Tag Archive for "Elul" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘Elul’

To Ask

Posted on: September 10th, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a short meditation on asking G-d for guidance and support to live a life of righteousness. It’s a nice opening prayer for a moment – or an hour – of reflection on the journey of t’shuva, the journey of repentance, return to G-d and the commitment to a life of righteousness. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

To Ask
Holy One,
G-d of my heart,
What is it that You ask of me,
In my joy and wonder?
What is it that You ask of me,
In my grief and pain?
What is it that You ask of me,
In my vitality and strength?
What is it that You ask of me,
In my weakness and decline?

Ancient One,
Grant me the will and the desire,
The spirit and the purpose,
To serve You with love.
To ask for Your guidance.
To seek Your help.
To do Your will.
To learn Your Torah.
To act with righteousness.
To live with humility.
To rejoice in all Your gifts.

Postscript: Click here for the full list of prayers for the Yamim Noraim, including prayers for the New Year, meditations on death and mourning and a link to yizkor and memorial prayers. Also, check out this list of prayers for the month of Elul.

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Photo Source: writeideasonleadership.com

Prayers for Elul

Posted on: September 7th, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a list of prayers for the month of Elul divided into categories: breaking free, living in holiness, time and confession. Here are additional links to prayers for Rosh Hashana, another one of prayers for Yom Kippur and one more for Sukkot. Here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

Breaking Free

Three meditations that ask why we stay chained to our sorrows, then challenge us to see life as a sacred journey:

For Healing the Spirit – Why do we waste our days in grief and despair?
For Sharing Divine Gifts – To live compassion, use your gifts in service to others.
Forgiveness Inside – To find a deep sense of forgiveness.
Regarding Old Wounds – Take your most crushing losses and turn them into a deep well of strength and love.

Living in Holiness

These prayers examine the art of living a life of holiness, focusing on attributes (grace, humility) and practices (listening for G-d’s voice, doing G-d’s will):

Is This the Fast? – An introspection based on Isaiah 58:6-7.
For Grace – A meditation about living a life of grace by offering grace to others.
For Humility – For living a life of humility in service to G-d, ourselves and others.
To Do Your Will – To ask for the guidance to do G-d’s will in humility and love.
To Hear Your Voice – G-d’s voice is available to all who choose to listen.
The Path of Righteousness – The path is paved with questions.
For Compassion – About seeing ourselves in everyone.
On Making a Mistake – To elevate a mistake into an act of love.
To Ask – On asking for G-d’s guidance and support to live a life of righteousness.

Time

Prayers about the holiness of time in general and about the sanctity of this period in the Jewish calendar:

Rhythms – A meditation on the contrasting rhythms of life.
The Season of Healing – This is a season of healing our souls and our lives.
The Season of Return – This is a season of return to G-d, repentance and t’shuva.
History – A celebration of the gifts of history and memory.

Confession

Here are meditations on confession (vidui). Although they were written for use on Yom Kippur, they are appropriate as Elul meditations to prepare for vidui:

Meditation Before the Yom Kippur Vidui – To prepare the heart and the mind for a thorough and honest confession.
Meditation After the Yom Kippur Vidui – On living differently as a result of an honest and heartfelt confession.
The Greatest Sin – Carelessly allowing the conditions for sin to take root.

Click here for the full list of prayers for the Yamim Noraim. Here’s a list of prayers for Rosh Hashana, another one of prayers for Yom Kippur and one more for Sukkot. Here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

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For Compassion

Posted on: September 5th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is a prayer about finding compassion for each other in service to G-d. To listen, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

For Compassion
The man in the gutter,
The woman on the street,
They are my sister and my brother.

The frail and the meek,
The lonely and the lost,
They are my father and my mother.

The soldier with his weapon,
The youth in her wheelchair,
They are my son and my daughter.

The widow and the orphan,
The confused and the lost,
They are my cousins and friends.

G-d of justice,
Only You know why one man is born for silk
And another man is born for sand.
Only You know why one woman is born for castles,
And another is born for cardboard.

G-d of mercy,
Grant me the wisdom and compassion
To see all men and women
As my family and kin.
Help me to use the gifts of my life
As blessings to share.
Grant me compassion for those in need:
The suffering, the hungry,
Those in pain,
Those in fear.
Lead me to a path
Of love and healing
In service to Your Holy name.

