Radiant is the World Soul

In a few hours we will welcome Shabbat. It's a Shabbat that will feel diminished with the loss of a true tzaddik, Rabbi Alan Lew. To honor his spirit, I share a poem from a tzaddik of the past generation, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. It reminds me how much Rabbi Lew's teachings touched my soul, and as well as the souls of many others in the world.

Shabbat Shalom

Radiant is the World Soul

Radiant is the world soul,
Full of splendor and beauty.
Full of life,
Of souls hidden,
Of treasures of the holy spirit,
Of fountains of strength,
Of greatness and beauty.
Proudly I ascend
Toward the heights of the world soul
That gives life to the universe.
How majestic the vision - Come, enjoy,
Come, find peace,
Embrace delight,
Taste and see that God is good.
Why spend your substance on what does not nourish
And your labor on what cannot satisfy?
Listen to me, and you will enjoy what is good,
And find delight in what is truly precious.

--Rav Abraham Isaac Kook