Earth Etude for Elul 1

Waves

by Louis Polisson

Written after a visit to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, native lands of the Waccamaw Siouan, Lumbee, and Catawba (Iswa) peoples

The sound of waves
Breaking on the seashore
Heralding
The coming of the time for return

The sound of a wheel
That rolls
Like our fools in prophecy[1] said
Open and closed

The voice of the Shekhinah
Over the waters [2]
In the midst the sea [3]
Within the heart

The voice of my heart
Saying: “Seek My face”
Your face, Eternal,
I will seek [4]

גלים

מאת הרב לואיס פוליסון

נכתב לאחר ביקור בחוף רייטסוויל, צפון קרוליינה, ארצות ילידיים של שבטי וואקמאה סיואן, לומבּי וקאטאוובּה (איסווה)

קול גלים

נשברים על חוף הים

מבשרים

את בוא הזמן לשוב

קול גלגל

המתגלגל

כמו שאמרו שוטינו בנבואה

פתוחות וסתומות

קול השכינה

על המים

בתוך הים

בתוך הלב

קול לבי

אומר בקשו פני

את פניך הויה

אבקש

Louis Polisson is a musician, poet, and rabbi, ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2018, where he also earned an MA in Jewish Thought focusing on Kabbalah and Ḥasidut. He currently serves as the Associate Rabbi and Music Director at Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, New Jersey. He previously served as the Rabbi of Congregation Or Atid in Wayland, Massachusetts. Louis and his wife Gabriella Feingold released an album of original Jewish and nature-based spiritual folk music in November 2018 – listen at https://louisandgabriella.bandcamp.com/music.

References:

^[1] Shotei HaNevu’ah (The Fools of Prophecy) were an Israeli band that wrote a popular song titled Kol Galgal (The Sound of a Wheel). The lyrics, based on the Zohar, inspired this stanza. The song also mentions Kol Shofar – the sound of the shofar, making it a fitting song for Elul and Tishrei.

^[2] Psalms 29:3 The voice of the Eternal is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Eternal, over the mighty waters.”

^[3] Exodus 15:19: “For the horses of Pharaoh, with his chariots and riders, went into the sea; and the Eternal turned back on them the waters of the sea; but the Israelites marched on dry ground in the midst of the sea.”

^[4] Psalms 27:8: “On Your behalf, my heart says: “Seek My face!” O Eternal, I seek Your face.”

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