Today, I learned the word heaven-gram—a Yiddish phrase from a poem of Reb Heschel’s.
If I were to send one,
where would it come from,
and what would it say to you?
This is my heaven-gram,
and it comes from the heart of my Tree.
As we move toward the month of Sh’vat,
may the guidance of the trees—
the Holy Tree of Life—
hold us in its branches
with wisdom and with Grace.
Blessed is the Source of Life,
who teaches us through trees—
to be rooted in kindness,
in the soil of communal whispers;
learning how to bend
when storms tear around us,
and how not to break in the wind
To draw strength from what is hidden,
to grow toward the light,
offering fruit in its season.
May our roots reach deeply into justice.
May our branches stretch toward compassion.
May our hands become a shelter.
And our leaves float into song
May our work of Tikkun Olam
be like the planting of seeds—
a seed of hope , a seed of strength,
sometimes slow, sometimes unseen,
yet essential
to the healing of our world.
Amen