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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Vessels of Light

This is one from the archives, not the one that I lost and am still working to retrieve. It is based on the same idea as a hebrew song called "Kaylim shel ohr," vessels of light. I don't know the song, but I heard the person who wrote it speak about it. The concept for her song came from [forgot which sefer, I think a chassidic work] who compared the Jewish person to a vessel of light, drawing parallels to other types of vessels of clay, silver, etc. I wish I could remember the original. We took it in quite different directions. Anyway, without further ado:

Deep within you
A G-dly flame burns
Leaping and yearning to make itself known
Covered in layers
Of ashes and grime
Its light to the world has never been shown
It's waiting for you
To polish and clean
The little encasement in which it's confined
Peel away the externals
Scrub out old habits
Though the work may be scratchy and take lots of time
When at last you reveal
The shiny, clear glass
Its glow can shine forth and make the world bright
The purity of an infant
Shining face of a tzaddik
Can be yours, too, when you release the light.