Best Shabbos Poems
Love your friend* as yourself
That is the whole Torah**
The rest is commentary
How can that be?
We are commanded to love God too
with all our heart, soul, and might***
So how is just loving your friend
to Almighty God not a slight?
The answer, of course, lies in the verse --
Who is the friend you can count on
Through thick and thin, through bad and worse?
~ Why, that friend is God, foremost and first ****
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*Leviticus 19:18: 'Love your friend as yourself,'
The word ' your friend' (Hebrew, rey-eh'cha) is
often mistranslated into English as 'your neighbor.'
In Biblical and Talmudic Hebrew, 'rey'us' always
refers to friendship. 'Shakhen' is 'neighbor.'
**This is how the Sage Hillel responded to a
fellow who wanted to be taught the whole
Torah while standing on one leg. (See Talmud
Shabbos 31a).
***Deuteronomy 6:5
****See Proverbs 27:10: 'Do not forsake your
friend and your father's friend...' (Your father's
friend is God Himself -- Rashi's Commentary).
Streaming into Shabbos,* the pace quickens
as if reading a novel where the plot thickens
Only an hour left,
so much to do and to shlepp**
How will it all get done
~ Let the adrenaline run ...
Down goes the sun
All tasks completed one by one
______________________________________________
*'Shabbos' = the Jewish Sabbath, starting Friday evening
**'schlepp' = carry; haul
The Chicago winds blew the soft, dark blue
satin drapes.
It was the spring of our passion.
Why do tears fall now, with you in a cold grave?
I think of what our life would have been like in Israel.
But of those never to be Shabbos meals, I can never tell.
You told me you were dying, but I did not believe you.
A mensch like you? Impossible!
Then, HaShem took you home on the last day of High Holidays.
The Chicago winds no longer blow the soft, dark blue satin
drapes ever again in Chicago.
Lake Michigan, outside my window and I still waiting.
In a stunned,silence.
Still hopelessly,languishing longing for you!
10-5-2020
Shabbos Table True Fable
Our family "Heimish" setting,
Replete with 2 lighted candles letting,
Blessings, my wife's "Emunah" truly abetting.
6 days' worries & scurries set aside, allayed,
2 lights cleansing in noble "Dr. Suess" style displayed,
Candlesticks' "Curved Art", due to years of use arrayed.
Bluma Yehudis's beautiful voice, her simple innocence,
Capturing a crystalline semblance,
Of each of our spiritual en-trance.
2 "Challah Bagels" offered gratefully to "Hashem",
Each one a symbol, "Remembering" & "Guarding" them,
The 24 hours of rest, from creative labors, not physical ones, we stem.
"When wine goes in, truth comes out",
Liquid sunshine savored in moderation, no gout,
And to boot, enhances melodious singing aloud.
Other Yidden heard through our window, grace the night,
Melodies heard so clear, listening is like eyesight,
Each "Niggun" inspiring, not the least bit trite.
Shabbos graces us each with an extra "Neshama",
Meaning Soul, from "Breath", exhaled into each "Guf" by "HaRachaman"
Gifting "Bina", or understanding, & appetite for my wife's "Manna".
In Bina we listen to each other, to Torah "Tools & Dies",
Attending to Hashem's word, true hearing with eyes,
Conversing, not the least, with your loved's ties.
Singing "Shir HaMa'Alos" in unison,
Brings us together as each other's & His chosen ones,
Bonding warmly, embracing each other by voices' tones.
Afternoon naps, enjoying playing Bananagrams,
Invigorating, rejuvenating, noncompetitive lambs,
Sharing dreams, emotions, wits & words, ignoring weekday scrams.
"Davening", or praying, to Hashem for ours & others' welfare,
Ending domestic disputes among us, pointless warfare,
Huge blessings & tiny like "Shalom", health and carfare.
All this in our Shabbos? I barely skimmed...
" There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy!"
A Ger's Aware Stares
See the flicker flame duo dance,
Shabbos & Yom Tov mesmerance,
My eyes are stymied: Chosen to share life?
