וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ | V'haya Im Shamo'a (And If You Listen): a prayer in a time of planetary danger by Rabbi Arthur Waskow • the Open Siddur Project

Categories: Earth, our Collective Home & Life-Support System, the Shema, Ecotastrophes

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., eco-conscious, interconnectedness, interpretation as prayer, paraliturgical shema, Philadelphia, Pnai Ohr, והיה אם שמע v'haya im shemo'a, שמע shemaŋ

Excerpt: A midrashic translation/ interpretation of the second paragraph of the Sh’ma. . . .

Content:

A midrashic translation/interpretation of the second paragraph of the Shema (Deuteronomy 11:13-21).

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֺתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם, לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁכֶם׃	v’Hayah Im Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh’mo-a Tish’sh’sh’sh’ma-u: If you hush’sh’sh’sh, truly hush’sh’sh’sh To hear my Name, yes to hear and to listen — YyyyHhhWwwwHhhh; If you Breathe in my quiet, Interbreathe with all Life Still small Voice of us all —-
וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ, וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ, וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ: וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ׃	You will feel the Connections; You will make the connections And the rain will fall rightly The grains will grow rightly And the rivers will run So you and all creatures Will eat well in harmony, Earthlings / good Earth.
הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם, וְסַרְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם׃	But if you break the One Breath into pieces If you erect into idols these pieces of Truth, Bowing down to Big Oil, to Big Coal – If you heat my Breath with your burnings —
וְחָרָה אַף יְיָ בָּכֶם וְעָצַר אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה מָטָר וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ, וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר יְיָ נֹתֵן לָכֶם׃	Then my Breath will flare up into scorching, The corn will parch in the field, The poor will find little to eat, And my Breath, my Wind, Holy Spirit Will become a Hurricane of Disaster: Floods will drown your cities, My Wind will tear down your Power.
וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה עַל לְבַבְכֶם וְעַל נַפְשְׁכֶם, וּקְשַׁרְתֶּם אֹתָם לְאוֹת עַל יֶדְכֶם וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם: וְהָיָ֣ה לָכֶם֮ לְצִיצִת֒ וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם	What must you do? Connect what you see with your eyes To what you do with your hands. Look with joy and respect On the threads of connection That you tie as fringes On the edges of your self. Smooth Mountains of Power Into valleys of abundance. Turn to sun and My Wind To empower my people. Make My breath amidst you A Hurricane of justice — Then the grass will grow, The forests will flourish, And all life will weave the future in fullness.
וְלֹֽא־תָתֻ֜רוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְיָ לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם לָתֵת לָהֶם, כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ׃	Then eysh and mayim, Will join in shamayim: Fire and water, No longer in battle, Will each find its place In the balance of Earth: The heavens will clear And your lives will be lived in heavenly joy.

Featured Image:

Title: Field by Russ J Taylor (CC-BY-SA 2.0)
Caption: "Field" (credit: russ-j-taylor, license: CC-BY-SA 2.0)