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	<title>tagged: Periodical cicadas &#8226; the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ</title>
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	<title>tagged: Periodical cicadas &#8226; the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ</title>
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		<title>כַּוָּנָה וּבְרָכָה עַל רְאִיַּת נְחִיל רֶמֶשׂ גָּדוֹל עַד־מְאוֹד &#124; Kavvanah and Blessing for Observing a Massive Swarm of Creeping Things, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer</title>
		<link>https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/earth/kavvanah-and-blessing-for-observing-a-massive-swarm-of-creeping-things/</link>
					<comments>https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/earth/kavvanah-and-blessing-for-observing-a-massive-swarm-of-creeping-things/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Isaac Gantwerk Mayer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 May 2021 02:59:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[the Dry Season (Spring & Summer)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Earth, our Collective Home & Life-Support System]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crawling things]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[21st century C.E.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[58th century A.M.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Periodical cicadas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brood X]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://opensiddur.org/?p=37171</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[There are blessings for beautiful vistas, and there are blessings for powerful weather. But is there a blessing for giant swarms of bugs? Certainly! There just wasn't a kavvanah for it... yet. Inspired by the appearance of Brood X in May 2021, this is a meditation and blessing for the unique experience of seeing an enormous number of non-dangerous insects. Cicadas are NOT a plague — they don't eat crops or spread disease, but they do help revitalize the soil and keep forest ecosystems healthy. As a natural part of the universal order, we should work to see the divinity and goodness in them, even if we might normally think of them as gross.
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn" style="font-size: 1.2em;">
There are blessings for beautiful vistas, and there are blessings for powerful weather. But is there a blessing for giant swarms of bugs? Certainly! There just wasn&#8217;t a kavvanah for it&#8230; yet. Inspired by the appearance of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brood_X">Brood X</a> in May 2021, this is a meditation and blessing for the unique experience of seeing an enormous number of non-dangerous insects. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodical_cicadas">Cicadas</a> are NOT a plague — they don&#8217;t eat crops or spread disease, but they do help revitalize the soil and keep forest ecosystems healthy. As a natural part of the universal order, we should work to see the divinity and goodness in them, even if we might normally think of them as gross.</p>
<p>Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.”
</p></div>
<hr />
<table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="draggable toggleable-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th id="x" style="text-align: right;">Source (Hebrew)</th>
<th style="text-align: left;">Translation (English)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ,<br />
בִּדְחִֽילוּ וּרְחִֽימוּ וּרְחִֽימוּ וּדְחִֽילוּ,<br />
לְיַחֲדָא שֵׁם יוֹ״ד־הֵ״י בְּוָא״ו־הֵ״י בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים,<br />
בְּשֵׁם כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל.<br />
הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵּם<br />
מִצְוַת שְׁתֵי הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה<br />
עַל־רְאִיַּת תּוֹפָעוֹת מְיֻחָדוֹת בַּטֶּֽבַע.<br />
וְהִנֵּה הַבְּרָכָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הִיא בְּרָכָה<br />
עַל־הַתּוֹפָעוֹת שֶׁנִּכָּר בָּהֶם כּוֹחוֹ וּגְדֻלָּתוֹ<br />
וְהַבְּרָכָה הָאַחֲרוֹנָה הִיא בְּרָכָה<br />
עַל־הַתּוֹפָעוֹת שֶׁנִּטְבְּעוּ־כָּךְ בִּבְרִיאַת הָעוֹלָם׃<br />
וְאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁלֹּא תָּמִיד בְּיָדֵֽינוּ לִרְאוֹת אֶת־יׇפְיָם שֶׁבָּהֶם,<br />
יׇפְיָם שֶׁבָּהֶם תָּמִיד בָּהֶם׃
</div>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
To encourage a uniting of <span class="divine-referent">the blessed Holy One</span> with the Presence,<br />
in awe and in love, in love and in awe,<br />
to unite the names Yod-Heh and Waw-Heh in inseparable unity<br />
for all of Israel’s sake,<br />
here I am, ready and prepared to fulfill<br />
the commandment of the two blessings that the sages of blessed memory ordained<br />
for the sight of unique natural phenomena.<br />
And behold, the former blessing is a blessing<br />
for the phenomena in which is revealed Divine strength and power,<br />
and the latter blessing is a blessing<br />
for phenomena which were established as such in the creation of the universe.<br />
And although we are not always capable of seeing the beauty that is within them,<br />
their beauty is always within them.
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
כַּכָּתוּב בְּסֵֽפֶר קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ עַל הַשָּׁבֽוּעַ הָרִאשׁוֹן —<br />
וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃ <span class="citation">(בראשית א:כא,כה)</span>
</div>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
As it is written in Your holy Book about the first week:<br />
And God saw that it was good.<span class="footnote_referrer"><a role="button" tabindex="0" onclick="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_1');" onkeypress="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_1');" ><sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_1" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text">[1]</sup></a><span id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_1" class="footnote_tooltip"> Multiple places in Genesis 1, but specifically vv. 21 and 25 are referenced here.&nbsp;</span></span><script type="text/javascript"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'center right', relative: true, offset: [0, 0], });</script>
</div>
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
וּבְמִשְׁלֵי הַמֶּֽלֶךְ הַיּוֹדֵֽעַ לְשׁוֹן הַחִיּוּת כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר —<br />
מֶ֭לֶךְ אֵ֣ין לָאַרְבֶּ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֖א חֹצֵ֣ץ כֻּלּֽוֹ׃ <span class="citation">(משלי ל:כז)</span>
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</td>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
And in the proverbs of the king<span class="footnote_referrer"><a role="button" tabindex="0" onclick="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_2');" onkeypress="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_2');" ><sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_2" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text">[2]</sup></a><span id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_2" class="footnote_tooltip"> Solomon.&nbsp;</span></span><script type="text/javascript"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'center right', relative: true, offset: [0, 0], });</script> who knew the tongue of animals it is written, saying:<br />
