The Mishkan was dedicated and gifts were brought by all,

the head of every tribe answered their call.

Here’s an interesting fact: From whomever they came,

each and every offering was exactly the same.

And this raises a strong question, with a bit of a sting,

why repeat details, they each brought the same thing?!

This repetition has a profound lesson to convey,

we each bring our gifts to God in a unique way.

Just like each tribe had their own context and intention,

each of us serves God with our own connection.

When we pray, we seem to use identical words,

but filtered through our hearts something new gets heard.

We keep one Torah, play the same holy game,

But you and I put our mitzvot in a different frame.

May we find our way of worship that fits like a glove,

And become holy Jewish people filled with love.

Rabbi Neil Fleischmann, an ordained rabbi from RIETS, has taught Torah for over 30 years, primarily at The Frisch School, where he coached the award-winning poetry team. As an integral part of the Yeshiva Poetry Society, Fleischmann is a passionate advocate for the arts within the Torah world. He was named New York’s funniest rabbi and has performed stand up comedy, as well as presenting as scholar in residence, across the city and country. His literary work includes the haiku collection, “In The Field,” and he has contributed close to 20 poems to the “Stories of Our Lives” anthologies, parts 1 and 2. Currently, Fleischmann is working on a book of parsha poems that combines meaningful content with whimsical formatting. You can reach him at [email protected].