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August 2005

This psalm was written by Debbie Perlman and can be found in Flames to Heaven: New Pslams for Healing and Praise (1998) published by Rad Publishers.

Psalm 92: Rosh Chodesh Av

Fading blossoms give way to green fruits,
As You move us toward hot and growing days,
Ripening us, filling us with longing,
Plump and sturdy fruit attached by fragile stems.

Always, O Eternal One, this full and empty,
Never the chuppah without the broken glass,
Never sweet remembrance without the yahrtzeit,
Summer growing without fear of drought.

Hot and dry, hot and numid, hot and heavy,
Blankets not fully dried from fever dreams;
Yet You uncover the stars revolving in glory,
You suspend the sun’s setting in many hues.

Lush and full, the leaves hide and reveal:
So many shades of green in Your palette
That our eyes cannot gather them,
Until we see the contrast of bare earth.

Remind us and restore, Eternal our God;
Fill us and empty us of loves and fears.
Restore our balance and nourish us,
Stretching our souls in the hot air of Av.

These "Spirituality Notes" are excerpts from our monthly E-newsletter. Articles are © JBFCS Rita J. Kaplan Jewish Connections Programs and may be reprinted free of charge as long as this credit line is included.

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