Introduction
In Parashat Hayyei 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. (Bereishit 23:1–25:18), we learn of Sarah Imenu’s death and burial (Bereishit 23: 2,19). This is a time when we reflect on a person’s life. Sarah Imenu is revered as the wife 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 mother of IsaacAbraham and Sarah's much-longed-for son and the second Jewish patriarch. Isaac is nearly sacrificed by his father at God's command (Genesis 22). He is married to Rebecca and is the father of Esau and Jacob. His Hebrew name is Yitzchak.. It is said that when Sarah Imenu lit her ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends. candles, they shone all week long, and that her tent was open to all who came for food and shelter. “The Sabbath lights she lit there illumined her tent all week long. The divine Cloud of Glory always hovered over it. The dough she kneaded within its folds was blessed, and the tent flaps stretched wide to admit all who came there for food and shelter” (Frankel, 1996, p. 37). With her nerCandle tamid and her open tent, Sarah was a conduit for God’s light. She was a keeper of the Flame of Eternity.
Keepers of the Flame of Eternity: A Guided Imagery Meditation for Welcoming Shabbat
Sit quietly. Relax. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. As you inhale, imagine that you are breathing in waves of healing energy. Feel these waves flow through your entire body. Feel this energy embrace your soul force and your spirit. As you exhale, envision any negative energy – any pain, tension, stress, fatigue – being released from your body, carried away on the soft wind of your breath. With every breath, feel the narrow places within you opening, expanding, becoming filled with waves of deep relaxation and healing energy. Feel this happening in your feet, legs, hips, hands, arms, shoulders, abdomen, spine, chest, neck, head, face.
Imagine you are living in the time of Sarah Imenu. See yourself as a guest in Sarah’s tent of healing. It is erevLit. Evening Jewish holidays begin in the evening. Hence, Erev Shabbat is the eve of the Sabbath. Shabbat. See yourself lighting Shabbat candles with her. See yourself extending your arms, making circles of light to bring the external light of the candle flames inside you. Envision your hands glowing with a pure white radiant light. See this light moving up the entire length of your arms, and from your arms to your body. As you hold your hands over your eyes, see this light flowing to your eyes, to your face and head. See how your entire being is filled with the light of these candles. See yourself as a body of light. Know that you are a vessel of the Light of Eternity.
Now imagine a stream of light flowing from you to all those around you. See the light flow from you to them. Now see this light flow around them, wrapping them in a garment of pure light. They are both filled with light and surrounded by light. Envision this beautiful light bringing the peace and wholeness that is Shabbat.
Like Sarah Imenu, you are illuminated with light from within. You are illuminated with the Flame of Eternity. See and know that you are a keeper of this Flame.
Hold on to these images as you now become aware once more of your breath and the boundaries of your body. As you take a few deep breaths, become aware of the gentle rise and fall of your chest. Become aware once more of your presence in this room. Then – whenever you are ready – slowly, gently – open your eyes.
References
Frankel, E. (1996). Five books of MiriamMiriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron. As Moses' and Aaron's sister she, according to midrash, prophesies Moses' role and helps secure it by watching over the young baby, seeing to it that Pharaoh's daughter takes him and that the baby is returned to his mother for nursing. During the Israelites' trek through the desert, a magical well given on her behalf travels with the Israelites, providing water, healing, and sustenance.: A Woman’s Commentary on the TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general.. New York: Harper Collins.
