All musical compositions are written by Roni Mechanic, set to music, and performed by various artists across several genres.
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To encourage and build up your faith!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
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The Intractable Problem of the Jewish––Arab Claims and Counter Claims as to Who Does this Land Belong To?
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The British Mandate of Palestine ended with the 1947 Partition Plan. It was accepted by the Jews but rejected by the Arabs. In 1948, five Arab nations declared war on the fledgling Jewish state. And Israel to the Surprise of All won that War and Increased the Size of Her Territory – Israel’s Territory was the Cream Coloured Land and the Orange was the Arabs Land in the 1947 Patrician Plan
The Narrative is told by a Palestinian Academic, Rashid Khalidi. He is an out and out Palestinianist and anti-Zionist.
How are we to respond to the continued Palestinian ‘Resistance?’
In a Nut-shell – the Jews stole Palestine, and are Settlers, and Colonialist. They have no legitimate rights to the Land of Palestine. Zionism is a form of Imperialist Colonialism. It has continued for over 129 years. It is totally illegitimate.
‘From the River (Jordan) to the Sea (Mediterranean).’
‘Juden-Rein – Jews Free!’ Tough nuts on the hapless Jews – You have brought it upon yourselves…blah, blah, blah. The sickness of Palestinianist thinking knows no limit –
So, how are we to respond? Yet is there not another way?
The Return Of Jews To Israel
The Arab figure most prominently associated with assisting Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany during World War II was Hajj Amin al-Husseini (also spelled Haj Amin al-Husseini), the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
Arab Rejectionist Mentality –– Though Israel has continually from 1947 offered to give the Arabs their own state of Palestine, this offer has been repeated several times. Despite this, each proposal has been rejected consistently.
Today, “The Two-State,” choice is all but dead – The ARABS HAVE THEMSELVES TO BLAME!
But God!
What does Scripture say about Israel, and Jewish future?
Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. “Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’ thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: …
Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. …
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. …
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. …
Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. …
For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. …
And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. …
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
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In this collection of poems, I invite you to walk with me—to be lifted, encouraged, and drawn into a deeper poetic journey. Within these pages, language opens doors to whimsical landscapes and emotional spaces where words move, breathe, and come alive. Each poem reaches toward the hidden places of thought and longing, calling you to listen, to imagine, to feel. Together, we will move through the highs and lows of the human experience, discovering moments of solace, joy, and quiet inspiration in the shared art of poetry.
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You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?
In this life I have sought to live it well. Despite all the difficulties, pitfalls, obstacles which I have encountered, I determined a long time ago that through those words of Winston Churchill – “Men never give up,” that I am constantly reminded that I am not a quitter but am grateful for the stubborn streak that is part of my DNA.
[Please refer to this Text and Commentary on the Wisdom of Solomon] ––
When we study Intertestamental literature—often called the Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha—we quickly notice a striking difference between biblical canons. The Ethiopian Bible contains far more books (81 or 88, depending on classification) than the Protestant Bible’s 66. This raises an obvious question: why such a large discrepancy?
The answer is that the Bible was not canonized in a single moment. Rather, the canon developed gradually over several centuries. The New Testament reached broad agreement by the late fourth century, when Athanasius of Alexandria listed the 27 books now universally recognized. This list was affirmed by Western church councils at Rome, Hippo, and Carthage. The Hebrew Bible likewise reached consensus among Jewish communities by the second century CE, though its formation was also long and complex.
Later developments further shaped the differences we see today. The Roman Catholic canon was formally defined at the Council of Trent in response to the Reformation, while Protestant churches finalized their canon in the seventeenth century, limiting the Old Testament to the books preserved in Hebrew by rabbinic Judaism. This resulted in the familiar Protestant Bible of 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books.
By contrast, the Ethiopian Christian tradition followed a very different historical path. Christianity reached Ethiopia by the fourth century, and the church developed largely outside later European theological debates. Rather than revising its Scriptures in response to post–Second Temple Jewish decisions or Reformation controversies, Ethiopia preserved the texts it had received early on. These writings were transmitted in Ge’ez, the sacred liturgical language, with remarkable continuity.
