This blessing may be recited while preparing the deceased for burial.
I wash you as journey through the Waters of Life & Death
I wash you with the rain that quenched your thirsts & nourished your growth
I wash you with the wine that comprised every proposed & unproposed toast made in your honor
I wash you with the Living Waters that feed us as an ancient people & connect us to our heritage
I wash you with the blessings that honor the Dead, comfort the Living & praise the Divine
I wash you with the words of Love, spoken & unspoken, flowing from those you leave behind
I wash you with the tears shed by all who love you & all who mourn losing you
I wash you with the salty tears shed by those for whom your absence is painfully palpable
Each drop filled with the emptiness you leave in your wake & the experiences you will never have
I wash you with the sweet tears shed by those who celebrate who you were & still are to them
Each drop filled with memories of moments lived & time shared
I wash you with the tears you shed while this body carried you through your days
I wash you with the tears you shed as you came into & passed out of this Life
I wash you with the tears you shed as you couldn’t contain your joys & sorrows
I wash you with the tears you cried so hard you thought you’d never stop
I wash you with the tears you cried so hard you thought you’d wet yourself!
I wash you with all the tears you held back out of fear, out of numbness
May they flow freely now
I wash you with all of the Waters of your Life
Cleansing all the pain, illness and negativity from your body
Filling in the cracks & dents of your heart
Quenching the thirst of your questioning mind
Carrying your soul onto its next journey
- Kohenet Ahava Lilith EverShine, 2013/5773 (for Joseph Adelman & family)
