Minyan Replay with Rabbi Lizzi — How Lovely The Ruins

In this morning's virtual minyan, Rabbi Lizzi read from How Lovely the Ruins: Inspirational Poems and Words for Difficult Times, a poetry collection she has been turning to during this painful time.  Just try not to cry.

Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/

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Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Transcript

So I have been finding myself taking a lot of comfort in poetry. And there's a book that I would recommend to anyone, to all of you called How lovely the ruins How lovely the ruins and it is a collection of poetry. And I feel like even I'm going to I'm going to read you the contents like the the sections in the in the table of contents and I feel like even even naming the sections is comforting somehow knowing that people have written poetry about all these things for years. So the first section is called How lovely the ruins the second against tyranny. Third, the aching the new patriots, gathering strength summoning hope. So I may punctuate some of our mourning with some of these poems today. Actually, you know what, I'll even just start with the I'll start with the very first poem in this book. Try to praise the mutilated world by Adam Zagat Uschi. And I'm pretty sure I don't want to speak out of turn. But I'm pretty sure the title poem was written during the course of the Bosnia and Herzegovina war. He writes, try to praise the mutilated world. Remember, June's long days and wild strawberries drops of rose a wine. The nettles that methodically overgrow the abandoned homesteads of exiles, you must praise the mutilated world. You watched the stylish yachts and ships. One of them had a long trip ahead of it, while salty Oblivion awaited the others. You've seen the refugees going nowhere. You've heard the executioner's sing joyfully. You should praise the mutilated world. Remember the moments when we were together in a weight room and the curtain fluttered. Return in thought to the concert where music flared you gathered acorns in the park in autumn and leaves eddied over the Earth's scars praise the mutilated world and the gray feather a thrush loss and the gentle light that strays and vanishes and returns

I want to invite you to sit up a little bit straighter or whatever position it is that helps you breathe a little bit deeper into take a few deep breaths and just feel your chest and your belly rising and falling expanding and deflating.

And try just for a moment to focus only on the sensation of your chest rising and falling your belly expanding and deflating.

