At Yevna Something Happened - poem

 

Lawrence Hall, HSG

Mhall46184@aol.com

 

At Yevna Something Happened

 

The Talmud is to this day the circulating heart's blood of the Jewish religion. Whatever laws, customs or ceremonies we observe - whether we are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform or merely spasmodic sentimentalist - we follow the Talmud. It is our common law.

-Herman Wouk

 

At Yevna something happened, something quite real

Though no one seems to know exactly how

Those who entered as priests arose as rabbis

Carrying Talmud out into the world

 

At Yevna something happened

 

Ben Zakkai and Gamaliel sit at your table

Your study table, a house of wisdom in Yevna

Where all may come to study Mishnah and Gemara

Where the lamp of peace is lit on Sabbath eve

 

At Yevna something happened

 

G-d sees to it that even a few holy books

The wisdom of the sages

The library of the ages

Are Yevna written into your modest home

 

At Yevna something happened

Note: The quote from Herman Wouk might not be exactly as he wrote in 1959; I was following an elusive and shape-shifting cut-and-paste text through a trackless forest of quotations.