Tag Archive for "hope" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘hope’

Vayetze 5773: A Moment of Love

Posted on: November 25th, 2012 by tobendlight

“…Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she tended them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.” – Genesis 29:9-11

After he sees Rachel, Jacob opens the well for her flock, a feat of great strength, and he opens his heart fully: a lesson in love from the third generation of our fathers and mothers.

A Moment of Love
Love is a well of strength,
A river of hope,
A fountain of holiness,
A moment for tears.

Love is in our arms,
In our hearts,
In our voices,
And in our eyes.

G-d of our mothers,
Let me be like she
Who tends the flocks,
Bringing them safely
To the waters.

G-d of our fathers,
Let me be like he
Who opens the source
Of blessing
To our lives together.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
Creator of life and love.

Postscript: My other prayers about love include: “Let Love,” “The Cut That Heals,” “For New Love,” “To Seek Your Love” and “A Heart of Love.”

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Photo Credit: Chabad Jewish Center of Massachusetts.

For the IDF (In Hebrew and English)

Posted on: November 20th, 2012 by tobendlight

On Thursday I posted a new prayer for the safety of soldiers serving in the IDF. Since then, I’ve received several requests for a Hebrew version of this prayer. Here it is. As I wrote in the original post, most of it is new, although I’ve taken three lines from “Gilad, Home at Last” and a paragraph from “In Times of War.” This prayer can also used as part of a three-prayer liturgy. The second is for terrorists to find a new path called “To the Terrorist.” The third is for peace, called “For Peace in the Middle East.” RJ Blog posted the entire three-part liturgy.

Earlier today I posted another new prayer called “Lone Soldier, Operation Pillar of Defense.” It’s a prayer for Lone Soldiers and all soldiers of the IDF.

Postscript: Here are links to “To the Terrorist” and “For Peace in the Middle East,” as well as a link to more prayers for Israel. I took the photo of the soldiers at the Kotel on Monday.

Photo credit: Alden Solovy

Lone Soldier, Operation Pillar of Defense

Posted on: November 20th, 2012 by tobendlight

Right now, there are young men and women in the IDF who have come alone to Israel, without their families, to live the dream of building lives in Israel and serving our people in the military. The term is chiyal boded – Lone Soldier – and Israel embraces them with love and care. I was touched last week, after posting “For the IDF: Operation Pillar of Defense,” when the mother of a Lone Soldier emailed to say that it gave voice to her prayers. These young men and women are the inspiration for this prayer, but the idea came from a soldier’s mother. It’s a prayer for Lone Soldiers and all soldiers of the IDF.

Lone Soldier, Operation Pillar of Defense
Guardian of Israel,
Young men and women
Have left their homes and families
Throughout the world
To find their place in the Land,
To build lives of hope,
And to serve Your People in the IDF.

Bless them,
And bless all soldiers
Of the Israel Defense Forces,
With strength and skill,
Compassion and determination,
The hallmarks of our military.
Let comradeship bolster their courage.
Let them keep faith with their vision
Of a strong and vital Jewish state.
Look with compassion on their families
And the families of all our military.
Ease their minds.
Console their hearts.
Grant their deepest prayers
For the well-being of their children.

Source of Peace,
Grant a swift and successful end to Operation Pillar of Defense.
Shield our soldiers from the traumas of war.
Keep them safe,
So that they may keep us safe.
Return them swiftly in life and in health
To the loving arms of our people.

Postscript: A few lines of this prayer were taken from “For the IDF: Operation Pillar of Defense.” Here are links to two more related prayers, “To the Terrorist” and “For Peace in the Middle East,” as well as a link to more prayers for Israel.

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For the IDF, Operation Pillar of Defense

Posted on: November 15th, 2012 by tobendlight

Here’s a new prayer for safety of soldiers serving in the IDF. Most of it is new, although I’ve taken the three lines from “Gilad, Home at Last” and a paragraph from “In Times of War.” This prayer can also used as part of a three-prayer liturgy. The second is for terrorists to find a new path called “To the Terrorist.” The third is for peace, called “For Peace in the Middle East.” The liturgy moves from the immediate need for the safety of our soldiers and citizens to our hopes for the future.

ADDENDUM, November 21, 2012: I have since posted this prayer translated into Hebrew, as well as a new prayer called “Lone Soldier, Operation Pillar of Defense.”

For the IDF, Operation Pillar of Defense
Rock of Israel,
Our sons and daughters,
Our brothers and sisters,
Our family and friends,
Have been called to serve
In the name of peace and justice
In Operation Pillar of Defense
To defend and to protect our land
From violence and assault,
From kidnappers and terrorists,
From the rain of missiles from Gaza.

