wordleSLearningLimmud Conference 2014 has just ended. It was an amazing celebration of Jewish learning, Jewish culture and Jewish identity. My first. I will be back. Meanwhile, by way of thank you to the folks who put it on — and the people who encouraged me to participate and to lead sessions — here’s my prayer “For the Joy of Limmud.”

For the Joy of Limmud
G-d, we give thanks for Limmud,
For the joy of Jewish learning,
For the love of teaching and being taught,
When we share the fantastic expressions of Jewish life.
Film. Humor. Dance. Food. Drumming. Dreams. Sport.
Art. Science. Israel. Holocaust. Psychology. Biography.
Hebrew. Yiddish. Tikkun Olam. Poets, dreamers and prophets.
And we give thanks for the blessings that we bestow
Upon our lives
When we learn Torah together.
These are gifts that connect us to You,
To each other
And to Your Divine word.
Your wisdom is near to us,
In our hearts and in our mouths,
In our hands and in our lives,
So that we may teach it to each other
With enthusiasm, with love and with a bit of rock ’n roll.

Hear our prayer for those who teach and learn,
Bringing new light to Your people Israel.
Make our moments together a celebration.
Let heaven pour wisdom and strength through them
So that this time overflows with enthusiasm and wonder
Drawing others into Your service.
So that when we jump into learning with love
Our souls will turn back to You for wisdom.
Together, we offer this journey back to heaven,
And rejoice.

© 2014 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: This prayer is an adaptation of “For the Joy of Learning.” Be sure to check out the other prayers in this series: “For the Gift of Song,” “For the Gift of Words,” “For the Gift of Dance,” “For the Gift of Art,” “For the Gift of Music,” “For the Gift of Laughter” and “For the Gift of Torah Scholarship.”

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