Pearls of Elul 5786 - Day Six

August 18 | 5 Elul

Among the prayers said each morning is an affirmation of the beauty of our souls. It begins with the Hebrew words

Elohai, Neshama she-natata bi tehorah hi

Here is the full prayer in translation (you can listen to a musical version of this song written by Rabbi Shefa Gold here):

My God, the soul You have given me is pure.

You created it, You shaped it, You breathed it into me

and You protect it within me.

For as long as my soul is within me,

I offer thanks to You,

Adonai, my God,

and God of my ancestors

Source of all Creation, Sovereign of all souls.

Praised are You, Adonai,

in whose hand is every living soul and the breath of humankind.

For those who wonder: what about our bodies? Do we only acknowledge our souls at the expense of our physical beings?

Do not despair. The Jewish tradition has a parallel blessing for the wonders of our bodies. Finding a working balance between our bodies and our souls is a central theme of Judaism.

When we are at the gym, we might be more attentive to matters of our bodies. What about when we are away from the gym? Similarly, when our prayerbooks are open, we might be more attentive to matters of the soul. What do we do when we are far from our prayerbooks?

This is just a next reminder to pay attention to your soul.