Just kidding. Of course it’s gaavah! What am I, R’ Yisroel Salanter? OK, here I go:

Where Hashem is “not found,”
Where He deems “not to be” –
Does He make a God vacuum?
Can you take him from me?

Or I, Him, from you
By my towering pride?
Can I chase Him and make Him
Abandon your side?

You must perish the though, Jaded!
Our God would not do
Such a face-hiding hester
To a God-seeking Jew!

For a shul can contain both full vessels,
And bare
But the empty ones will not
Chase God out of there.

For in every bais medrash, we learn
And each shul,
The Divine presence hovers
Near each wise man, each fool;

So we speak not of places —
Rooms of brick, wood or stone –
But of places within us
Yet not flesh, blood or bone.

Rather, chambers within
To which none hold the key
Save the Builder Himself
And He gives it up free

To each flesh and blood resident –
No copy’s in stock!
Only we can invite Him back in,
Past the lock

That we fasten ourselves.
And we bar the door, too
To the ones He sends over
To warm, share and renew

Our connection to Him.
For there cannot be pride
If we let any quantum of love
Sneak inside

Through the mail slot, chimney flue
Or neuron so jaded
Or on blogs like Beyond BT
Where truth’s debated!

When we open our eyes,
Raise the blinds in the morn,
And see what and whom is ours
Each day aborn,

And feel every small kindness
And admit every ray
Of bright iridescence
That Hashem sends our way,

Then even the one who sees
With unique eyes
Or whose neuronal circuitry’s
Full of surprise –

And even the “genius”
Who is burdened with grace
Will find way to make room for Hashem
In his place.

He will open that window!
Let in more than just light.
He will unlatch the door and
His neighbors invite.

And his faith won’t abscond,
Nor his reason depart;
For by bright’ning and opening
His “room,” so his heart

Will let in all God’s kindness!
And the more he “admits”
The less space himself
He takes up, with those wits

They remain with him, still
Those in which he took pride –
But by letting his fellow man
Join him “inside,”

If he sees they’re mere tools
Of his Neighbor from “next door”
And the once-lonesome, lonely man
Sees what they’re for.

And he’s never alone now
Not from God, not from man,
No one flees from his makom
No one runs, though they can.

And though life ebbs and flows
And brains age and confound
In his room full of friends
God is always around.

That gemara is difficult to understand (but sort of explains Avos 4:21- jealousy/lust/honor drive one out of this world) ,in that it would probably be a large problem in a house of worship or learning among other things.Forget about living together in a “world” close quarters like “houses of worship” where G-d supposedly is always resting are filled up and down to the brim with haughtier than thou individuals sometimes.
One proud n preachy fellow is all you really need to displace G-d straight away from the house of worship I guess.Does he rest there anyway ?
The minimum minyan requirement notwithstanding or sitting.(Lets not forget that gemarah in brochos about learning and praying in the same cubic feet between two pillars).
So it’s not only the prayer group, this pridefully praying fellow is affecting, its the morning learning seder too.( if he does the early minyan).
Also, for the life of me I have never understood that Iyov 12:20 reference when discussing individuals that flaunt their wisdom, specifically the “removing reasoning/understanding/sanity from the elders/sages” and what about the lips/speech of the trusted ones, opening up/letting secrets run loose ?
Its not clear who is getting punished , is it the individual flaunting his wisdom, who also happens to function as a trusted sage, or just an ordinary sage the wisdom flaunter trusted.
Or just a reference to natural causes, nearing end of life happenings like Alzheimer’s and non lucid/coherent speech/ thought/secret sharing.
And some kind of alluding to brain deficiencies and neuronal circuitry short circuitings and sparkings, that may come about when certain negative character traits are exhibited too often. As in Neuroscience decides to start dating hardcore Mussar seriously, for mind bending and marriage minded assumptions,conclusions and preventions.
I guess It kind of is a G-d’s way or the no-mans land highway towards the out of the world, if one chooses observant Judaism.
And for everyone else there is the create your own (blank inside) hallmark card. (Mastercard is so last season, do you even see any masters around nowadays ?) Please advise at your earliest convenience if you do.
I thank my lucky stars/snowflakes/raindrops every morning that the Iggeres Haramban letter has not been rendered a mythical forgery or Pippi Longstocking pirates n gold coins message in a wine bottle daydream).

Just remember one thing on that roadtrip of a lifetime, Toyota “you asked for it you got it” in way more ways than none. (except when the answer is : no/I don’t know/you should have gone to seminary/jewish adult learning/go now/you don’t know anything/not enough. But no worries mate,for the rest of us there are always the : the right teacher is out there you are not looking hard enough in the boring simple simon loves simpletons places/there are disadvantaged women in other worlds that would give up everything to be you for a month/go bake a babka for new mothers/there are daf yomi’s for women everywhere from the LIRR to Riverdale/you have to want to travel and learn for the right reasons/six versions of the definition for tiflis/Other interesting Talumudic suggestions to contend with etc…. but other than that it’s not that difficult if you work hard enough , forever.