March 1, 2005
Havdalah at Women's PeaceLand
Elliott Femynye batTzedek
B'ruchah at
The women gather
leaning into the light of the fire circle
quieting into notes strummed by the hands I love
Shechinah
we begin
the spark that is each woman
woven gently in
boreyt peri hagafen
wine in a tumbler
chipped edges refracting the flames
boreyt miney vesamin
cloves and cinnamon
in a tin jar marked "pepper"
boreyt m'orey ha esh
two candles lit from the fire itself
held tightly in single hand
after single hand
each made by the light distinct
and made by the shadow
part of the braid of decades and dreams
shavu'a tov
shavu'a tov
the women sing
a good week
a week of peace
stars raining gladness upon us
fireflies, more numerous than the stars
rising to dance in joy
with this newest
and oldest torah:
women
peace
land
Havdalah is the ritual for ending Shabbat on Saturday at sunset. Here, I use phrases from the Havdalah blessings, in grammatically feminine Hebrew, with feminist changes and additions:
B'ruchah at Shechinah bitoheynuh ruach ha'olam &endash; Blessed are you, Shechinah (divine feminine indwelling presence), who is within in and is the spirit of the world
boreyt peri hagafen &endash; who creates the fruit of the vine
boreyt miney vesamin &endash; who creates various spices
boreyt m'orey ha esh &endash; who creates the light of fire
shavu'a tov &endash; a good week. This is sung as a closing song, along with the English verse: a good week, a week of peace, may gladness reign and joy increase