אודות המחבר
Yakov Azriel
was born in New York and came to live in Israel after finishing his BA in English literature in Brooklyn College (summa cum laude) at the age of 21. When he came to Israel, he studied at Mercaz HaRav Kook for two years, and later on, completed an MA in Judaica, and in May 2004 he received his doctorate (on the stories of Rabbi Nachman of Braslav). He is presently a lecturer at Herzog College. He has published four full-length books of poetry: Threads From A Coat Of Many Colors: Poems on Genesis (2005); In The Shadow Of A Burning Bush: Poems on Exodus (2008); Beads For The Messiah's Bride: Poems on Leviticus (2009); and Swimming In Moses' Well: Poems on Numbers (2011), all published by Time Being Books, a literary press that specializes in poetry. Over 250 of his poems have been published in journals and magazines in the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, and his poems have won eighteen different awards in international poetry competitions. In addition, Yakov has twice been awarded fellowships from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture for his poetry. Dr. Azriel can be contacted at: yakovaz@hotmail.com
A Poem for Parshat VaYerah
יעקב עזריאל
מרחשון תשע"ז
DRAWING TREES
“And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-Sheva...” (Genesis 21:33)


Did Abraham draw trees, not only plant them?

He would have painted his tamarisk
Like a mulberry tree in Van Gogh’s eye:
A candelabra aflame, lit by God,
Outshining a Mediterranean summer’s morning sun.

And Isaac’s painting?
A Chinese ink-drawing:
One small bird sitting on branch with yellow leaves;
Autumn dusk.

Jacob’s picture: against a backdrop of massing gray clouds,
Winter storm-winds mount a hill to attack
A solitary, dark olive-tree;
Branches bending, not breaking, not cracking, in the night.

And my son’s water-color of an oak in spring:
One thick brown line,
A blotch of green,
His smile of success.

Masterpieces, four.