The World is a Prayer, You are a Prayer-Texts and Meditations for Sukkot

Sukkot is a reminder that  there is not difference between nature and ourselves. We are part of the world, and made of the world. These texts and meditations will help provide a sense of connections between our physical and spiritual selves, leading to a greater sense of wholeness and peace.

Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav’s Prayer

Master of the universe, grant me the ability to be alone;

may it be my custom to go outdoors each day,

among the trees and grasses, among all growing things,

there to be alone and enter into prayer.

There may I express all that is in my heart,

talking with God to whom I belong.

And may all grasses, trees, and plants awake at my coming.

Send the power of their life into my prayer,

making whole my heart and my speech

through the life and spirit of growing things,

made whole by their transcendent Source.

O that they would enter into my prayer!

Then would I fully open my heart in prayer, supplication, and holy speech;

then, O God, would I pour out the words of my heart before Your presence.

Sukkot Prayer By Rabbi Elihu Gevirtz, 2012*

(Based on Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s Likutey Moharan Helek I, Torah #5:2.)

Allow me to sit in the sukkah without withholding joy

Allow me to sit in the makom of your presence

Let me experience your joy

Let your joy be mine

And mine by yours

May our joy unify the elements of your essence.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s teaching of AZAMRA

(Likutey Moharan I:282)

Azamra l’Elokai be-odee!

“I will sing to my God as long as I live!” (Psalm 146:2).

Find the good in others…

KNOW that you must judge all people favorably. This applies even to the worst of people. You must search until you find some little bit of good in them. In that good place inside them, they are not bad! If you can just find this little bit of good and judge them favorably, you really can elevate them and swing the scales of judgment in their favor. This way you can bring them back to God

This teaching is contained in the words of King David in the Psalms: “And in just a little bit (ve-OD me-at) there’s no sinner; when you think about his place, he won’t be there” (Psalm 37:10). King David is teaching us to judge everyone favorably. Even if you consider someone to be totally bad, you must still search until you find some little bit of good in him. There in the place of this tiny bit of good, that person is not bad! This is the meaning of the words, “And in just a little bit there’s no sinner…” In other words you must seek out the little bit of good that is still in him. For in that place he is not a sinner. Maybe he’s a bad person. Even so, is it really possible that he is totally devoid of even the slightest modicum of good? How could it be that all his life he never once did anything good? By finding one tiny good point in which he is not bad and thereby judging him favorably, you really do raise him from being guilty to having merit. This will bring him back to God. “In just a little bit there’s no sinner!”

By finding this little bit of good in the bad person, this place inside him where he is not wicked, through this “…when you think about his place, he won’t be there.” When you examine his “place” and level, “he won’t be there” in his original place. For by finding some little bit of good in him and judging him favorably, you genuinely raise him from guilt to merit. And “when you think about his place, he won’t be there”. Understand this well.

Find the good in yourself

You must also find the good in yourself. A fundamental principle in life is that you should always try to keep happy and steer well away from depression. When you start looking deep inside yourself, you may think you have no good in you at all. You may feel you are full of evil, and the negative voice inside you tries to make you depressed. Don’t let yourself fall into depression. Search until you find some little good in you. How could it be that you never did anything good in your whole life?

When you start examining your good deed, you may see that it had many flaws. Maybe you did it for the wrong reasons and with the wrong attitude. Even so, how could it be that your mitzva or good deed contains no good at all? It must contain some element of good.

You must search and search until you find some good point inside yourself to give you new life and make you happy. When you discover the good that is still in you, you genuinely move from being guilty to having merit. Through this you will be able to come back to God. “And in just a little bit there’s no sinner; when you think about his place, he won’t be there.”

Earlier we saw that we have to judge other people favorably, even those who seem totally bad. We must search for their good points in order to swing the scales in their favor. The same applies to the way you look at yourself. You must judge yourself favorably and find the good points that still exist in you. This way you won’t fall into despair. The good you find inside you will give you new life and bring joy to your soul.

Guided Meditation for Sukkot by Rabbi Aaron Bergman

-Breathe with your nose into the belly, push out with diaphragm. Hold for a few seconds. Concentration comes during the holding of breath. Breathe out slowly through the nose (first few breaths should be through the mouth). Repeat every few breaths. Allow any thought to arise. Greet the thought with curiosity, but not judgment. Where are these thoughts located? Your mind is your ally. What is it trying to teach you?

The sukkah is made completely from nature. So are you. Think of yourself as fully in the world and the world fully within you.

Think about the sukkah at night. It is very dark, but it is possible to see some light. What is that light for you? Realize that the light is within you.

Realize that you are the source of light and that the world only appears dark sometimes.

Breathe quietly for a few more minutes.