Posts Tagged ‘וארא’

 

Vaera 5775: I am Pharaoh

Posted on: January 14th, 2015 by Alden

436px-Thutmosis_IIIIn this week’s Torah reading, and in last week’s, G-d tells Moses that G-d will harden Pharaoh’s heart. What does it mean for G-d to harden Pharaoh’s heart? In his commentary, Rabbi Shai Held explains that: “There comes a point when a person has become so totally entrenched in bad behavior that he simply loses the ability to choose any other path.” Practice bad behavior enough and it becomes a way of life. This new prayer is a reminder that we all have the potential to become like Pharaoh, or to emulate Moses, Miriam and Aaron.

I am Pharaoh
I am Pharaoh
When I willfully
Harden my heart
To beauty and holiness.

I am Pharaoh
When I willfully
Harden my heart
To love and tenderness.

I am Pharaoh
When I willfully
Ignore the call
Of the forgotten and oppressed.

Ancient One,
Open my heart
With joy and compassion.

I am like Moses
When I seek
The word of G-d
In the wilderness and on the mountain.

I am like Miriam
When I lead
Our people, rejoicing,
In celebration and song.

I am like Aaron
When I cleanse my heart,
To fulfill G-d’s command
In awe and righteousness.

G-d who led us out of slavery,
Through the desert
And into a new land:
Teach me to open my heart,
In loving service to You,
In loving service to Your people,
In loving service to Your creation.

© 2015 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Other Passover prayers include: “Egypt Inside,” “The Season of Freedom” and “Elijah,” which appear in my second book, Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings. And here’s a listing of all of my Passover prayers.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. 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.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Va’eira: Your Name, Meditation at Dusk

Posted on: January 11th, 2013 by tobendlight

“And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: ‘I am the LORD, and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as G-d Almighty, but by My name Adonai I made Me not known to them.’” – Exodus 6:2-3

From Torah we learn that we can begin to know and understand G-d through the revelation G-d’s Holy Names. This prayer is about naming G-d according to the blessings we receive. It appears in my book, This Grateful Heart: Psalms and  Prayers For a New Day.

Your Name: Meditation at Dusk
G-d of Old,
Your name is Peace.
Your name is Justice.
Your name is Mercy.

G-d of Life,
Your name is Compassion.
Your name is Love.
Your name is Hope.

G-d of Blessing,
Your name is Truth.
Your name is Wisdom.
Your name is Righteousness.

G-d of our fathers,
G-d of our mothers,
Your Name is in my heart
And before my eyes.

Blessed are You Adonai,
Your name shines throughout creation.

“Your Name: Meditation at Dusk” is © 2017 CCAR Press. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a prayer “For Prayer” that evokes G-d’s Name. My other prayers of praise include: “Dance Hallelujah,” “Sing Hallelujah” and “In Praise.” This prayer was first posted on July 14, 2011, as “Your Name: Quick Prayer at Dusk.”

Please check out my Meet the Author video and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers For a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!”

Photo Credit: TheTorah.com

“Alden has become one of Reform Judaism’s master poet-liturgists…" - Religion News Service, Dec. 23, 2020

“Mesmerizing, spiritual, provocative, and thoughtful, Alden was everything you would want in a guest scholar and teacher.” – Rabbi Denise L. Eger, Congregation Kol Ami, Los Angeles, and Past President, CCAR

"Alden Solovy has become one of the most revered liturgists of the last decade…" - Jewish Post & Opinion, March 29, 2023

“Alden left everyone feeling inspired.” – Cantor Jeri Robins, Shabbat Chair, NewCAJE6