Adar, month of happiness
Joyous celebration
For Jews the world over
Time of salvation
Adar turned to ashes
Tragedy grief
Wailing, mourning
Beyond belief
Young and old
Pulled from our midst
Gone without warning
So painfully missed
Shabbos we will layn
Vayehi bayom Hashemini,
G-d’s happiest day
Since creation.
Shattered
Destroyed
Death and confusion
In the holy Mishkon
Divine retribution
The shechinah finally found
A place to rest
Betachtonim,
The light of sheishes yemei Bereishis
Found a home
Vayidom Aharon.
The happiest
Brightest
Most promising
Day
Saw Aharon’s two sons
Snatched away
In our times too
Sudden loss
A baal tzedaka
Unsurpassed
A marbitz Torah
Unparalleled
Gone in a flash
Aich noflu giborim!
Purim
Yom Kippurim
Deepest joy
Bubbling forth
Boundless simcha
Ahd delo yodah
And then it’s over
Festivities end
Gone from our lives
Hashem’s true friends
Reality crashes in
Uprooting joy
Leaving hearts
Broken and raw
Who can grasp
Who can know
Who can absorb
The staggering blow
Human reason
Reeling in shock
Crying, denying
It can’t be so
Forever after
Purim linked
With memories of disaster
Bitter grief
Greatness cut down
In the prime of life
Beloved friends
Till the end of time
Hu asher diber
B’krovai ekodeish.
Vayidom Aharon.
We shuffle our feet
Quietly
Continue on
With our service
Quietly
Crying inside
But outwardly still
Dying inside
Rallying our will
Death at our doorstep
Lurking at night
Sparing no one
Prepared to strike
Ohr zaruah latzadik
U’liyishrei leiv simcha.
Don’t look back
Don’t question His ways
Increase the sunshine
By spreading its rays
Gladdening hearts
Lifting spirits
Spreading truth
Expanding limits
Help the downtrodden
The poor and alone
Widows and orphans
Sick and broken
Live each day
As if it’s your last.
Anger and pettiness
A thing of the past
Prepare the world
For the coming of
Moshiach
Then the great light
Of creation will shine
Of sadness disease
And death
No sign
Prepare the world
For the coming of
Moshiach
Be ready to take on
Injustice and evil
Bow not to convenience
Nor judge other people
Bring happiness to others
Expanding your love
Follow the example
Of the one Above
Lets do it
Now
Remember how simcha
Is contagious
Banishing sadness
Without a trace
One Jew
Another Jew
And another will follow
Until we reach
A special tomorrow
The world will become
At journey’s end
Molei deah es Hashem
With the coming of Moshiach
May it be soon
The real
And permanent
Venahafoch hu
9 Responses
Nice piece, but why all the poetry lately?
Beautiful.
Beautiful poem. I’m inspired to start right now. Thanx.
#1, I have the same question. Rabbi Lipschutz, your very talented but I’m just curious about your poetry. It is beautiful, and your very talented but I miss your inspiring “regular” editor’s view. How about your poetry in addition to your editor’s view?
It seems to me that Rabbi Lipschutz is behind the whole yeshivah world news , why is there no articles ever from hamodia etc. ?
#2. why does he appear almost on a daily basis ?
Anybody ?
Fatshteitzach: He appears weekly. If you’ll check the editorial link on the left side of this webpage, you’ll see that Rabbi Lipschutz and Rabbi Avi Shafran are weekly. Rabbi Lipschutz’s articles appearing every Thursday and Rabbi Shafran’s on Friday. And I bet if Hamodia would send theirs in, TYW would put it there as well.
Editors Note: We sure would!
Dear midwesterner : First of all my name is not farshteitzach, it is farshteit-a-zach ,its quite close ,but farshteitzach you thoutht its farshteitzach and meanwhile its …. farshtitazach?
Now on a serious note, thank you for that info,I just didnt know.
Thank you to the editor as well, your doing a real great job,keep up the real good work !
I for one, really enjoyed the recent poetry by Rabbi Lipschutz in the Yated. Whereas I usually do not get throught the entire editorial on a weekly basis, the poems held my interest till the end. Keep em coming!
All these comments about poetry… I think the words were the main part, not how it was written
I hope you’ll forgive Rabbi Lipschutz for the poetry