Tag Archive for "healing" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘healing’

Finding My Beshert

Posted on: October 5th, 2014 by Alden

Here’s a new prayer for finding a life partner, a “beshert.” More people have asked me to write on this topic than all others combined. It’s been on my list and unaddressed for years. I can’t explain why it’s taken so long, especially since I’ve written prayers for recognizing romantic love, “For New Love,” and about maintaining that love, “For an Open Heart.” Perhaps it’s because I struggle with the idea of a divinely-ordained life-partner. Note: language choices in this piece are identified by a slash “/” and optional inserts with [brackets]. To who are looking for a beshert, blessings on your journey.

Finding My Beshert
G-d of joy and celebration,
Of generations and futures,
Bless me as I begin/continue
My search for a life partner,
A man/woman for me to love and to hold dear,
A man/woman to love me and hold me dear.
For this is Your will and Your way,
That couples should bond to serve each other in joy
And to serve You through the fullness of family,
In mourning and in rejoicing,
Marking the days with thanksgiving and grace.

[My search has taken longer than I’d imagined.
Grant me the courage to continue
And the faith that my wait will be rewarded.]

G-d of our fathers and mothers,
Lead me wisely to a man/woman
Of character and strength,
Wisdom and understanding,
Torah and mitzvot,
A man woman of ____________ [add your own hopes and dreams].
Lead him/her swiftly to me,
A gift beyond measure.
Open our hearts to each other
And help us to keep our souls
Pure in service to each other and our family/families
All the days of our lives.

Blessed are You,
Source of blessing and love.

.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, מְקוֹר הַבְּרָכָה וְהָאַהֲבָה

Baruch atah, m’kor hab’rachah v’ha’ahavah.

Postscript: “For New Love” and for “For an Open Heart” appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

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Photo Source: The Jewish Federation and The Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay

The Greatest Sin

Posted on: September 28th, 2014 by Alden

The High Holiday Vidui – the Jewish confessional prayer – contains a broad list of transgressions. This meditation suggests that the greatest sin of all is failure to create the conditions in our hearts and in our lives that lead to love of each other and service to G-d. The idea: if we engage always in these acts, there is no room for sin. In other words, the greatest transgression is to carelessly allow the conditions for sin to take root. See also: “Meditation Before the Yom Kippur Vidui”and “Meditation After the Yom Kippur Vidui.”

The Greatest Sin
The greatest sin
Is not to see
The miracle of each new day
Or to fill our days with hope
And love.

The greatest sin
Is not to see
The miracle of each new breath
Or to fill each breath with joy
And service.

The roots of sin
Are hatred and idle hands.
The roots of holiness
Are love and work.

G-d of wisdom,
Grant me the ability
To see the flow of miracles around me,
In awe and wonder,
So that I become of vessel of Your glory,
And an instrument of Your holy name.

Then, I will rejoice,
Rededicating my life to You,
With prayer
And with deeds of loving-kindness.

Postscript: Here are links to prayers for Elul, prayers for Rosh Hashana, prayers for Yom Kippur and prayers for Sukkot. Here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

Photo Source: Temple Beth Elohim

Gates

Posted on: September 20th, 2014 by Alden

Standing before the gates of heaven in prayer – yearning for them to stay open long enough for true repentance to be heard – is a classic High Holy Day metaphor. The inspiration for this prayer comes from Isaiah, the haftorah read on Shabbat Nitzavim. “Pass through, pass through the gates… Tell fair Zion: Your deliverance is coming!” This prayer envisions each of us briefly entering G-d’s holy realm to be restored. I wrote it at the request of my friend Rabbi Andrea London for the 5775 Beth Emet—The Free Synagogue congregational holiday card. I also took the photo used on the card, shown here. My other prayers using the metaphor of gates include: “At the Gates” and “The Entry to Our Hearts.”

Gates
Keep the gates open,
Holy One,
Keep them open a little longer,
So that my repentance and my yearning
May yet enter Your holy realm.

Keep the gates open,
Compassionate One,
So that our hearts may dwell,
To be refreshed in Your sacred space,
To be restored with justice and mercy,
To be nurtured and renewed with awe and wonder.

Rock of Israel,
Source and Shelter,
Keep the gates open,
So that when we leave this holy place
We remember and know
That wisdom and understanding surround us,
That peace and joy will yet follow,
That holiness and love will yet prevail.

Postscript: This prayer was written in Israel during the 2014 Gaza war known as “Operation Protective Edge.” The last two lines of this prayer were strongly influenced by the war. I’m grateful to Rabbi London for this opportunity and for her suggestions. My other prayers using the metaphor of gates include: “At the Gates” and “The Entry to Our Hearts.” Here are links to prayers for Elul, prayers for Rosh Hashana, prayers for Yom Kippur and prayers for Sukkot. Here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

Photo Source: Alden Solovy

For the Yazidi People

Posted on: August 10th, 2014 by Alden

The nightmare in Iraq continues to worsen. Thousands of Yazidis have died and face genocide. Here is the impassioned plea of Yazidi Iraqi Member of Parliament Vian Dakhil. One stanza of this prayer is adapted from “Bring Back Our Girls,” another prayer against the assault of terror against innocents.

