The Modest Rabbi Poem by Jürgen Wagner

The Rabbi lay, so gravely ill
His students gathered close and still
So much they owed to him, oh they knew
And one by one, their praise they strew

'Like Abraham, your faith 's so strong! '
'Like Job you've faced fate's cruel song! '
'Like Moses trust in God you've shown! '
'A modern Solomon on his divine throne! '

The Rabbi's health, still grim and dire
His heart weighed down by unseen mire
'You're praised by all, and rightly so' -
His wife wished her compassion to show

But yet he felt a subtle slight
Reflected in his weary sight
No mention made, no words in tone
Of how humble he'd always shown