Without rhyme or reason
Style or prose,
Will these lines carry the day?
"Ad delo yoda" — Who knows?!
It's Adar already,
Time is so terse,
Let's put things in perspective
Chapter and verse.
It's hard to write a poem
So that all feel at home,
Ideas and audience have to mesh,
A dovor shoveh lechol nefesh!
It won't be a long megilloh
"As the story unfolds"
Make it short and sweet
That's what I'm told
In Talmudic jargon — Mei'ikora mai? Sober!
I dunno if we'll walk a straight line when it's over!
Seize the moment
And a glass of schnapps too,
Our spirits — a little aloof
The rhyme's — a hundred percent proof!
I have Shalach Monos to deliver
From Hodu 'till Kush,
Lot's of Purim Torah
Some pshat and some drush!
Lend me your ears
As Amolek's name is erased,
There's a message for all
And it's in good taste:
One day a year
The Kittel of white,
Purifies us all,
Machlokes? Out of sight!
The flip side
Of the day we atone,
Is almost upon us
Yom Kippur's not alone.
This yom hakodosh
Has a different twist.
't would be a shame
If it's opportunity is missed.
The mitzvos hayom —
To perform we are all enjoined,
Book of Esther — seuda, evyonim
Portions and The Half Coin!
It goes by so fast — will I be
Able to make the rounds and be mesayem?
We all know, Shikur ain lo raglayim!
The kids don't have school,
But we have carpool today,
Making the rounds for nitzrochim —
We'll come your way!
Finally our route had one address left: Mr. Gvir
"A freilichen Purim! We stopped by last year,
You gave $100 plus a Lechaim ($$$$)
Well — mi sheyeish lo monoh — rotzeh mosaim!"
"I'll make it worth your while,
You came not for naught,
But first do me a favor,
Tell me a gut vort!
Tell me a chiddush — or you guys ain't budgin'"
"O.K." I said — "once Rav Chaim of Volozhin
During Purim fest — by the meal,
Was approached by a poor man with much zeal.
"`If you give me a kopek one more time,
I'll tell you a novel Torah of mine.'
Rav Chaim responded in kind — to the man
Indeed, this revelation seemed to be rather grand.
"`The decree against Yisroel was sealed not in blood, but
mortar
Where's the veiled reference — in the Megilloh — in
short order?'
As the "oni" spoke — his voice could be heard,
`Haman sought "lehumom — ule'abdom" — it's ensconced
in those words!
"`Read: "velo bedom" — not by blood — it's not too
late,
With Teshuvoh (and Tefillah) the Yehudim
could eradicate!'"
To his rebbe the Gra, Rav Chaim went,
"Your tzedokoh was an investment well spent,
This was the person who gave Mordechai the tidings too,
Eliyahu Hanovi revealed himself to you!"
I made it back just on time
To wash for the seudah — to dine,
To perform the mitzvos hayom in small doses,
Time to drink the daled kosos!
I didn't touch whiskey so I felt fine,
I stuck to "Chablis" — since Rashi says wine!
't was time to bentch — say grace with the ba'al
habayis,
I couldn't remember if I had a kezayis!
My swagger turned to stagger as I reached yeshiva — what a
sight,
Must've been close to 1,500 yungerleit,
Dancing to music, many disguised and "geshtelt"
"Venehapoch Hu" — a `turvy topsy' velt.
Yellow caftans and streimels — as if of Chassidic
stock,
And Chassidim wore Homburgs and frocks.
Surreal — it looked like one big blur,
Then something inside me began to stir.
Year round we're disguised — safe and sound,
But on Purim, spirits rise — barriers come down,
"Kach es halvush" — put externals aside,
The main thing's the pintele Yid inside.
Look what simcha shel mitzvah can do,
Dance with the guy you rarely talk to.
Ahavas chinom fills the air,
If only it could be so all year!
Hands locked in dance —
Ke'ish Echod/Nichnas Yayin Yotzo Sod
The wine's secret lies within,
"Leich kenos es kol haYehudim"!
When Klal Yisroel sticks together, big things take
place,
They transcend teva — time and space,
Lock onto Hashem — we can change inertia,
Just like the Jews of ancient Persia.
Rejoicing as one is not a formality,
Purim all year — that's reality.
Hashgochoh decides things, not Haman's whims
Dancing is a statement — Hashem Hu Elokim!
It's neilah time — the gates will close,
Hashem will surely depose our foes,
"Vimei haPurim lo ya'avru," it's not afar, but near
Lechaim, Yidden!! In Yerushalayim next year!
