This Ritual Life Archive
Welcome to This Ritual Life.
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.
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Seeing Natural Wonders
I had seen spectacular mountains in the Alps, the Rockies in Colorado. I didn’t think Yosemite would be much different. More mountains, maybe some waterfalls I thought, and it will all be nice – at least I’ll get out of the city. Driving from San Francisco through the dry heat of the desert, we pulled into the heart of Yosemite park as the sun began to set. We got out of the car and our mouths dropped open. What we saw: trees five time bigger than any I’ve ever seen, spectacular rocks climbing to the heavens, waterfalls cascading into lush valleys. We were struck silent.
Meditation
Hishtachavu Lashem b’hadrat kodesh
The world is God’s intensely holy place. Hear God’s voice in the waters, in the thunder. Hear God’s voice in the tall trees, in the forest, in the wilderness.
Kol Hashem b’co-ach kol Hashem b’hadar
Hear God’s voice in power; in beauty. (adapted Psalm 29)
Ritual
Silence. Imagine taking off your shoes, allowing your feet to touch the ground. As you witness the majestic beauty of high mountains, vast deserts, sunrises, lightening and shooting stars, you stand on holy ground.
Blessing
Barukh atah oseh ma’aseh v’reshit.
Praised are You, renewer of the works of creation.
Let me be attentive to the wonder of your world.
Teaching
"And God called the dry places ‘earth’ and the water-springs God called ‘seas’; and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:10)
"The skies will rejoice, the earth vibrate with celebration, the sea roar with it’s full force, the fields sing out, the trees of the forest cry out in ecstasy." (Psalm 96)
"Every blade of grass has a guardian above it." (Zohar 1:34a)
"Most of the time that people speak of natural wonder they think of grandeur – oceans and mountains and forests…so it is good to be reminded that in looking into the delicate workings of nature – the development of a lily, the butterfly wing, the tiny blades of grass on the lawn – we also find breathtaking beauty." (DB)
On seeing mountains, hills, seas, rivers an deserts, one should say "Blessed is the One who creates." (Brakhot 9:1)
Barukh atah she’kakhah lo b’olamo.
Praised are You who has created such beauty in Your world.
(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. We invite you to become a partner with us in thinking about the place of ritual
in our lives and in developing new ritual resources for our time. If you are interested in
being part of this exciting endeavor, visit with us in the Ritual Resource Area
of the CLAL website by clicking here.
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