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Gather around the Shabbat candles. Before lighting the candles, have each person share a favorite memory of this past winter. | |
Once everyone has had a chance to share, have someone read aloud Genesis 1:14: | |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים׃ |
And The Eternal One said: ‘Let there be lights in the expanses of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.’ |
Have everyone go around again, this time sharing something they are looking forward to this spring. After, have someone read aloud Hosea 6:3: | |
וְנֵדְעָ֣ה נִרְדְּפָ֗ה לָדַ֙עַת֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כְּשַׁ֖חַר נָכ֣וֹן מֽוֹצָא֑וֹ וְיָב֤וֹא כַגֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ לָ֔נוּ כְּמַלְק֖וֹשׁ י֥וֹרֶה אָֽרֶץ׃ |
And let us know, eagerly strive to know The Eternal One, G-d will come to us sure as the morning comes; and G-d shall come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that waters the earth. |
Now light the Shabbat candles. | |
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת: |
Blessed are You, Eternal One our G-d, Sovereign of the Universe, Who has made us Holy with your mitsvot and have obligated us to light the Shabbat flame. |
After wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom, conclude with reciting Song of Songs: | |
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה הסתו [הַסְּתָ֖יו] עָבָ֑ר הַגֶּ֕שֶׁם חָלַ֖ף הָלַ֥ךְ לֽוֹ׃ הַנִּצָּנִים֙ נִרְא֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ עֵ֥ת הַזָּמִ֖יר הִגִּ֑יעַ וְק֥וֹל הַתּ֖וֹר נִשְׁמַ֥ע בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ׃ |
Behold, the winter has past; the rain is over and gone. Flowers appear across the fields, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. |
Happy Spring and Shabbat Shalom!
Reb Yaakov Reef, Shabbat HaAviv 5775
This kavvanah was posted first at Rabbi Yaakov Reef’s personal blog as a PDF, on March 20, 2015.
“A Kavvanah for Welcoming the Shabbat with the Spring Equinox, by Rabbi Yaakov Reef” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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