In this thought provoking piece, Rabbi Rachel Barenblat lays out her personal intentions for Shavuot in the form of a prayer to God for heightened awareness and connection through engagement with the Torah. Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, also known by the name of her blog, The Velveteen Rabbi, serves the trans-denomination Renewal Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams, MA. She shared this piece on Ritualwell, a project of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College that provides a platform for creating new Jewish practices and observances.
Kavannot for Shavuot
Everything I do is a choice, whether implicitly or explicitly. Today I make an explicit choice to engage with Judaism, to craft my own path through the living words of Your Torah.
I am thankful for these first fruits, which symbolize the spring harvest and the continual spiral of the turning years. May I eat them with awareness that from You all nourishment flows.
Some etymologists argue that the root of the word mitzvah (usually translated as “commandment”) is related to the root of the word for “connection.” In the 613 mitzvot of the Torah, let me find fluid opportunities for connection, instead of rigid commandments to obey or deny.