Pre-Thanksgiving Practice: Setting the Table with Compassion

A Jewish Mindfulness Compassion Meditation for Setting the Thanksgiving Table

We prepare ourselves for arriving at the Thanksgiving table with a compassion meditation intended to calm the mind, heart and soul.

It is grounded in the last paragraph of the amida:

Sim shalom, tovah, uvracha, chayim, chen, v’chesed, v’rachamim

Place upon us all peace, well-being, blessing, life, grace, love and compassion.

We begin by bringing ourselves to an awake and upright posture and letting the attention rest gently on the breath. After a few minutes we slowly say this prayer for ourselves, repeating it three times:

May I be blessed with peace.

May I be blessed with well being.

May I be blessed with love.

May I be blessed with compassion.

Then we picture each person who will be at the Thanksgiving table and we say this prayer for each of them in turn. (It is helpful to do this slowly so we can notice how the prayer feels in the body as each person comes to mind)

May (_______) be blessed with peace.

May (_______) be blessed with well being.

May (_______) be blessed with love.

May (_______) be blessed with compassion.

We then call to mind/heart the plants, animals, waters and sky that nurture and sustain us and we pray:

May all beings, may all life be blessed with peace.

May all beings, may all life be blessed with well being.

May all beings, may all life be blessed with love.

May all beings, may all life be blessed with compassion.

We close our meditation by setting an intention to place love and compassion upon our hearts and before our eyes as we continue into the day.

— Rabbi Yael Levy

28 Cheshvan 5780