We stand with the defenders of Israel.
We honor the guardians of Zion.
We hold dear the sentries of Am Kadosh.

Grant our leaders insight and strength
To guide our nation on a path of wisdom,
Using our power and might with courage, with caution and with care.
Bless the injured and wounded with Your healing hand
And their families with Your loving grace.

G-d of Old,
We know the price of safety,
We know the cost of security,
We know the dangers ahead.
This is not easy.
This is not desired.
And yet, we cannot be held captive
To hatred and violence.
How much longer should we wait?

Source of Peace,
Grant a swift and successful end to this operation.
Keep our soldiers safe,
And let our soldiers keep us safe.
Return them swiftly in life and in health
To the loving arms of our people.

Postscript: Here are links to “To the Terrorist” and “For Peace in the Middle East,” as well as a link to more prayers for Israel.

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Photo Source: IDF Spokesperson via Times of Israel

Family Healing

Posted on: November 8th, 2012 by tobendlight

This is a prayer for healing family wounds. Choices to tailor the prayer to particular situations are in [brackets]. Use this or other language to describe your family circumstances. My prayer “For Family” includes a similar message, more softly stated. This prayer appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Family Healing
G-d of Old,
Our family has been fractured,
Torn apart by _________________ [anger, violence, death, alcoholism, suicide, disease, mental illness, neglect, abuse, abandonment, finances],
Old wounds that have steeped into our bones and our blood,
Our thoughts and our words.
Release me from my anger and my guilt,
So I may see my kin with new eyes –
Their losses and fears,
Their pain and shame –
And therefore find a source of
Forgiveness and renewed love.

Well of Blessings,
Lead us to new vision and new wisdom,
The place where love rests safely in our hearts
And peace waits quietly in our hands.

G-d of Generations,
Grant healing to my family, speedily,
So that we may rejoice together in Your gifts,
With joy and thanksgiving.

Postscript: Here are prayers of family praise: “For the Patriarch,” “For the Matriarch,” “For Our Sisters,” “For Our Brothers” and “For the Family Historian.”

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Vayeira: Messengers

Posted on: November 1st, 2012 by tobendlight

“And Adonai appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he (Avraham) was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day; and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing beside him, and he saw and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he bowed down to the earth.” – Genesis 18:1-2

Are you ready to receive the messengers of G-d? To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Messengers
G-d of awe and wonder,
Your messengers are all around,
Leading us on Your path,
Guiding us to joy and love.
Open my eyes to the teachers in our midst,
Leading us to Torah and chesed,
Righteousness and charity,
With their kindness and their gentle deeds.
Open my heart to know and to understand their ways,
Their joy in service to You,
Through their service to others,
So that I may become
A source of Your blessings.

Holy One,
Well of Mercy,
Praise to You in heaven and on earth.
Praise for Your messengers among us.
Praise for the Sabbath of our days.
Praise for the Sabbath of our hearts.

Blessed are You, Rock of generations,
Source of All Being,
You plant the seeds
Of holiness among us.

Postscript: This prayer echoes the themes of kindness from strangers and service to others found in several of my prayers, poems and meditations. Here are two of them: “On the Road” and “For Service.” This prayer was first posted on February 17, 2012.

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 Credit: The Bedouin Tent

Safety After Violent Weather (Revised)

Posted on: October 30th, 2012 by tobendlight

This expresses gratitude for those who weather a major storm safely, including a prayer for safety and healing for all who are suffering as the result of the storm. It’s difficult to capture in one prayer the unique experiences of individuals and the range of outcomes from weather events. This version removes references to any particular storm. Optional language is shown in [brackets]. See also this revised version of my prayer “For First Responders,” posted earlier today. It’s rare for me to post more than two prayers per week, let alone two on one day. In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, I decided to repost these prayers immediately.

Safety After Violent Weather II
G-d of heaven and earth,
Source of All,
The storm has passed.
Earth, sea and sky are quiet.
The tempest moved on.

Thank you for the kinship of neighbors and friends
As we work together to clean up after violent weather.
Bless those who were injured with healing and recovery.
[Bless those who lost family or friends with comfort and hope.]
Provide food and clothing, warmth and comfort, to all in need.
Thank you for providing safety and shelter
To my [family][friends][neighbors][parents][children].
Thank you for the emergency and rescue workers
Who kept watch and risked their lives for our community.
As we return to our daily lives,
We pray for the victims of any disaster,
Any violence, suffering or despair.

Blessed are You, our Rock and our Shelter.

Postscript: My other weather safety prayers include: “In Devastation,” “After the Tornadoes” and “After the Storm.” I used the prayer “For First Responders (to the Earthquake in Haiti)” as the inspiration for a prayer called “Memorial Prayer for 9-11 First Responders.” This prayer was first posted August 27, 2011.

