STRONG HANDS, STRONG HEART, STRONG MIND

Strong hands, holy hands, hands that create, hands that strum a guitar, play a violin, the gentle hands of a potter that form vessels out of earthly moist gray clay.

Handsy hands, hands that move and massage a body, hands that bring healing to the ailing, hands of a doctor dressing a wound with winding tape, placing your holy hands upon someone's sore body stretching the skin to heal and cause relief of pain.

Hands that move when you speak rising boldly above your head, in hiding tucking your hands away in your pockets not to be seen, hands of the poor who have humility.

Hands with beautiful painted polished fingernails, hands that create beauty, moving your hands with a paintbrush to splash colors on a canvas, talented hands of an artist, delightful brilliancy of colors of stained glass windows created by artists pouring out their gorgeousness of tinted sunlight into a peaceful Sanctuary on the new year of Rosh Hashanah.

Hands that know a computer keyboard, memorized, knowing how to type, typing faster and faster with know-how, hands that play a piano like a computer keyboard plucking out musical notes, pleasing and tickling to the ears.

Extending open hands with the intent of asking, reaching out with your hands to fill the hands of beggars that are empty. Passing out delicious chocolate candies that melt in your mouth and not your hands.

With a palm filled with lines going every which way, reading palms as a palmist and using your hands to do magic, pulling a rabbit out of a hat!

Hands that fulfill commands, hands that serve, hands that lead.

Hands to form The Priestly Blessing on Yom Kippur by a Rabbi. A hand wound in the leather strap of a Jewish tefillin symbolizing our marriage to The Lord. Praying in a weekday morning minyan turning pages of prayer books, feeling the strings of bouncing tzitzit hanging and swaying luring from our white satin prayer shawls.

Being blind in the eyes but using your fingers as a tool to read Braille as a language with meaning so you have good understanding.

Being the one and only leading conductor of an entire orchestra using your hands to create pictures with a swinging wand, the leader of musicians guided into sweet pleasing song, the pleasure of a doting audience using keen ears to hear, dancing.

Anointing your hands, not just your feet, cleaning your hands and pouring cool tingling water upon them, spreading soft lotions and potent creams, sniffing scents of flowers on your fingers, softening smoothing rough tough skin.

Holding someone's hand, your child's hand or your parent's hand, a hand of a spouse, hands of a loved one, swinging your arms and hands merrily back and forth, to and fro, uniting yourself with your family and friends as you pet them with your hands.

Soothing strokes of lovingkindness from hands that please you, having the warm wonderful touch of care and concern.