Mourner's Kaddish

Today surprised me--

the sun and skies of blue shading

almost translucent,

almost too bright,

studded with clouds

that wandered in stately lines

invisible to the naked eye

and the grieving heart.

It beckoned, this day

of surprises and shaded blueness.

I thought it would be warm;

It's certainly bright enough,

clear enough,

and from my window, 

there are still leaves of green

that cling to their branches,

so it could be a different day

entirely.

It could be a day in spring,

where the wind still carries

a quiet note of cold.

and you waited.

wrapped in stillness.

while I walked through 

gardens just at the bursting point,

and blossoms spilled their

scent of life,

all green and yellow and white,

making the air heavy

and light at the same time.

I collected the dew

and a spray of flowers 

for your table.

And you laughed,

and pressed a kiss upon my lips.

It could be that day,

but this day has surprised me,

its colors and leaves framed 

so neatly by my window,

but there are things carried in this 

day, invisible to the naked eye

and a grieving heart.

There are no wildflowers

to collect along the way,

and the grass is stiff with frost.

My step is much slower,

a stumbling gait, 

hesitating and halting.

Slowly, oh so slowly

with love and tender grace

I lay a spray of flowers

upon your grave,

a surprising note of color, just

visible to my grieving heart.

- by Stacey Zisook Robinson z”l

___

Shared with permission from ReformJudaism.org

Clip source: The Shomer Collective

May our lives reflect 

the Greatness of the Divine Name

throughout the world, 

sparks within the Process of Creation.

May the world be guided 

by our highest aspirations, soon, in our lifetimes.

And let us say, Amen.

May the Divine Name be known as a Fountain of Blessings:

praised, honored, beautified, elevated, and exalted

beyond any song or description that has ever been uttered.

And let us say, Amen.

May an all-embracing peace shower down from the heavens, refreshing the lives of all 

the people on earth.

And let us say, Amen.

May the Source of Peace inspire us to make peace for ourselves,

for our community,

and for all the people on earth. And let us say, Amen.

There is an eternal essence that persists in time and space —

and this is our prayer to make it part of our awareness 

by affirming its persistence and pledging ourselves 

to act to advance the promise it holds of a better world; 

may it be soon and in our days. Amen.

Let the great essence be blessed through all our actions!

Whether it be blessed or praised or honored or exalted, 

we affirm that it is far beyond any expression which we use to describe it — 

prayer or song, prose or poem — and we say: Amen

We express our hopes for peace and for life upon us and upon all people. Amen.

May the harmony we experience as we gaze toward heaven 

be reflected in a harmony between all who dwell on the planet: 

Israelite, Ishmaelite, and all creatures upon this holy earth, and we say: Amen.

-by Rabbi David Cooper

Clip source: The Shomer Collective

God, full of compassion, dwelling as uplift and within, grant perfect rest under Your sheltering Presence, among the holy and pure who shine with heavenly splendor, to the soul of our dear one who has gone to his/her/their reward. May the Garden of Eternity be his/her/their rest.  Please, Power of Compassion, shade him/her/them in the shadow of Your wing forever.  May his/her/their soul be bound in the bonds of eternal life.  May Adonai be his/her/their inheritance, and may he/she/they rest in peace.  And let us say, Amen.
 

Contributed by Hebrew Helpers

If there is to be peace in the world,

There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,

There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,

There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,

There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,

There must be peace in the heart.

- Lao-Tse

By David Seidenberg

With my vote today I am prepared and intending to seek peace for this country, as it is written:

“Seek out the peace of the city where I cause you to roam and pray for her sake to God, for in her peace you all will have peace.”

May it be Your will that votes will be counted faithfully and may You account my vote as if I had fulfilled this verse with all my power.

May it be good in Your eyes to give a wise heart to whomever we elect today and may You raise for us a government whose rule is for good and blessing to bring justice and peace to all the inhabitants of the world and to Jerusalem, for rulership is Yours!

Just as I participated in elections today so may I merit to do good deeds and repair the world with all my actions, and with the act of [fill in your pledge] which I pledge to do today on behalf of all living creatures and in remembrance of the covenant of Noah’s waters to protect and to not destroy the earth and her plenitude.

May You give to all the peoples of this country, the strength and will to pursue righteousness and to seek peace as unified force in order to cause to flourish, throughout the world, good life and peace and may You fulfill for us the verse:

“May the pleasure of Adonai our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us, may the work of our hands endure.”