The Earth Prays

Was•Is•Will Be,

The fruit fly lives a lifetime in a day and says its Shabbat prayers every half hour. 
We get our three score and ten and we say those prayers once a week. 
The sun goes on for billions of years and we say a Birkat Ha-Hammah on its behalf once every 28 years.
So when does the earth pray?

Once a year is the Summer Solstice, Tekufat Tammuz.

The Earth it tilts and bends its planetary knees,

It leans and shuckles toward the sun

And says an Earthly brakhah.
And it’s a good one, a prayer of yearning and gratitude for light and warmth,

For the pleasures of summer and the magnificence of that tilt.
And as the planet davens, I will, too:

Was•Is•Will Be,

Before, Now and After,

This solstice morning I also gratefully bend to the sun
Precisely because it is not eternal. 
It just looks that way to us fruit flies,
Whenever the Earth prays. Amen.

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on email
Email

Ritualwell content is available for free thanks to the generous support of readers like you! Please help us continue to offer meaningful content with a donation today. 

One Response

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Rituals

Shop Ritualwell - Discover unique Judaica products

The Reconstructionist Network

Jewish tradition is a storehouse of wisdom and practical application on how to navigate the world of conflict and how we respond to it. In this Immersion, we will explore what conflict transformation might look like in our times. Six sessions starting April 4th.

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.