Second Song of Hillel

This is a song of praise to the Lord. It calls to mind the might and power of God, the power which created the universe and toppled empires. However, it is a might and power which is manifest too in His mercy, a manifestation of His Love. As such, the Christian should call upon God to deliver men from all forms of evil, trusting in His providence and not despairing. We are delivered not that we may grow comfortable and forget Him, but rather that we may remain in Him. As Christians, conformed to the image of Christ, our hearts must desire that God’s call be wasted on none, so in this then we pray that He sanctifies us and sends us out to do His work in the harvest. Once we have done what little He asks of us, then we can hope only to find ourselves in that rest He desires for us. I chose the name Hillel, meaning “praise” as a reference to the first song. In this first song I began writing, I looked back on God’s providence and realized that even from infancy, the God of Abraham has looked over me. My first word, in Hebrew, was “Hallelujah,” thus I wrote in the song, “In Jacob’s tongue I blessed You.” A fitting beginning for a son of Israel. This is the second song I wrote.

Second Song of Hillel

May cries of mercy, O Lord,
And songs of praises
Taste always sweet on my tongue
Gushing forth from my lips
Like water from the great fountains of the deep!
For You have fashioned the heavens
You have fixed the cycles and seasons of the earth
The heart beats and the lungs suspire
Nothing escapes Your attention
With You there is no oversight.
By Your great might and power
Deliver from affliction the flesh and breath 
Of all men upon this earth
That they may rejoice in their Lord and God!
O Adonai, You who blessed Abraham
Bless us too, that we may remain in You
As our prayers rise up to the heavens like sweet incense
The smoke of the resin of mercy
Hear them and look upon us!
Let not a soul be missing from the Great Banquet
Let not a single chair be empty
Let all the summoned drink from the chalice of eternal life
Not a drop to be spilled nor left undrunk
Therefore, Beloved God, send us out into the fields
Enlighten our minds, open our eyes.
Cleanse our hearts, use our hands
Let our feet tread faithfully and firmly upon the path of righteousness
And after, if we have aided You in the Great Harvest
And proven ourselves faithful servants
In Your rest, Merciful One
Let us find ourselves.

— Hillel

Curacion del paralitico Murillo 1670. (2017). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Curacion_del_paralitico_Murillo_1670.jpg.