Posts Tagged ‘Pesach’

 

Guest Writer: Rabbi Karyn Kedar

Posted on: March 25th, 2018 by Alden

Rabbi Karyn Kedar is a friend who has developed a set of Omer counting tools, both from my publisher, CCAR Press, the book “Omer: A Counting” and a set of lovely inspirational cards with photos by Chime Costello. Here are some of my favorites:

“To know when to reach and when to yield takes years of practice, years of prayer. To know when to be still takes even longer.” — One week and three days of the Omer (my birthday)

“We are summoned to live a better and lovelier life; calmer, quieter, more aware. And even when it is hard and we can feel the exertion of the beating of our heart, we must yield as much kindness as humanly possible.” — Two weeks and three days of the Omer

“When you speak of yourself, use words that are gentle, passionate. Speak of love, of courage, of perseverance, of strength of character, of fortitude. And then become the words you speak.” — Four weeks and four days of the Omer

“And know, of all the words I have found, kindness is the most powerful. It can transform the world. At the end of my days, the only thing I will regret in my life are times when I was unkind.” — Seven weeks of the Omer

© All quotes from “Omer: A Counting” are 2014 CCAR Press

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Postscript: “Omer: A Counting” and the Omer inspirational cards are available from CCAR Press using these links.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Image Source: CCAR Press

Marvelous Gifts

Posted on: April 13th, 2014 by Alden

Second_Nuremberg_Haggadah_MatzaFor Passover, here’s a new meditation on using freedom in service to G-d and our fellow human beings while seeing the beauty and wonder around us. G-d gives us freedom, then we ask G-d to teach us how to use it wisely. More Passover prayers and meditations appear in my new book, Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings.

Marvelous Gifts
G-d of Old,
We give thanks
For moments of wonder and awe,
Of righteousness and charity,
For the freedom to do Your will.
Let Your mysteries unfold around us.
Guide us,
Shield us,
Lift us from narrow places
Of fear and despair
Into lives of service,
Into lives of celebration.
Teach me to use my hours with care,
And my words as tools of praise.

The world is beautiful,
Marvelous in opportunity,
Joyous in energy,
Pulsing with excitement,
Vibrant in youth,
Wise in years,
Amazing with vitality,
Fantastic in all life,
A place of love and hope.
Teach me to use my hands to build,
And my heart as a beacon of joy.

G-d of All Being,
Let me use the gift of redemption
From slavery to freedom,
From despair to hope,
As an instrument of holiness,
Celebrating the glory and beauty of creation,
A remembrance of our exodus of Egypt.

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

Postscript: Please check out my new books, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing and Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Against Poverty

Posted on: April 27th, 2011 by tobendlight

Teach-Girls-End-World-PovertyThis prayer is good for your Passover Seder and daily worship. It’s from my series “Against…” including: “Against Human Trafficking” and “Against Tyranny.” The idea for this series began as I looked over a list of the titles of my prayers. There were 49, roughly a third of my work at the time, beginning with the word “For…” So I wondered, can we pray ‘against’? To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

 

Against Poverty
G-d of the hungry,
G-d of the sick and the homeless,
The voice of the forgotten echoes across the land,
Dismayed and abandoned in a world of abundance.
Our children,
Our brothers
And our sisters
Are left to beg in the streets,
To find shelter in abandoned structures,
To suffer illness without physician or medication.

Source of hope and mercy,
Rock of strength and fortitude,
You call upon us to stand in the name of healing and honor,
To witness against human life ignored,
To fight society neglecting human beings,
To muster our power and energy against this plague.

Bless those who dedicate their lives to the poor, the sick and the homeless.
Bless those who take to the streets to offer food, clothing and shelter.
Give them courage and determination.
Bless those who plead on behalf of the poor before the seats of power,
Governments and corporations.
Give them wisdom and skill.
May the work of their hands never falter
Nor despair deter them from this holy calling.

Bless those in poverty with resources.
Release them from want.
Hasten the day of their self-sufficiency and bounty.

Blessed are You, G-d of All Being,
Who summons us to oppose the tyranny of poverty.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Does the idea of praying “against” resonate with you? What else should we pray against? Please drop me a note, if you’re so moved.

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Photo Credit: Teach Girls, End World Poverty on ProductiveFlourishing.com

Passover Prayers

Posted on: April 2nd, 2011 by tobendlight

matzah-560x420Here’s a list of my prayers that would make lovely additions to your Passover Seder, divided into four categories: prayers about freedom, prayers for social justice, prayers for Hallel and Counting the Omer. Many of them appear in Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings. Some appear in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. To read them, click on the name of the prayer:

Prayers About Freedom
Egypt Inside – About personal freedom
Breaking Bonds – Setting ourselves free
The Season of Freedom – A time to be free
Release Me – Freedom from emotions that hold me back
Elijah – Our deepest yearning for a world of wholeness

Prayers for Social Justice
To The Streets – About taking tikun olam to the streets
Against Human Trafficking – For modern-day slaves
Against Tyranny – For an end to the rule of tyrants
Against Poverty – For all to live in economic well-being
Against Worker Exploitation – For fair wages and conditions
Against Hunger – To feed the world
For Women of Congo and Sudan – Against the abuse of these women

Prayers for Hallel
Dance Hallelujah – To dance in praise of G-d
Sing Hallelujah – To sing in praise of G-d
In Praise – To speak in praise of G-d

Counting the Omer and Other Topics
The Season of Counting – About the meaning of counting
For Spring – For the new season
History – About the gifts of memory and history
Jerusalem: A Meditation – “Next year in Jerusalem!”

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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