This sheet on Genesis 25 was written by Yakov Azriel for 929 and can also be found here
"And Abraham gave gifts, while he was still alive, to the sons of Abraham’s concubine [Keturah], sending them forth from before Isaac, to the east, to the land of the east.” (Genesis 25:6)
KETURAH’S SONS
To the east,
To India,
To the holy city of Benares,
Where we will sit under Bo trees
In search of enlightenment,
In quest of nirvana.
To the east,
To the holy river of the Ganges,
Where we will immerse our bodies
And cleanse our minds.
To the east,
Where Abraham’s gifts of insight and introspection
Will allow us to be Brahmins, to meditate
And purify our souls,
Ascend above the Chariot’s wheels,
Gaze into the mirror’s sheen,
Uncover wells in the orchard’s shade,
Smell cinnamon and nard on the mountains of spices,
Hear the ice melt,
Touch the lions’ wings
And cling to the Brahma, the Soul
Of all worlds.
In this reincarnation
We were not worthy
To dwell within Abraham’s tent;
But in the east,
May we walk the path of dharma
And merit rebirth and return
To the House of Isaac, our brother.
In the east,
May the feathers of compassion
Be our feathers,
May the nest of renunciation
Be our nest.
May the flight of the wind,
The spark inside the ember,
The echo within the cave,
Be ours.
To the east.
This, our mantra,
Our karma,
Our fate.
Open the gate
To the east.
Shanti.
Peace.
Shalom.
Yakov Azriel is an English language poet who lives in Israel
929 is the number of chapters in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, the formative text of the Jewish heritage. It is also the name of a cutting-edge project dedicated to creating a global Jewish conversation anchored in the Hebrew Bible. 929 English invites Jews everywhere to read and study Tanakh, one chapter a day, Sunday through Thursday together with a website with creative readings and pluralistic interpretations, including audio and video, by a wide range of writers, artists, rabbis, educators, scholars, students and more. As an outgrowth of the web-based platform, 929 English also offers classes, pop-up lectures, events and across North America. We invite you to learn along with us and be part of our dynamic community.
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