This distinct inheritance is tied closely to the theology of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Central to its faith is Tewahedo, meaning “made one,” a deep emphasis on the unity of Christ’s divinity and humanity. This instinct toward unity rather than analytical division shaped not only Ethiopian Christology but also its approach to Scripture. The Ethiopian canon retains books that disappeared from most other Christian Bibles, including 1 Enoch and Jubilees—texts widely read in Second Temple Judaism and echoed in the New Testament itself. Modern discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that these works were once part of a broader Jewish scriptural world.
The difference between Ethiopian, Catholic, and Protestant Bibles, therefore, is not a matter of one tradition being careless or another adding texts late. It reflects different historical journeys. Protestant Christianity aligned its Old Testament with the later, standardized Jewish canon. Ethiopian Christianity preserved an earlier and wider collection of sacred writings rooted in ancient Jewish and early Christian usage. What initially appears strange is actually a window into the diverse ways Scripture was received and transmitted.
Within this landscape, The Wisdom of Solomon occupies a distinctive place. Written in Greek by a Hellenistic Jewish author in Alexandria during the late Second Temple period, it expresses Jewish faith through Greek philosophical categories. It strongly influenced early Christian thought and is fully accepted in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. However, it never entered the Hebrew canon and was therefore excluded from Protestant Bibles. Interestingly, despite preserving other ancient Jewish texts, the Ethiopian canon does not include Wisdom of Solomon, likely because it was never transmitted within the Ge’ez scriptural tradition.
This leads to enduring questions: How do we define canon and orthodoxy? Who sets those boundaries? How should believers today respond to different biblical traditions? For Messianic Jewish believers in particular, the challenge is to honour the Hebrew Scriptures, recognize the significance of the Reformation, remain open to Eastern and ancient Christian traditions, and thoughtfully engage intertestamental literature without confusing historical value with canonical authority.
Seen this way, the question of canon is not merely about counting books. It is about inheritance, history, theology, and faithfulness—and about learning to navigate difference with clarity, humility, and discernment.
Significant influences
The author of Wisdom appears to be a euhemerist, treating mythology as disguised history in which gods represent notable human figures. It He is also deeply Platonist, viewing the beauty of the world as pointing to a supreme First Cause, and drawing on Plato’s ideas of pre-existing matter (xi.17), the soul’s pre-existence (viii.19), and the body as an obstacle to spiritual knowledge (ix.15).
At the same time, it he reflects Stoic thought in his portrayal of Wisdom’s penetrating power (vii.24), her quick understanding (vii.22), the doctrine of Providence (xiv.3), and the four cardinal virtues (viii.7). Set against the biblical affirmation that God created all things from tohu va-vohu (Gen. 1:2–5), these philosophical strands point strongly to Alexandrian Egypt as the author’s milieu. He was a Jew firmly loyal to Israel’s faith yet fully engaged with Greek learning—something Alexandria uniquely enabled.
A Question to ponder
In our consideration and deliberations, it is important to contemplate how in many ways, the book of Wisdom itself embodies the very tension of the intertestamental age: Israel’s ancient faith speaking fluently in the language of the surrounding world, standing on the threshold between the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament vision that would soon emerge. It is helpful to discuss some of the questions that arise from a book like The Wisdom of Solomon.
“What may we deduce, and learn from its place between the two testaments, and what impact if any does it have on post-Second Temple Judaism, and the emerging Christian Church?”
The Psalms of Solomon
The Psalms (or Psalter) of Solomon are not part of the Ethiopic (Ethiopian Orthodox) biblical canon. This most definitely must not be confused with The Wisdom of Solomon.
Here’s the fuller, careful picture:
The Psalms of Solomon are a Jewish work from the 1st century BCE, probably written in response to the Roman conquest of Jerusalem. They are extremely important historically and theologically, especially because they contain some of the clearest pre-Christian Jewish expectations of a Davidic Messiah.
However, despite their value:
They are not included in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s canon (neither the narrower 88-book canon nor the broader liturgical collections).
