can learn
again tomorrow."
to ride before your birthday, I'll buy
But all those next evenings I
you a bike of your own. But only for
didn't seem to do any better. I
riding in the park."
I threw my arms around both of began to worry that I wouldn't learn
to ride before my birthday.
my parents. I'd have exactly two
Meanwhile, I barely had time to
weeks to learn. Plenty of time.
Well, there I was thinking about work on my "Honor Thy Father and
bikes and parks when I realized Mr. Thy Mother" composition. I wasn't
t,Tik et
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%ft
even sure what to write.
"Daddy," I said one week
before my birthday, "ask the man if
we can keep the bike for a few days
so I can practice in the afternoons
as soon as I come home from
school. I'll stay in the courtyard on
the side of the house. I promise."
This time, the old, green bike
came home with us. It rode up in
the elevator and I parked it in my
room. Every afternoon, I took the
bike outside.
Two days before my birthday --
and before Shavuot — I had figured
out how to ride. It was simple! You
just had to shift your weight and
keep pedaling. When it was time for
supper, I couldn't wait to tell my
parents the good news. I dragged
my foot on the ground to stop and
walked the bike to the front of the
house. The sidewalk was empty
except for a man coming up the hill.
"Daddy," I yelled. "I can ride!"
He waved. He even waved with
both hands — the one with the
newspaper and the one with his
briefcase. It was too far away to
hear what he was saying so I
jumped on the bike to show him
what I could do.
I pushed off and felt the breeze
on my face. The bike went faster
and I thought about the racers I had
once seen on television — how they
were all low and hunched over and
pedaling like mad. I hardly had to
pedal at all. The bike was going on
its own.
Then I thought of something
else. How was I going to stop? I
was moving too fast to drag my feet
on the ground the way I usually did.
"Help!" I screamed. "I can't
stop."
"Use the brakes!" he yelled.
Brakes? Where were they?
"Pedal backwards!" he called.
The wind was hitting me hard
and I didn't understand. Then I felt
his arms grab me and the two of us
rolled onto a patch of grass in front
of a big apartment house.
First everything was silent.
Then we both sat up. My jeans were
torn and I could see a scrape on
my knee through the hole. And my
father! His suit jacket was ripped
and his face was so pale.
"I wanted to show you I could
ride," I told him, standing up on
shaky legs. "I finally got the knack."
"What about the knack for
stopping?" he asked. He picked up
his newspaper and briefcase. "Why
didn't you use the brake?"
"What brake?"
"The foot brake," he said. He
wasn't so pale anymore. "I
explained it to you the first day we
went out. If you push back hard on
the pedal the bike will stop. Don't
you remember?"
I shook my head. "I wasn't
thinking about how to stop then. I
was having enough trouble figuring
out how to go." I stood the bike up.
"I think Mom is right," I said
sadly as we began walking back up
the hill to the house. "Bikes aren't
safe. And I didn't ride only in the
park and the courtyard like I
promised. I shouldn't get my own
bike after all."
My father put his arm around
me. "Ruthie,"he said, "I've already
picked out a beautiful bike for you.
And I think you learned an
important lesson about listening to
what your parents tell you."
I couldn't believe it. My father
was so wonderful! And suddenly I
knew what I would write in my
"Honor Thy Father and Thy
Mother" composition.
That night I sat down at my
desk with a pencil and a big piece
of paper and began: "Your parents
are the people who love you most in
the whole world. When they tell you
what you should and shouldn't do
they are trying to make sure that
you don't get hurt. That is why the
Torah says that if you obey them
you will have a long life. Let me
give you an example ..."
Reprinted with permission of Shofar
Magazine, May 1987 Copyright by
Judith Naomi Fish.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
55