Today I walked to the tombs of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (the Ramchal). It was a pleasant uphill walk of about 25 minutes, with a brief detour to the Chabad House of Tiberias to check directions. This is what came to me as I walked, with a remarkably different tone than my first prayer completed in Israel, “To Find Home.” It’s the second piece that I’ve finished on this trip.
Sages
Blessed are the sages who came before.
Blessed are the sages who’ll come later.
Blessed are the sages of our day.
Blessed is your heart.
For you
Dear sisters and brothers,
You too are sages.
The wisdom of the ages
Is in your eyes and on your lips,
In your flesh and in your bone,
In your laughter and in your tears,
Holy music that sings around you,
Radiance that dances before you,
Prayers that echo through you.
Blessed is the sage within you.
Blessed are your studies and your deeds.
Blessed is your heart.
© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.
Postscript: Here are links to two other prayers about wisdom, “For the Gift of Torah Scholarship” and “For the Joy of Learning.” Here’s a link to first prayer I completed during my 2011 trip to Israel, “To Find Home.”
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Photo Credit: Alden Solovy
Tags: Israel, rabbi, sages, spirit, Torah, wisdom