Soul and Breath

אֱלהַי. נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהורָה הִיא

My God, the soul which you have placed within me is pure.

Elohai neshama shenatata bi t'hora hi. These words, which come from the Talmud (Berachot 60b) are part of our daily morning liturgy, the prayers we say every morning upon waking. I find this prayer very moving in its simplicity and its poetry. Just as we are waking up, we address God directly - My God , the soul You have given me is pure. We affirm that our souls are pure - perfect, and complete. As we begin our day we remind ourselves that God lovingly formed and shaped our souls, and breathed them into us so that we can live. Neshama means both soul as well as breath. With each breath, in and out, we connect back to God and our soul.

I have always loved this setting of Elohai Neshama by Jewish musician and composer Craig Taubman, from his album "One Shabbat Morning". The rhythm and repetition remind me of breathing, and force the singer to slow down and breathe. Its a simple and beautiful melody, and a great way to wake up in the morning or to begin a morning service.

To be honest, it has been hard for me to pray lately. It's been hard not to wonder "where is God in the midst of all this?" Yet there are glimpses of God - moments. In the beauty of the natural world that continues on despite the ugliness and sadness. In the care and resilience of the nurses, doctors and staff at the hospital where I work as a chaplain, and the support of my family, friends and colleagues. Its been hard to pray the way I'm used to. But this prayer, these few short words, come easily to my lips. This melody helps me unwind. Though the words are meant for the morning, I sang them last evening, after a long and sad day at the hospital. There was pressure in my head from holding back tears, tightness in my chest from anxiety. Singing this a few times helped start to loosen the tension.

Even when I can't pray, I can breathe, and that in itself is a prayer. It is a reminder of my connection to God, and to my soul.

Here is the full text of the prayer:

My God, the soul which you have placed within me is pure.

You have created it; You have formed it; You have breathed it into me. You preserve it within me;

You will take it from me, and restore it to me in the hereafter.

So long as the soul is within me, I offer thanks before You,

Lord my God and God of my fathers, Master of all creatures, Lord of all souls.

Blessed are You, Lord, who restores souls to the dead

אֱלהַי. נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהורָה הִיא.

אַתָּה בְרָאתָהּ. אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ. אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי. וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי.

וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי. וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לֶעָתִיד לָבוא.

כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה בְּקִרְבִּי מודֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהַי וֵאלהֵי אֲבותַי. רִבּון כָּל הַמַּעֲשים אֲדון כָּל הַנְּשָׁמות:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמות לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים: