“Holy One, full of compassion, grant perfect rest under the wings of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence...”

These beautiful words begin El Malei Rachamim, the prayer we recite at burials and memorials. Some versions use the phrase “upon the wings of the Shechinah,” an image of liberation, the soul being carried aloft. But I first learned and still prefer “under the wings”, evoking a sense of safety and nurturance.
 
We read at MyJewishLearning.com (a wonderful site): “In some Ashkenazi synagogues, El Malei Rachamim is also a part of the Yizkor memorial service on Yom Kippur and on the last days of the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot). The prayer originated in the Jewish communities of Western and Eastern Europe, where it was recited for the martyrs of the Crusades and of the Chmielnicki massacres.”
 
As we mark the loss of half a million Americans to Covid-19, we meditate on the fragility and brevity of life. Blessedly, the Temple Beth El community has lost only one member to the pandemic, our dear nonagenarian Bob Berman, who died last spring. We will remember him at upcoming Yizkor services (April 4 and May 18) and on his first yartzeit, 25th of Iyar, May 6-7.