A flower unfolds to greet the sun; it’s petals with dew glisten. It’s scent so rich, its form so fine; it has completed its mission.

One day is too short to admire its grace, To gaze at pure innocence on Ruthie’s face.

A soul has many tasks to fill, In our lives we try with unconscious will.

But Ruthie seemed conscious of every deed And rushed to complete each with greatest speed.

A perfect blossom, nothing left to refine. Then heaven blessed her and said “she’s mine.”

A hollow sound, a concept blind, And all of us are left behind.

We feel lost, we are bereft. In each of us a jagged cleft.

Yet deep within our soul will grow That seed of Ruthie’s flower,

To grant beauty to our warmest thoughts, And bloom in our finest hour.

A pure flame reaches towards its source, And cleaves to it…with no remorse.

When I wrote this last couplet I wanted to reference it. Not knowing where to look, I grabbed the third volume of Tanya and this is the page it opened to…

“When the rational soul prevails over the physicalities of the body and subdues and subjugates it, then the soul will flare and blaze with a flame that ascends of its own accord, and it will rejoice and exult both inwardly and outwardly in G-d its Maker, and will delight in Him with wondrous bliss.”-Tanya (Chinuch Katan, paragraph 1)

“You are my soul, I desire you” -Zohar (Part 3, 67a, 68a)

Your loving friend, Tova Cohn