כֶסֶף חַטָּאוֹת

St. Paul found it too hard to be a Jew
believing halachah was just p'shat
prescribing everything he ought to do
as if lex talion were what it's not
haftarah Shekelim proffers a key
although the words are plain "tooth for a tooth"
if goat's a unit of mere currency
the literalists stumble past the truth
four entered PARDES, only three came home
one lost his mind, one lost his faith, one died
Akiva, as he came, left b'shalom
as centered here as on the other side
ongoing revelation's in the Word
just don't compel it to say what's absurd