and particularly for the unknown seekers of Your Truth,
who find their way into our Sinai 6000 website
and learn just as we have learned,
that Your Truth has been staring humanity in the face
for six millennia now,
and that all we need to do is
to return to Your original Revelation on Sinai,
Your Torah,
as enshrined in the Scriptures of Israel.
Blessed are You, Creator God,
Whose first recorded words were
“let there be light” . . . .
Whose Light existed before there ever was a sun,
Who designed heavenly luminaries
for visual pleasure and
for guidance to travellers.
In Your Presence on earth,You manifested —
as a burning bush,
a pillar of fire,
a ‘shekinah’ glory cloud.
As we light our Sabbath candles,
May we never forget—
the True Source of enlightenment.
Your Torah is—
“a lamp unto our feet,
and a light unto our path.”
Living Your Torah
virtually makes all Torah-observant Jews and Gentiles,
luminaries, light-bearers in a darkened world.
We thank You, Giver of the Torah,
for enabling us to see your Light,
for illuminating our lives,
so that individually and collectively,
we could become reflectors of Your Light.
Image from sunshinereflections.wordpress.com
[Tune: To God be the Glory!/Revised lyrics]
[If the music accompaniment fails to download on the first try, please try again and again; sometimes it takes repetition to get it done. If it doesn’t download, sing without the accompaniment if you know the music, and reciting the words also works!]
1. To God be the glory, great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He came down to man,
To teach man about Him, His Will and His Way,
Without His instructions, man goes his own way.
Chorus: Praise the Lord, YAHUWAH,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, YAHUWAH,
Let the people rejoice!
O come all believers, give glory to God,
For all that He IS and for all He has done.
2. O God of the heavens, You’re God of the earth,
The earth is Your footstool, the heavens Your throne,
No place in this universe where You’re not there,
Your vastness, Your largeness, takes You everywhere.
Chorus: Praise the Lord, YAHUWAH,
He is easy to find;
Praise the Lord, YAHUWAH,
Keep Him always in mind;
Just love Him with all of your soul and your heart,
From His Omnipresence you’ll never depart!
3. O Lord of the Sabbath, we rest on Your day,
We know that this pleases You and, by the way,
If ever Your Presence seeks rest in our home,
Just open the door, you’ll hear “Shabbat Shalom!”
Chorus: Praise the Lord, YAHUWAH,
What a pleasure to know,
Praise the Lord, YAHUWAH,
That our God loves us so,
He’s just like a Father, He welcomes us all,
As long as we heed Him, there’s no way to fall!
Image from pathtoheaven-ahnsahnghong.blogspot.com
BLESSINGS
Lord YHWH,
our God and King,
may it be that You will remember the
names of our loved ones;
Please grant them Your Divine Protection,
Your Peace, Mercy, and Grace.
May they choose to live Your Way,
so that their names will be added
to your Book of Life:
[Name them.]
Parents;
Siblings:
Spouse; Sons; Daughters;
Grandchildren;
Extended family;
Friends.
Image from www.dreamstime.com
For countless joys that have blessed our days,
family, friends, good fortune, and more,
even those disguised as trials and failures and suffering,
we raise our glasses
filled with the fruit of the vine,
a drink for health, a drink for joy,
A drink to LIFE, L’CHAIM!
For the nourishment of body,
and refreshment of soul,
all these come from Your benevolence.
As we partake of this bread we share,
we remember Your miracle manna
that fed Your people for 40 years in the wilderness.
You are the Creator Who filled nature
with so much variety of sustenance.
Blessed are You, Creator God,
for blessing us with our daily bread.
To LIFE, L’Chaim!
Image from yahuahshomemaker.wordpress.com
Image from www.pinterest.com
HAVDALAH
Adonai Elohim YHWH,
LORD of the Sabbath,
How truly privileged we are
to have spent this time of fellowship
presuming Your Presence among us,
savoring the joy of knowing You,
and enjoying our fellowship with one another.
We have partaken of Your goodness,
lovingkindness, and generosity
in granting us by your Divine Providence:
life, health, family, opportunity,
But specially your blueprint for living—
Your Torah, our Tree of Life.
We have delighted in Your sanctuary in time,
truly a fitting memorial to You,
the God of Creation.
As we bid farewell to Your Queen of days,
we look forward to next Friday’s sundown,
when we welcome on erev, another cherished time with You.
May You grant us many more Sabbaths
during our sojourning on earth,
and when we enter our final Sabbath,
and the material part of us turns to dust,
Since we have endeavored to live Your Torah ‘life’–
may we be worthy
to have our names written in Your Book of Life,
whatever that symbolizes in the unknown world beyond,
when the essence of who we truly are
become part of Your Eternal Presence:
“Thus the dust returns to the ground, as it was,
and the spirit returns to God Who gave it . . . .
The sum of the matter, when all has been considered:
