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Freedom of Choice



- 1 -

Once there was
A mighty king
And in all lands of his kingdom
No man lifted
Hand nor foot
Without his say.

One day
He called for his faithful servant
and said to him:
"I shall build for you
A royal palace
Wherein you will sit
Enthroned
In sovereign rule."

And from that day on
When the king enters
The castle of his slave
He removes his crown
And becomes as one of the common folk.

And when the faithful servant
Sees his king
With his royal head bare of crown
And bereft of the golden scepter in his hand
His soul cringes
His compassion overwhelms
He falls from his throne
To the feet of his master.

- 2 -

He is the King of all Kings
The Master of all Masters
His dominion embraces all universes
From the heavens above
To the abyss below.

Here, however
On this grain of Earth
In the domain of your heart
Worm of man
He is a beggar king.
He stretches out his hand
With each imploring pauper.
On every sickbed
For a soothing hand he longs
Together with the afflicted.
He knocks at your door
Together with the frozen wayfarer.
At the gates of your soul
Shelter he seeks
Like a bird fluttering
At the rim of her robbed nest.


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By Zvi Yair   More articles...  |   RSS Listing of Newest Articles by this Author

Zvi Yair is the pen-name of the Hebrew poet and Chassidic scholar, Rabbi Zvi Meir Steinmetz (1915-2005). For more on Zvi Yair see www.zviyair.com
From the Hebrew by Yanki Tauber


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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Sep 15, 2005
The Map
Inspired by The Rebbe

One day a Kings had a son. The son was told he had to live in the Law. One day the son did not live in the Law and the King, in sorrow, told the son to leave. The son left and went very far out. He had many children, who in turn went many places very far from the King and His Palace. The years passed. Though the original son had long since forgotten his way back to the King, he yearned to go back and be as one again. Yet each time he tried to find the true Palace of the King, It eluded him. Even his children, who looked, could not find It. One day a Great Book appeared to him and he rejoiced! That very day all the children he had came to visit. They too saw the Great Book and in stood in astonishment. Finally they asked, We too have received very same Great Book. Do you know what is it called? He replied, It is called the Torah. Yes, they replied, It is a Great Book of stories about our King. No, it is the direct map, to get back to the King.
Posted By Eric S. Kingston, North Hollywood, CA

Posted: Mar 25, 2004
This is very touching. To think G-d loves us so much He humbles Himself from supernal heights to have fellowship with us. Incredible.
Posted By Anonymous, Birmingham, Alabama

Posted: Mar 22, 2004
That's a beautiful poem. I like it.
Posted By Anonymous



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From the Edges of the Earth
The One
Eating
Eternity
Freedom of Choice
The Survivor's Prayer
Ratzo V'Shov
The Ascent of the Tzaddik
The Cry of the Holy Sparks
The Foundation
The Spark That Shall Never Die
Mealtime Guests
A Story About a Prince
Your Footsteps

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