Apex companion she, gold circled wife,
Sighting elusive meaning, Torah wrestling,
Sage insights bring awe, humble reflective nestling,
Hebrew tears for mankind demand scoping,
Pleading prayers are such, not be vain our hoping,
The Divine is listening with eyes, fully attending,
Long vigils are not only ours, He waits, mending,
Sideways peripheral glances are all we are granted,
Due to Ego illusions, winds make upright slanted,
This Ger beholds that even tho' all seems inverted,
I'm grateful to be alive, married, and converted!
A few hundred ragtag, rabbinic Maccabees
faced the might of Antiochus’ army
60,000 fighting men strong
The Chanukah story we all know
The rabbis delivered Greece a knockout blow
Rededicated the Temple, and with a small cruise of oil
lit the lamps of the Menorah, eight nights in all
Yet in our prayers, not a single word about
the military prowess of the ‘Mighty Maccabees’
We thank God, and God alone, for routing Greece
Mattathias, the leader, and his sons,
five indomitable priests
we praise instead
~ but only for their spiritual feats
___________________________________________
The Talmud asks: 'What is Chanukah?' The above is
(a much-condensed version of) the answer it gives.
(Tractate 'Shabbos,' 21a - 23b)... Also found in the
'Abridged Book of Jewish Law, Laws of Chanukah,
Solomon Gantzfried, (English version)
The Boys in The Back
By Sy Roth
The right hand turned the waters 360 degrees
Then another willful rotation
Until the bubbling chicken-fatty waters splashed over the sides
While the boys in the back did their algebraic calculations
Considering the enigma of a minus two yellow eggs
Then jouncing on the waves of her stirring.
An arthritic chicken leg made its way to the surface
Its death-claw clawing at the chunks of flesh swirling amid a flotilla of vegetables
And with it redolent steam captures the air of the kitchen in its garlic thrall.
She continued the rotation in the silence of the eddying water
Resting for brief moments in the minutes of her remembrance
Embracing the time when food was ersatz
And the act of eating became a chore.
She held the dreams of her survival in that ladle
A galumphing oar in her packed chicken soup—
Shabbos wonderment to stir away the remembrances of things past
While we played behind her back with imaginary numbers.
Her front, a no-access vestibule
A sodden wall of sorrow against a world
Where we did our algebra and plumbed the secrets of numbers
Away from her horrors.
No words—
A simple sometimes brief shake of her hair
To bring her back to reality.
No left,
No right.
No judgment
Just the temporary aroma of living
With her sons scratching their numbers in the background
Thumping the depth of calculating incalculable numbers.
A poor soul approached who was singing the blues
He asked, 'What does God no longer want me to do?'
'What is hateful to you, do not do to others
All the rest is commentary, my dear brother'
He said, 'I've never heard it that way before
When you've time, I'd like to hear more'
Though I thanked the blues singer very much ~
Hillel's words, not mine, his heart touched
_____________________________________
Hillel was a Talmudic Sage of the 1st Century
BCE. On the brink of the Sabbath one late Fri-
day afternoon, a stranger asked him: 'Tell me
the Torah on one foot.' Hillel replied, 'What is
hateful to you do not do to others. All the rest
is commentary. Go and learn.' (Talmud,
Shabbos 31a)
Balmore Eruv Verve!
Once there was a Rabbi Yonah,
Whose Shabbos Eruv made you wonder,
Does Yonah’s art belong in the Louvre?
Does our gratitude behoove yah?
This Detroit Tiger slams a Homah!
For Yonah is Balmore’s donor,
Mesiras Nefesh, never a groaner,
Keeping Jews in the groove,
It only goes to prove,
Huh? Giving generously makes one an owner!
Stroke Deliverance
When discombobulated, Hit the Restart Button,
Restart...Happened 6 July 2011,
Now the 7th Milestone,
Dr. Cooper rescued my life before we were to Daven,
Unconscious 5 hours, 105* F., was able to say "I was Yidden",
Asked "Did I recognize anyone?",
"Yes, Barbara! My wife Lovin'!",
"Teshukos", God has No needs but Desires to Overflow for Man,
As does Barbara! Who spent Day & Night at Mt. Pleasant,
Who'd have expected? An Earthquake! What's It All Portend?,
Also Massei we read, the 42 Journeys, this was surely One,
7, "Leave Well 'Nuff Alone!", Shabbos, 1,000 Mosiach yrs., B"H "Stroke's End",
Thank you Dr. Cooper, Barbara, Rav Shuch, I'm to be still Kickin'!!!
