Playing with Three Strings
Yitzhak Perlman
Walks the stage with braces on both legs.
On two crutches.
Takes his seat, unhinges the clasps on his legs,
Tucking on leg back, extending the other,
Laying down his crutches, placing the violin under his chin.
On one occasion one of his violin strings broke.
The audience grew silent,
the violinist did not leave the stage.
Signaling the maestro,
The violinist played with intensity on only three strings.
With three strings he modulated, changed, and
Recomposed the piece in his head
Retuned the strings to get different sounds,
Turned them upward and downward.
The audience screamed delight,
Applauded their appreciation.
Asked how he had accomplished this feat,
The violinist answered
It is my task to make music with what remains.
A legacy mightier than a concert.
Make music with what remains.
Complete the song left for us to sing.
Play it out with heart, soul, and might
With the remaining strength within us.
Harold M. Schulweis, Finding Each Other in Judaism
Baruch Ata Adonai Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam a-sher ke-d-sha-nu b- mitz-vo-tav, v-tzi-va-nu al s-fi-rat ha-omer.
Praised be you Adonai our God who rules the Universe instilling within us the holiness of mitzvot by commanding us to count the Omer.
Today is the twelfth day of the Omer.