Thoughts Unknown

“Since Judaism always deals with one’s soul and the workings of one’s inner spirit—God after all ‘wants our hearts’—it goes without saying that poetry has and deserves a place of high honor within Jewish life. Poetry reflects our inner longings and hopes and helps deflect our fears and trepidations. Perhaps this is why the Torah chose to describe itself in terms of being a poem—a poem of eternity and Godliness. A famous English poet once wrote: ‘Poems are made by fools like you and me. But only God can make a tree.’ He was wrong. God also makes poetry.This current book of poetry that you are holding in your hand is a continuation of the long tradition of poetry in the Jewish world. Even though today poetry is not really in vogue any longer, it is necessarily a vital component of Jewish life and of Jewish thought. Please read this volume and its beautiful poems. Think about them. Treasure them and remember them. Your heart will be lighter and your brain will be more adept.”From the foreword by Rabbi Berel Wein, a”h