They were never translated into Ge’ez as part of Ethiopia’s received scriptural tradition.
They survive primarily in Greek manuscripts, with later Syriac versions—not in Ethiopic transmission.
This is an important distinction, because people often assume that any Second Temple Jewish text survived in Ethiopia. That isn’t the case. Ethiopia preserved some texts that vanished elsewhere (like 1 Enoch and Jubilees), but not all of them.
Why were the Psalms of Solomon excluded while Enoch and Jubilees were retained?
The most likely reason is usage, not theology. Enoch and Jubilees were deeply embedded in certain Jewish-Christian communities very early and became part of Ethiopia’s inherited liturgical and instructional life. The Psalms of Solomon, while respected, seem to have remained more sectarian and limited in circulation, never achieving the same canonical status in any major Christian tradition.
So, interestingly:
Quoted in the New Testament? No.
Found among the Dead Sea Scrolls? No (unlike Jubilees).
Canonical anywhere in Christianity? No.
Massively important for Messianic expectations? Absolutely yes.
In other words, the Psalms of Solomon sit in a fascinating middle space: hugely illuminating for understanding Jewish messianism at the time of Jesus, but never formally canonized—even in Ethiopia.
Conclusion
We are on an exciting, and dare I say it, an epic journey that with careful thought and deliberation can only but enrich our spiritual walk. “Tread carefully, and not in haste!” We must keep in focus that our purpose is to enhance our Messianic faith, and upbuild a credible Messianic Jewish theological understanding.
In this collection of poems, I invite you to walk with me—to be lifted, encouraged, and drawn into a deeper poetic journey. Within these pages, language opens doors to whimsical landscapes and emotional spaces where words move, breathe, and come alive. Each poem reaches toward the hidden places of thought and longing, calling you to listen, to imagine, to feel. Together, we will move through the highs and lows of the human experience, discovering moments of solace, joy, and quiet inspiration in the shared art of poetry.
Heritage is a very important part of our lives, and culture. Who are we? Where do we come from, and where are we going? No one ever said that this journey through life would be easy. Each one of us have had to confront huge challenges along life’s way. And the long awaited ‘son of promise, Isaac,’ born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age becomes the biggest test of their faith ever.
In Genesis 22 we have the narrative of the testing of Abraham our Father:
Abraham’s Faith is Tested
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided. 15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
So, who do you think you are?
You are a human being?
According to the Scriptures we are created in the image of G_D –– that does not mean his physical likeness, but his moral nature and being, i.e., G–D likeness. However, there is an inherent flaw to our character due to the ‘fall.’ Sin entered the world to the disobedience and rebellion of our common ancestors –– Adam, and Eve.
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Pontius Pilate asked Yeshua, “WHAT IS TRUTH?” That selfsame question echoes down through the ages. So, “What do you think?” Well can anyone still be trusted? Truth appears to be in very short supply. Paul Carrack when he was with Mike and the Mechanics wrote Silent Running and he penned these words: Don’t believe the church and state and everything they tell you…
Take the children and yourself And hide out in the cellar By now the fighting will be close at hand Don’t believe the church and state And everything they tell you Believe in me, I’m with the high command
Can you hear me, can you hear me running? Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you? Can you hear me, can you hear me running? Can you hear me running, can you hear me calling you?
This phrase: Don’t believe the church and state And everything they tell you is a very serious accusation –– So, why can’t they be trusted?
Let’s begin with ‘church:
What Is Good About Church?
What Is Bad About Church?
Where This Leaves Us?
What Is Good About the State and Its Leadership?
What Is Bad About the State and Its Leadership?
Where This Leaves Us
What can we do, if anything when we have dictatorial church and state leadership?
Wake Up — Don’t Be Deceived
Wake up.
“Peace, Peace”—The Cry of False Prophets
Peace is Not the Absence of Conflict—It Is the Presence of Truth
What Awakening Looks Like
Awakening is not rebellion; it is responsibility.
It is not anger; it is clarity.
It is not cynicism; it is wisdom.
