It's considered a segulah to say a prayer for our children on the day before Rosh Chodesh Sivan (http://tefilashashla.blogspot.com/). This prayer was composed by the Shaloh HaKodesh. It's a prayer for them to be good Jews. To desire to serve Hashem. To be kind and good people. To study Torah. All good things. But today it struck me. It was very specific to male offspring.
Why doesn't it mention the girls? They are more important for Jewish continuity than the boys. Today I decided that I'm making up a tefillah for my daughters.
I beg from Hashem that our daughters should be strong women like Sara, Rivka, Rochel, Leah, Yocheved, Miriam, Devorah, Chana and Rus who made the hard decisions when it would have been easier not to.
Like the women in Russia or Morocco (paradigmatic Ashkenaz and Sfard), who knew how to buck the system and stay true to Torah despite the pull of secular freedoms.
Who were able to support their husbands and sons in stifling poverty to be lomdei Torah, gomlei chassadim and yorei shamayim when it was easier to fear the government and its representatives.
Who kept store, washed laundry, gathered sticks and ran businesses with babies on their backs.
Who worked endless hours to feed their families and visiting Yeshiva students and still manage to pull a few moments together for their own personal prayers.
For the women's tears that must fill many buckets in shamayim in hope to be counted among those are are called 'Ashrei Yoladeta/o'.
Who turn out to be women the next generation can look to for role models and good advice.
Yep. That's the tefillah for me.
Yehiyu leratzon imrei fi vehegyon libi lefanecha.
Stand back in case of lightning strikes.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
