I was wholly appreciating my liturgical lineage this last Shabbat, "day-of-rest": aside from the glorious wisdom of divinity we each carry within us, so much of who we get to be in this lifetime has been facilitated, for good or for bad, by our ancestors, the people who's bodies gave ours form.
In the Jewish Saturday morning liturgy, the opening words of the "standing, silent prayer" read:
"DOROT - The Generations Before Us
I stand on the shoulders of all the generations that came before me--Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel--all the parents who begat us in all the generations before us. We are the children of those who survived, and our existence is their redemption -- and for that we are grateful. And we also give thanks for the blessings of grace and freedom which they received and which is our inheritance as well. A blessing of security upon us all, protecting us like the shield of Abraham and Sarah."
--traditional, reinterpretation by Rabbi David J. Cooper
Especially during the wintry season of rest, it just struck me as so reassuring to consider the inheritance of human spirit we are each born with; that no matter who we are, we are born of survivors who made their way through life strong enough to engender us! What a blessing!
My aim this winter rest is to receive that blessing as fully as possible.
