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.