this day is ending.
Thank you for today
and its lessons.
As I surrender myself to sleep,
help me cleanse myself
of striving and struggle.
Help me find rest and renewal.
Help me release the day’s pain.
Give me this night your perfect gift of sleep.
Here, poised between waking and sleep,
I give up strife and contention.
Help me forgive those who have wounded me today
and those I have failed to forgive for past hurts.
May they too have a night of rest and restoration.
I release myself from the bonds of grudges and envy
and my body from stress and contraction.
I close my eyes,
trusting in your forgiveness
where I have fallen short today.
Merciful One,
Watch and keep me throughout this night.
Count my every breath as prayer.
Let me rise tomorrow restored,
to walk in unity with you.
wrapped in the warmth of this day.
Unseen one,
thank you for a day
in which I saw
hints of your presence –
if – when I turned my eyes up and out.
Ineffable one,
this ordinary day
was tinged with mystery
because I trusted I could take new paths.
Thank you, Truthful one,
who today helped me see
I must struggle toward truth
but will never know all truths.
אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם,
צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ,
בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל,
רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ.
הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ,
וּפְרֹשׁ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ,
וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ
לְרָאשֶׁיהָ, שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ,
וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ.
חַזֵּק אֶת יְדֵי מְגִנֵּי אֶרֶץ קָדְשֵׁנוּ,
וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה
וַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן תְּעַטְּרֵם,
וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ
וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְיוֹשְׁבֶיהָ.
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ
אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב
יוֹסֵף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן
דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה
הוּא יְבָרֵךְ וְיִשְׁמֹר וְיִנְצֹר אֶת הַשְּׁבוּיִים׃
בְּתוֺךְ שְׁאָר אֲחֵינוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנְּתוּנִים
בְּצָרָה וּבְשִׁבְיָה.
בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהַקָּהָל מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲבוּרָם,
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עֲלֵיהֶם,
וְיוֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת,
וּמוֹסְרוֹתֵיהֶם יְנַתֵּק,
וּמִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹשִׁיעֵם,
וִישִׁיבֵם מְהֵרָה לְחֵיק מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם.
יִתֵּן ה׳ לְחַיָלֵינוּ חָכְמָה, בִּינָה וְדַעַת,
שְׁלֹא יִסְפּוּ צָדִיק עִם רָשָׁע,
כְּמוֹ שְׁכָתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ,
”חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה,
לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם־רָשָׁע, וְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק כָּרָשָׁע;
חָלִלָה לָּךְ — הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט.“ (בראשית יח:כה)
Prayers for Israel and captives and IDF
Our father in Shamayim (Heaven),
Rock-fortress and redeemer of Yisra’el —
bless the State of Israel,
the initial sprouting of our redemption.
Shield her beneath the wings of your lovingkindness;
spread over her your Sukkah of peace;[1]
send your light and your truth
to its leaders, officers, and counselors,
and correct them with your good counsel.
Strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land;
grant them, our elo’ah, salvation,
and crown them with victory.
Establish peace in the land,
and everlasting joy for her inhabitants.
The One who blessed our forefathers,
Avraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yaaqov,
Yosef, Mosheh, and Aharon,
David and Shlomo,
may they bless and safeguard and preserve the captives: among their brethren in the House of Yisrael
in trouble and captivity.
In the merit of the prayers of this holy assemblage who pray for them,
may the blessed Holy One shower compassion over them,
and deliver them from darkness and strife,
remove their bondage,
deliver them from their afflictions,
and return them speedily to their families.
May Hashem give our soldiers wisdom, understanding, and insight,
so that they do not destroy the righteous with the wicked,
as it is written in Your Torah:
“Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating them the same.
Far be it from you – should the Judge of all the Earth not do justice?” (Genesis 18:25)
GetA writ of divorce. Traditionally, only a man can grant his wife a get. Liberal Jews have amended this tradition, making divorce more egalitarian. out, leave this place
and go to a land I will show you
and you will be a blessing.
Or is the better translation –
Go into yourself,
you are the land I will show you,
you are the land you do not know –
this is the journeying toward becoming a blessing.
Which journey did I take today?