Counting up: Tiferet
by Melanie Gruenwald Week3: Tiferet. This week, we are immersed in the third week of the counting of the Omer, experiencing the harmony and balance of Tiferet. We embody Tiferet as the holding of opposites. It seems to permeate everything these days. We are celebrating Israel’s Independence Day, while we are in […]
Passover and Counting of the Omer
PASSOVER and COUNTING OF THE OMER (Week 1: 7 weeks plus an additional day—the 50th –which is the holiday of Shavuot) The week prior to Passover is a time for reflection about what we can and want to change. In terms of the Sefirot we are in the higher realms of the Sefirot […]
Developing the Negative
There is an old and odd traditional prayer said at the beginning of the New Year—it is found in the Sephardic liturgy and it’s refrain is: “Let this year and its curses (come to an) end.” In the past we have heard of murders and rapes, we have listened to people’s accounts of atrocities and […]
Chasing Peace
For those wanting to access a copy of the KE Rosh Hashanah Prayer Book it is accessible here: http://bit.ly/Y4jV3x I received two emails yesterday, the next to last day of the year 5774 in Jewish Time. One was from a man who was in class with me for a very brief time some six […]
Be in Touch
One day, a master asked her disciples the following question: “Why do people yell at each other when they are angry?”’ “We yell because we lose our temper,” said one of them. “But why yell, when the other person is right next to you?” asked the master. “We yell to make […]
The Counting of the Omer 2014 Getting our Identity Back
For the past few years we have “counted the Omer” together—a 50 day count from Passover to the holiday of Shavuot. Following the tradition in Kabbalah—the weekly and daily counts relate to the Tree of Life—the sefirot from Chesed (loving kindness) down to Malchut (expression). The contribution of Kabbalah (and Chassidut) to our observance […]
Summer Clouds
Last week’s blog about memory generated a good deal of commentary. Memories continue to be a focus for me as I clear out closets and go through boxes, especially those in the garage, as we prepare for our move to a new home. I want to thank Amy Karpas who forwarded this week Jonathan Safran […]
Island Time
Island time is sacred. City time is profane. Call it Courage was the first novel I read; a 1941 story by Armstrong Sperry of a boy who survives by himself on a deserted island. I have returned to the theme of living in isolation many times through our studies of Kabbalah, especially in coming […]
Face Uplift
This final week of the count of the Omer (the sefirah of Malchut) asks of us: “Now that you have faced the truth (about yourself) what are you doing about it?” Kierkegaard put it this way: “Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are.” In our […]
Are We There Yet?
People were thrilled this week on Monday and Tuesday. It did not snow. May 1st today, Wednesday, it is snowing. Imagine the trees questioning, “Are we there yet?” Whether it is a long car ride, or awaiting spring, “Are we there yet?” implies that we were ready to “be there” a long time ago. […]