Rebecca Couzens, Yardley, Pennsylvania
Visible Angels
There is a light that is emulated from this space
From the souls of those who seem beyond the human race
A role model is a word that seems too finite for these beings
The only word worthy is “Angels” and will guide you to believing
A lesson that brought tears to my eyes when taught and brought warmth to my heart when seen
Lightheadedness from wisdom and starry-eyed from admiration of eighteen
A presence that is only worthy of the great but a mind that is open towards the nation
A teacher in occupation but continues to work after exhaustion
A beauty that transcends the physical
An aura that is mythical
With kindness that exudes from their being and seeps into yours
Those who stop their process in order for you to continue yours
And will live on even after they are gone
These are the angels that are visible to the eye
A soul so great, it will make you cry
Explanation:
When we were learning about the topic of role models in Mishlei, I was honestly holding back tears. The line “A lesson that brought tears to my eyes when taught…” was not an exaggeration by any means. I wanted to cry because my feelings towards my teachers here was articulated in such a beautiful and accurate way. Something about the faculty here really is angelic. How welcoming they are, how willing they are to help those in need, how it seems like they’ve known you forever when you only just met them. It is something that I feel genuinely blessed to experience. After I came to Machon Maayan and have built bonds with the people here, I never realized the magnitude of respect one can have for his/her teacher. It seems pretty sad when I put it down in writing like this, but it’s the truth. I did connect with some of my Judaic teachers in high school, but I never got to really see them live by their own lessons in the same way that I see my Machon Maayan teachers do. That is not to say that my high school teachers do not practice what they preach, but I have gained a new perspective in Israel through my role models here. I am in the holy land and my main focus this year is to grow spiritually and strengthen my relationship with G-d, and the job of the teachers here is to inspire that. There is no high school curriculum controlling every lesson and there is no rush to speed through a topic before everyone in the class can understand it, and I think I forgot that things can be taught so thoroughly and clearly. I have never experienced learning like this or people like this, until I came here. I believe I am living through a Gift from G-d, that He sent these angels into my life.
My Home: Maayan 