17 Elul 5773
By Cantor David Reinwald
Sh’ma.
And at once we were on our feet, but now I am fine seated
Feeling the ground, the grounding of these words, the expression of this wholeness of connection
At once personal and at the same time communal, no matter where
We express these words
Together
One people
Saying listen
In the morning
In the evening
In life and in the anticipation of life no more
In times of need
In all its majesty
And in the simplicity
Bringing us the calm we need as we breathe
These six words are perhaps all we need to connect
Time to time immemorial
Sh’ma.
-Cantor David E. Reinwald, Copyright 2013
I experience Judaism in its fullest usually in its spiritual and emotional presence, and, not surprisingly, through music. While poetry can be cognitive, I think it relates most to the rhythm of our emotions expressed through words and, for that reason, is the basis for creative and powerful song lyrics. This is my poem for the Sh’ma, found in Parashat Vaetchanan. It was written from the heart, in stream-of-consciousness. What is your Sh’ma poem?
A meditation chant that will be used in tonight’s Elul Meditation Shabbat:
absolutely beautiful.