KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS
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O YHWH,
Primal LIGHT,
on the first days of Creation,
You illuminated a darkened universe,
planetary systems, galaxies galore—
before the sun came ‘to be’ on day four.
All came to be simply by Your command:
“Let there BE . . .”
“Let there be light and there was light.”
Those words reverberate through millennia
since You first spoke them,
recorded in the opening verses
of the Book of Beginnings,
Bereshith/Genesis.
Six millennia hence,
we see the brightness of your sun
that lights up our waking hours,
warms our planet earth,
promoting and sustaining life all around us
and bringing vitality and health to our bodies.
We’re cognizant of the symbolism of light in Your Revelation,
our guiding lamp through life’s pathways,
Your Torah,
which we endeavor to learn, understand, and embrace as our way of life.
We bless Your ‘light to the Nations’, Your light to us Gentiles,
Israel, the Jewish people
whether Torah-observant or not,
they are Your chosen, Your firstborn son, Your suffering servant;
Your people who are back in the Land You had promised to them
but which they lost for reasons their nation’s history attest to;
an unexpected return, indeed —
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
prophetically fulfilling the words of Your mouthpiece, Isaiah,
and the prophets of Israel
through whom You issued warnings
for disobedience as well as blessings for obedience,
drawing the attention of mindful, watchful and awakened Gentiles
who recognize Your Mighty Hand in the scripture-history of Your people,
for You are faithful to Your promises,
whether or not Your chosen have been faithful to You,
You fulfill Your pronouncements through their very existence
in a world ignorant of You,
hostile to them,
unmindful of Your Torah.
Just as these Sabbath lights enter our vision,
Your Torah illuminates our minds;
just as these Sabbath lights illuminate and bring warmth to our sanctuary-home,
signalling our entrance into Your sanctuary-in-time,
Your Torah brings joy to our hearts,
fulfills our hunger for spiritual nourishment;
broadens our limited understanding,
imparting to us wisdom and growing knowledge of You,
comprehension of Your acts in history
recognizing Your guidance in our very lives.
For all these and so much more benevolence from Your Divine Providence,
we praise and thank You,
O YHWH,
LIGHT of our lives,
Whose Presence, we presume,
graces the gathering of Sabbath celebrants
all over the world.
Amen.
[JPS] Tehillim/Psalm 4
1 For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm of David.
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Blessed are You, YHWH,
Creator of the fruit of the vine,
Provider of food on our table symbolized by this bread.
We partake of wine and bread
to remind us of Your daily provisions,
and to thank You
for our —
giftings, talents,
enablements, opportunities,
second chances,
motivations, initiatives,
which inspire us to keep ourselves active and busy
through six days of our workweek,
which enable us to provide for ourselves and our family.
We delight in work, as much as we delight in rest,
We delight most of all in Your Sabbath Rest,
O YHWH, Lord of the Sabbath.
We raise our glasses of wine,
and partake of this bread of fellowship,
and say “To Life, L’Chaim!” “Mabuhay!”
Your gift of joy, O YHWH our Father,
includes the joy we derive from family.
We ask for Your blessings upon the husbands and wives here,
upon widows and widowers who have lost our spouses in death,
upon our children, our sons and daughters,
their spouses and their children.
May all our names be inscribed in Your Book of Life!
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Havdalah
[Tune: “Precious Lord, Take my hand” – original lyrics]
1. Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light;
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.
2. When my way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall,
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.
3. When the darkness appears, and the light draws near,
And the day is past and gone;
At the river I stand, guide my feet, hold my hand,
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.
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Shabbat shalom!
