Midrash & Imagination - Kislev, Wrestling with Our Dreams
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Source sheet for Midrash & Imagination workshop focused on the month of Kislev. Includes sources and writing prompts.

Writing Warm-Ups

Spend 30 seconds - 1 minute on each of the following prompts. Do not worry about finishing your writing - the goal is to get your pen moving and ideas flowing.
1) Describe four sources of light (physically, spiritually, emotionally, have at it!)
2) Make a list of four things that are signs of peace
3) Nes gadol haya sham / po – a great miracle happened there / here: Write an eight word story about a miracle
בראשית ל״ב:כ״ה-ל׳

(כה) וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃ (כו) וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ וַתֵּ֙קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּהֵאָֽבְק֖וֹ עִמּֽוֹ׃ (כז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שַׁלְּחֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י עָלָ֖ה הַשָּׁ֑חַר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲשַֽׁלֵּחֲךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־בֵּרַכְתָּֽנִי׃ (כח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו מַה־שְּׁמֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל׃ (ל) וַיִּשְׁאַ֣ל יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה תִּשְׁאַ֣ל לִשְׁמִ֑י וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹת֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃

Genesis 32:25-30

(25) Jacob was left alone. And a figure wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” (29) Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” (30) Jacob asked, “Pray tell me your name.” But he said, “You must not ask my name!” And he took leave of him there.

Reflection Questions

1) What questions does this text leave you with?
2) What is the power in naming? What does it mean to call something by a new or different name?
3) What strikes you here? What lines or phrases stand out?

Writing Prompts

1) Think of a phenomenon from the natural world (i.e., a river, a mountain, a boulder): Give it a name that you think represents it at this moment in a climate-changed and changing world and another name that speaks to its role in a world in which we have overcome many of the challenges of the climate crisis. Write a letter to this element of nature: Tell it the story of the journey of how it came to receive each of these names.
2) What is one thing you are personally struggling with in relation to your climate work or other work for a more just and whole world? How have you been wrestling with it?
-Write a dialogue between you and your struggle – what do you want to say to it? What do you think it might say back to you?
-What blessing do YOU need to get to the other side of this struggle? Write yourself a blessing.
For more about Dayenu’s Climate Torah, visit Dayenu.org/spiritual-adaptation
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