If you use this prayer, please click “like” on this page and subscribe. Please take a moment to post a link to your Facebook page, your blog or mention this prayer in a tweet. Thanks. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!”

For First Responders (Revised)

Posted on: October 30th, 2012 by tobendlight

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, ambulances and first responders lined up waiting at NYU Medical Center. This is a prayer for first responders as they head into a moment of crisis or destruction. It asks for the physical and emotional safety of these brave professionals and volunteers in the face of the dangers ahead. This new version includes an addition in [brackets] for use by families of first responders, as well as slight modifications in the rhythm.

For First Responders (Revised)
Crisis and chaos,
Confusion and loss,
A scene of sweeping destruction,
The first responders arrive
Among the breathless and dazed,
The incapacitated, the dead,
The weary, the lost, the injured,
The frenzied, driven wild with fear and grief,
And survivors forcing themselves
Beyond their limits
To fight devastation.

Holy One,
[Watch over my father/mother/husband/wife/partner/spouse/son/daughter/brother/sister
As he/she serves our community/country
With dignity and honor.]
Bless our nation’s first responders with endurance
To be of maximum service in this moment of immeasurable need.
Bless their limbs with strength,
Their eyes with courage,
Their hands with gentleness,
So that they become a source of hope and love.
Give them the tools they need in the days and hours ahead.
Protect them from physical harm,
Shield them from emotional pain,
And guard them from taking this trauma into themselves.

G-d of justice and mercy,
May the deeds of the first responders
Find favor in Heaven
And bring healing on earth.

Postscript: See also “Yizkor for First Responders” and “Memorial Prayer for 9/11 First Responders.” This prayer is a generalized version of a previous piece called “For First Responders to the Earthquake in Haiti.” Written at the request of the Columbia County Fire Department Auxiliary, Lake City, Fla., for use in their fundraiser cookbook. It was first posted on April 17, 2012.

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.

Photo Source: NYU Photo/Twitter via London Evening Standard

Lech Lecha: The Journey

Posted on: October 21st, 2012 by tobendlight

“Go from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you.”
– Genesis 12:1.

A brief meditation on answering the call.

The Journey

There will come

A moment when

You must leave

What you know

On the journey

To find who

You can be.

You can be

One who finds

On the journey

What you know

If you leave

The moment when

Your time comes.

Postscript: Here are two more prayers about the spiritual journey: “Messengers” and “On the Trail.” Click here for songs of the Spiritual Traveler. Click here for more prayers and meditation about Journeys.

Photo Credit: Alden Solovy

Gilad Shalit, First Year Home

Posted on: October 17th, 2012 by tobendlight

This is a prayer of rejoicing and healing written for the 2011 homecoming of Gilad Shalit and is re-posted here for the first anniversary of his return. It includes two stanzas to honor all the defenders of Israel and uses a line from Birkot Hashachar as the chatimah, the seal ending the prayer. The URJ has also posted this prayer to its blog.

Gilad, Home at Last
With your feet on the soil of our ancestors,
The land sings.
With your return to the home of our people,
The nation exalts.
As you enter the house of your parents,
Your kin weep.
When you build a new life
And take your place with your generation,
Am Yisroel will delight.

We will never forget the defenders of Israel.
We will never forget the guardians of Zion.
We will never forget the sentries of Am Kadosh.

G-d who frees the slave and liberates the captive,
We rejoice at this homecoming.
Grant Gilad Shalit a complete restoration from his isolation,
So that he knows joy and celebration.
Ease his burdens.
Release him from suffering.
Return him in wholeness to life.

We stand with the defenders of Israel.
We honor the guardians of Zion.
We hold dear the sentries of Am Kadosh.

G-d of Old,
You have returned this son of Israel to our people.
Now, bless him with all of Your gifts:
Vitality, energy, happiness and peace.

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

Postscript: This prayer is an adaptation of the prayer I wrote when news was annouced that he would be headed home, called “Prayer for Gilad’s Homecoming.” In many ways, it seems to me, a prayer for Gilad is a prayer for us all. Here are two prayers for Israel: “Israel: A Meditation” and “A Song that Holds My Heart,” a prayer/song about Hatikvah. This prayer was first posted October 18, 2011.

Posts Tagged ‘hope’

Vayetze 5773: A Moment of Love

For the IDF (In Hebrew and English)

Lone Soldier, Operation Pillar of Defense

For the IDF, Operation Pillar of Defense

Family Healing

Vayeira: Messengers

Safety After Violent Weather (Revised)

For First Responders (Revised)

Lech Lecha: The Journey

Gilad Shalit, First Year Home

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