Make My Eyes Light

Taskileini, taskileini, taskileini, sekel* tov
Mil’fanecha, b’aneinecha,
hein v’chesed, v’rachamim (recited silently at the end of the weekday Amidah)

Make my eyes light
Make my eyes bright
with Your wisdom and Your goodness
so I might receive, so I might receive
Your compassion, grace, Your love.
So I might receive, so I might receive
grace, compassion, receive Your Love.

This chant is about wanting to receive Divine Light into our eyes in order to have the ability to see and discern with wisdom. This is one way of understanding enlightenment… being able to see things clearly from a Godly level and perspective. Having the ability to remove our own self interests and triggers and see the truth of what is happening between people and in the larger context of the world.

The first step on this path is to know that God’s wisdom and goodness are planted inside us. When we connect to God through prayer and meditation, we can activate these qualities so that our actions, words and thoughts are initiated from this place inside. And with time, perhaps be graced with the energy and wisdom and goodness of the Divine Source of Light. As our eyes brighten and lighten, may our receiving of these gifts enhance our own lives, and in turn may we bestow them upon others through our interactions, words and deeds.

*sekel: Yiddish for smarts, to have common sense, to know what to do, to do the right thing. I grew up hearing this word but didn’t realize it was related to being enlightened until I saw this phrase and begin to really understand its deeper meaning. May we all have sekel!

 

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