V’Erestich-Li L’Olam
V’Erestich-Li B’Tzedek
Uv’mishpat, Uv’chesed, Uv’Rachamim
V’Erestich-Li B’Emunah
V’yadaat et Yah
I will betroth you to Me forever,
I will betroth you to Me with justice,
and with impeccability, and with love, and with compassion.
I will betroth you to Me in faith.
And then you will know God. (Hosea 2:21-22, liturgy)
Tefillin Practice: The Seven Channels of Commitment
When I put my tefillin on each morning, I am connecting myself to the whole of life, to the Source of All, and to God as Beloved. I can get so caught up in the details of my life that I am in danger of losing my wide perspective, forgetting myconnection to the Whole of the Cosmos. This binding of vows that I give and receive is meant to set me on a path of Remembrance. My commitment has within it the requirement to stay open to the flow of blessing so that it flows through me into the world. That flow happens through seven distinct channels. As I wrap the tefillin I am checking to see if each of those channels are open. It is a diagnostic practice that will allow me to know where the spiritual work of the day might be focused. If I find a channel that is blocked or a channel of flow that is weak, then I might focus my loving attention on that aspect of my life and see how I might repair the channel. As I sing the words of betrothal and wrap the tefillin, I am checking in to each of these seven channels, and connecting up to the Great Source of Blessing.
To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.
- Betrothal
For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 232.
The Magic of Hebrew Chant ©2013 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.