Thy Nation Born to Bear…

Thy Nation Born to Bear…

They say we should have vanished
Several thousand years ago;
We say that our survival
Is a blessing He bestows.
The very fact that we exist
Is testament to God;
Our memoirs written stretch through time
With faith upon His rod…

Our history’s been riddled
With despair and wanton foes;
Our enemies have cast us out
No matter where we go.
“The Jew” synonymous with words
Like wicked, greedy, weak -
Regarded as a lowly class,
Both treacherous and meek.

And yet, we linger through the years -
No frailties of age;
With numbers very minor
Set upon the worldly stage.
Our impact, though, is stunning
In the mists of all we do;
In every occupation
You will find a steadfast Jew…

The forbearers of testimonies
Linking God and Man;
The ones who sought a pious life
To follow Godly plans.
The one religion copied
And consumed around the world -
So why is there such hatred
T'ward Thy people being hurled?

The sages cannot answer
Why the Jews are brought to task;
For eons learn-ed men have begged
This answer be unmasked.
But hatred is a fickle foe
Where logic has no reign;
It sits in wait, and lurks about -
Within a vast domain.

And in the interim of life
More Jews are being killed.
Whatever reasons there may be -
Our blood is being spilled…
And in this stems a tragedy
That few have eyes to see;
Their fear and sheer dislike toward us
Is an affront to Thee!

If only they could see the world
Through truly Jewish eyes;
They’d know Thy words - ‘tikkun olam’
And know these words are wise…
For in our culture lie Thy truths
Six hundred thirteen ways;
Our mitzvot teach us how to care
With honor and with praise…

The stalwart Jew remains alive
By keeping culture strong;
We give to Man in every way
As epochs roll along.
We’ve claimed our place in history
With much still yet to share.
Within Thy world - we stand as Jews;
Thy nation born to bear…