Just feeling what it is to be alive this morning with gratitude

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My teacher and mentor Rabbi Sharon brows, gave a sermon this past Shabbat. entitled, we've lost so much already. Let's not lose our damn minds, which I thought was such a good title. And the sermons worth a listen was delivered last Shabbat, last Shabbat morning. The idea being after last was it last now, to Shabbat mornings ago. There was a week the Jewish people, no matter what political persuasion, they might be coming from, felt terrified, like this awful thing had happened like this, you know, and I'll just give an example of what the you know, just a taste of the feeling is like I was in in bed with my daughter last night just like having a sweet little moment of like, you know, kidding around and you know, being sweet. And and the thought that I had in my head was somebody was doing this when a terrorist came in and shot them both. Like one of one of my family members was doing this was just like having a sweet cuddle when somebody came in and set their house on fire and burn them alive. You know, and, and like our people were having some version of that experience throughout the week. And generally when people are victims, other people reach out and say hey, are you okay? I'm so sorry about what happened to your people over there. Like, I know you're all related Jewish people is not that big. I'm sorry. But that isn't what many of us expect against what we experienced with some version of that's what happens. That's what I you know, I mean, what were you expecting? You know, and, and so I'm pretty sure that reaction which feels just deeply lacking compassion, even though it's, it seems that he's having so much compassion for Palestinians in that moment, there was zero compassion would felt like for Jewish people and the feeling was like if if this is if this is what compassion is supposed to look like, then practice compassion, you know if compassion is the watchword, the the goal for people to live in peace, harmony, justice, freedom, safety, then let that let that apply to us too. Yeah, yeah, I sent it in the I sent it in the email yesterday than let that apply to us too. And if we're seeing folks around us losing their damn minds, meaning like just for a temporary moment, perhaps not having compassion for us, then let us not lose our damn minds, meaning, let us also not abdicate all of the values that have guided us thus far. And let us also continue to hang on to those values of justice, peace, equality, righteousness, whatever it is, that has guided us thus far, let us also continue to hang on to those and not kind of be swept away in the fervor of blame and an excuse making for horrendous behavior. And when I think of showing up in the morning for minion every day, to pray, you know, to gather together having the same liturgy do it a little bit differently every day. But we have these touchstones of reminders throughout the day as Jewish people reminding us who we are, what our values are, what our words are, when we don't have words at the tip of our tongue, the tradition gives us words, you know, and so the reason why I've been starting minion with that to an Amish Cafe theory Szalai him is because I think there are two poles that people are moving toward right now. One pole is completely getting sucked into having this bent. And I'm not talking about people in Israel and Gaza, people who cannot escape thinking about this 24/7 Who are just in it, I'm talking about us here, that like there's the pole to just go down the rabbit hole of complete absorption in this 24 hours a day, you know, wake up in the morning, read, you know, read the news, read what your friends are saying on Instagram, or Facebook or whatever, like, get it, you know, make sure to check all the messages in WhatsApp as anything happened Is everybody okay? And just to completely absorb yourself. And I think it's a little bit like what Rachel Goldberg was saying, because we're not there. We feel like somehow by doing that we're supporting the people over there, or, or at least doing something. But it doesn't feel totally healthy. It also feels like we're like our lives are getting taken off track. But then there's the other poll, which is, you know what, there's nothing I can do. I don't have time for this, I have a life to live. I'm gonna go back over here. Like, delete Instagram, delete Facebook, or just like don't look at it. Don't read the news. Don't read op eds, you know, and like, kind of go into tunnel vision. And when people ask you like, how, how are you? Are you thinking about this? The answer is like no, and I don't want to talk about it. And I feel like I'm I'm now beginning to see both happening. And I feel like minyan what we do here in the morning. And what some people are doing three times a day throughout the day, is an opportunity to check in with each other. And check in with the heart of our people and the heart of our tradition, and recover that sense of connection to our people and to our tradition that has been a lifeline for 1000s of years. And still is even in this moment, helping us hold with like terrible capriciousness, terrible complexity, the compassion that our tradition calls us to hold and that doesn't that doesn't actually that that isn't a policy statement. It's a statement of values is going to translate into you know, people can argue about what that means in terms of policy. But I feel like that is our that is our that is our Touchstone as we as we dive in in the morning, and as we come back to these words of Mo Danny, I am grateful that you put this soul in me God every single morning I wake up and you have faith in me. You have given Me semla gondola, just expansive grace and wrap But I'm gonna tell ya, and your faith in me and in us is enormous. So, I want to invite you if you're not already standing, stand and if you don't want to stand, then maybe you can do these. Do these blessings from whatever position you're in. But I want to now go through Armenian, and check in with our bodies. Go through our go through our liturgy. And at the end, as we always do, you know, we can talk about kind of what the implications of these words are for us today. But let's try to really be present with them. See how they strike us in this moment.

By Rohita Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha machina Thomas F VV nallah have seen being your moving Lima. I am grateful for your for the ability to make distinctions between day and night. Viral Katara and Isla Chessani but Sambo I am grateful that I was created in your image by Raha i don't i No, he no matter how old she is tiny battery. I am grateful that You created me to be free by Rojava i don't i No matter how Allah Chessani Israel, I am grateful that You created me that you are a God wrestler. Baraka Tyrone, I owe you no matter how Allah and poke chaos every day. I am grateful that my eyes open each day with new vision by Rohita I don't know he no matter how Allah maybe shall remain. I am grateful for the gift of clothes over my naked body barrel Katana and the way in America with them material a serene I am grateful for the one who helps us free captives and also release what is all tied up.

So take a moment if you have not already or even if you have to do a little bit of releasing what might be tight what might be bound even in your own body

don't hurt yourself just gentle stretches. If you're sitting in a chair somewhere even just you know kind of tilting your head from side to side giving your neck a little stretch on either side loosening things up

by rule Hi Tyrone, I live in America with arms. Okay, good for fame. I'm grateful for my ability to straighten what is banned.

