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Kindle the Sabbath Lights
Oh YHWH,
God of Israel,
We bless You for blessing the nations
with knowledge of You
and Your Torah,
the true Revelation that Israel was privileged
to be given
as part of its Covenant with You
on Sinai.
We bless Israel for sharing with the nations,
the Hebrew Scriptures
which record both their failures and successes,
their losses and their victories,
for us to learn from.
Through Your Revelation on Sinai,
and Your interaction with Your chosen people,
we have gained knowledge of You
the One True God,
the God of Israel,
the God of the nations.
May Israel’s servant light continue to shine
that the whole world may be illumined
by the Light of Your Torah,
and may we Gentiles who have seen Your Light,
through Your servant’s light,
become sparks and lamps ourselves
to help dispel the darkness
in the minds and hearts of humankind,
Oh YHWH,
Revelator on Sinai,
God of our Sinai community . . . .
As we come together
to delight in this season’s festival of Lights,
We remember all the miracles
You wrought in Israel’s behalf,
And yet it is evident to all
who have eyes to see,
that you continue to work miracles
for one nation and one nation only,
to which You committed Yourself
to see them through
from their birth on Sinai
to the end of the age.
Outside of the timeline of the canon of the TNK,
the forthcoming Jewish feast of Hanukkah recalls yet another miracle
not recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures though surely,
recorded in the mind, heart, and spirit of every Jew
who look back on the reclaiming of the Temple for You,
their God, their Liberator not only from Egypt,
but from all other nations that have since oppressed them
over six millennia of their existence on Your earth . . .
and yet they have survived to this day
to be a nation-witness to the covenant
You made with them on Sinai.
We kindle our Sabbath lights
and join the celebration of Israel,
Your chosen people
who continue to be sustained
by Your grace and mercy,
and Your prophetic utterances
through your human mouthpieces,
not because they are worthy,
but because You are faithful to Your declarations.
“You will be My people, and I will be Your God.”
We are not of Israel,
but we count ourselves among Your people,
for we embrace You as our God,
O Creator, Revelator, God of Israel,
Who revealed Your Name as YHWH, the Eternal,
Who changes not, but will be as You choose to be.
We love Your Torah, we love Your chosen people,
We count ourselves truly blessed
to be counted among those who pray for them,
who pray for peace in Your land of promise,
for You have said,
“I will bless those who bless you” . . . .
As these Sabbath lights
illuminate the darkness around us,
may we be as lamps for Your sake,
and for Your Torah,
by the very life we live,
which we rededicate to You,
on this meaningful commemorative time,
when Israel celebrates their festival of Lights,
O Light of the world,
YHWH,
Israel’s Adonai and Elohim,
God of the Nations,
Our Lord and our God.
Blessed are You,
O YHWH, Creator of the universe,
the Source of all Joy in our lives.
For all the years we sought You,
the One True God,
Even as we did not know You
like we know You now,
Still the joy of seeking You
and serving You and loving You
was always the purpose of our lives.
As we partake of this fruit of the vine
we drink to Your Life in us,
and Your Light that shines upon us,
and hopefully through us.
We drink this wine,
symbol of the sheer joy
of finally knowing You.
L’Chaim, to Life!
Blessed are You, Adonai our Elohim,
for sustaining us all our years on this earth,
with the staff of life,
for food on our tables,
the nourishment of our bodies,
food for the soul, Your Torah,
the true nourishment of our spirit.
[OriginalTune: ‘Give Thanks’/revised lyrics]
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to Yahuwah God,
Give thanks because He’s given
His True Word, His True Way,
Give thanks for the LIFE we live,
Give thanks for the LOVE He gives,
Give thanks for His provisions
every moment, every day
And now, may we give back to our Lord,
all that He requires from us,
to simply live His Life, His Torah life,
Make known, Who He is, declare His Name,
so that all might come to know,
how He revealed Himself to Israel,
Give Him thanks . . . heartfelt thanks . . .
endless thanks.

Image from www.giftsofart.com
HAVDALAH
As we each go our separate ways
looking forward to celebrating
the next Sabbath in seven days,
May the Light of YHWH,
the light of Israel,
and the lamp of Torah
illuminate our way
throughout our continuing pilgrimage
on the one true pathway toward Sinai,
the Mountain of Revelation
the Site of the Covenant,
the Source of Torah Light
Toward YHWH,
the One and Only True God.
Amen.
Shabbat Shalom from Sinai 6000 Core Community,
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