Postscript: This prayer can also be used during Elul and during the Counting of the Omer. For a related but harder-edged prayer, see “Witnessing: A Meditation.” Here’s a link to prayers for the Days of Awe, the Yamim Noraim, listed by topic. Here’s a link to an annotated list of memorial and yizkor prayers.

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Photo credit: Reiki Training Program’s Blog

Yom Kippur Meditation II

Posted on: August 31st, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a meditation to be recited after the Yom Kippur confessional prayer. It can also be used during the Hebrew month of Elul as preparation for the High Holy Days, the Yamim Noraim. It is the companion piece to “Meditation Before the Yom Kippur Vidui.” To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Meditation After the Yom Kippur Vidui
For the sins I’ve committed against myself,
And for the sins I’ve committed against others,
I offer a new heart.

For the sins I’ve committed against my family,
And for the sins I’ve committed against my friends,
I offer new understanding.

For the sins I’ve committed against children,
And for the sins I’ve committed against adults,
I offer new restraint.

For the sins I’ve committed against men,
And for the sins I’ve committed against women,
I offer new vision.

For the sins I’ve committed against neighbors,
And for the sins I’ve committed against strangers,
I offer new insight.

For the sins I’ve committed against the powerful,
And for the sins I’ve committed against the weak,
I offer new wisdom.

For the sins I’ve committed against nations,
And for the sins I’ve committed against peoples,
I offer a new voice.

G-d of generations,
Source of forgiveness and grace,
For the sins that I remember,
And for the sins that I’ve forgotten,
I offer myself, in humble service,
To You, Your Word and Your Holy Name.

Postscript: Click here for the full list of prayers for the Yamim Noraim. Here’s a focused list of prayers for Elul, another one of prayers for Rosh Hashana, a list of prayers for Yom Kippur and one more for Sukkot. And here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

Photo Source: Va-yehi Or

Yom Kippur Meditation I

Posted on: August 30th, 2011 by tobendlight

Confession – vidui – is not a major theme of Jewish daily prayer, but it becomes central on Yom Kippur when a communal confession is traditionally recited five times. Here’s a new meditation to prepare for a thorough and honest self-assessment. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Meditation Before the Yom Kippur Vidui
G-d of Old,
Judge and Sovereign,
Healer and Guide:

Today I recount my deeds,
The sins I’ve committed,
The blessings I’ve bestowed.

Today I recall my year,
The challenges I’ve faced,
The decisions I’ve made.

Today I reach into my heart,
The moments of anger,
The moments of love.

By Your command
G-d of Mercy,
I lay bare the secrets within me,
Light and darkness,
My gentle hand and my clenched fist,
My strength and conceit,
Anger and fear.

By Your command
G-d of Wisdom,
I open myself to see truth,
Beauty and degradation,
The holy and the profane,
The victorious and the guilty.

By Your command
G-d of Salvation,
I reclaim all that I am
And all that I’ve done,
My pride and my shame,
Returning to You
So that I may redeem my days
With awe and righteousness.

Photo Source: The Eden Center

For Devotion

Posted on: August 11th, 2011 by tobendlight

אֲדֹנָי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ
“O Lord, open You my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.” – Psalms 51:17

This meditation opens with the words of Psalms 51:17 which are used before reciting the Amidah to set the intention for devotion in prayer. Each of the subsequent lines builds upon the line before to deepen the intention. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

For Devotion
אֲדֹנָי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ
G-d, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare Your Praise.
Open my mouth, so that my heart may sing Your Glory.
Open my heart, so that my eyes may see Your Wisdom.
Open my eyes, so that my soul feels Your Presence.
Open my soul, so that my hands do Your Mitzvot.
Open my hands, so that my works glorify Your Torah.
Open my works, so that my deeds bear witness to Your Truth.
Open my deeds, so that my life bears witness to Your Justice.
Open my life, so that my spirit bears witness to Your Mercy.
Open my spirit, so that my days declare Your Holy Name.

Postscript: Here are two more meditation based on a lines from Jewish prayer, “Affirmation of Faith” and “Gathering: A Dream of Reunion,” as well as related prayers “For Humility,” “For Joy” and “For Service.”

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

Photo Source: Kaballah Source

Remember

Posted on: September 15th, 2010 by tobendlight

This meditation resonates with poetry and prayer, summoning the voices of the prophet and the spiritual traveler, calling us back to our deepest sense of peace and well being. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Remember
When the thunder crashes,
When the winds howl,
Remember
That your heart,
Once a desert,
No longer thirsts.

