.@rabbispen feeling joyous in our snow covered nature sanctuary. Blessed is God who creates the snow. #snowdaypic.twitter.com/4z730ddOJD
— Rebecca (@Morah_Rivkah) February 9, 2016
It snowed a bit today. Just enough to be a source of endless wonder and enthusiasm for teachers and students alike at The Davis Academy and I’m sure in every school across Atlanta. Today’s snow reminded me of the last snow dusting here in ATL. It was a few weeks ago. Because it was on a Friday I had a chance to lead Kabbalat Shabbat for the school. Knowing there was a chance of snow that day made me think about the whole concept of praying for snow. Thinking about the concept of praying for snow then led me to write a Jewishly-inspired prayer for snow (below). When snow finally did begin to fall on Friday evening I got several messages from parents and colleagues informing me that their children had gleefully proclaimed that my prayer had actually worked. Who knows? Maybe it did! Feel free to modify for your own geographic locale!
“Rabbi Micah’s Prayer for Snow” (in Atlanta, Ga)
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam.
Blessed are you, Adonai Our God, Creator of the Universe.
You cause the sun to shine and the moon to rise,
You set the stars on their course and make the seasons change.
We have You to thank for the beautiful world in which we live.
You have given us many blessings in our lives and give us many blessings each and every day.
Therefore, it is with a humble heart full of love, O’ Adonai, that we offer this prayer for SNOW.
May we, Your loving children, here in the city of Atlanta, GA, be blessed to experience the flaky white beauty of gently falling sheleg.
May we, Your loving children, be able to look out of our windows and see snowflakes dancing in the fields of our fair city.
May we, through Your loving kindness, be able to gather enough snow in our gentle arms to make at least one snowball that we can throw at our sibling, parent, neighbor, or mailman (just kidding).
May we, in Your abundant grace, be able to make just one snow angel so that we, little less than angels, might express our thanks to You.
And, if we are blessed with sweet, sweet snow, may it come only once all of us, all of our neighbors, and everyone in our city has made it home safely!
And let us say together: AMEN!