תפילה לראש חודש טבת ותקופת החורף על חנוכּה | Prayer for the new moon of Tevet on Ḥanukkah occurring on the winter solstice, by Rabbi David Seidenberg (neohasid·org) • the Open Siddur Project

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., eco-conscious, ecoḥasid, North America, Northampton, solstice

Excerpt: Here's a first draft of a brief liturgy for last night, for solstice plus Ḥanukkah. Note that this is a kind of eco-liturgy, but it also stands on its own without imposing an ecological overlay. Since it's still solstice all day, you may want to use this prayer now, or at dusk tonight. . . .

Content:

Here’s a first draft of a brief liturgy for last night, for solstice plus Ḥanukkah. Note that this is a kind of eco-liturgy, but it also stands on its own without imposing an ecological overlay. Since it’s still solstice all day, you may want to use this prayer now, or at dusk tonight:

Contribute a translation	English
	Return again, return again Return to the land of your soul (2x) Return to who you are Return to what you are Return to where you are born and reborn again Return again, return again Return to the land of your soul
	In the depths of darkness, the darkness of the new moon of Ḥanukkah, and the darkness of the sun at solstice, we call to You. In the presence of these seeds of light of the sixth night, we turn to You. As You turn the wheel of the sun, as You draw back the darkness of the moon, may You open gates for us, Potei’ach She’arim, so that we may be drawn through these gates into the holy mystery of darkness and the glowing light of wisdom. “Deep is calling unto deep, t’hom el t’hom korei” (Ps 42:8) — may we be listening.
	“The One who set darkness to be Her secret place, yashet ḥoshekh sit’ro” (Ps 18:12) — may You teach us to see the darkness dancing between the flames of the candles, and the darkness dancing within the flame, so that we may cherish the Earth, dancing between the sun and the moon, the womb of all Life, and see the radiance in all creatures, in the passing of life into life, deep into deep, fall into winter into spring.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ הַמַּעֲרִיב עֲרָבִים:‏	At dusk: Barukh atah Adonai, blessed be You hama’ariv aravim, the One who brings in the twilight and composes the evenings.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹֽשֶׁךְ יוֹצֵר הַמְּאֹרֹת׃	During the day: Barukh Atah Adonai blessed be You, yotser or uvorei ḥoshekh, the One who forms light and creates darkness, yotser hame’orot, former of all the heavens lights.

(with thanks to Riqi Kosovske, Tiana Mirapae, Fern Feldman, and Catherine Keller)