My Dearest Violin - Poem

Hi Everyone,
This is just a quick heads up. The following introduction is quite lengthy for reasons to be able to tell over a very special point to do with the accompanying poem. Regardless of it's length I hope you enjoy reading it and the poem, which I hope will inspire you.


A student once came to speak to the popular American lecturer Rabbi YY Jacobson and told him that he was struggling with his religious observance. When Rabbi Jacobson asked him what he was struggling with, the young man said, "It's very simple. I cherish my freedom to much. I can't have people telling me that on Shabbos I cannot do certain things and in the airport I cannot eat certain foods. I just can't do it. I have to be a free man."

Rabbi YY listened as the boy finished speaking and began thinking of what to say. He knew this boy was a great violinist and played incredibly beautifully, so he asked the boy "Tell me, did you bring your violin with you today?" The boy responded that he had indeed brought it and so Rabbi YY asked if he could take a look at it despite knowing nothing about a violin.

The boy produces the instrument from the case and hands it to Rabbi YY, who proceeds to look at it for a minute or two and then he took a big pair of scissors and placed it on one of the chords of the violin and was to starting cutting of the strings. As he is about to proceed in his actions, the student looks at him and says "Rabbi, what are you doing?!" Stopping for a moment Rabbi YY turns to him and he says, "You know the rule, what you dislike being done to you don't do to anyone else. If you want freedom, you give other people freedom.

"You and I believe there is consciousness in everything. Even in the chords of a violin, and so here I am looking at these poor chords. There tied down, imprisoned, and look how tight they are as well. Is it fair? You come into my office and say you want freedom? What you dislike being done to you don't do to your own chords".

I am now going to be kind now to your violin. I will finally remove their chains, their shackles and let them sway in the wind outside and together will decree 'Free at Last'.

Rabbi YY continues pretending to cut away at the strings and the poor boy says "Rabbi Jacobson, are you crazy? You are destroying my violin!"

Rabbi YY responds, "This is called destroying. These chords must suffering tied down like this let me set them free" The boy yells out "You can't do that! Stop!", pulls the violin away to which Rabbi YY asks "Why should I not cut your chords free? You'll still have the violin with no chords! What is so wrong cutting them away?"

The boy replies, "Rabbi, is it obvious? No music will come out..."

Now, having finished with the story I would like to present the poem to you (Finally!)

My Dearest Violin - Poem

My dear violin,
Tell me something please,
Do you like how you live?
Do you have inner peace?

Your strings are bound together,
Tight knots, no place to move, to be free,
Violin, special violin, tell me,
Is this what you want to be?

What if I take a pair of scissors,
Release your strings, let them be free,
No more tight chords or chains keeping you still,
Violin dear, what do you say to me?

Maestro dear, don't do this,
Your actions won't be doing anything right.
A violin with chords but no strings for music
Is not a very pleasant sight.

Keep me safe right where I am,
I have my every strength being here
But if you cut away my strings,
No music could reach your ears