{"id":128,"date":"2014-08-14T19:59:05","date_gmt":"2014-08-15T00:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/?p=128"},"modified":"2014-08-14T20:03:07","modified_gmt":"2014-08-15T01:03:07","slug":"kindling-the-lights-of-peace-a-meditation-for-shabbat-candle-lighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/?p=128","title":{"rendered":"Kindling the Lights of Peace: A Meditation for Shabbat Candle-Lighting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Shabbat<\/a><\/p>\n

It is rare that I write the words I plan to speak during Shabbat worship at my congregation \u2013 Beth Israel in Florence, SC<\/a>. In any case, even if I knew the words in advance, I would typically wait to post my remarks until after the Sabbath was over. However, this week feels different: I wanted to share this meditation before Friday night, that others might use it, if they so wish, when they light the candles for Shabbat.<\/em><\/p>\n

After lighting the Sabbath candles,
\nmany people wave their hands in a circular motion three times
\nand bring their hands to their face when finished.
\nA beautiful interpretation of this practice
\nis that it helps us bring
\nthe light and peace of Shabbat
\ninto our neshamas<\/em> (our souls), our homes,
\nand our families.<\/p>\n

Most weeks, I appreciate this personal practice.
\nBut this week feels different.<\/p>\n

These past weeks have marked
\nthe beginning and escalation
\nof the conflict in Israel and Gaza,
\nthe terrors of ISIS in Iraq and Syria,
\nand the outpouring of unaccompanied minors in America \u2013
\nrefugee children from Central America \u2013
\nescaping violence and hunger.<\/p>\n

In ancient times when our ancestors suffered in Egypt,
\ntheir cries reached the highest of heavens.
\nEven when we differ as to the political solutions to these crises,
\nis it not true that these cries have reached us as well?
\nDo they not circle \u2018round the world and pierce our hearts?<\/p>\n

Do we not hear the cries from bloodshed and violence;
\nhatred and fanaticism; hopelessness and intolerance?<\/p>\n

Have we not had enough?
\n(Ever mindful that we who have had enough
\nare mere onlookers, opining in the comfort
\nof our living rooms!)<\/p>\n

Oseh Shalom<\/em> \u2013
\nYou are the Maker of Peace.
\nWhy is it that you don\u2019t make peace here on earth?<\/p>\n

Shalom Rav<\/em> \u2013
\nYou are the God of Peace.
\nPlace Your Great Peace
\nUpon Your children
\nUpon the world, our world, Your world!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not an expert at peace-making.
\nI simply know that what has been,
\nhas not been sufficient.
\nAnd that what will yet be
\nmust be, need be, demands
\nsomething different.<\/p>\n

It is not enough to send the light from the candles
\ninto my neshama<\/em> alone this week.
\nNot enough at all.<\/p>\n

This week, I propose that as we kindle the lights,
\nall of us present (not only those lighting the candles)
\ntake our hands and circle them
\nsuch that even as we bring the light into our neshamas,<\/em>
\nwe also send it out into the world \u2013
\nout into this room, into this town, and beyond.<\/p>\n

I pray that the light and peace of Shabbat
\nmeet those cries that are circling \u2018round this world;
\nthat it meet those cries with open heart.<\/p>\n

I know that such an action cannot alone bring peace.
\nBut I know that without an open heart,
\nwithout the care and concern
\nof people all around the world,
\nwithout attention and love
\nthere will be no peace.<\/p>\n

We are taught that the Sabbath
\nis the great symbol of and teacher of peace.
\nThese lights we kindle carry its promise.
\nI don\u2019t know how peace will come.
\nBut I know that it must yet be:<\/p>\n

\u201cLet it come
\nlike wildflowers,
\nsuddenly, because the field
\nmust have it: wildpeace.\u201d
\n– Yehuda Amichai<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is rare that I write the words I plan to speak during Shabbat worship at my congregation \u2013 Beth Israel in Florence, SC. In any case, even if I knew the words in advance, I would typically wait to post my remarks until after the Sabbath was over. However, this week feels different: I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,29],"tags":[38,36,37,33,35,48],"class_list":["post-128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prayers","category-shabbat","tag-candles","tag-conflict","tag-israel","tag-neshama","tag-peace","tag-shabbat"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=128"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133,"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128\/revisions\/133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/palmettorabbi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}