False Peace Never Lasts—True Peace Begins With Truth, and Real peace is often born in the very moment when false peace dies.
To the true story you will need to listen to this Podcast!
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Apple of My Eye –– By Roni Mechanic –– Please Note: This Poem is Copyright 2025 and may only be briefly quoted.
For fuller use contact the author: mtmi.teaching@gmail.com
The phrase “apple of my eye” has a long and storied journey, glimmering with layers of meaning. In its earliest English use, it spoke of a person or thing cherished above all else, one held in a place of rare affection. The image often refers to the pupil—the small, dark centre of vision—though it was also employed more broadly to describe what is dearest to the heart.
William Shakespeare used it with this sense in the late 16th century. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the fairy king Oberon, armed with a magical flower struck by Cupid’s arrow, leans over a sleeping youth and says, “Flower of this purple dye—hit with Cupid’s archery—sink in apple of his eye,” thus sealing a love-bound fate. In Love’s Labor’s Lost, the witty courtier Biron rebukes another with the sharp question, “Do not you know my lady’s foot by the square—and laugh upon the apple of her eye?” In both, the phrase carries the intimacy of a treasured focal point—whether in love, beauty, or desire.
The Focus of the Poem –– Apple of the Eye
In the Bible, however, this phrase takes on a deeper, more tender resonance. In the stately English of the 1611 King James Bible, “apple of my eye” glows like a thread of divine intimacy woven through the Scriptures. It sings in Moses’ desert song, where God finds His people in the waste howling wilderness and guards them as one would protect the most delicate part of sight itself. It rises in the psalmist’s prayer— “Keep me as the apple of the eye”—a cry to be hidden under the shadow of God’s wings. Proverbs utter it as the voice of a father’s counsel: to hold God’s commandments as one would shield the pupil from harm. Lamentations weep it in grief, calling for tears to flow without ceasing from the apple of the eye. And Zechariah proclaims it as a fierce warning: whoever touches Israel touches the apple of God’s eye.
In Zechariah, the phrase shifts: bava ‘ayin. Scholars differ here. Some trace bava to a root meaning “to hollow out,” evoking the eye as a hollowed gateway through which light enters. Others believe it simply means “apple,” thus giving us the English rendering. Yet, whether hollowed gate or fruit, the essence remains: the eye is the most sensitive, most fiercely guarded place. To touch it is to wound the seat of perception.
And so, in Scripture, this image is not of a God who loves from afar, but of a God whose care is as personal way as the guarding of His own sight. His gaze is steady, unblinking, protective. In it, we are not lost among the masses, but reflected clearly, held at the very centre of His vision. We are the little figure in His eye—the one He will not let go.
Apple of My Eye
In most of these verses, the ancient tongue speaks ‘iyshon ayin––
אִישׁוֹן עַיִן–– the pupil of the eye.
‘Iyshon
‘Iyshon—darkness, shadow— yet more than shade, it whispers of the little man, the tiny figure mirrored in another’s gaze.
This is no idle flourish— but the portrait of nearness: to be the little man in G_D’s own eye, so close, so beloved, that His gaze holds your image, and His sight cradles your soul.
He Speaks to His Beloved Ones
The “apple of my eye” glows— a thread of divine intimacy woven through the ancient scrolls.
Tales told long past— flowing from the heart of G_D: “You are my beloved ones, now, and throughout eternity.
Sacred, not only to behold, but to tenderly nurture, and to hold.
The light of My gaze rests on you, as the pupil to the eye, guarded from harm, kept in the depth of My sight.
No shadow shall hide you, no hand shall tear you away— for you are the little figure mirrored in My vision,
The treasure of My soul— in all your struggles, past, present, and yet to come, My eyes will ever watch for you.
Foes
Though the foe would tear you away from My tender care, I will stand, shield in hand, warding them off–– with a jealous, protecting strength.
You are My beloved— the apple of My eye. No one shall pluck you from My mighty grasp, nor dim the gaze that holds you close.
