A Kavvanah for Welcoming the Shabbat with the Spring Equinox, by Rabbi Yaakov Reef

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=10867

open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license date_src_start: 2015-03-20 date_src_end: 2015-03-20 languages_meta: [{"name":"English","code":"eng","standard":"ISO 639-3"},{"name":"Hebrew","code":"heb","standard":"ISO 639-3"}] scripts_meta: [{"name":"Latin","code":"Latn","standard":"ISO 15924"},{"name":"Hebrew (Ktav Ashuri)","code":"Hebr","standard":"ISO 15924"}]

Date: 2015-03-20

Last Updated: 2025-04-25

Categories: the Dry Season (Spring & Summer), Ḳabbalat Shabbat

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Aviv, candle lighting, North America, Spring, vernal equinox

Excerpt: In the year 5775 (2015), the vernal equinox coincided with Rosh Ḥodesh Nissan, the Hebrew month known also as Aviv (Spring), as well as the onset of Shabbat, and a total solar eclipse. Here is a short meditation to receive the shabbat in embrace of the new season. . . .

Content:
Source (Hebrew) Translation & Source (English)

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,
God will come to us sure as the morning comes;
and God 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 God,
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.

 

Contributor: Yaakov Reef

Co-authors:

Featured Image:
The Seasons, animation by Melinda Kádár
Title: The Seasons, animation by Melinda Kádár
Caption: The seasons. Animation by Melinda Kádár