(ג) חָנֵּ֥נִי יי כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל אָ֥נִי רְפָאֵ֥נִי יי כִּ֖י נִבְהֲל֣וּ עֲצָמָֽי׃ (ד) וְ֭נַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד ואת [וְאַתָּ֥ה] יי עַד־מָתָֽי׃ (ה) שׁוּבָ֣ה יי חַלְּצָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י ה֝וֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ (ו) כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין בַּמָּ֣וֶת זִכְרֶ֑ךָ בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל מִ֣י יֽוֹדֶה־לָּֽךְ׃ (ז) יָגַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י אַשְׂחֶ֣ה בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה מִטָּתִ֑י בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י עַרְשִׂ֥י אַמְסֶֽה׃ (ח) עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃ (ט) ס֣וּרוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יי ק֣וֹל בִּכְיִֽי׃ (י) שָׁמַ֣ע יי תְּחִנָּתִ֑י יי תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י יִקָּֽח׃ (יא) יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ מְ֭אֹד כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רָֽגַע׃
"Be gracious, for I am diminishing
(19) Adonai is close to the brokenhearted; and helps those crushed in spirit
by warsan shire
they set my house on fire
i cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
i called the boy who use to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
i said hello
he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?
i’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like;
dear god
i come from two countries
one is thirsty
the other is on fire
both need water.
later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt?
it answered
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere.
fulfill my heart's petitions for the good.
Let me be worthy to perform your will with a whole heart.
Deliver me from the inclination to do evil,
and give me my portion in your Torah.
May I merit, with all Israel, your people,
that your Presence dwell upon us.
Make evident among us,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and strength,
the spirit of knowledge and the awe of the Creator.
May divine love surround the one
who trusts in the Eternal.
May my words of prayer and my heart's meditation
be seen favorably, Precious One,
my rock and my champion.
May the one who creates harmony above
make peace for us and for all Israel,
and for all who dwell on earth.
And say: Amen.
Siddur Kol Haneshamah: Concluding Meditations
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love,even when I can't feel it.
And I believe in God,
even when he is silent.
I believe through any trial,
there is always a way
But sometimes in this suffering
and hopeless despair
My heart cries for shelter,
to know someone’s there
But a voice rises within me, saying hold on
my child, I’ll give you strength,
I’ll give you hope. Just stay a little while.
Arek Hersh, written in Aushwitz,
gesher tzar me'od
veha'ikar lo lefached klal
The entire world is a very narrow bridge.
The essential thing is to have no fear.
-attributed to R. Nachman of Bratzlav
(1) For the leader; on Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm. (2) I cry aloud to God; I cry to God that You may give ear to me.
(3) In my time of distress I turn to Adonai, with my hand uplifted; my eyes flow all night without respite; I will not be comforted. (4) I call God to mind, I moan, I complain, my spirit fails. Selah.
(5) You have held my eyelids open; I am overwrought, I cannot speak.
(6) My thoughts turn to days of old, to years long past. (7) I recall at night their jibes at me; I commune with myself; my spirit inquires, (8) “Will Adonai reject forever and never again show favor? (9) Has Your faithfulness disappeared forever? Will Your promise be unfulfilled for all time? (10) Has God forgotten how to pity? Have You in anger stifled Your compassion?” Selah.
(11) And I said, “It is my fault that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
(12) I recall the deeds of Adonai; yes, I recall Your wonders of old; (13) I recount all Your works; I speak of Your acts. (14) O God, Your ways are holiness; what god is as great as God? (15) You are the God who works wonders; You have manifested Your strength among the peoples. (16) By Your arm You redeemed Your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
(17) The waters saw You, O God, the waters saw You and were convulsed; the very deep quaked as well. (18) Clouds streamed water; the heavens rumbled; Your arrows flew about; (19) Your thunder rumbled like wheels; lightning lit up the world; the earth quaked and trembled. (20) Your way was through the sea, Your path, through the mighty waters; Your tracks could not be seen. (21) You led Your people like a flock in the care of Moses and Aaron.
(1) For the leader. Of the Korahites. A psalm. (2) Adonai, You will favor Your land, restore Jacob’s fortune; (3) You will forgive Your people’s iniquity, pardon all their sins; selah (4) You will withdraw all Your anger, turn away from Your rage. (5) Turn again, O God, our helper, revoke Your displeasure with us. (6) Will You be angry with us forever, prolong Your wrath for all generations? (7) Surely You will revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You. (8) Show us, Adonai, Your faithfulness; grant us Your deliverance. (9) Let me hear what God, Adonai, will speak; You will promise well-being to Your people, Your faithful ones; may they not turn to folly. (10) Your help is very near those who fear You, to make Your glory dwell in our land. (11) Faithfulness and truth meet; justice and well-being kiss. (12) Truth springs up from the earth; justice looks down from heaven. (13) Adonai also bestows Your bounty; our land yields its produce. (14) Justice goes before You as You set out on Your way.
Let us be dissatisfied until America will no longer have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds.
Let us be dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and comfort from the inner city of poverty and despair shall be crushed by the battering rams of the forces of justice.
Let us be dissatisfied until those who live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily security.
Let us be dissatisfied until slums are cast into the junk heaps of history, and every family will live in a decent, sanitary home.
Let us be dissatisfied until the dark yesterdays of segregated schools will be transformed into bright tomorrows of quality integrated education.
Let us be dissatisfied until men and women, however black they may be, will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not on the basis of the color of their skin. Let us be dissatisfied.
Let us be dissatisfied until every state capitol will be housed by a governor who will do justly, who will love mercy, and who will walk humbly with his God.
Let us be dissatisfied until from every city hall, justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a might stream.
Let us be dissatisfied until that day when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and every many will sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid.
Let us be dissatisfied until the day when nobody will shout, “White Power!” when nobody will shout, “Black Power!” but everybody will talk about God’s power and human power.
And I must confess, my friends, that the road ahead will not always be smooth. There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted…But difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.
-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Don't say, don't say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts.
I have seen
and you drinking there. And I too
before your eyes
found footholds and climbed
to drink the cool water.
The woman of that place, shading her eyes,
frowned as she watched-but not because
she grudged the water,
only because she was waiting
to see we drank our fill and were
refreshed.
Don't say, don't say there is no water.
That fountain is there among its scalloped
green and gray stones,
it is still there and always there
with its quiet song and strange power
to spring in us,
up and out through the rock.