Daily Advent Reflection: Dec 6

Today's reflection comes on a Saturday, the weekly day of rest and reflection our Jewish sisters and brothers honor as commanded by God. The following was spoken by Rabbi Arthur Waskow and can be read in its entirety here.

In the following excerpt, Rabbi Waskow is telling about the two names that God reveals to Moshe (Moses) through a burning bush...

"The first one is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. "I will be who I will be." I am not stuck in who I was, or who I am. I am becoming. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. A great spiral of transformation, in which we draw again and again on what has gone before us, ancient and just 25 years ago. We draw on what has come before us in order to move forward deeply on the great spiral. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. With such a God, we, too, can become.

And the second name that God reveals: God calls Moshe aside, intimately, and whispers, "Let me tell you my nickname. What is my nickname? Yud Hey Vov Hey." No vowels. Not Jehova or Yahweh. Certainly not Adonai, Lord. These are strange letters. Not quite consonants, not quite vowels. Yud Hey Vov Hey. In English, Y-H-W-H. This is the name we have been taught not to pronounce.

So, on a day that honors rebels, I invite you -- l don't command you -- I invite you, if you are willing, quietly, to try, simply, to pronounce it. Y-H- W-H, with no vowels. Y-H-W-H. With no vowels. For me, it comes out [DEEP EXHALE] just breathing. The most intimate name of God, just breathing. What we breathe out, the trees breathe in. What the trees breathe out, we breathe in. We breathe each other into life. We gather together to breathe words with each other, to join the Breath of Life. And the Breath of Life breathes out, as well as in. The Breath of Life inspires, and the Breath of Life expires."

© Rabbi Arthur Waskow [Permission is given to reproduce for personal use, provided the entire text is kept intact, including this notice. Other uses require the permission of the author.] Rabbi Arthur Waskow founded and directs the Shalom Center and is the author of Godwrestling, and other works of Jewish renewal.


This 2006 video is of Rabbi Waskow calling for peace. May we be provoked to wake up, take a deep breath and join the Breath of Life in becoming peace ...