For the Yazidi People
On a mountain,
Isolated
And left to die
While the world watches,
A slaughter of innocents.

Barren,
Desolate,
A landscape of death,
A heartbreak of hunger and thirst,
A graveyard of children.

Oh Yazidi people,
We pray for the hand of G-d’s mercy
To come to your aid,
To relieve your suffering,
To drive away the evil
That has pursued you
To the top of the world.

Oh people of conscience,
Cry out.
Cry out against holocaust.
Cry out against genocide.
Cry out against hatred.
For G-d requires us to stand
In the name of justice and freedom:
To oppose terror,
To muster our power and energy
To save the persecuted and oppressed.

Oh G-d,
We implore You,
Look down upon the suffering
Perpetrated in so many lands
By the hand of wickedness,
By the hand of malevolence,
By the hand of ignorance and sin.
Save the Yaidi.
Rescue all in need.
Bring the light of salvation
And healing
To the four corners of the earth.

Postscript: Please also see: “Bring Back Our Girls” and “For the Women of Congo and Sudan.” More prayers for social justice prayers appear in Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings.

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. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: The Deacon’s Bench

Simple Prayer for Healing, Revised

Posted on: July 27th, 2014 by Alden

This prayer is basic, direct, to the point. Heal and comfort those in need. And heal the world of suffering and strife. It’s a prayer for moments when less is more. Like now. This will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers for Healing the World. I added the third stanza this morning.

Simple Prayer for Healing, Revised
G-d, grant Your healing power
To all in need,
Those of whom I know,
______________ [list names]
And those unknown to me.

G-d, grant Your comfort and consolation
To all who grieve,
Those of whom I know,
______________ [list names]
And those unknown to me.

Holy One,
Bring a swift end to suffering and strife,
And the heal the world
With Your steadfast love.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
Ruler of the universe,
Who lifts up the fallen.

Postscript: The war touches everything here. Which is why I added the third stanza. Here are prayers for “R’fuat HaNefesh” and “For Healing the Spirit.” Please check out my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

They Were Boys: A Yizkor Prayer

Posted on: July 1st, 2014 by Alden

The wait, over. The worst, confirmed. Gil-ad Shaar z”l, Naftali Frenkel z”l and Eyal Yifrach z”l — kidnapped by Hamas terrorists — were found dead. Baruch Dayan Emet. May their families find comfort among the mourners of Zion and Israel. Tonight we mourn together. And we will for days and weeks to come.

They Were Boys: A Yizkor Prayer
They were boys.
Stolen from their families,
Stolen from their people,
Stolen from life itself.
Boys.

G-d of Israel,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To Gil-ad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach
Whose lives were cut off by violence
In acts of witless anger and hatred.
Guiltless. Blameless. Boys.

Yikum purkan min shemiaya…
May deliverance arise from heaven
Blessing their families with consolation and strength,
Even as they’ve shown us their fortitude and their love.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Faith to mourn,
Willingness to heal,
And devotion to each other.
Bless their classmates, teachers and friends
With comfort and relief.
Bless the whole house of Israel
As we mourn together.

Rock of Jacob,
In this hour of grief,
Remember Gil-ad, Naftali and Eyal .
They were boys.
May their memories provide solace and courage
To our nation and our people.
Let them find peace in the cradle of heaven
And a home in the world to come.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Postscript: Expect a military response. Here’s a prayer “For the Soldiers of the IDF,” a solidarity prayer called “Israel: A Meditation” and a link to more prayers for Israel.

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 find meaning in this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: Times of Israel, Courtesy

Bring Back Our Boys: A Prayer

Posted on: June 14th, 2014 by Alden

As the search continues for three missing Israeli teens, fear turns to prayer in Israel and among people of conscience around the world. On Saturday, Israel confirmed that Gil-ad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach were kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists. The three were taken while trying to hitch a ride home from high school.

Bring Back Our Boys: A Prayer
G-d of the prisoner,
G-d of the captive,
The voice of anguish echoes across the land.
Our sons,
Kidnapped, hijacked,
Torn from their lives and dreams,
Are held captive by violence and hatred
By those who would take our land
And destroy our people.

Guardian of Israel,
Bless those who have dedicated themselves to returning
Our sons to safety and shelter.
Grant them skill and wisdom
In this hour of need.
Give them the tools they need in the days ahead.
Bless their work.
Let success be close at hand.

This dismay is almost too much to bear.
Return Gil-ad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach
To the cradle of their parents’ arms,
And the refuge of their homes,
Speedily, in life and in health.
Bless their families with endurance and faith
That they will soon be reunited in the fullness of joy.
Bless our boys, in their captivity,
With hope and courage.
Grant them the strength and fortitude
To face, chas v’shalom, any shames or tyrannies forced upon them.

Rock of Israel,
Hasten their release.
Grant them lives of Torah and parnasa,
Rich with health and happiness,
Joy and peace.
Let rescue be near.

