What Only Your Mom Knows

Rabbi Akiva told Bar Yochai, the paradigm, his student —

it is enough that myself, your mother, and
G*d
know your excellence.

First, it’s enough, his teacher says,
I know, your mother knows, G*d of course.

In a different version:
it is enough that myself, another person
and G*d know your excellence.

It’s uncertain who the other person is —
it could be your sweetheart, your friend,
maybe your father even
— since he is not working the Exile in those times
and spends most of his days tending a garden
studying the holy texts in the sunshine
learning to play an oud-like instrument popular in the land
— yearning to return home,

but in the first version
it is your mother
she is totally devoted to your physical and spiritual nature
she knows what you need
you need two — she tells you — but only two
two who know you
[other than G*d]

and the two are Akiva
great teacher, brave antagonist, nice to his children

and me
— your Mom.

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