Never be afraid as you pass the threshold of this room.
Within its confines a Rabbi and his wife have surrendered innumerable comforts
so that you may pray quietly.
And do not be surprised if the Rabbi seldom speaks but all the time smiles,
until you remember that nothing transpires outside these walls.
And do not be surprised if the Rebbetzin carries a child and her embrace holds a message
that he, too, must retrieve the lost ones others promised not to forget.
And if after many tired hours the Rabbi sounds the shofar,
do not think it's the breath he exhausts that reddens his face,
but the Ineffable Host that visits his mouth.
And as he lays the horn into a cloth bag
he resumes his humble smile as if to conceal the mystical agents that pour from his lips,
or as if you too could harbor such splendid guests.
And then, should you choose -- if only for a moment, even while they are not watching –
to return your voice to its Originator,
they will not consider their years of labor fruitless.