Moses’ Song
It sings in Moses’ desert song, where G_D finds His people in the waste howling wilderness, and guards them as one shields the tender centre of sight.
Hunger, thirst, a scorching sun— wild beasts, and those of evil intent, though each in turn seeks to wound or destroy you, I am there with you, now, and always— shadow in the heat, water in the parched land, fortress in the storm.
Guardian
Guardian of your soul, ever watchful, ever near, committed to keep you whole— body, soul, and spirit— now, and always.
Fear not for I am with you,”
the treasure of My soul— in all your struggles, past, present, and yet to come, My eyes will ever watch for thee.
The Psalmist
It rises in the psalmist’s plea: “Keep me as the apple of the eye,” a cry for shelter— beneath the shadow of His wings, where the heat of the day cannot scorch, nor the terrors of the night draw near.
It is the voice of One who knows that the pupil is the most guarded place, the place where sight begins, and that to be there, held within God’s gaze, is to be wrapped in a love of Thee, both fierce and tender.
There, no arrow can pierce, no darkness can blot out the light, for His wings are broad, and His watch unending, and the one kept there is forever safe.
Proverbs
Proverbs speaks it as a Father’s voice, urging the keeping of His commands as one would guard the pupil from the sting of harm.
Sayings of old, spoken and spoken again, for all to hear— a still small voice, a whisper in the listener’s ear, a steady gaze meeting the eye, reassuring, confident, to uphold–– and to guide along life’s way.
Stay in My sight, remain in My regard— apples of golden delight, the apple of My eye.
Lamentations
Lamentations weep––
its tears unending,
flowing like rivers, falling from the apple of the eye. Though weeping may endure for a time, assurance is given, clearly declared:
“I am with you always— in sorrow and in suffering, even in the face of loss and death.
Did I not say, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’?”
“I hate you, despise you, wish to see you slain, and dispossessed!”— is this not the bitter, often-repeated cry of Israel’s foes through the long corridors of time?
5785
Five thousand, seven hundred, and eighty-five years she has endured—[she=Israel] banished from her land, exiled to the ends of the earth, hounded and hunted, slaughtered by tyrants whose names fade like dust. Yet she still stands, her heartbeat steady, her lamp still burning in the night.
What is her secret? What unseen hand has shielded her from the graveyard of nations?
The Prophet
Bava ‘ayin—הָוָה עַיִן— hollowed and formed, a vessel made to receive the light.
And the word of the Lord through Zechariah still thunders across the hills: Touch Israel, and you touch the apple of My eye.
Thus says the Lord— a warning set for all generations, a promise sealed with fire: He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep; the gaze of the Holy One shall not turn away, but shall watch her forever.
The apple of My eye— you are Mine, My beloved, and I am yours.
As a lover whispers, with fierce and tender devotion to the one his soul adores, so does Hashem speak to all who love Him:
“I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Not in the fire, nor in the flood, not in the shadow of death itself.
[It is my intention that through this ending I want the poem to breathe more like a psalm or prophetic reading that closes a liturgical work].
Apple of the Eye:
Refrain: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
Leader: Apple of the Eye—kept as the shadow of His wings, Congregation: Hidden in the secret place of the Most High. All: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
Leader: Guarded from the arrow that flies by day, Congregation: Preserved from the terror that walks in darkness. All: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
Leader: He found thee in the waste howling wilderness, Congregation: He led thee about, He instructed thee. All: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
Leader: He kept thee as the apple of His eye, Congregation: As an eagle stirs her nest and spreads her wings, He covers thee. All: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
Leader: Under His feathers thou shalt trust, Congregation: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. All: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
Leader: Wisdom binds His words upon thy heart, Congregation: As one would guard the pupil from harm. All: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
Leader: Lament weeps without ceasing, Congregation: Tears falling from the apple of the eye. All: Guard us, O L_RD, as the apple of Your eye.
A Clear Vision
Leader: My gaze will hold you, My hand will keep you,
as the apple of My eye.”
Let every breath bear witness, and every heart resound with the song of the One who will never let go.
Congregation: Amen— and Hallelujah!
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