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Category: Prayerbook Musings

A Light at Dusk

A Light at Dusk

וְהוּא רַחוּם יְכַפֵּר עָוֹן וְלֹא יַשְׁחִית, וְהִרְבָּה לְהָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ, וְלֹא יָעִיר כָּל חֲמָתוֹ. “The Merciful One That Covers Over Iniquity“ (from the evening prayers) It is evening, and notwithstanding all our diligent efforts and worthy intentions, the books are still unbalanced. Debts remain unpaid, some of which may weigh upon us, but we lack the means, or the will, to discharge them, whereas of others we remain either oblivious or only vaguely cognizant. It is not our way simply to…

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Rekindler of the Extinguished

Rekindler of the Extinguished

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים Blessed be H’, Rekindler of the Extinguished There are times when the fires of spirit seem to grow cold, when fervor abates, prayers become wooden and devotions routine. All this is natural, and is as much part of the inner life as the cycles of day and night, new moons and old, summer and winter are features of the celestial planes. But there is a difference. Our minds can comprehend the rhythms of the external…

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Sweet Song of Exile

Sweet Song of Exile

 פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק אָבֹא בָם Open for me, gates of triumph, open that I may enter and praise H’. This is the gate to H’, through which the company of the Righteous pass. “Open for me the gates.” The prayer is earnest, the intention pure, but the answer may still be ‘no’; you may not come in, you will have to remain outside. Was not the Great Teacher, Moses himself, denied permission to go into the Land (though he…

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The River and the Flame

The River and the Flame

אֲדֹנָי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ Formal prayer is not always easy. The words may not flow naturally, or are blocked by distractions, either inner or outer, or by plain reluctance to repeat familiar phrases of antique devotions. We need help in fine-tuning our voices, in eliminating extraneous thoughts and automatic pieties; and so, immediately before reciting the Amidah, the essential core of the liturgy,  we pause to remember a verse from Psalms: H’, open my lips that my mouth…

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“After the Rain The Clouds Return “

“After the Rain The Clouds Return “

וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר לִבְרָכָה “Give dew and showers for a blessing” (from the winter liturgy) The dew from Heaven will not descend till all below is still and silent. It cannot cover us with its droplets of pure blessing while busy storms buffet us from without, blustering winds echo through our minds within. And after the dew come the showers, tears shed in hope and in remorse, weeping in yearning for the Encounter, sobbing in grief over all the dreadful…

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Malicious Tongues, Fawning Friends

Malicious Tongues, Fawning Friends

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וְהַרְחִיקֵֽנוּ מֵאָדָם רָע וּמֵחָבֵר רָע Keep us away from malicious tongues  and fawning friends Many of us, and especially those who have made a commitment to following a spiritual path within community,  are aware of the need for a balanced regimen of love  and reproof  from our companions. Without it, focus becomes blurred, alignments are bent crooked, and self-deception reigns unchecked. Such love and reproof are not free-form activities, but Torah-sanctioned instructions whose fulfillment is informed by subtle rules, by…

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Remembering to remember

Remembering to remember

          Remember the Sabbath Day     זכור את יום השבת There is a Shabbat that we celebrate once a week, twenty-five hours of sacred time devoted to  rest, fellowship, prayer, and spiritual reflection. On this day we separate ourselves from the physical world of commerce and manufacture, and strive to banish distractions that intrude from the quotidian. Observance of this Shabbat is a cornerstone of Jewish practice, and it is well guarded by law and by custom. Of this it…

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Meetings with Remarkable Messengers

Meetings with Remarkable Messengers

שָלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָרֵת מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיו Sometimes, when the world of Spirit brushes against our own, tiny ripples arise and drift across our minds. These extra-ordinary experiences are called angels, or messengers. A mystical hymn about such encounters is chanted every Sabbath eve: Shalom Aleikhem Malaakhei ha Sharet, “Welcome to you, ministering angels.” It consists of four short verses: Shalom Aleikhem: Welcome, Ministering angels. This is a courteous greeting, but it is tentative, and we must enquire: Are you truly…

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A Prayer and a Commandment

A Prayer and a Commandment

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כי תעביר ממשלת זדון מן הארץ                                                                      צדק צדק תרדוף “Justice, Justice pursue”                   “Remove the wicked kingdom from the earth” “Remove the wicked kingdom from the earth” is one the many supplications that we offer during the High Holidays. It articulates hope for a redeemed world, for a new dispensation in which primal goodness is restored and all life is realigned with H’. Its envisages a new age, though one whose fulfillment is not possible within the familiar…

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