Earth Etude for Elul 7 - Creatress of Night and Day

 by Rabbi  Louis Polisson

Blessed is She

Who causes day to pass and brings the night ⁽¹⁾

May She raise up perfect healing to all who are struck ⁽²⁾

Whether they are silent, plant, a living animal, a speaking being ⁽³⁾

Light from darkness, darkness from light ⁽¹⁾

May She bring us out from the demonic fire ⁽⁴⁾

Selfishness

The harmful impulse

May She cause us to cleave to the good impulse and acts of repair ⁽⁵⁾

Deeds of healing

In wisdom She opens the gates of righteousness ^{(1, 6)}

And in understanding she diversifies created beings ^{(1, 7)}

At the end of the year

Facing the head of the year

We have come to sanctify the darkness ⁽⁸⁾

To repair the world through the sovereign presence of the Mighty One ⁽⁹⁾

To distinguish and to unite and to become one

Between day and night ⁽¹⁾

Living and enduring Spirit ⁽¹⁰⁾

May You always guide us, forever and ever

Blessed is She

Creatress of the mixtures of evenings ⁽¹⁾

בוראת לילה ויום

ברוכה היא

מעבירה יום ומביאה לילה

הַעֲלִי רפואה שלמה לכל מכותינו

בין שהוא דומם, צומח, חיה, מדברת

אור מחשך וחשך מאור

הוֹצִיאִינו מאור שדי

אנוכיות

יצר הרע

ודבקי אותנו ביצר הטוב ומעשי תיקון

מעשי רפואה

בחכמה פותחת שערי צדק

ובתבונה מְשַׁנָּה את הבריות

בסוף השנה

פני ראש השנה

באנו חשך לקדש

לתקן עולם במלכות שדי

להבדיל ולאחד אלהאחד 

בין יום ובין לילה

רוח חי וקים

תמיד תִּמְלְכִי עלינו לעולָם ועד

ברוכה היא

המעריבה ערבים

Louis Polisson is a musician, poet, and rabbi, ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2018, where he also earned an MA in Jewish Thought focusing on Kabbalah and Ḥasidut. He currently serves as the Associate Rabbi and Music Director at Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, New Jersey. He previously served for five years as the solo clergy of Congregation Or Atid in Wayland, Massachusetts. Louis and his wife Gabriella Feingold released an album of original Jewish and nature-based spiritual folk music in November 2018 - listen at https://louisandgabriella.bandcamp.com/album/as-full-of-song-as-the-sea.

Sources cited and/or paraphrased:

1. The Ma’ariv Aravim Blessing: https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Weekday%2C_Maariv%2C_Blessings_of_the_Shema%2C_First_Blessing_before_Shema.1?lang=bi

2. The Healing Blessing from the Weekday Amidah: https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Weekday%2C_Shacharit%2C_Amidah%2C_Healing?lang=bi 

3. Likkutei Moharan 4:8: https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan.4.8.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en 

4. Nehemiah 9:7, also in the daily morning liturgy near the end of Pesukei De-Zimra: https://www.sefaria.org/Nehemiah.9.7?lang=bi and https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Weekday%2C_Shacharit%2C_Pesukei_Dezimra%2C_Ata_Hu.1?lang=bi 

5. From Birkhot Ha-Shaḥar/the Morning Blessings: https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Weekday%2C_Shacharit%2C_Preparatory_Prayers%2C_Morning_Blessings.17?lang=bi 

6. Psalm 118:19, well-known from Hallel: https://www.sefaria.org/Hallel.11?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en 

7. Blessing for seeing diverse beings: https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Blessings.10.12?lang=bi  

8. Banu Ḥoshekh Le-Kaddeish by Rabbi Jill Hammer (adapted from Banu Ḥoshekh Le-Gareish by Sara Levi-Tanai): https://opensiddur.org/prayers/lunisolar/commemorative-days/hanukkah/banu-hoshekh-lqadesh-we-come-to-sanctify-the-dark-by-david-seidenberg-and-jill-hammer

9. Aleinu: https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Weekday%2C_Shacharit%2C_Concluding_Prayers%2C_Alenu.2?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en 

10. Modeh/Modah Ani: https://www.sefaria.org/Siddur_Ashkenaz%2C_Weekday%2C_Shacharit%2C_Preparatory_Prayers%2C_Modeh_Ani?lang=bi