The Friendship of the White Jasmine
By Zelda Schneersohn Mishkovsky
For Janet and Robbie
The white jasmine that put forth
a branch in my flower pot
so gloriously,
peace surrounding its beauty -
In the palm of its fragrance
my soul drifts in sleep,
dreaming of a fountain.
posted by rabbi neil fleischmann @ 8:13 PM
3 Comments:
Notes
The dedication is Zelda's (not mine).
Zelda was a traditional, Orthodox woman whose poetry appeals to a wide range of humanity.
Bar Yosef, in his Hebrew work, Al Shirat Zelda, notes that Zelda often saves her spiritual punch to come at the poem's very end. He cites sources of a fountain representing a spring of spiritual nourishment, perhaps specifically related to the realm of binah.
And Falk, in her Zelda collection/translation, The Spectacular Difference, notes that in Rav Nachman's major story, The Seven Beggars, "the love between the heart of the world and a fountain expresses the yearning of humanity for union with G-d..."
That segment of Rabbi Nachman's story, "The Seven Beggars" is my absolute favorite! When I edited the story for my friend's organization, Nachal Novea Mekor Chochma, (my friend worked from Rabbi Nachman's grandmother's original yiddish, and I then worked from her translation of that)I was just immersed in it and I think now, it will never leave me.
The photo of the white jasmine is gorgeous!
Sharon Marson
Thank you Sharon. I haven't made it through that story, I find Rav Nachman's stories profound, yet difficult.
I've heard two quotes from Rav Nachman that I find very meaningful.
He said that people use stories to be put to sleep but he uses stories to wake people up.
He also said that if stories are lame as some people think, then they should complain to G-d for starting the Torah with stories.
I think these Zelda people are right that she was writing about a spiritual G-d pull. I don't know if she studied Rav Nachman though, her background was Kubavitch. (She was a cousin of the most recent Rebbe).
Glad that image of Rav Nachman moved you so, and that you liked this post, the picture of the white jasmine, and that you took the time/energy to write so.
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