on one foot

"in brief, what's God's demand?" the stranger asked
Shammai dismissed him, brandishing a stick
Hillel acknowledged teaching's his life's task
and summarized Halakhah double quick
divinity's indwelling in us each
it's not just in a book, or in the sky
it's in your neighbor's face, within your reach
it's here and now, not waiting 'til we die
Olam haBah's constructed day by day
it's not a destination for the End
just as you'd treat a trave'ler on the way
is what you can expect from kin, or friend
Shammai laughs last, millennia of fools
have studiously smothered love, in rules