Tag Archives: Quotation Station
Quotation Station
Prayer for Those Being Held in Captivity
May the One who blessed Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David, and Solomon bless, watch, and guard those missing from the Israel Defense Forces and our brethren of the House of Israel that are situated in distress and in captivity.
May the Holy One, blessed be He, grant mercy upon them, take them out from darkness and gloom, break their chains, redeem them from their ordeals, and return them quickly to the comfort of their families.
“Let them praise the Lord for His kindness, and His wondrous deeds for the children of man” (Psalms 107:8).
And through them, let the verse (Isaiah 35:10) be fulfilled, “And the Lord’s ransomed shall return, and come with shouting to Zion, crowned with joy everlasting; they shall attain joy and gladness, while sorrow and sighing flee.”
And let us say, Amen!
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Quotation Station
Shabbat Shalom to all those
praying for peace!
May He who blessed our fathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, in their standing guard upon our land and the cities of our God on land, in the air, and in the sea.
May the Lord give our enemies that rise against us plagues in front of them.
May the Holy One, blessed be He, guard and rescue our soldiers from all trouble and distress and from all affliction and illness; and send blessing and success in all the work of their hands.
May He crush those that hate us below them and crown them with the crown of salvation and with the wreath of victory.
And through them let the verse be fulfilled (Deuteronomy 20:4),
“For it is the Lord, your God, that walks with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you.”
And let us say, Amen.
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Quotation Station
Sometimes, when we’re so overwhelmed by events that we cannot find the words to express the many emotions we experience throughout the day, it’s good and acceptable to consult the wisdom of those who came before us. Consider King David, a man after Adonai’s own heart, who wrote down his words and organized them into the prayers we can access today.
Many are taught the freedom of expression that comes when speaking with Adonai, and yes, it does exist. But what many are not taught is the awesome benefit of praying “the prayers” as they are recorded in the Bible and elsewhere. Imagine, people all across the world saying the same words at the same time. “But how can we actually be praying them at the same time unless we coordinated beforehand?” you ask.
Because Adonai is outside of time. Shabbat Shalom to those seeking rest and peace.
Avinu Shebashamayim
“Avinu Shebashamayim, Rock and Redeemer of Israel
Bless the State of Israel, the start of flowering of Redemption.
Shield it with Your love; spread over it the shelter of Your peace
Guide its leaders and advisors with Your light and Your truth.
Establish for them Your good counsel.
Strengthen the hands of the defenders of our Holy Land
Cause them to inherit, our G-d, deliverance
Place the crown of victory upon them
Give the land peace, and everlasting joy to its inhabitants
And visit all our Brethren of the house of Israel,
in all the lands where they are scattered,
and bring them rapidly to Zion, Your city,
and to Jerusalem, where Your name lives,
as it says in the Torah of Moses, Your servant:
‘Even if your dwelling is at the end of the sky,
G-d will congregate you from there, and bring you from there,
and will bring you toward the land that Your forefathers inherited
and you will inherit it and G-d shall benefit you
and multiply your numbers greater than your forefathers.
Then the LORD your G-d will open up your heart
and the hearts of your offspring to love the LORD your G-d
with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live.’
Unify our hearts to love and worship Your name and to keep all that is in Your Torah,
and send us the son of David, the Messiah of Your justice,
to redeem those who wait for Your salvation.
Appear with the glory and the pride of Your strength,
in front of all the inhabitants of the Universe,
and all those who have breath will say:
The G-d of Israel is the King,
and He reigns over everything.
Amen, forever.”
(Courtesy of Sefaria)
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Quotation Station
In a speech to the Senate on January 22, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson called for the European war to be brought to an end through “a peace without victory.” This, he argued, was the only sort of peace that could produce a lasting settlement: Victory would mean peace forced upon the loser, a victor’s terms imposed upon the vanquished. President Wilson was mere a politician who would spew whatever he believed people wanted to hear and who clearly did not understand that peace will never be achieved without victory when you face an enemy hellbent on destroying you. And that is why we ended up with a second World War.
Israel, unlike America who, although buffered on two sides by vast oceans still felt the touch of the enemy on both coasts, is a country about the size of New Jersey, surrounded by enemies, and virtually land locked. Israel does not have the luxury of stopping until her enemies are vanquished. Still, in the face of great adversity from all sides, Israelis came together to fight as one.
