Rav. Lee Diamond on Massada
Lee Diamond – Tell It Like It Is, My Secret Love Affair, If I am Not For Myself
Tell It Like It Is
Excavate to the bedrock
This Tel has
Three layers
Of civilizations.
One Upon the other.
Each true to itself
Each with artifacts
Of Its own civilization
Each authentic
unto itself
Each unique
In Its own special way.
Each with its own text
Each with its own narrative
Each with its own founder
Each searching for the Truth
Each attempting to understand
The ultimate questions
Of the universe.
Each providing a truth
Each profound in its
Own vision of source and direction
Each correct !
But, claimed Bedrock:
I started the inquiry
Mine is “In the beginning”
I am chosen! I am Truth.
“Wait, I built on your ruins.”
Said level Two
You were rejected.
You’re the withered stump
I’m the new shoot
I’m the New Covenant
I’m now chosen
Your Truth is dead.
And then the wind blown
Top level of the Tel
Laughed at the levels beneath
And cried: “It’s over for you both…
“I’m the king of the mountain
And the winner takes all.”
And a violent earthquake erupted
Spewing lava in all directions
And destroyed all of the Tel
The Bedrock
The New Covenant
And the Koran
And they all called
On their Truth
Pleading against the Lava
Calling for a Savior
But the wrath of God
Burned them all
And declared:
“None of you own Me!”
You’re attempt at owning
The Truth
And attempt to call Truth
Yours Own
Destroyed The very Heavens
And the earth below
and all that is within.
And God turned his face
From religion
My Secret Love Affair
Im not sure If to admit
If to come clean?
It has been going on
for years.
It may have been obvious
To all who know me well
Some think that
Im an idiot!
For carrying on this way.
My own sister called me an idiot.
But I’m passionately in love
And I can’t end it
I’m too deeply in love.
She is beautiful as ever
As a kid she was provocative
Her weaknesses were her strengths
Her Naiveté her charm
Her ability to receive love
As well as to be loved
Was uncanny
Her song, her dance
Mystifying
Her language renewing
To a longing soul
She matured by the day
But maintained the innocence
Of her youth
She had great moments
And lesser ones
At times she inspired
And at times she drew
My critique
But her soul is pure
And her errors temporary
She cries and giggles
She mourns and give new life
She captured my soul
And I can’t
And won’t ever abandon her
She is my mistress.
Despite all the warnings
I will maintain the affair
Because she can’t separate
From me, nor I from her.
And I must protect her.
This not do secret love of mine
The Jewish People and Land
If I am Not For Myself
Why is this not enough for me?
DAYENU!
Why must I read on?
……..
In a world which condemns me
At every turn!
In a world that twists my good
Into evil!
In a world that rejects me and disregards the villainy of its own.
In a world that condemns me
When I protect my own.
Why must I be better?
Why must rise higher?
Than they?
DAYENU!
And why can’t I be
“Only for myself?”
At least this allows
Me to BE!
DAYENU
And furthermore
My very own—
My fellow people
Grovel before their
Very detractors
In an effort to hide
Their being
Not the least concerned
For Themselves
For to be for oneself
Is considered to be “tribal”and
“Ethnic”
These Uncle Toms
Who try to be white
Instead of living in
Their own skin
Forget that
“Jew is beautiful!”
“Jewish lives matter”
In their effort
To BE them!
We will never be them
They will never allow it.
Thank God
Only WE Can Be For Ourselves
Only We can wear Jewish Skin.
DAYENU.
IS THIS NOT ENOUGH?