When darkness falls,
Without moon or stars,
Remember
That your mind,
Once lost,
No longer wanders.

When the storm rages,
When lightning strikes at your feet,
Remember
That your spirit,
Once frightened,
No longer hides.

When the road fades,
And the journey ends,
Remember
That your soul,
Once apart,
Returns home.

Postscript: The last stanza reflects the journey of Yom Kippur: to look back at life as if it was the day of death, with both unwavering honesty and abiding compassion. “Near the End: A Meditation” has a similar theme. If you liked this piece, try “Come Walk,” another poem/prayer in the voice of the spiritual traveler. Click here for the full list of prayers for the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days, including brief descriptions and links to each.

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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Digital Library

The Season of Return

Posted on: September 12th, 2010 by tobendlight

Another prayer for the journey of return and repentance, the journey of t’shuva. The prayer refers to a mystical name for the Holy One, Ein Sof. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

The Season of Return
This is the season of return:
Of returning to ourselves and our people,
Of returning to our G-d
And returning to our calling.

This is the season of quiet:
Of quieting the mind to hear the Voice,
Of quieting the heart to hear the Soul,
Of quieting the self to make space for the Ein Sof.

This is the season of surrender:
Of surrendering fear and despair to hope and adventure,
Of surrendering odd quirks and old habits to dignity and kindness,
And to honor and service.

This is the season of return:
Of returning to wholeness and love,
To prayer and charity,
To family and friends.
This is the season that reminds us of who we are
And who we might become.
The season that summons us to return our days to purpose
And our lives to G-d’s Holy Word.

Postscript: For a list of prayers and stories for the High Holy Days, click on the “Yamim Noraim” button in the right hand column.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

To Seek Your Glory

Posted on: September 7th, 2010 by tobendlight

This prayer asks for G-d’s help seeking G-d. A paradox? Seeking G-d takes patience, endurance and discipline. The patience to wait for a flower to bloom. The endurance to stay present in each moment. The discipline to see if the bush burns but is not consumed. This is from a series prayers including “To Hear Your Voice,” “To Seek Your Love” and “To Know Your Word.” This prayer poem appears in my book This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings from CCAR Press.

To Seek Your Glory
Divine author of creation,
Well of mystery,
Majestic hand of light and truth,
Grant me the patience and wisdom
To seek Your wonders,
The glory of Your sacred and holy Name.
Open my eyes to radiance and splendor,
The steady flow of holiness and love,
To awe, abundance, beauty, comfort and rest.
Set us on the path of devotion and dedication,
A wondrous journey of discovery.
Give us energy, endurance and enthusiasm,
Zest and zeal,
To live our lives in wonder,
Seeking Your holy presence.

G-d of All being,
Font of wisdom and joy,
Your Glory endures.

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Postscript: I use this prayer for the 11th day of the Omer. Here are links to the related prayers, “To Hear Your Voice,” “To Seek Your Love” and “To Know Your Word.”

Please check out my ELItalk “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 Credit: Alden Solovy

The Path of Righteousness

Posted on: August 19th, 2010 by tobendlight

On Yom Kippur the questions of who we are and what we might become collide, as do the questions of what we’ve done with our lives and how much time we have left. The path of righteousness is paved with questions. This prayer echoes the Un’tanneh Tokef, an amazing and powerful prayer recited on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. To listen while you read, click the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

The Path of Righteousness
G-d of what was and what will be,
Of what might have been and might still be.
G-d of past and future,
Of memories and beginnings.
G-d of the finite and the infinite,
Of moments and possibilities.
What is my life?
And what of my death?
What of my choices?
And what of my future?
What of this distance?
And what of the endless sky?
What of the darkness?
And what of the light?

G-d of the seen and unseen,
Of the known and unknowable.
Teach me patience and understanding
As the mysteries of my life unfold.
Teach me to live gently, love generously,
And to walk with strength and confidence.
Teach me to give and to receive,
Sharing Your blessings in joy and sorrow.
Teach me to see others through Your eyes,
As children of G-d.
And teach me to see myself and my life as You do,
With love.

Blessed are You, Adonai,
Source of life,
Guardian and Shelter,
You set Your people on the path of righteousness,
Holiness and charity,
Kindness and grace,
To return to You in service.
Blessed is Your Holy Name.

Postscript: Here’s a link to prayers and stories for the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days, listed by topic.

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: Photo by Martin Kozák, Wikimedia Commons