a meditation on the traditional Hebrew evening prayer
The coming darkness is from you, not us.
Sometimes it helps to remember that.
The oneness that opens the gates,
the duality that cycles the times,
these too are from you.
It’s you rolling away light from the face of darkness.
Open our eyes to to your presence in the special beauty of this moment.
Open our hearts to your presence in each others’ hearts
that have opened to us.
Stay with us, your patient, faithful ones,
as we stay with each other through the long night.
Open our eyes, open our hearts,
open our minds, strengthen our hands
for the moment
on your schedule, not ours
when we come together
to roll away darkness from the face of light.
Splendid photo and heartfelt prayer that I welcome on this dark night. I share your sentiments which you so beautifully conveyed. When seeing a sunset or other changes in nature, I remember R.Zalman z”l saying “that’s ha shem punctuating time.”
Your poem fills me with gratitude to ha shem for the wonders of nature, for you and Wendy, my beloved husband, and all my friends at Torah Circle.. I feel the words of A.J.Heschel z”l .I asked for Wonder,” for me it’s here in this moment, and in all you wrote.
Chaver sheli.
May you be happy
May you be well
May you be free from suffering
…May ha sham bless you with inner peace and grant peace and healing to our planet, wit Moshiach, coming soon.
Amen!
Terrific post/prayer.
Thanks Aryae for another year of your thoughtful support. Blessings to you and Windy.
Thanks Michael. Blessings back to you and Susan. 🙂
Thanks so much for the prayer, Aryae. More than anything it helps to know I am not alone in the darkness; that there are others like you standing along side of me! God bless, Patricia
Thanks Patricia. And yes, let’s all of us stand together!
Beautiful, Aryae.
Blessings to you and Wendy, as the Light gets greater and greater.
And to you and Claudia. Amen!
My heartfelt appreciation for your deeply inspiring and meaningful sentiments, Aryae. With loving wishes for an abundance of light to you, my holy brother, to dear Wendy, and to each of our fellow beings in these fragile times.
Thank you holy sister. And loving wishes right back to you. ❤️
I really enjoyed this poem, Aryae. Coincidentally, I’m in Olympia WA visiting two close friends, where it gets dark around 4:30. Last night, we watched the movie Dr. Strange, based on the Marvel comic. If you never read this comic as a kid, Dr. Steven Strange journeys to Nepal, where he learns how to harness the power within himself to heal his hands from an injury, mainly from a spiritual master. At one point, the master talks about the darkness (as in the Kabbalah view of “evil”), and observes that “the practice is not about eradicating darkness, but to acknowledge and rise above it.”
Thank you Neal. Good travels.
Beautiful translation, beautiful awareness. Yes indeed……..it is all being done. We need to be reminded again and again.
Love to you at this time of year,
Maxine
Thank you Maxine. Love back to you.
Beautiful. Love the part about staying together through the long night.
May you and your loved ones stay warm in the winter light.
Love,
Sue
Thank you Sue. And may you and Rudy stay warm as well. ?
Thank you Aryae for the image, the poem, and your shining presence/reminders throughout the year. Deeply appreciated.
With love to you and Wendy, Dov Tzvi and Jane
Thank you Dov Tzvi. Love back to you and Jane. ❤️
Thank you for sharing this traditional Hebrew prayer.
Thank you Thelma. Hugs to you and Winona.