BASED ON THE TEACHINGS OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
There’s a tree standing tall by the side of the street,
Branches reaching out, soft leaves in the heat.
Then a little leaf falls, drifts through the air,
lands on the ground, like it just don’t care.
A righteous man walks by and says, hey,
Little leaf, why’d you drop today?
The leaf says, man, it ain’t my call,
the branch shook hard, and I had to fall.
He goes to the branch and says what’s the deal?
Why’d you shake and make that little leaf peel?
The branch says, Nah, it ain’t on me.
The wind came strong and set the leaf free.
He turns to the wind. Why’d you blow that way?
Why’d you carry that leaf so far away?
The wind says, I don’t decide the way,
An angel whispers, and I obey.
He finds the Angel. Why’d you give that sign?
Why’d you make the wind push the leaf off the line?
The Angel says, I just followed the plan.
The Creator told me; I just play in His band.
So the man asked: G-d, tell me why.
Why’d that little leaf fall from the sky?
G-d says, Lift it up. Take a look below.
I’ll show you something you need to know.
There’s a tiny worm lying there alone.
No shade, no help, in the hot sun zone.
The heat’s too strong, she can’t get rest.
She called out to me, and I heard her request.
So I sent the Angel. He called the breeze,
shook that branch, dropped the leaf with ease.
Now she’s sleeping in the cool shade’s spell,
Even the smallest get My care as well,
Every leaf, every breeze, every move in the game —
ain’t random. It’s written, it’s all in His name.
From the sky to the ground. There’s a reason it lands.
Every step of the world’s in the Creator’s hands
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 51.
