We face westward at the edge of it all, the sea, and stand in our hearts and on our treads and bless our forefathers, foremothers, and foreothers. Those who walked with You and struggled with prayers that alienated them. Those who held on to their religiosity through it all, and those who took different paths. Bless You G!d for holding their hearts regardless of where they were on their journeys.
We bless and face westward with its Pacific, wild and untamed with Your power and might. Bless You G!d of all that is untamed and wild, for only in You do the wild and untamed find peace.
We bless the Holiness of Your many names, be they Universe or Higher Power. Bless You G!d for being all that is or ever was to worship with Unity in Diversity.
We bless the understanding of our true natures in their ever changing configurations, bisexual, trans, lesbian, gay, queer, questioning and all the places on the spectrum. Bless You G!d of all, for knowing us and helping us understand ourselves on every step of our journeys.
We bless our return to You through myriad ways of expression of our Jewish heritage; our choosing of You and Your 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. was deliberate and meaningful, regardless of how we practice our Judaism. Bless You G!d of returning, for pressing the restart button on our souls.
We bless the forgiving nature of families both chosen and originating. May they never hold grudges, or anger toward us in our humanity. Bless You G!d of forgiveness for surrounding us with love.
We bless those in need of redemption, who have hit that metaphorical ceiling, be it glass or lavender, and found that need to return to a common center. Bless You G!d of redemption for returning us and them to a place of comfort and care.
We bless those in need of healing from the headaches and heartaches that the world brings with refuah shelemah. May their hearts and souls encounter a deep healing and their interactions with others be blessed with kindness and health. Bless You G!d of healing for attending our souls and bodies with Your endless love.
We bless the farmers who take their produce to market for all to consume. Their hands, cracked and calloused, hold all the produce of the earth before we consume their bounty. Bless You G!d of the earth’s flow of energy through our sustenance, for giving the farmer good harvests.
We bless those in diaspora, forever searching for their place in this world. May they find themselves at home in You, wherever they find friends. Bless You G!d of longing in helping to heal our inner diasporas.
We bless those in need of justice, those whose black, queer, and trans* lives should matter to us all. Bless You G!d of justice and righteousness, who commands: “Justice, justice shall you pursue.”
We bless those in need of mercy, who might not know You, or Your works, G!d. Like Pharaoh whose heart was hardened by You to prove your might, people find themselves in places of harmful speech and deeds and deserve to be blessed just the same. Bless You G!d of mercy who bends heaven and earth to bring people into relationship with You.
We bless those in search of a metaphorical JerusalemLit. City of peace From the time of David to the Roman destruction, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the spiritual and governmental center of the Jewish people. During the long exile, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem and wrote poems, prayers, and songs about the beloved city. In 1967, with the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem was reunited, becoming "the eternal capital of Israel." Still, the longing for peace is unfulfilled., a place where all are fed and clothed, and all have the housing and shelter that is their human right. Bless You G!d of rebuilding who brings us to a place where our mercy and compassion outweigh our fear of the other.
We bless those in search of acceptance and not tolerance, as we all want to be fully seen for the beautiful Divine creations that You made. Bless You G!d who accepts us and our prayers fully and unconditionally.
And so our prayer and blessing is for peaceful wanderings, kindness, and compassion across all intersectional lines. May it be Your will G!d to keep our tongues from lashing out in deceit and anger, and may the words of our mouths and longings of our souls be acceptable to You G!d of all!
