Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

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M ASM I D Uuh by IJlUNAKI) l)ii Mil lANS Tlic summcTy breeze of tlic cvcniiiL; PlaycJ vvitli tlic i old ol her li.iir. She smiled to tlie stars all ai;limmer — Smiled to the Bull and the Bear . . . Her lover had whispered a secret, Adam had whispered of love; The flowering chestnut had listened, Bending his branches above, — So Lilith heard nought of the mutter. Of a darkly lurking form, She heard but the passionate murmurs Catching her up in their storm. 2 Beloved, beloved, — he whispered, Many the times you have passed. Fading away in the darkness, But I have caught you at last. Escape is shut off from the arbor, Useless to dream of escape — For now I have found you, my darling. Angel in womankind shape . . . Sweet creature you never shall leave me. Love will us ever combine. Encircling with soul-girdling branches. Tangling with clambering vine . . . 3 Madly I rushed where you led me. Slipping untouched from my grasp. Luring me on with your laughter — Too distant removed from iny clasp. Love, never — I never shall leave you. Pure one who lie by my side. Dream only of gentle surrender, Serenely engarbed as my bride . . . She laughed, and in whispers she told him Of yearnings she dared not confess — She laughingly whispered . . . and Adam Embraced her with loving caress . . . The delicate meshes that Cupid Spins like a silken cocoon Ensnared me with myriads of fibres, Me and my handsome dragoon. How gently the fibres were tightened! Love tightened his net round my soul . . . I struggled ... he drew the strands firmly, Thrilling, caressing my whole . . . A sweet serenade in the twilight. C learly the nightingale sings Accompanied there by my lover, Plucking at love ' s dainty strings. 5 Thy footsteps I often have followed, Listed each footfall at night — And, hidden I followed your glances Shielded by throngs from your sight . . . Each movement of passionate fer -or Stealthily viewing, each turn, Coquettishly fading, appearing. Causing your ardor to burn. And now, gentle night, I am taken, . drift in a billow-crest sea, I yield unreserved to your kisses, Joining myself unto thee. 6 Forever, beloved, she murmured, Forever, he whispered, for aye — Though earth should be crusted beneath us With love we shall ever essay . . . Each eve in the calm of the arbor They met in a passioned embrace. Oft uttering pledges eternal. Laughing at time ' s hoary face . . . Ah never, I never without you Shall inhabit the reaches of earth, Our souls are as one, for in loving We give life its minikin worth. Ttveniyone

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M A SMID iioing application of its principles in daily life. The triumph of Pharisaism paved the way for the development of the Rabbinic tradition as the very basis of Judaism. The acceptance of the Oral Law and of innovation made of Judaisin a living and vibrant religion, one that was developed to meet the exigencies presented by varying en- vironments, rather than remaining a static entity conflicting with its surroundings. The enthusiasm for the Law manifested itself in increased ac- tivity and interest in editing and collecting the Holy Writings. The Prophetic Works became of prime importance in Jewish teaching and the ideals of these great leaders rendered Jewish life richer and more meaningful. The threat to the Hebrew language of extinction at the hands of the Aramaic was repulsed by the feverish preoccupation with the Sacred Writings. It became as of old the tongue of the people. The crystallization and strengthening of the Messianic ideal that later became one of the basic tenets of the Jewish faith can be traced directly to the period under con- sideration. And finally, the awakening of the stupefied national sentiment kindled in the Jews the race consciousness and the desire for inde- pendence that enabled them to preserve their iden- tity throughout centuries of exile and that has re- cently burst forth in the form of the greatest of modern miracles, the return of the nation to Eretz Israel and to freedom. Jn 1 outh and Age Dear child, if childish eagerness essayed To drink unbidden from the cup of wine Some adult has prepared . . . when youths incline Their heads aloft to where ideals have strayed, And clutching fingers on a peak are stayed ; If youthful hearts make quite unpeered design Upon the nymphs born of supernal line, — Should age laugh at the insolence displayed? Or can a stripling scale the laddered heights Dividing young from old and old from young, — • Till, like in footing, striving side by side. They quaff together from earth ' s cupped delights, As peers lamented, and on par unsung. Till pitted combat halts their bumptious stride? Bernard Dov Milians Twenty

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M A S M I D Days sped . . . she paled, but her blushes Still painted her cheeks as with rose . . . He saw that his darling was fading. Wanly approaching her close . . . Each evening the shade of her bower Hid the great fear in his breast: He kissed the white brow of his birdling Leaving her bowery nest . . . Forever, beloved. . . . she murmured. I ' ll love you, he whispered, for aye . Ah nothing — no, nothing must part us, — With love we will bravely assay! The summery breeze of the evening Played with the gold of her hair. She smiled to the stars all aglimmer — She smiled to the Bull and the Bear . Her lover had whispered his secret, Adam had whispered of love — The flowering chestnut had listened, Bending his branches above- — So Lilith heard nought of the mutter, Saw not death ' s shadowy form ; She heard but his passionate murmurs, Catching her up in their storm . . . V AS on net Shall I proclaim like sonneteers of old A love that even heaven can not bound, — That, unrequited, makes the world resound With plaintive cry that will not be consoled? Shall I relate how often I enfold The distant star where you, in dreams, were crowned. Soon to discover it is fiction, found By eyes of one who wishes to behold? The ears of time are ringing with lament Of lovers ever ready to complain And dreamers telling how their days were spent In searching for their peerless one in vain. I, then, shall hide my love within my breast And only hope that vou can b; pojsessed. Bl ' RNARD DOV MiLIANS Tuenly-luo