Embroidered curtains part
to reveal the Holy Scrolls.
Reverently our woman rabbi
removes the Torah from the Ark.
In the flickering candlelight
it passes among the congregation
until it is placed in my arms.
For a fleeting moment,
the Torah is entrusted to me.
I clasp it in my arms, close to my heart.
Then, handing the precious gift to another
overcome, I avert my face
from the congregation
and weep tears of joy and pain.
מַתַּן תּוֹרָה
נִפְתַּחַת הַפָּרֹכֶת
וְנֶחְשָׂפוֹת סִפְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה.
בַּרְחֲשֵׁי כָּבוֹד מוֹצִיאָה הָרַבָּה
אֶת הַסֵּפֶר מֵהָאָרוֹן.
לְאוֹר הַנֵּרוֹת הַמְּהַבְהֲבִים
הוּא עוֹבֵר בֵּין הַחֲבֵרִים
עַד שֶׁמֻּנָּח בִּזְרוֹעוֹתַי.
לְרֶגַע חוֹלֵף
מֻפְקֶדֶת הַתּוֹרָה בְּיָדַי.
אוֹחֶזֶת בָּהּ בִּזְרוֹעוֹתַי,
קְרוֹבָה אֶל לִבִּי.
וְאָז, מוֹסֶרֶת הַתְּשׁוּרָה לְאַחֵר.
נִפְעֶמֶת, מַסְתִּירָה אֶת פָּנַי
מִפְּנֵי הַקְּהִלָּה
וּבוֹכָה בְּדִמְעוֹת רִנָּה וּכְאֵב.
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