REB LEIZER

Reb Laizer was a businessman
He always had plenty
Now he is a water carrier
His pockets, they are empty

His back is bent, his smile went
Each day he earns a quarter
Trudging through the muddy streets
He holds his pails of water

His wife, at home, cries bitterly
Her face is growing thinner
The food is dry … she gives a ‘sigh’
“What will we have for dinner?”

“My dearest wife, you talk so foolish
Little do you know
We have bread and potatoes
Hashem has blessed us so
We must keep living and surviving
On with life we go”

His daughter will be twenty years
The sweetest in the city
Now her dress is getting small
She’ll never again be pretty

Reb Laizer’s angry at his daughter
Although he’s very kind
“Such a time! In such bad times –
A dress is on your mind!”

“My daughter, dear, you talk so foolish
Little do you know
We have bread and potatoes
Hashem has blessed us so

We must keep living and surviving
On with life we go”

And then he meets his Dovid’ll
They sent him home from Cheder
Tuition, there was none to pay
His father had promised ‘later’

Now Reb Laizer’s head is lowered
And tears come to his eyes
He opens up his wrinkled handkerchief
Where his last coin lies

“Oh, don’t cry, Dovid’ll, my dearest child
Your heart it should not break
We’ll have bread … without potatoes …
All FOR TORAH’S SAKE!

For we must keep learning –
THAT’S SURVIVING
ALL FOR TORAH’S SAKE!