This Ritual Life Archive

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Here you will find out about ways to enhance your holiday experience, to celebrate or mark a meaningful life cycle event, and to deepen your experience of the everyday. Our authors are especially interested in hearing your responses to what they have written. So after reading, visit the Ritual Life discussion forum where you can join in conversation with CLAL faculty and other readers.

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Donating Food and Clothing…

In countless folk-tales, Elijah appears at our doorways as a poor, hungry wanderer. We invite him in, let him warm up by the fire, give him some food to satisfy his hunger, and a coat to keep him warm. After we do this, the tale ends, Elijah grants us as blessing. Redemption, we learn from these stories, happens in the most basic act of living-kindness, sharing food and clothing with those in need.

Meditation:

With these things that we donate, let the world be more as it should be.

Ritual:

As you gather together a donation, ask yourself: If you were someone in need, which food or clothes would you be happy to receive? Supplement the clothes you donate with a bag of new underwear or socks. If possible, call a local food pantry and ask what items are in short supply. Finally, make a swift delivery your priority.

Blessing:

Harachaman

May the merciful one continue to bless me and my family, both us and all that we have, just as our fathers and mothers were blessed. May we remember to thank You for sustaining us. May your helping hand, which is open and overflowing, continue to be the source of blessing for us and all humanity.

Teaching:

And Boaz said: Let her (Ruth) glean even among the best sheaves, and do not shame her. (Ruth 2:16)

the Lord loves the righteous,

the Lord watches over the stranger,

giving courage to the orphan and widow… (Psalms 146: 8-9)

You are not required to complete the task, yet you are not free to withdraw from it. (Pirkei Avot 2:20)

Run to perform mitzvot…for one mitzvah leads to another mitzvah…and the consequence of a mitzvah is another mitzvah! (Pirkei Avot 4:2)

U'vacharta b'chayyim

Make life-giving choices

(CLAL faculty)

CLAL's National Jewish Resource Center develops and publishes rituals that help to bridge the gap between our contemporary lives and the ancient wisdom of the Jewish tradition.