Tag Archive for "S’hema"

Posts Tagged ‘S’hema’

Heart, Soul, Might

Posted on: August 15th, 2020 by Alden

Here’s a new meditation on the Shema. My other meditations on the Shema include “Affirmation of Faith” and “Gathering: A Dream of Reunion.”

Heart, Soul, Might
When you choose
ואהבת (v’ahavta)
To love
את יהוה אלהיך (et Adonai Elohecha)
Adonai your G-d
בכל-לבבך (b’chol l’va-v’cha),
With all your heart,
You must choose
To love yourself
The way G-d
Already does.

When you choose
ואהבת (v’ahavta)
To love
את יהוה אלהיך (et Adonai Elohecha)
Adonai your G-d
בכל-נפשך (b’chol nafshe’cha),
With all your soul,
You must choose
To love others
The way G-d
Already does.

When you choose
ואהבת (v’ahavta)
To love
את יהוה אלהיך (et Adonai Elohecha)
Adonai your G-d
בכל-מאדך (b’chol me’odeh’cha),
With all your might,
You must choose
To love creation
The way G-d
Already does.

When you choose
To love everything and everyone
The way G-d already does,
You will flow with grace
Through the river of life
To the Soul of the universe.

,למען תזכרו ועשיתם את-כל-מצותי
.והייתם קדשים לאלהיכם
L’maan tizk’ru, vaasitem et-kol-mitzvotai,
Vihyitem k’doshim l’Eloheichem.
Be mindful of my mitzvot and do them,
And you will become holy unto your God.

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Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and my two CCAR Press books: This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings 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.

Photo Source: Orthodox Christian Network

Two Ravens

Posted on: January 6th, 2019 by Alden

This is the first of what will certainly be several new pieces inspired by my renewed learning at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. The idea that the raven Noah sent from the ark after the flood foreshadowed ravens feeding the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:4) came up in Rabbi Meir Schweiger‘s Tanach class. The timing was uncanny. At the time I was enjoying The Key of Rain, co-authored by my teacher Rav Mike Feuer, which uses that prophecy in the story. Meanwhile, my Rambam class, taught by Rabbi Levi Cooper, was learning Hilchot Yesodi HaTorah on prophecy. The final stanza of this piece alludes to Masechet Brachot Mishna 1:1 from my class with Raḥel Berkovits.

Two Ravens
Two ravens
Flying over the hills
Can be seen
As messengers of G-d
If you look
With prophet’s eyes.

A fox
Scavenging in the Temple ruins
Can be seen
As a sign of redemption
If you look
With sage’s eyes.

You children of Israel,
Awake!
You are surrounded by mysteries,
Bathed in holiness,
The light bursting freely from ancient wisdom.
If only you would look with your heart.
If only you would see with your soul.
Then, the secrets of gratitude and wonder
Would dance with you
Like wedding guests
Yearning for communion
With G-d’s Holy Word.

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Postscript: This piece comes as a bit of a surprise, inasmuch as it reflects a synthesis of learning from multiple teachers from materials both in and out of class. In the past, my experience of being inspired by Jewish learning has been that one class meeting can (but doesn’t necessarily) lead to one new idea and one new prayer.

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.

Photo Source: The Key of Rain, cover illustration used with permission

Simchat Torah Prayers

Posted on: October 9th, 2011 by tobendlight

Stories and prayers for Simchat Torah, when Jews all over the world rejoice in the gift of the Torah. Here are three short, short stories and several prayers about Torah and Torah scholarship:

Stories

Motyl the Fool – The fool who knows Torah by heart.
Hershal Dovid – A Torah reading story.
Mendel Baruch – Reciting the perfect S’hema.

On Torah

For The Gift of Torah Scholarship – Studying Torah is a sacred duty. Loving Torah is a way of life.
To Know Your Word – A yearning to know G-d’s will and word.
For the Joy of Learning – A prayer of thanks for learning and teaching.
Sages – For the scholar in each of us.
Meditation for a Child’s First Torah Reading – A prayer said by parents.

Click here for the full list of prayers for the Yamim Noraim. Here are focused lists of prayers for Elul, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Simchat Torah. And here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

Mendel Baruch: S’hema on Shabbat

Posted on: June 17th, 2010 by tobendlight

I peeked. Yes, once I peeked open my eyes during the S’hema. The tradition is to focus one’s mind uniquely on this prayer. To do so, many people cover their eyes. So do I. This once, I peeked. I needed to see. What I thought I saw — could it have been real? — led to this short, short, 108 word story.

To listen while you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Mendel Baruch
One Shabbat morning, Mendel Baruch recited a perfect S’hema. His mind clear, his heart pure, his very soul declaring the unity of G-d. The entire congregation called out to heaven in love with heaven’s own words.
“S’hema Yisrael…” The chant rising from the men and women…
“The Eternal our G-d…” Almost visible, like smoke forming the script of Torah…
“The Eternal is One.” Like calligraphy drawn with song rising to praise the Holy Name.
When the words touched both heaven and earth, the angels joined the prayer. In that moment, the space between here and beyond was filled with Torah. And nothing, nothing existed but G-d’s holy word.

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Posts Tagged ‘S’hema’

Heart, Soul, Might

Two Ravens

Simchat Torah Prayers

Mendel Baruch: S’hema on Shabbat

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