The locusts have no king, but go out all regimented. <span class="citation">(Proverbs 30:27)</span>
</div>
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
וּבִנְבוּאַת חׇזְקֵי־הָאֵל הַבָּאִים כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר —<br />
וְהָיָ֣ה כׇל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֣ה ׀ אֲֽשֶׁר־יִשְׁרֹ֡ץ אֶ֣ל כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר֩ יָב֨וֹא שָׁ֤ם נַחֲלַ֙יִם֙ יִֽחְיֶ֔ה<br />
וְהָיָ֥ה הַדָּגָ֖ה רַבָּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד כִּי֩ בָ֨אוּ שָׁ֜מָּה הַמַּ֣יִם הָאֵ֗לֶּה<br />
וְיֵרָֽפְאוּ֙ וָחָ֔י כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יָ֥בוֹא שָׁ֖מָּה הַנָּֽחַל׃ <span class="citation">(יחזקאל מז:ט)</span>
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</td>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
And in the prophecy of the strengths of God<span class="footnote_referrer"><a role="button" tabindex="0" onclick="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_3');" onkeypress="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_3');" ><sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_3" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text">[3]</sup></a><span id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_3" class="footnote_tooltip"> “the strengths of God” is ḥozqei El, a pun on Yeḥezqel (Ezekiel).&nbsp;</span></span><script type="text/javascript"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'center right', relative: true, offset: [0, 0], });</script> to come it is written, saying:<br />
And it will be, that all living beings that swarm will live wherever the twain streams come,<br />
and there will be a great many fish when these waters have come there,<br />
and it will be healing, and everything that comes where the stream comes will live. <span class="citation">(Ezekiel 47:9)</span>
</div>
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
וְתָּנוּ רַבָּנַן,<br />
אָדָם נִבְרָא בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת וּמִפְּנֵי מָה?<br />
&#8230;שֶׁאִם תָּזוּחַ דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו אוֹמֵר לוֹ<br />
יַתּוּשׁ קְדָמְךָ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית׃ <span class="citation">(תוספתא סנהדרין ח:ד)</span>
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<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
And our Rabbis taught in the Tosefta,<br />
Man was created on Shabbat eve why?&#8230;<br />
So that if his mind becomes haughty, to say to him,<br />
The gnat preceded you in the makings of creation! <span class="citation">(Tosefta Sanhedrin 8:4)</span><span class="footnote_referrer"><a role="button" tabindex="0" onclick="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_4');" onkeypress="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_4');" ><sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_4" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text">[4]</sup></a><span id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_4" class="footnote_tooltip"> cited in Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 38a.&nbsp;</span></span><script type="text/javascript"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'center right', relative: true, offset: [0, 0], });</script>
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<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
אַתָּה יָצַרְתָּ אֶת־כׇּל־הַגְּדוֹלִים וְאֶת־כׇּל־הַקְּטֻנִּים<br />
וְנֹאמַר כִּי הִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד׃<br />
וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ<br />
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ<br />
וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃ <span class="citation">(תהלים צ:יז)</span>
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</td>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
You made everything great and everything small,<br />
and we say that it is all very good.<br />
May the favor of the Master our God be upon us,<br />
and may the makings of our hands be established upon us,<br />
and establish the makings of our hands! <span class="citation">(Psalms 90:17)</span><span class="footnote_referrer"><a role="button" tabindex="0" onclick="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_5');" onkeypress="footnote_moveToReference_37171_1('footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_5');" ><sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_5" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text">[5]</sup></a><span id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_5" class="footnote_tooltip"> the traditional conclusion of a meditation.&nbsp;</span></span><script type="text/javascript"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_37171_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'center right', relative: true, offset: [0, 0], });</script>
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<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה<br />
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ<br />
 מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם<br />
 שֶׁכֹּחוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ מָלֵא עוֹלָם׃
</div>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
Blessed are You,<br />
CAUSE our God,<br />
Sovereign of the Universe,<br />
whose strength and power fills the world.
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="liturgy" lang="heb-Hebr">
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה<br />
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ<br />
 מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם<br />
 עוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה בְרֵאשִׁית׃
</div>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:top;">
<div class="english" lang="eng-Latn">
Blessed are You,<br />
CAUSE our God,<br />
Sovereign of the Universe,<br />
who makes the makings of creation.
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<hr />
<p>This kavvanah was prepared by the author during the emergence of the brood X of periodical cicadas in the eastern region of the United States of America in the third week of May 2021.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container"> <div class="footnote_container_prepare"><p><span role="button" tabindex="0" class="footnote_reference_container_label pointer" onclick="footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_37171_1();">Notes</span><span role="button" tabindex="0" class="footnote_reference_container_collapse_button" style="display: none;; display: none;" onclick="footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_37171_1();"></span></p></div> <div id="footnote_references_container_37171_1" style=""><table class="footnotes_table footnote-reference-container"><caption class="accessibility">Notes</caption> <tbody> 

