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When the morning dawns,
breaking through its beauteous cover; when with the commencement of Spring the herbs, flowers, and grass, which were deadened by the rough hand of winter, are newly revived; when, in the bright night, a choir of dazzling stars, beckon down from yonder immense heights: thou do I feel that man, whom Thou hast elevated above all things on earth, whose flight of mind oft’ strives upward to the higher constellations, who bears Thy impress —“TRUTH,” and who aspires to follow Thee, Heavenly Creator, is destined to IMMORTALITY. |
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If the flower withers in the blast of the storm,
if it be prostrated even by the fierce wind of the north, yet when the soft breezes of the Spring are once waving, its portion is to blossom again; and should the sacred blossoms of mankind, in whom the godly spark glows, be exposed to decay, to entire annihilation, after having completed their earthly pilgrimage?— No! when this weary frame slumbers, when we are recalled from hence by Thee, All-merciful, then only dawns for our spirit the sun of a loftier and better life, then only shall we enjoy the purest and sublimest bliss, which cannot be obtained here on earth. |
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O Lord,
Thou who didst vouchsafe the revival of the dead, grant that the hope of immortality may never leave me; when sorrow and grief press me down, may that hope ever be my comforter, and guide me into the land of eternal peace and life everlasting. Amen. |
“Meditation on Immortality” by Marcus Heinrich Bresslau was first published in his תחנות בנות ישראל Devotions for the Daughters of Israel (1852), p. 43.
In his preface to Devotions, Bresslau is clear that his prayers in English were adapted from traditional teḥinot that had earlier been published in France, Germany, and Poland. If you know of a specific prayer that may have served as the basis for this one, please leave a comment or contact us.
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