(ח) וַיָּ֖קָם וַיֹּ֣אכַל וַיִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ בְּכֹ֣חַ ׀ הָאֲכִילָ֣ה הַהִ֗יא אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה עַ֛ד הַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים חֹרֵֽב׃ (ט) וַיָּבֹא־שָׁ֥ם אֶל־הַמְּעָרָ֖ה וַיָּ֣לֶן שָׁ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ מַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹ֖ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיֹּאמֶר֩ קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי לַיהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָא֗וֹת כִּֽי־עָזְב֤וּ בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ הָרָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ הָרְג֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב וָֽאִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃ (יא) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר צֵ֣א וְעָמַדְתָּ֣ בָהָר֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָה֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה יְהוָ֣ה עֹבֵ֗ר וְר֣וּחַ גְּדוֹלָ֡ה וְחָזָ֞ק מְפָרֵק֩ הָרִ֨ים וּמְשַׁבֵּ֤ר סְלָעִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א בָר֖וּחַ יְהוָ֑ה וְאַחַ֤ר הָר֨וּחַ רַ֔עַשׁ לֹ֥א בָרַ֖עַשׁ יְהוָֽה׃ (יב) וְאַחַ֤ר הָרַ֙עַשׁ֙ אֵ֔שׁ לֹ֥א בָאֵ֖שׁ יְהוָ֑ה וְאַחַ֣ר הָאֵ֔שׁ ק֖וֹל דְּמָמָ֥ה דַקָּֽה׃ (יג) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ וַיָּ֤לֶט פָּנָיו֙ בְּאַדַּרְתּ֔וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֕א וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הַמְּעָרָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ ק֔וֹל וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹ֖ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
(8) He arose and ate and drank; and with the strength from that meal he walked forty days and forty nights as far as the mountain of God at Horeb. (9) There he went into a cave, and there he spent the night. Then the word of the LORD came to him. He said to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” (10) He replied, “I am moved by zeal for the LORD, the God of Hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and put Your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they are out to take my life.” (11) “Come out,” He called, “and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And lo, the LORD passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind—an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. (12) After the earthquake—fire; but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire—a soft murmuring sound. (13) When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his mantle about his face and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice addressed him: “Why are you here, Elijah?”
Prayer Before Silence
Ribbono shel Olam,
I know that you are the life of all that is, and that all existence and everything that happens including me and everything that happens to me, they are all manifestations of you, and you are the stream that flows through them all and connects them.
Ribbono shel Olam, Somehow, I do not always notice or remember this. It seems that my self-centeredness easily limits my field of vision, and rather than seeing the ways in which you connect everything, and living in response to that, I see separation and alienation and live my life accordingly.
Ribbono shel Olam, I want to be conscious of your presence without my preconceived notions of reality and my limited desires getting in the way. Right now, and every day in my prayer, I am trying to create a few silent moments in which I can just listen to you.
Ribbono shel Olam, I love you, and I want to be open to whatever you send my way without judgement or attachment. If, as I stand here, you send a thought into my mind I will remember that it is a visit from you, and I will observe it with care and with attention, and not be so arrogant as to try to change it or hang on to it when it fades away. And if you send any kind of physical sensation into my body, I will remember it is a visit from you, and pay close and caring attention to what it is as long as it is there. And if you visit me as boredom or anger or happiness or love, in whatever form you appear I will always try to remember that it is you, and pay close attention to the specific facet of the endless and eternal diamond that you are shining in my direction at this particular moment.
I am so happy just to be conscious of being in your presence in this way.
Ribbono shel Olam, it is very hard for me to achieve such consciousness even for a moment, let alone sustain it over time. You know that is why I come back to tefila every day and try to get better, but I cannot do this without you.
Please help me be truly open to you, if even for just a moment. You have always been there for us, please, split the sea again for me, and free me to live consciously in your presence.
Ribbono shel Olam,
I know that you are the life of all that is, and that all existence and everything that happens including me and everything that happens to me, they are all manifestations of you, and you are the stream that flows through them all and connects them.
Ribbono shel Olam, Somehow, I do not always notice or remember this. It seems that my self-centeredness easily limits my field of vision, and rather than seeing the ways in which you connect everything, and living in response to that, I see separation and alienation and live my life accordingly.
Ribbono shel Olam, I want to be conscious of your presence without my preconceived notions of reality and my limited desires getting in the way. Right now, and every day in my prayer, I am trying to create a few silent moments in which I can just listen to you.
Ribbono shel Olam, I love you, and I want to be open to whatever you send my way without judgement or attachment. If, as I stand here, you send a thought into my mind I will remember that it is a visit from you, and I will observe it with care and with attention, and not be so arrogant as to try to change it or hang on to it when it fades away. And if you send any kind of physical sensation into my body, I will remember it is a visit from you, and pay close and caring attention to what it is as long as it is there. And if you visit me as boredom or anger or happiness or love, in whatever form you appear I will always try to remember that it is you, and pay close attention to the specific facet of the endless and eternal diamond that you are shining in my direction at this particular moment.
I am so happy just to be conscious of being in your presence in this way.
Ribbono shel Olam, it is very hard for me to achieve such consciousness even for a moment, let alone sustain it over time. You know that is why I come back to tefila every day and try to get better, but I cannot do this without you.
Please help me be truly open to you, if even for just a moment. You have always been there for us, please, split the sea again for me, and free me to live consciously in your presence.