Category Archives: Poetry

Al Kol Eleh – Naomi Shemer

23 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by in Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Poetry, Quote of the Day

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In these days of joy and uncertainty following the release of Gilad Shalit, I am reminded of Naomi Shemer’s beautiful song Al Kol Eleh (“For all these things”) written after the Yom Kippur War.

“Every bee that brings the honey / Needs a sting to be complete / And we all must learn to taste the bitter with the sweet.

Keep, oh Lord, the fire burning / Through the night and through the day /
For the man who is returning / from so far away.

Don’t uproot what has been planted / So our bounty may increase / Let our dearest wish be granted: / Bring us peace, oh bring us peace.

For the sake of all these things, Lord, / Let your mercy be complete
Bless the sting and bless the honey / Bless the bitter and the sweet.

Save the houses that we live in / The small fences and the wall / From the sudden war-like thunder / May you save them all.

Guard what little I’ve been given / Guard the hill my child might climb / Let the fruit that’s yet to ripen / Not be plucked before its time.

As the wind makes rustling night sounds / And a star falls in its arc / All my dreams and my desires  / Form crystal shapes out of the dark.

Guard for me, oh Lord, these treasures / All my friends keep safe and strong,
Guard the stillness, guard the weeping, / And above all, guard this song.”

NOTE: In 2018, 12,000 Israelis sang Al Kol Eleh in a Tel Aviv stadium with the then President of the State, Ruvi Rivlin, singing his heart out. See my later blog and a link to that spectacularly wonderful event here: https://rabbijohnrosove.blog/2020/02/09/naomi-shemers-al-ha-eleh-sung-by-12000-israelis/

“A Rebbi’s Proverb (From the Yiddish)” – a poem by Danny Siegel

18 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by in Holidays, Inuyim - Prayer reflections and ruminations, Musings about God/Faith/Religious life, Poetry, Quote of the Day

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In the time of the Messiah, Sukkot will still be observed. It is the quintessential messianic holiday of Judaism. The poet Danny Siegel expressed the Messianic thrust so very well with this beautiful poem.

“If you always assume / the man sitting next to you / is the Messiah / waiting for some simple human kindness–
You will soon come to weigh your words /and watch your hands.
And if he so chooses / Not to reveal himself / In your time–
It will not matter.
Danny Siegel  “And God Braided Eve’s Hair” (1976); “Unlocked Doors” (1983)

When God First Said – a poem by Natan Zach

17 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by in Divrei Torah, Poetry, Quote of the Day

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Simchat Torah comes this week and with it on Shabbat the Torah cycle begins anew with the reading of Parashat B’reishit (Genesis 1-6:8).

This first parashah of the year is so rich, so multi-layered, so provocative in symbolism, metaphor, and myth about the nature of origins, God’s purpose for us humans, and the nature of the human being that it is always an exciting challenge to choose a theme for a D’var Torah. I am working on something now about the meaning of the snake (nachash) in the Garden of Eden, and will post that later in the week.

In the meantime, Natan Zach, one of Israel’s greatest poets, offers this provocative poem about God’s first intentions when contemplating creation. Born in Berlin in 1930, Zach was taken to Palestine by his family in 1935. He fought in the War of Independence and is regarded today as one of Israel’s greatest citizens. He is not alone among Israel’s poets. What other country in the world lifts its poets to the exalted status of greatness as does Israel? None!

“When God first said Let there be light/ He meant it would not be dark for Him./ In that moment He didn’t think about the sky,/ but the trees already were filling with water,/ the birds receiving air and body./ Then the first wind touched God’s eyes/ and He saw it in all His glory/ and thought It is good. He didn’t think then/ about people, people in their multitude,/ but they already were standing apart from the fig leaves,/ unraveling in their hearts/ a scheme about pain./ When God first thought of night/ He didn’t think about sleep./ So be it, God said, I will be happy./ But they were multitudes.”

Translated from the Hebrew by Peter Everwine and Shulamit Yasny-Starman, Modern Poems on the Bible – an Anthology, Edited with an Introduction by David Curzon, 1994, pages 31-32

Follow up on Mel Gibson – and a poem on Forgiveness

25 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in American Jewish Life, Inuyim - Prayer reflections and ruminations, Poetry

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Someone I respect emailed me this morning following my post on Mel Gibson and said the following:

“John, I think you’re giving Gibson more benefit of the doubt than he deserves. Actually, is there really any doubt to begin with? I don’t think so.”

My private response to him was as follows, which he said I should have said in the first place – so here it is:

“I can’t know his (Gibson’s) mind and heart – his actions are clear, and the only benefit of the doubt I offer is really irrelevant anyway. It’s what his deeds are, and so far, he is unredeemed.”

A Poem…

Avraham Chalfi (zal) an Israeli actor and poet, wrote a moving piece on forgiveness called “A sightless God and Forgiveness” – as follows:

“A sightless God with lantern in hand / Seeks a path in the evening dusk / And everyone says: / Here comes the moon / And like a tree it rises / Pouring light on the road… // The rooftops sparkle like a looking glass / Leafy branches of light anoint me / And above the city, within sail-clouds / The stars moor on a skyward shore … // May forgiveness beautify all hearts / No soul is foul or at fault / There are no sinners among us. / We are weary of drifting in the dark. / And blind God will forgive in the light of our eyes.”

A Prayer In Memory of the Victims of September 11

06 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in American Politics and Life, Musings about God/Faith/Religious life, Poetry

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Eternal God, / Source and Creator of Life; / From the depths we have called to you / and we call to you again for courage, strength and wisdom on this anniversary of our nation’s tragedy.

Grant us courage to confront our enemies. / Comfort those who stand alone without spouse, parent, brother, sister, or friend. / Open our hearts to them and to the children orphaned. / Enable us to love more deeply all children who suffer. / Accept with mercy our prayers of healing on behalf of the families of the victims / and on behalf of the first responders who became ill at Ground Zero and who eventually died as a consequence.

Despite the horror and tragedy of 9/11, / our country remains a shelter of peace, / a symbol of freedom / a beacon light of compassion and justice / to the downtrodden and oppressed of the world.

Strengthen the hands of our people to defend this country / and our common values of freedom and justice. / Inspire our leaders and diplomats / to act wisely and to pursue peace everywhere in the world.

May we teach our children to learn and to think, / To consider and to reason, / To be courageous in thought and in deed, / And to nurture hearts of wisdom / That they may do battle against fear, hatred and bigotry / Using weapons of the spirit and loving hearts.

We offer our prayers / on behalf of our country and government, our President and judiciary, / our officials and institutions, our soldiers and citizens, / upon all who faithfully toil for the good of our country, to preserve democracy in our land, / to advocate for civility between adversaries, and to treat every human being / as infinitely worthy and dignified / by virtue of being created / b’Tzelem Elohim, in the Divine image.

Bestow upon us all the blessings of peace, / and may we live to see the day / when swords will be converted into ploughshares / and nations will not learn war anymore. / Amen!

 By Rabbi John L. Rosove, Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA