ב”ה
Diamonds
Adapted from Hayom Yom 17 Iyar and 2 Elul: “The children of Israel are called “the desired land” (Malachi 3:12), for like the land, they possess numerous precious resources embedded within them.
The Baal Shem Tov said, “I want to make Israel yield the kind of produce which the Almighty’s ‘land of desire’ is capable of yielding.”
Beginning in the late eighties, every Sunday, the Rebbe would stand for many hours in the small entrance hall at 770 Eastern Parkway and receive thousands of people from all walks of life, who sought his blessing and counsel. He would bless and encourage them all, and give each one a dollar bill to in turn give to charity, effectively making each one an “emissary of a mitzvah”. Around the world this phenomenon came to be known simply as “dollars”.
The song recounts a beautiful exchange between the Rebbe and an elderly woman who, while in line for her turn to receive a dollar, wondered how the Rebbe was able to stand untiringly for so many hours on his feet.
Employing the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, the Rebbe said, “Every Jew is a diamond and you do not get tired when you’re counting diamonds.”
DEDICATED BY MENDY AND SEEMA GANSBURG
Lyrics By:
RUVI NEW, LARRY GATES
Melody By:
YOSSI GREEN, CHANALEH FELLIG- HAREL
The heat slowly rises across the desert sand
Few are those who dare to go upon this arid land
The desert treasures of the deep how silently they lay
Gold and diamonds ever waiting to see the light of day
Hidden all around us
Are those diamonds pure and bright
But for those with eyes that truly see
The earth just cannot hide
Chorus:
We are all just like the earth
That hides it’s precious diamonds
Behind the eyes of each one you meet
Lies a shining silver lining
We’re all blessed with nothing less
Every Jew is a gem, oh yes!
And you do not tire when you’re counting diamonds
In the heart of each of them
It’s a sun-filled Sunday morning
She’s in the sunday dollars line
Standing for hours
Depleting her powers
Her strength has come and gone
After a while she is met with a smile
A face older and wiser
Astonished to see his energy
His youthfulness surprised her
For the thousands that he patiently greets
It’s their souls that he is mending
His blessing complete
With a dollar for each
His strength is never ending
(and he said)
Chorus