Upon the dedication of the Tent
The leader of each tribe was moved to bring
A gift that signified some great event
Bearing upon his kin: Of David king
And his long line, Yehudah’s offerings tell;
Yissachar thought of Torah, Zevulun
Of bread, and Dan of Shimshon, while Rahel
Was present to the mind of Binyamin.
So that, though each one brought a silver dish,
A silver throwing-bowl, a golden spoon,
And a like count of cattle, yet to each
The reckonings and symbols were his own.
Thus many lives, each with its different scope,
In Israel’s destiny were lifted up.


(2)

O G-d, from Sinai we have wandered far,
And are now less illumined by its rays
Perhaps; yet on the other hand we are
More cognizant of the heart’s crooked ways.
We are aware that some without just cause
Are harried by a cruel jealousy;
We are aware that some still make Your laws
A charter for domestic tyranny.