My prayer for Israel is peace ~ the peace that can only be achieved by victory with the help of Adonai. My prayer for Israel is that they will enjoy a day of rest this Shabbat. My prayer for Israel includes blessing:
Misha & Marty Goetz – The Aaronic Benediction
(WATCH ON THE BRAVE BROWSER TO AVOID ADVERTISEMENTS.)
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Quotation Station
Today’s Quotation Station includes a Hanukkah report from last night’s celebration, which was a smashing success. It always is, though, when dining on pizza and wings from our favorite restaurant, Gionino’s. It may not be typical Hanukkah food, but when my husband, son, and I worked Thursday, well, takeout it is! Besides, in the past, we tried to consume all the fried food the celebration usually calls for and just about killed ourselves.
We joined my parents at their home, lit all the candles Will required in his desire to shine extra bright this Hanukkah, and had a great time visiting, laughing, joking, and just generally basking in Adonai’s light. You know, I just realized I forgot to take a picture of all the extra tealights, but I can tell you they were gorgeous! The house just glowed with true shalom.
The hanukkiah always looks a little sparse with only two candles (the shamash and the first night candle), but like hope, as each successive candle is added, the light grows, and grows, and grows!
One lesson I have learned with Hanukkah is that patience is key. Isn’t that true with most things in our lives? We want success, rescue, answers, and basically everything immediately. That’s the beauty of Hanukkah: the Light, like wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and discernment, builds over time. And if you’re paying attention, you gain some maturity along the way and realize this is how it should be.
I’m offering tonight’s prayer while lighting your hanukkiah as today’s quotation:
Praised are you, Lord our G-d,
Ruler of the universe,
who performed wonderous deeds for
our ancestors at this season.
Tonight is also an extra special night of Hanukkah because it’s also Erev Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom! Don’t forget to light your Shabbat candles, too!
See you at sundown when we add a little more Light to an otherwise dark world.
~The Gibsons
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Quotation Station
Shabbat Shalom to all the creatives waiting patiently for the dross to be burned away!
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
~Isaiah 26:3
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Quotation Station
I usually post a Quotation Station with Shabbat blessings for everyone on Friday, and today will be no different. However, this time, you’re going to receive a little more because Thanksgiving was yesterday, and I’m still experiencing an abundance of gratitude that I’d love to share with you. If you noticed that my post is late today, well, that’s also because of Thanksgiving and the days of preparation leading up to it!
If you follow me on Facebook, you may have noticed a post wherein I mourned the loss of my challah rising bowl. The unexpected destruction took place with my own hands as I lifted the bowl from the bottom rack of the dishwasher, knocked the edge against a plate, and then cringed when I heard the sickening sound of glass breaking.
I thought for sure the plate was a goner because my challah bowl was thick and sturdy. Unfortunately, a chunk of the edge of my beloved bowl was missing, and a crack had snaked up the side. I literally expressed my disbelief and grief aloud.
So, yes, I posted on Facebook because we all know how much misery loves company. What I didn’t expect was the outpouring of sympathy over the loss of my bowl. I was so touched. Better yet, my dear friend, Theresa Weber, offered me the option of one of two bowls she had on hand.
Flash forward to Shabbat services that week where Theresa allowed me to choose a bowl. They were both lovely, the type of bowls one hands down as a family heirloom. I chose the larger of the two because my challah recipe makes two loaves.
In addition to this heartwarming story, I’m going to share my new challah recipe with you. The dough in this recipe is more forgiving, more pliable, and I find that it meets my challah expectations. It’s a great beginner dough if you’ve never tried challah or bread baking. I tweaked the recipe just a titch, incorporating a little from the first challah recipe I shared on my blog, and I’m quite pleased with what I’ve achieved.
Heather Gibson’s Foolproof Challah
I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a most wonderful day full of opportunities to express gratitude for all the blessings experienced throughout the year. Shabbat Shalom to everyone. Don’t forget that Shabbat is a weekly opportunity to express gratitude and enjoy fellowship.
Back in business!
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Quotation Station
Shabbat Shalom to all the creatives
raising the mundane to the holy
by making great art.
“The Sabbath is a day of rest, of mental
scrutiny, and of balance. Without it,
the workdays are insipid.”
~Chaim Nachman Bialik
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Quotation Station
Shabbat Shalom to Israel!
You are not forgotten!
hl gibson, author 