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In Search of Seraḥ: A Prayer to Seraḥ by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

Image: Jewish cemetery in Linjan, Esfahan Province, Iran, the location of Seraḥ's tomb. Attribution: Farhad24 (Public Domain)

[In Parshat Vayigash] we read of the members of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. There were 53 grandsons listed, but only a single granddaughter – Seraḥ, the daughter of Asher. The commentators wonder, what was so exceptional about this girl that her name was recorded? The Midrash spills forth with stories portraying an image of a unique and endearing Biblical heroine. Seraḥ stands as a trusted, beloved sage of the people. She possessed an uncommon gift of healing through poetry and music. Somewhat as Orpheus is to Greek myth, so is Seraḥ to the Biblical myth – the archetypal poet and bard. . . . → Read More: In Search of Seraḥ: A Prayer to Seraḥ by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

A Prayer for Candle-lighting by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

Image: "Candlelight" by apdk (License: CC-BY 2.0)

Please God Let me light More than flame tonight. More than wax and wick and sliver stick of wood. More than shallow stream of words recited from a pocket book. . . . → Read More: A Prayer for Candle-lighting by Chaya Kaplan-Lester

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