Holy Sweat

When he first arrived we were skeptical

To this Yeshivah being smart, was not enough

To be accepted to Tomchei Temimim, you cannot be a bluff

This boy looked like tough stuff

He was so full of puff

Yes he had mastered much Talmud

But his heart is no too refined

Can he become one of our kind[1]?

The Rebbe Rashab told his son

We might have a chance

To mold this boy

And mature him into the real McCoy

His face is so ‘rough’

Will he always continue to scoff?

In preparing the wheat for Matzah

Give him the most grueling jobs

When it comes to the baking

Make sure he sweats the most

For this he will not boast

His ego will become toast

He did not complain

He did not sigh

This Yeshivah is based on honesty, love, trust and dedication

In this Yeshiva no student ever asked why?

When it came to checking for chometz

He was asked to do it all

He was not through until he was about to fall

It was not till five in the morning

The Rebbe Rayatz said to bed you will not go

Learn this mammar

Till the birds start to crow

Then at seven I will test you on it

He had better know it well, every bit

After the test he went to pray

He thought to himself, what a day!

He had no time to go to rest

For it was his job to set up for the seder

And this could not be pushed off till later

The next day the Rebbe Rashab said to his son

I think, I know, with this boy we won

True growth is not always fun

But look at his face

To me it looks so warm

So full of embrace

So full of grace

It’s no longer what it was before

This is what this Yeshiva was made for

The transformation is this young man

Came from the ‘sweat of the Mitzvah’

When you toil in a Mitzvah with all you’re might

You’ll sore and fly up like a kite

We might not recognize you when you’re through

You might need a name badge

For us to know it’s you

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[1] See Lekutei Diburim Vol. 1 p, 165 regarding an application sent in 1907 Avraham Eliyahu to be accepted to Tomchei Temimim the new Lubavitcher Yeshivah at the time run by the Rebbe Rashab and his son the Rebbe Rayatz.  This poem is based on that story of his acceptance.