#BlogExodus: Praise

In her Pesach message, emailed to the Shaaray Tefila community this morning, Rabbi Deborah Hirsch urges us to “…remember the promise and hope for a better world….feel God’s redemptive power….[and] ever treasure God's blessings of freedom and life.”

Indeed. 

Despite the hassles and narrow places in our lives -- crowded subways, disease, bills, spilled coffee, overflowing inboxes, writing by committee, bad grammar, long lines, deplorable manners, narcissists, and the like – it is with a full and grateful heart that I will come together tonight, surrounded by those most dear to me and recite these words:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam,

shehechehyanu, v'kiy'manu, v'higianu laz'man hazeh.

We praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of all:  
for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season. 

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima, this post is one in a series marking the days of the Jewish month of Nisan leading up to Passover, which begins at sundown on Friday, April 3, corresponding to 15 Nisan. If you want to play along, check out this year's #BlogExodus and #ExodusGram prompts. This series of posts also is priming my heart, mind, and spirit to participate in a six-day summer writing seminar, Beyond Walls: Spiritual Writing at Kenyon.