Soul Guiding Prayer

A white rosebud covered in water droplets against a dark green blurred background.
 
After Oct 7, 2023 and the Hamas massacre of Israelis, I had a vision. Most of the victims died horrible deaths, and I wondered, “how would their souls ascend?”.  As I meditated on this question,  the vision came to me that with our prayers we could help ease their passage, ie soul guiding. Weaving traditional Jewish afterlife concepts – and language – (with the help of my skilled Hebrew speaking friends) – I imagined these souls lifting off with the assistance of angels. This prayer, unfortunately, is needed ongoing and may it offer comfort to those left behind.
 
Oh, Great Guardian of the heavenly gateways of life and death,
 
As we witness the horror, destruction, and pain of friends and families in Israel – and all those innocent lives taken at this time – we ask you to swing open the heavenly gates as their souls ascend.
We beseech you to open the portal between life and death that we all must pass through. Please lovingly receive the souls of those who are leaving this world traumatically.
Help us remember that the body is only a temporary dwelling for the soul, and that it is eternal.
Send your heavenly hosts of angels to escort and carry these beings through the River of Light with song and soothing words of comfort.
As they leave this earthly plane, guide them through the confusion of this early departure.
Gather them in your arms – Shekhinah, wrap them in your wings and may they awaken gently in the Olam HaNishmot, the world of souls where they are able to recover.

Assist them as they make this transition to stardust in the upper realms.
Send them on their journey so they may rest in the Otzar Hanishamot, the Treasure House of Souls, before their next incarnation.

Grant them the ability to forgive and forget, and to know that their lives are not in vain.

Give their families peace of mind by helping them send signs and symbols to let them know they are still with them. Help them make dream appearances to their loved ones, so they will know that they are alright.

Comfort them by connecting them with their ancestors already on the other side.
May all our Matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, and Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and many, many more of the ancestral lineage of the Jewish people welcome them into the heavenly shtetl.

As the Psalms are sung by the angelic choir, may they be soothed.
May their bodies rest in peace, and may their souls rise to the highest level of Olam Habah.

Written October 10, 2023

 

:רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים, שׁוֹמֵר שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִּם, פּוֹתֵחַ פִּתְחֵי הַמָּוֶת וְחַיֵּי עוֹלָמִים

עֵדִים אָנוּ לָאֵימָה, לַהֶרֶס וְלַכְּאֵב שֶׁל אַחֵינוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁחַיֵּיהֶם נִקְטְפוּ לְפֶתַע פִּתְאֹם. פּוֹנִים אָנוּ אֵלֶיךָ בְּבַקָּשָׁה לִפְתֹּחַ אֶת שַׁעֲרֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְקַבֵּל אֶת נִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם הָעוֹלוֹת מַעְלָה. צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָנָּא פְּתַח לָהֶם שַׁעֲרֵי חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָמִים, וְקַבֵּל בְּאַהֲבָה אֶת נִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל אֵלּוּ שֶׁנִּפְרְדוּ מֵעוֹלָמֵנוּ בְּטֶרֶם עֵת 

שְׁלַח אֶת מַלְאָכֶיךָ לְלַוּוֹתָם וּלְשֵׂאתָם בְּשִׁירֵי תַּנְחוּמִים לְתוֹךְ נְהַר הָאוֹר. הוֹלִיכֵם בְּיָד רַכָּה, בְּדַרְכָּם לָעוֹלָם הַנְּשָׁמוֹת 

אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, אֱסֹף אוֹתָם אֶל חֵיקֶךָ, וְאַתְּ, שְׁכִינָה, עִטְפִי אוֹתָם בִּכְנָפַיִךְ. יְהִי רָצוֹן וְיֵעוֹרוּ בְּעוֹלָם הַנְּשָׁמוֹת, שָׁם יִמְצְאוּ מְנוּחָה שְׁלֵמָה לְנַפְשָׁם 

אֵל יְשׁוּעוֹת, הַכְנִיסֵם לְבֵית אוֹצַר הַנְּשָׁמוֹת, טֶרֶם גִּלְגּוּלָם הַבָּא, וְתֵן לָהֶם אֶת הַיְּכֹלֶת לִסְלֹחַ, לִשְׁכֹּחַ, וְלָדַעַת שֶׁחַיֵּיהֶם לֹא הָיוּ לַשָּׁוְא 

אָנָּא, הַאֲצֵל מֵרוּחֲךָ לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הַחֲלָלִים, תֵּן מַרְגּוֹעַ לְנַפְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם, וְסַיֵּעַ לָהֶם לְהִתְחַבֵּר לְיַקִּירֵיהֶם שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ כִּי אֵינָם לְבַד 

עֲזֹר לַנִּפְטָרִים לְהוֹפִיעַ בַּחֲלוֹמוֹת יַקִּירֵיהֶם כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ שֶׁהֵם שְׁלֵמִים בְּנַפְשָׁם, כִּי הֲרֵי הַגּוּף הוּא רַק מִשְׁכָּן זְמַנִּי לַנֶּפֶשׁ, וְהַנְּשָׁמָה הִיא נִצְחִית

אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, הַנְחֵה אוֹתָם לִירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל מַעְלָה וְהַפְגֵּשׁ אוֹתָם עִם אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, וְאִמּוֹתֵיהֶם שָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה, וְעִם עוֹד רַבִּים מִשּׁוֹשֶׁלֶת הָאָבוֹת וְהָאִמָּהוֹת. הוֹשֵׁט לָהֶם יָד, וֶאֱחֹז בָּם, בְּדַרְכָּם לְהִתְיַחֵד עִם הַכּוֹכָבִים הָרְחוֹקִים. יְהִי רָצוֹן וְיָנוּחוּ בְּשַׁלְוָה וְנִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם תַּעֲלֶינָה מַעְלָה מַעְלָה, לְגִנְזֵי מְרוֹמִים

 

Facebook
Email

Honor the memory of your loved one with a donation to support Ritualwell

Leave a Reply

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

Related Rituals

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Support Ritualwell’s free offerings and events and receive a weekly guide with prompts and practices for each week of the Omer.

Ritualwell is here for you! Join us for community eventsand creative inspiration to do this spiritual work. 

Get the latest from Ritualwell

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

The Reconstructionist Network