Words For Those We Remember

To the soldiers who died bravely for their country

And the soldiers who died in the fog of war 

To the civilians who died as collateral damage

And the civilians who died resisting cruelty 

To the helpers who died feeding the hungry 

And the helpers who died tending to wounds

To the young who died to fight old men’s wars

And the young who died while protesting 

To the women who died from weaponized rape

And the women who raised children alone

To the exploiters who profited from fear and ignorance 

And the exploiters who profited from the sale of weapons  and  death

To those who used war to enslave

And those who used war to liberate 

To all of these

We say

We remember you.  

We remember you.  

We remember you.  

Amen

Endurance: counting the Omer (Netzach)

 

Counting On The Long Haul

Blessed Mystery,

In it for the long haul, 

We begin the count. 

We count centuries from Joseph to Moses,

Count years from the burning bush to the Song of the Sea. 

Count weeks from manna to Sinai ,

Count days from the blare of the horn to the Golden calf. 

Count the five books of Moses,

Count the 24 books of the Tanakh. 

Count the 49 days of the Omer 

Count the seven sefirot,

Count and take us to Shavuot and

Count the cheese blintzes. 

Maybe it’s a myth,

Maybe it’s current events. 

But Torah is only the beginning,

We’re in it for the long haul. 

And everyone has a Sea of Reeds to cross,

Everyone has a story 

Blessed Holy Wholeness,

Everyone counts. 

Amen 

This is Holy Ground

 

What makes a space holy?

Perhaps history creates holiness. 

Maybe it’s in a glade surrounded by trees where centuries of wise woman spoke words of connection and mystery. 

Perhaps it’s accidental.  

Maybe it’s in lower Manhattan where thousands died and buildings fell and we all still go to cry and remember. 

But what if the holiness is intentional,

Created on purpose by us,

As a holy separation?

Imagine that I have a table with nothing on it,

Empty of content and meaning.

But then I take a glass and turn it upside down 

And declare,

“Everything inside that glass is kadosh, holy and

Everything outside that glass is khol, mundane”

And you agree with me, 

Then is that so?

And if I pick up the glass, does the holy air inside become everyday odorless gas?

So perhaps today we  can place a glass over ourselves,

Right here in this room where history and accident have us sitting around a  table at this unholy moment in time.  

So together, let us declare, 

‘We are part of a holy ancient story that is happening right now!

We are asking ancient and brand new holy questions, and

The air we breathe is holy air and 

This is holy ground. ‘

Amen

 

Before We Eat

Blessed Holy Wholeness,

As we sit here at our Seder table

At this lovely gathering, waiting

For the wonderful meal to come,

We mourn the cruelty 

Of the current Pharaoh and his followers. 

We grieve the indifference to

The hunger and need of millions,

The murder of innocents,

The threats of deprivation,

The abandonment of democracy

And the fear of tomorrow. 

May our personal joy not be lost

In our awareness of all this pain

Even as we eat and drink and pray.

And may we tell our stories

And remember our true selves

And never let anyone shut us up.

Amen

Why Do We Tell This Story?

 

Why do we tell this story?

To remember when we were slaves

So that we have compassion for others’ pain

And we do not enslave others. 

Why do we tell this story?

To remember how we got to Sinai and Torah

So that we can recognize righteous struggle 

And have patience for the long hauls.  

Why do we tell this story?

To remember joy and bitterness with savory and sweet food

So that we can eat matzo brei, gefilte fish and  brisket

And charoses and marshmallow twists. 

Why do we tell this story?

To remember and endlessly discuss its meanings

So that we can ask questions and then question the answers 

Because that’s what we like to do.

Why do we tell this story?

To remember this narrative that creates a people 

So we can cherish our myth

And hope repetition somehow makes it true. 

Why do we tell this story?

To remember when we were underdogs and heroes

So that we can study the times when we are not

And do the right things no matter what.  

Why do we tell this story?

To remember what it felt like when we told it last year

So that we can remember the year before that

And the years before that.  

Why do we tell this story?

No Prayer for Purim

Trying to write a fun new prayer for Purim 

But

Having a hard time

Laughing about a story 

Of a stupid autocrat, a sex trafficking uncle, a humiliating beauty contest, murderous antisemitism,

And violent mass revenge against children. 

There’s a prayer in this 

but it offers no succor. 

So I’ll keep quiet.

Be Better

We want to understand

We know you have a rationale but

We don’t need that explanation,

Not anymore. 

We just want you to stop.  

This is cruel and brutal.  

There can be no justification

For what you are doing. 

It may no longer matter who hit who first

Or who is more sinned against than sinning. 

Be better. 

Amen

Blessing for the Lunar Month of Adar

It is told to us

That it was on the first day of Adar 

That Moses and God released

The ninth plague,

Darkness,

When no one could see

What was right in front of them.  

It is also told to us

That though this month begins in sorrow,

It ends in joy.

Purim!

When evil people plotted our demise

But we killed them instead. 

I don’t see the joy in that, myself. 

Blessed HaMavdil,

The one who divides,

Creating holiness with separation,
Dividing time into months with the moon,

Reminding us that everything waxes and wanes. 

Amen

Looking for The Holy

 

Blessed Sacred Mystery,

We search for the holy amidst pain 

And memories of pain. 

We touch the divine with our bodies. 

We feel the threats of violence and

We give thanks if we are alive and whole. 

Bless those who are safe. 

We fear for those in danger. 

We mourn for those who are dead or injured.

Bless those who are not safe. 

We must help if we can.

Perhaps that is where we will find

The holy.  

Amen