Operating Instructions (a poem sparked by Pirkei Avot)
By Rachel Barenblat
Judah the son of Tema would say: Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, fleeting as a deer and mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in heaven. -- Pirkei Avot 5:20
Be bold as brass,
polished until you gleam.
Be fearless and daring; courageous.
Be distinct to the eye.
Be imprudent. Be bold as love.
Be light as a pinfeather.
Swift as a cheetah running
at full tilt, fleeting
as an eager football player's
triumphant return to the field.
Be as mighty
as an unexpected synonym,
as the thirteen-petaled rose,
as the Niagara Falls of justice
thundering endlessly from Eden.
Everyone serves something. Choose
hope's pulse and flicker,
creation's compassionate heart.
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From The Velveteen Rabbi.
I spent Monday with
Adam's girlfriend came over to say goodbye, as she is spending most of the summer visiting family in Greece, and

