ANIM ZEMIROT – Song of Glory A mystical poem, attributed to Rabbi Judah the Pious (Germany, 1150–1217). Its theme is that God appears in many forms – the poet weaves together a long list of the metaphors and metonyms by which He is described by the prophets and poets of Tanakh – yet He remains One. Beyond the diversity of creation is the unity of the Creator. Beneath the noise of events is the music of Being. Behind the many ways in which we experience God – as Warrior, King, Father, Judge, in joy and grief, closeness and distance, intimacy and awe, penitence and praise – there is unity. Hence conflict is not written into the script of existence. As science is beginning to discover, the natural universe exhibits a precisely calibrated harmony of forces. Humans too will one day live in harmony when, together, they acknowledge the unity of God. This lovely poem with its daring imagery was considered by many to be too holy to be said daily. To mark its sanctity, the Ark is opened.