Go ahead and like bend your knees a little bit. Bend your hips. Bend your back and then straighten up vertebrae by vertebrae. Release your shoulders and allow them to hang a little bit. distancing your shoulders from your ear lobes as much as possible to create as much space between your neck as possible, not without straining. And then take a breath to your chest and then a breath into your belly.

verruca Tyrone either way no matter how them Roca are itself and my team. I am grateful for the stability of the earth over the waters. Bar ohata Don't I mean I'm gonna fight with them. I'm a female today Governor I'm grateful that you prepare my steps by Roca Tatiana Hina militia Sally cold turkey I'm grateful that you provide for all my needs. By ricotta I don't I have no minutes start with Oh Xirius for alle big VIERA by Ruka I don't I mean I'm gonna start with them. Oh terrorists or al Bitsy Farah? Baruch atah Adonai oh he numeric 110 The F COA I am grateful that you give me strength, when I am tired

Behold, I accept upon myself the creator's commandment Thou have to learn how come you will love your neighbor as yourself

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I think the challenge of this is precisely the thing that you think is the challenge of this is that we have the people who we think of as the people to whom we owe this commandment, that people who we would want to love like our neighbors, because we feel close to them and identified with them. And then we have the people who we don't feel identified with. And feel like we owe them this less. And maybe have good reason to, and what I am beginning to see what I'm beginning to see in parts of the Jewish community, but also honestly, like, you know, the news and is like we've we've sort of moved on, from what happened two Saturdays ago. And now the images coming out of Gaza are horrendous. And Israelis are feeling at well, I guess what I want, what I want to share with you is that while whatever is on the screen is on the screen. There's somebody not being shown on the screen who is also in pain, and we need not, we must not be curated by whatever it is that happens to be on the TV or the radio that has limited time to show all parts of the story and the reason why and you're about to hear my colleague Rabbi AMI Hi, lovey. And Tamara Elad Appelbaum, both of whom are leaders in the progressive movement in different ways. She lives in Israel, he lives in New York. But I wanted to share their plea for our hearts. today. As we go momentarily into the Shema,

the Jewish world and Jewish leaders My name is Rabbi Deena Mellon. And for them, I come from your shell. I'm standing here alongside rather me. Hi, I'm standing here as the cousin of hildene was Kyla who was there at the party and was murdered. But we are standing right now alongside families of innocent young kidnapped people. It could be women, it could be children, it could be infants, it could be elderly people who need our help, who need us to stand by their side right now and do everything we can so they can come back home safely. Too many people tell us that it's either or too many people tell us that it's either being Jewish or alongside Israel right now. Or being human. It is not true. It is not true. We can and we must be right now alongside our people and alongside the human family, doing both of them together.

Hello, lovey. I just arrived from New York yesterday to be here for a while with my friends and family to do what we can to solidarity and to echo relic DeMars important words, we must stand with the civic community here volunteers, Israelis and Palestinians, old and young to support the evacuated from the South to Istanbul the abducted to offer healing to the wounded constellation to the morning to do everything we can to take care of the people at this moment, regardless of the government is immense. We know that the violence in Gaza is mounting, and the death toll is unspeakable. We stand with our Palestinian sisters and brothers in anguish at this moment, and will stand with as really family and friends with anguish at this moment, come as must be stopped. While the rockets are still flying on Israel from south and north. While the abducted are not yet safe. We must do what we can to ensure Israel's safety. And while we mourn with every innocent life taken in Gaza, we implore you brothers, sisters, comrades, colleagues, to not take a one sided position to make sure that every position you sign, every statement, every event stands in solidarity with the people of Israel, with the need of the people of Israel for safety, for serenity for hope, stands with the Palestinian peoples deserved right for freedom and justice, become mosque must be stopped. We're here at Kaplan where for months and months people have been protesting the Israeli government and time will come to understand what is the government this people deserves. But for now we stand with a pain, we stand with a hope. We'll stand with a prayer for both people. Our fates are inter mingled with each other. And we need each other safety and hope not one sided. Both. We have one heart that can contain many rooms.

