Posts Tagged ‘prayer for the Land of Israel’

 

Shelach Lecha 5775: Gathering, A Dream of Reunion

Posted on: June 9th, 2015 by Alden

tzitzit old shoe womanThis week’s Torah portion includes the commandment to wear tzitzit — fringes — on the corners of our garments (Numbers 15:37-41), which we fulfill with the tallit. The ritual use of the tallit includes gathering the four tzitzit just before saying the Shema, upon reciting this line: “Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright to our land…” The act reflects our historic longing for reunification in our homeland. This meditation has dreamlike quality, beginning with the yearning for Israel that’s in each of us. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

 

Gathering: A Dream of Reunion
והביאנו לשלום מארבע כנפות הארץ
ותוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו

Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth
And lead us upright to our land…

First Tzitzit – Gathering fringes
The first knotted string in hand,
I imagine the journey home,
Home to the land of our mothers and fathers,
Holy and full of promise, labor and love,
To build a life of wonder and awe.
This is me.
This is my pilgrimage to sacred soil.
This is my dream of holiness and redemption.
I am the first tzitzit.
I am returning home.

Second Tzitzit – Gathering hearts
The second fraying string in hand,
I imagine my children, my family, my household
Returning with me to our homeland
To build and to renew our ancestral blood.
This is my family.
This is our journey to hallowed ground.
This is our wholeness and rebirth.
We are the second tzitzit.
We are returning home.

Third Tzitzit – Gathering moments
The third worn string in hand,
I imagine you, my community, my kahal,
Returning together to our Source and Shelter,
To consecrate the ancient land and our holy vow.
This is my village.
This is our journey to mystery and majesty.
This is our bond of ages.
We are the third tzitzit.
We are returning home.

Final Tzitzit – Gathering millennia
The final woolen string in hand,
I imagine all of us, from all corners of the Earth,
Returning with songs of praise and rejoicing,
To claim our place among the nation of Israel.
This is my people.
This is our journey of destiny.
This is our covenant.
We are the final tzitzit, separate no more.
We are returning home.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: This remains my deepest yearning for all of the people Israel. We’ll each arrive when the time is right. Thanks to Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder for challenging me to think about how this meditation might be heard by those who are not considering aliyah. Click here for more prayers and meditations about Israel. “Gathering: A Dream of Reunion” first appeared on this site on December 30, 2011.

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 use or like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Source: Old Shoe Woman (On Flickr)

שיר בלב שלי

Posted on: July 26th, 2012 by tobendlight

HatikvahThis piece is as much a song as a prayer, written on a train from Acco to Tel Aviv in June, 2011, a trip that ultimately led to my aliyah one year later. Readers will recognize the allusion to the Israeli National Anthem, Hatikvah, ‘The Hope.’ Here’s a link to the original post, including audio of the prayer in English.

ADDENDUM, September 28, 2016: This song comes to mind as I think about the life and legacy of Shimon Peres z”l, who passed away this morning.

Postscript: This is my first attempt at a translation of one of my pieces into Hebrew. It’s not meant as a literary translation. This was an exercise that I completed at Ulpan-Or, a wonderful program of Hebrew study with amazing staff and resources. The idea came from Maytal Ganor. I worked on this translation with Yaakov Tayeb. I suspect that I’ll take another look at this translation at some point. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email them to me. Or, if you want to read some other lovely pieces about Israel, here are two links: “Israel: A Meditation” and “Jerusalem: A Meditation.”

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: Jewish Agency for Israel

Gathering: A Dream of Reunion

Posted on: December 30th, 2011 by tobendlight

והביאנו לשלום מארבע כנפות הארץ, ותוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו

Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright to our land…

tzitzit old shoe womanOn reciting this line, worshipers traditionally gather the four tzitzit that are draped around them on their talitot. The act reflects the historic longing for reunification as a people in our homeland. After my visit to Israel in June 2011, I began to see myself as the first tzitzit, thinking of my own return to the land as I held that first fringe. Then, each fringe took on a new meaning. The result is a meditation with a dreamlike quality, beginning with the yearning for Israel that’s in each of us. Here’s my dream, one tzitzit at a time. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

 

Gathering: A Dream of Reunion
והביאנו לשלום מארבע כנפות הארץ
ותוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו

Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth
And lead us upright to our land…

First Tzitzit – Gathering fringes
The first knotted string in hand,
I imagine the journey home,
Home to the land of our mothers and fathers,
Holy and full of promise, labor and love,
To build a life of wonder and awe.
This is me.
This is my pilgrimage to sacred soil.
This is my dream of holiness and redemption.
I am the first tzitzit.
I am returning home.

Second Tzitzit – Gathering hearts
The second fraying string in hand,
I imagine my children, my family, my household
Returning with me to our homeland
To build and to renew our ancestral blood.
This is my family.
This is our journey to hallowed ground.
This is our wholeness and rebirth.
We are the second tzitzit.
We are returning home.

Third Tzitzit – Gathering moments
The third worn string in hand,
I imagine you, my community, my kahal,
Returning together to our Source and Shelter,
To consecrate the ancient land and our holy vow.
This is my village.
This is our journey to mystery and majesty.
This is our bond of ages.
We are the third tzitzit.
We are returning home.

Final Tzitzit – Gathering millennia
The final woolen string in hand,
I imagine all of us, from all corners of the Earth,
Returning with songs of praise and rejoicing,
To claim our place among the nation of Israel.
This is my people.
This is our journey of destiny.
This is our covenant.
We are the final tzitzit, separate no more.
We are returning home.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: I have since settled in Jerusalem. My children do not see themselves following. Still, this remains my wildest hope for them. And it will remain my deepest yearning for all of the people Israel. We will each arrive when the time is right. Click here for more prayers and meditations about Israel. Thanks to Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder for challenging me to think about how this meditation might be heard by those who are not on a path to aliyah.

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 use or like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Source: Old Shoe Woman (On Flickr)

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