By Stephen Joseph
Part I
(10:30 PM. November 26, 2008. Nariman House. Mumbai)
Evil invaded Nariman House on a quiet November eve
dressed in camouflage with massacre under his sleeve.
Armed with grenades, high on cocaine
Evil sprayed his AK-47 as if insane.
Evil eyed Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his pretty wife.
“Shalom Aleichem,” the Rabbi greeted Evil, “you have come to take away our life
and we accept our bashert, our fate, but I request you to spare our son Moshe;
he is only two years old and has no part to play in your plan of hate.”
Evil replied, “I will kill him too just because there is one more Jew to exterminate.”
Evil sliced the Rabbi and his wife in two
Their crime: they were born Orthodox Jew.
But G-d intervened and blinded Evil so that he could not see the Emmanuel.
In order to save the child, G-d sent in an angel, a nanny by the name of Sandra Samuel.
Sandra grabbed Moshe and ran out of Nariman House without looking back
being chased by Evil and all his wicked men in black.
Orphaned at a tender age
Taken to Israel to start a new page…
Part II
(November 26, 2018. Chabad House Jerusalem)
Now twelve years old and starting to hate
all those who would harm citizens of the Jewish State.
Raised with lots of attention and love,
many likened Moshe to an innocent dove.
But deep down inside his anger began to sprout.
It wasn’t too long after, that it all came out...
Part III
(November 26, 2024. Tzahal (Israeli Army) Jerusalem)
Sixteen years after his emancipation
Young Moshe finished high school graduation.
His mind filled with plots of revenge
mentally targeting those he wanted to avenge.
For training, Moshe joined the military
where his mentor overpowered his mental capacity.
“Never forget what they did to you son,
they killed your parents, they will kill anyone.”
“But Sir, the Torah teaches us, ‘Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge,’
Parshas Kedoshim, 19:18.”
Replied his mentor, “Yes, but the Torah also teaches us, ‘Avenge the vengeance of the Children of Israel from the Midyanites,’ Numbers, 31:2.”
So did Moshe plot to unleash his hatred,
to attack without mercy those places they considered sacred.
With each new passing day, the desire to avenge got stronger.
“I will teach them the meaning of tzar ba’aleh chaim,” his anger stick growing longer.
“And avenge the death of my parents sixteen years back.”
And so did Moshe dress up in battle fatigue
armed with Uzis and grenades
to take revenge on those who had tilted his fates…
Part IV
(November 26, 2029. Nariman House. Mumbai)
Ahf Tsu Loches, the angel returned to visit Moshe.
Old and frail from advance of age
Sandra understood why the child she rescued was filled with such rage.
“Vengeance comes from the Lord,” Sandra counseled the soldier,
“Keep not this vengeance in your heart.”
“But they killed my parents and other Jews too, oy, a broch,” he sobbed.
But Sandra talked Moshe out of following madness
and Moshe fell into depression and a melancholy sadness.
Filled with frustration, Moshe enrolled in rabbinical school.
Five years later he emerged as a Rabbi, G_d’s wisdom tool.
Moshe returned to Mumbai, came back to Nariman House,
And there he became the new Rabbi of Chabad House.
There he married a nice Jewish girl from Florida.
And Moshe set up Chabad Houses all over India.
And Moshe set up Chabad Houses from Mali to the Holy See.
And Moshe set up Chabad Houses from sea to shining sea…