We just finished a prayer with the families of the kidnapped and we wish from this place from their voices from their plea and their cry to end with our clean cry asking all of you to join us tonight. Auslan May God stand with the people of Israel, all of them all the inhabitants of this beautiful country Adonai Ozlem Wheaton Do now you believe that I'm over Shalom May God give us and grant us the ability in our lifetime to see and make peace in this country Thank you Shalom friends rabbis

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We offer a healing prayer and a prayer for the safe release of captives and a prayer for the safety of everyone in Gaza everyone in Israel everyone's suiting up to go serve in the reserves. And who is it this morning that you are praying for in your own life and your own world as well? Everyone whose heart is aching Dana cancer Merle Friedman

praying for your mother for all of the children Celia and Ron Deborah stench. shanafelt They're already saying I'm okay. But is not alright, feel free to continue to thread names.

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all right, before Cuddy's shit tell him I wanted to read something out of the section called cultivating hope. This was written this poem was written on my actual birthday, it says for the new year 1981 I was born on the New Year from 1980 to 1981. So, now you all know exactly how old I am. So, this is by Denise lever Tov for the new year 1981 I have a small grain of hope. One small crystal, that gleams clear colors out of transparency I need more I break off a fragment to send to you. Please take this grain of hope so that mine won't shrink. Please share your fragment, so that yours will grow only so by division will hope increase like a clump of irises which will cease to flower unless you distribute the cluster to roots unlikely source clumsy and Earth covered of grace

All right. I want to go into Cadiz Chateau mourners Scottish. So go ahead and share who it is you might be thinking about as we remember our deceased this morning are departed Our dearly beloved

departed feel free Lawrence Feldman and Mother Yes David Rose George Gordon Harvey Gordon. It Up Stiglitz?

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main in heezy kronum Libra ha I want to there's one poem that I wasn't actually I wasn't actually thinking of, in particular for this Minion, but it's one of my favorite poems in this book. And I and I just want to share it with you. There's so many I mean, I really have to recommend this so highly even if you're not a poetry person, you might become a poetry person because of this book. Again, how lovely the ruins it was the hood Army High poem in here that's kind of timeless, powerful. Maybe I'll share with you in a second hand. Maybe I should consult the table of contents. The poem is called good Good bones Hang on, I am actually just going to look at the table of contents so that I don't take too much of your time

64 good bones by Maggie Smith Oh man, I might cry reading this poem to you. Life is short. Though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I've shortened mine in 1000 Delicious ill advised ways 1000 Delicious ill advised ways I'll keep from my children. The world is at least 50% Terrible. And that's a conservative estimate. Though I keep this from my children

for every bird, there is a stone thrown at a bird for every loved child, a child broken bag sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world is at least half terrible. And for every kind of Stranger no for every kind stranger. There was one who would break you though I keep this for my children I'm trying to sell them the world any any decent realtor walking you through a real shithole chirps on about good bones. This place could be beautiful right? You could make this place beautiful

book again that is such a beautiful beautiful thank you for sharing.

God Yeah. How lovely the ruins inspirational poems and words for difficult times. By Annie Chegg not and me econda

Wow. Should I read that one again? Just because it was so good. If you can, I can I think I can. I think I can hear you ever do. The on a podcast? What's it called? It used to be called speaking of faith on being with Krista Tippett. She has like an offshoot podcast called, I think it's called on poetry, or something like that. And they have a poem, a poet, read a poem, and then talk about what they were thinking when they wrote the poem and then read the poem again. And you know, it has so much deeper meaning. So I don't know what Maggie Smith in particular was writing about when she wrote this, but I feel like I certainly feel that I can relate. Alright, good bones, by Maggie Smith. Life is short. though. I keep this for my children. Life is short, and I've shortened mine in 1000 Delicious, ill advised ways. 1000 deliciously ill advised ways I'll keep from my children. The world is at least 50% Terrible. And that's a conservative estimate. Though I keep this for my children. For every bird, there is a stone thrown at a bird for every loved a child broken and bagged. Sunk in a lake. Life is short. And the world is at least half terrible and for every kind stranger, there is one who would break you though I keep this for my children. I am trying to sell them the world. Any decent realtor walking you through a real shithole chirps on about good bones. This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful