5779 Chanukah Day 5 — Sitting in the Light of the Presence

The Prophet Isaiah calls, All the Earth, all creation, is filled with the Divine Presence. -Isaiah 6:3

The Mystery of life flows through all. The trees, mountains and rivers sing with life.

The animals of the sky, forests and waters dance with life. The heartbeat of the Earth sends forth a steady chant. Harmony abounds. As we come into the fifth day of Chanukah, let us take notice of the sights, sounds and sensations of the natural world. May we feel the melodies and rhythms singing in our souls.

Meditation for the 5th day of Chanukah  

Taking our seats, we bring the attention to the breath, noticing how the breath feels as it moves through the body. After a short while, we visualize something beautiful in the natural world; a tree, the ocean, the sky filled with clouds, night revealing the stars, a cardinal, a fox, a river moving over rocks. We breathe into this image and set an intention to feel it, not as something separate from ourselves, but as something we are all a part of. With each breath, we sit with this wonder of creation, noticing its beauty and its life. Each time we become aware that the attention has wandered, we give thanks for noticing and bring ourselves back to the breath and the sensations of sitting with the life force that flows through all. As we close the sit we affirm: All the Earth, all creation, is filled with the Divine Presence, and we set an intention to be amazed by the beauty we encounter as we go about the day.

A Way In Chanukah 5779
This year A Way In has a variety of resources for a meaningful, mindful Chanukah. For our newsletter subscribers, we offer Lifting up the Lights, a printable PDF with blessings for each night of Chanukah.

These blessings are also available on our Instagram, where they will appear in the stories. Follow A Way In on Instagram now.

Daily intentions from the Rededication to the Sacred series are meant to guide meditations during the eight Chanukah days. These will be available for our newsletter subscribers (subscribe here), and our followers on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Chanukah E-book
It is traditional to sing Hallel on each night of Chanukah. "Chanukah Lights: Psalms of Hallel," Rabbi Yael's e-book translation of the Psalms of Hallel (Psalms 113 to 118), is available for $4.99. Purchase the book.