It was the kind of accident that makes you avert your eyes…how could there be any survivors?

It happened last Thursday afternoon on a curved stretch of California Highway 101, north of Santa Barbara. A small car, a BMW sedan, was mangled beyond recognition. The other vehicle, a big-rig truck, landed in ravine 100-feet below. Its driver, Charles Allison, was killed. Police say the truck had rear-ended the car.

“The BMW was then forced into the center concrete wall where the three parties in the BMW became trapped in the vehicle,” said Danny Maher, California Highway Patrol.

The family was trapped and alive, but the shredded vehicle hung precariously as the afternoon wore on over the ravine 100 feet below. First grade teacher, Kelly Lynn Groves, said her daughters were with her; ten-year old Sage and 10-month-old Milo. Seatbelts, airbags and the baby’s car seat had all done their jobs. And dozens of first responders such as fire, rescue, police and hazmat teams, did theirs while facing multiple dangers to themselves, and the car’s occupants.

“Each time we tried to pry her out, the car kept slipping a little bit more,” said Woody Enos, Santa Barbara Fire Department.

On Tuesday, Karen Frankel shared in class this story that she said is a beautiful example of a “Kabbalah Experience.”  So, I googled car crash 101 and the first link I opened was about a car crash on the 101 on February 28, 1999. In that crash, the car went over the edge of the cliff and both parents died. There was a miracle on that day as well, baby Tania, 16 months old, was pulled from the wreck—she had hung upside down in her fastened car seat for 5 hours.

We talked in class about the intersecting of billions of ‘events’ at any moment that lead to life and to death—the miraculous nature of synchronicity, an awareness we develop from seeing the interconnectedness of  what happens in and from our life. The Kabbalah perspective is to enlarge our awareness to not only choices (such as securing babies in car seats) we make, it extends as well to the choices others make; all are providentially guided.  Parallel lines that intersect—one line plummeting to death and the other line lifting to life.

Here is the rest of the story of the rescue of Kelly Lynn, Sage and Milo Groves (the news video is worth watching – click here)

Then there was an amazing stroke of luck. A team of Navy Seabees just happened to come across the scene. In their convoy was a heavy-duty forklift with a telescoping arm. Exactly what was needed!

The rescue workers secured the car underneath with the forklift and were able to stand on the car and extract the Groves from their car.

“Extremely lucky. We were really lucky that they came by,” said Enos.

Luck is known by another name. We call it a Kabbalah Experience.

No matter how sophisticated we get, no matter where our science and technology boldly goes, there is a principle of physical reality that will never change. The lyrics of the song are:  You can’t start a fire without a spark. You also can’t start a fire without something to burn.  Whether you use wax candles or place wicks in oil on Chanukah, you need the raw material these substances provide in order to sustain the flame. A spark needs it kindling as much as the kindling needs it spark.

The spark that ignited the flame of Kabbalah Experience was a simple request by a friend eight years ago—I would like to learn with you, what would you like to teach? That question has led to the development of a two year core curriculum, advanced kabbalah study and our ever growing faculty, now numbering seven.

Is there a miraculous aspect to the oil that has now sustained the spark of Kabbalah Experience for eight years? We rely on oil in the form of tuition income from classes and programs but that would not be enough to keep the doors open and certainly not enough to offer scholarships. What has also sustained us and allowed us to grow are donations and grants. The generosity of our Board of Directors, students and people from our community is remarkable. I would like to specifically thank Rose Community Foundation for our latest significant grant from them. Our Jewish community is particularly blessed with the Allied Jewish Federation and Rose Foundation’s commitment to their Jewish Life program area. Without their vision and support, Kabbalah Experience (and many other organizations and institutions) could not share their light with so many others.

While donations remain an important fuel for us, there is nothing more valuable to us than being able to share the spark of spiritual learning. Share the light and refer someone to begin their kabbalah studies. Spiritual transformation is a good New Year’s resolution. Classes begin January 9^th.

All classes have been canceled today, Wednesday November 2, 2011 due to inclement weather.

Stay Warm,

Kabbalah Experience

Classes are canceled due to inclement weather today
Wednesday, October 26, 2011.

Thanks,
Kabbalah Experience

Have you registered for Kabbalah Live! next Thursday, November 3rd?

Tickets are going fast, so get yours now before we are sold out!

Click Here to Learn More

Click Here to Register

Kabbalah Experience is pleased to announce the first speaker in the 3^rd annual Kabbalah Live! Lecture Series: Rebecca Rosen, Spiritual Medium.  This event will take place next Thursday, November 3^rd at 7:15 pm at the Eisenhower Chapel. Rebecca Rosen is a nationally acclaimed spiritual medium who uses her gift to bridge the gap between the living and the dead. Author of the best seller, Spirited, contributor to Oprah.com and featured guest on such shows as Nightline, she will share the moments that helped her recognize the life she was meant to live.

Everyone has them: aha moments, moments of clarity, of wisdom that they can use to change their lives. Kabbalistically these moments most likely occur when they are least expected, but needed the most. They can be eye opening, uplifting, intriguing and courageous.

Thursday, November 3, 2011 @ 7:15 pm: Rebecca Rosen, Spiritual Medium: “Listening to my Grandmother’s Message” At The Eisenhower Chapel, 293 Roslyn St. Individual lecture tickets are $36 for KE, JCC, Temple Sinai and HEA members, $44 for others.

Email Liz@kabbalahexperience.com with any questions!

The  current Hebrew month of Av has as its spiritual sense the sense of hearing (all months are endowed with a special spiritual sense according to Sefer Yetzirah).  Generally, Av is seen as a month of mourning because many tragedies befell the Jewish people. The origin of the ‘curse’ of this month is faulty hearing.  Moses sent out spies to survey the land of Israel and they returned with a report that shook the faith of the people in their ability to enter the land. Their hearing of the report occurred on the 9^th of Av and as the Midrash states: “You cried for no real reason—this will be a day of crying for (sadly) real calamities.”  As with all negative perceptions there is always a silver lining—some ray of light within the darkness. So another teaching goes (Midrash) states that the Messiah is to be born on the 9^th of Av.

Our task this month is to rectify our hearing—as in the hearing of the Shema prayer—to hear that God is one. My Kabbalah teacher explains that the ears (the sense of hearing) are associated with Binah. The “understanding” of Binah also implies the ability to examine the degree of truth or falsehood inherent in a particular idea. This is expressed in Job as: “the ear examines words.” The initial letters of the phrase “the ear examines words” spell the Hebrew word–emet, “truth.”

In working on my hearing,  Rita and I were given a wonderful tape on the universal language of babies. A mother in New Zealand spent hours listening and trying to discern what different infant cries mean and she has come up with 5 basic sounds (she claims these are cross cultural). A beautiful video about her and her discovery is on You Tube under Dunstan Baby Language http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ehv5m9gnu0.  Just one example—the cry “Neh” means “I’m hungry.” At times it is not so easy to differentiate between Neh and Eh which mean very different things. For any parents and grandparents I suggest you listen in to Priscilla Dunstan and her discovery and see if it applies to your baby.

As rich as the DunstanBaby Language system is I can’t help but wonder also about the ray of light that follows the cries of the month of Av. So, I will start my own little research project to highlight  another Baby Language; the language of happiness.  Eva laughed out loud the other day.  It startled me. I didn’t get the joke but I am very pleased she did.

For those wanting to work on their hearing I highly recommend a KE special presentation of music and meditation by Rabbi Avraham Trugman, next Wednesday evening @ 7:30 here at the Goldberger Center.