our sweet Rabbi, Reb Shlomo
my sweet friends
they have little interest in politics
read the paper once a week
sometimes once every two weeks
don’t listen to the radio much
don’t even have TVs
they spend a lot of energy
in the care and education of their children
teaching them to read and write
teaching them to appreciate
the words of the sages
sharing with them stories
that emphasize the possibilities
of the little man to make big choices
and of the common man
to sanctify His name.
They are modest
In the way they live their lives
Modest and generous and sensitive
In their relations to one another.
Their sexual relations are based on sanctity
They are careful about their tongue,
Careful not to hurt with words,
Not to spread gossip.
Careful not to take what is not theirs
Large hearted and ever eager
To give charity
And the charity they give is with
Respect and compassion
They enjoy giving more than taking
They are eager to work
They rejoice in learning something new
They pray to God three times a day
They kiss a holy book when it falls
Inadvertently
They open the book, the scroll of the bible
Only in the presence of ten adult men
They call one another to read a portion.
When they finish reading or learning
A portion of the torah, they celebrate
On holidays, and on the Sabbath,
They celebrate by eating meals that
Are especially rich and tasty
They pay attention to the phases of the moon
Each time they visit a chapter, a portion,
Or a book of the holly scriptures
They try to find some new meaning
Or some new interpretation to better understand.
They bless the food they eat
They bless God when they go to the toilet
They wash their hands after they go to the toilet
They wash their hands before they eat
They sanctify a holiday with bread or wine
They separate between the eating of meat
And the eating of milk products.
They bless the fruit of the tree
They bless the fruit of the ground
They thank God after they have eaten
The men keep their heads covered
Married women keep their heads covered
Children show respect to their parents
And to other adults
They think of Him when they awake in the morning
They think of Him when they are walking on the path
They think of Him when they eat and drink
They think of Him when they lie down to sleep
They are soft spoken and big hearted
They bless the occasion when they put on a new piece
Of clothing
They love having visitors
They love traveling across the land
They remember the dead
They are careful to give credit when they quote
Someone else
They love songs
They sing in prayer
They play musical instruments
They dance, the men together
They dance, the women together
When they mourn, they tear their clothes
When they mourn they sit on low stools
When they mourn they don’t say hello
When they mourn they don’t listen to music
And always they hope for better
And always they believe in redemption
They chase justice
They try to love their neighbor
They honor their parents
Their Sabbath is holy
The differentiate between holy and mundane
They bless each other in Peace.
23.8.05