~ Sabbath in the Olden Times ~
(Shabbos in der Alter Tzeiten) The title in the Yiddish language
Mama lit the candles
Totty blessed the wine Father
Tova's white headband Female (here, a girl) first name
her hair and face a-shine
Duvid sang a zemer Boy's nickname; Sabbath song
Totty and the orech pitched in Guest
The kneidlach oh-so-delicious Matzo balls (in the soup)
On Shabbos eating's no sin
We benched grace in style After-meal blessings
tender melodies lingered a while...
Time to wish a teyere 'Gut Shabbos' A precious 'Good Sabbath'
up to bed for a sweet night's rest
Stroke Deliverance
When discombobulated, Hit the Restart Button,
Restart...Happened 6 July 2011,
Now the 7th Milestone,
Dr. Cooper rescued my life before we were to Daven,
Unconscious 5 hours, 105* F., was able to say "I was Yidden",
Asked "Did I recognize anyone?",
"Yes, Barbara! My wife Lovin'!",
"Teshukos", God has No needs but Desires to Overflow for Man,
As does Barbara! Who spent Day & Night at Mt. Pleasant,
Who'd have expected? An Earthquake! What's It All Portend?,
Also Massei we read, the 42 Journeys, this was surely One,
7, "Leave Well 'Nuff Alone!", Shabbos, 1,000 Mosiach yrs., B"H "Stroke's End",
Thank you Dr. Cooper, Barbara, Rav Shuch, I'm to be still Kickin'!!!
Blooma Yehudis, Fruma Truths
A verse to nurse Barbara's 72nd
"Zos Channukah", warm memories of lights,
Shared stories, & hopefully Chaim's "Maor Tzur",
Stayed tenor, forgive my lapses of soprano heights,
Together, we & gymnast flames soar,
Contemplate, mindfully weigh gold sights,
Shedding cold shivers, absorbing each warm ember,
Kindling hopes, dreams, refuting the "Yavan" nights,
This year's Shabbos brings a Double Feature,
For on our fabled table are two "Dr. Suess" lights,
Art, in aged bent "Judaica" that her mom gifted her,
'Twas prophetic! To choose Barbara to greet,
Shabbos weekly, a Beis Ne'eman for Ger/Baalus Teshuva,
Ballerina/soldier flames cum "Geshmach" dishes delight,
Our "Om..." mantra home, a Chanukah treasure!
Key Lime Pie, Mighty Fine Pudding, Whipped Cream & Pearls alight,
To infuse birthday joy beyond measure!
Chaim chimes "Where would I be without my wife?"
"Bisrat Hashem" may we both endure,
'Til "Meah V'Esrim" in marriage "Bli" strife,
Joan was right, "Barbara rest assured!"
"People like your company, you simply enrich life!"
On that note, Chaim's going to make the effort,
To march (Walk/Talk!) to a different drum & fife,
To listen with heart to Barbara's word,
Giving flight to the 'Bird of Paradise!'
Wind me up
Let me go
Here I come
I'm in the flow
Sunday, Monday
moving fast
Tuesday, Wednesday
Will it last?
Thursday, Friday
Now I'm gassed
Hurray for Shabbos*
The week has passed
_______________________
*'Shabbos' means 'Sabbath'
in Yiddish
The Sabbath is a Joy and Light
to those who taste of its delight
Sanctify the bread and wine
Greet the Angels, candles shine
Momma's dishes ace the test
Poppa's dressed in Shabbos best
Children tell their Bible stories
Heaven beams in all her Glory
Three thousand years of Faith the wait
In God our Faith, not 'Chance' or 'Fate' ~
Now the Sabbath blesses all Israel
Our Promised Land, the Jewish State
~ Sabbath Peace, Everyone ~