<tr class="footnotes_plugin_reference_row"> <th scope="row" id="footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_1" class="footnote_plugin_index pointer" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor_37171_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_1');"><a role="button" tabindex="0" class="footnote_plugin_link" >1</a></th> <td class="footnote_plugin_text">Multiple places in Genesis 1, but specifically vv. 21 and 25 are referenced here.</td></tr>

<tr class="footnotes_plugin_reference_row"> <th scope="row" id="footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_2" class="footnote_plugin_index pointer" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor_37171_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_2');"><a role="button" tabindex="0" class="footnote_plugin_link" >2</a></th> <td class="footnote_plugin_text">Solomon.</td></tr>

<tr class="footnotes_plugin_reference_row"> <th scope="row" id="footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_3" class="footnote_plugin_index pointer" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor_37171_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_3');"><a role="button" tabindex="0" class="footnote_plugin_link" >3</a></th> <td class="footnote_plugin_text">“the strengths of God” is ḥozqei El, a pun on Yeḥezqel (Ezekiel).</td></tr>

<tr class="footnotes_plugin_reference_row"> <th scope="row" id="footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_4" class="footnote_plugin_index pointer" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor_37171_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_4');"><a role="button" tabindex="0" class="footnote_plugin_link" >4</a></th> <td class="footnote_plugin_text">cited in Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 38a.</td></tr>

<tr class="footnotes_plugin_reference_row"> <th scope="row" id="footnote_plugin_reference_37171_1_5" class="footnote_plugin_index pointer" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor_37171_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_37171_1_5');"><a role="button" tabindex="0" class="footnote_plugin_link" >5</a></th> <td class="footnote_plugin_text">the traditional conclusion of a meditation.</td></tr>

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