.ברוך אתה ה אלוקינו מלך העולם מתיר אסורים
Blessed are you, Adonai our God,
Sovereign of universe,
Who releases the captive.

Postscript: Here’s a link to more prayers for Israel. This prayer is an adaptation of “Against Human Trafficking” including some language from “For the Missing.” The later will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers from the Heart of Darkness. I recently used the same two prayers to create “Bring Back Our Girls: A Prayer.” Follow developments on the Times of Israel and the Bring Back Our Boys Facebook page.

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: Times of Israel, Courtesy

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack

Posted on: May 27th, 2014 by Alden

This prayer is a response to Saturday’s anti-Semitic terror attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. Again, Israelis and Jews targeted and dead. This is an adaptation of a prayer “For the Jews of France,” which I also recently adapted “For the People of Kansas City.” Both were tailored to the situation, much like the two prayers I posted after the 2012 terrorist attack on Israelis in Bourgas, Bulgaria. It seems, at this point, that we need a general use prayer, one with a fill-in-the-blank line so it can be available immediately after an attack. See also: “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer.”

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Cutting down innocents
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking hope with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in
______________________ (name of city and country)
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.

For the sake of our people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Grant the Jews of
______________________ (name of country)
Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Postscript: The prayer “For the Jews of France” is an adaptation of prayers I wrote in response to violence in Norway and attacks in Mumbai, which were based on two of my other prayers, “At the Hand of Violence” and “In Devastation.” Find related prayers in my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

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

Bring Back Our Girls: A Prayer

Posted on: May 8th, 2014 by Alden

Nearly 300 teenage girls were abducted from their school in Nigeria more than three weeks ago. Their supposed crime: advancing themselves through education, dreaming of becoming doctors, teachers, lawyers, women who would better society and the world. Some reports say they are being sold as brides to militants. This prayer is an adaptation of “Against Human Trafficking” including some language from “For the Missing.” For those who know any of the victims by name, the prayer includes two optional lines [in brackets] to add a name to the prayer.

ADDENDUM, Oct. 18, 2016: 21 girls abducted from Chibok have been reunited with their families after an apparent prisoner swap.

Bring Back Our Girls: A Prayer
G-d of the prisoner,
G-d of the slave and the captive,
The voice of anguish echoes across the land.
Our daughters,
Kidnapped from their school,
Hijacked from their lives,
Torn from their dreams,
Are held captive by violence and hatred.

Source of comfort,
Rock of love and truth,
You call upon us to stand
In the name of justice and freedom:
To free the captive,
To stand up to terror,
To fight misogyny,
To cry out against human bondage,
To muster our power and energy
Against this force of evil.

Bless those who have dedicated themselves to saving our girls.
Bless their work.
Let success be close at hand.

[Return ___________________________ (name)
To the cradle of her/our family’s arms,
And the refuge of her/our home,
Speedily, in life and in health.]

This dismay and dread are almost too much to bear.
Grant their families endurance, hope and faith
That they will soon be reunited in the fullness of joy.

Bless our girls, in their captivity,
With hope and courage.
They are daughters of truth,
And children of wisdom.
They are our future.
Grant them the strength and fortitude
To face, G-d forbid, any shames or tyrannies forced upon them.
Hasten their release.
Grant them lives of education and prosperity,
Health and happiness,
Joy and peace.
Let rescue be near.

Blessed are You, G-d of All Being,
Who summons us to liberate the oppressed.

Postscript: Please also see: “For the Women of Congo and Sudan.” “Against Human Trafficking” and other prayers for social justice prayers appear in Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings. “For the Missing” will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers from the Heart of Darkness.

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: Bring Back Our Girls Facebook Page

For the People of Kansas City

Posted on: April 14th, 2014 by Alden

A prayer for the people of Kansas City and the Jewish community after yesterday’s deadly violence targeting the Overland Park JCC and Village Shalom assisted living home. Here are links to two prayers for individual victims: “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer” and “At the Hand of Violence.”

For the People of Kansas City
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Cutting down young and old
In Kansas City,
Grandparents and grandchildren,
Our brothers and sisters,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking love with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Kansas City
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.
For the sake of the Jewish people,
For the sake of all people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Let the community of all faiths rally
In Your Holy Name.
Grant the people of Kansas City Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Postscript: Ask others to pray for the people of Kansas City by posting a link to this prayer on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer” and “At the Hand of Violence” appear in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. This prayer is adapted from one I wrote “For the Jews of France” after the 2012 attack in Toulouse, which has been translated into French. That, in turn, was an adaptation of prayers I wrote in response to violence in Norway and attacks in Mumbai, which were based on two of my other prayers, “At the Hand of Violence” and “In Devastation.” Find related prayers in my “Liturgy for 9-11.”

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: KSHB41 Action News

Posts Tagged ‘healing’

Finding My Beshert

The Greatest Sin

Gates

For the Yazidi People

Simple Prayer for Healing, Revised

They Were Boys: A Yizkor Prayer

Bring Back Our Boys: A Prayer

After a Deadly Anti-Semitic Attack

Bring Back Our Girls: A Prayer

For the People of Kansas City

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