“Praiseworthy are those who dwell in Your house.” –Psalm 84
Praise be to You, Adonai, Ruler of the Universe, wellspring of kindness, granter of mercy.
No place is devoid of You.
No time a stranger to Your glory.
God of AbrahamAbraham is the first patriarch and the father of the Jewish people. He is the husband of Sarah and the father of Isaac and Ishmael. God's covenant - that we will be a great people and inherit the land of Israel - begins with Abraham and is marked by his circumcision, the first in Jewish history. His Hebrew name is Avraham. and SarahThe first matriarch, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, whom she birthed at the age of 90. Sarah, in Rabbinic tradition, is considered holy, beautiful, and hospitable. Many prayers, particularly the Amidah (the central silent prayer), refer to God as Magen Avraham – protector of Abraham. Many Jews now add: pokehd or ezrat Sarah – guardian or helper of Sarah., it is you who binds us together, even when we stand against ourselves.
Lift us from the painful depths of anger and fear, separation and heartache.
You are graceful and mighty, Your wonders stretch across the earth and into the heavens.
We only know today, but Your understanding is beyond calculation*.
When I raise my voice in anger, help me see the Divine Spark in my opponent.
When I fall into inexhaustible arguments, help me quiet my mind for reflection.
When I am tangled in cycles of accusation and recrimination, help me make space for Your boundless wisdom and compassion.
May I never forget, HashemLit. The Name, referring to the ineffable name of God; used as a substitute for any of the more sacred names of God when not speaking in prayer. Particularly used in conversation., that we are the family IsraelLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel..
We praise you together in deserts and on mountain tops, in cities and on open fields.
We study Your ways at home and at shul, in beit midrashA rabbinic method of interpreting text, often through the telling of stories. and in the wilderness.
Together we dwell in Your house.
Help us embrace one another again.
Amen.
*“Your understanding is beyond calculation.” -Psalm 147
