Week 2. The week of Gevurah
We are interpreting Gevurah as “limiting” love (from others). In the early Kabbalah it is usually translated as fear or awe. As it is on the left side of the Tree of Life, opposite Chesed, most interpret it as discipline; saying no as a form of love—teaching that love is also learned through its limits. […]
Week 1. Chesed (leaving Egypt through the sea)
Overall intention: To view love and those who love you as your teachers; expanding who you are emotionally and growing your capacity to love. Love comes in many varieties—and we embody the many varieties of love. We receive many gifts in our life from those we love and from those we might even hate. Imagine […]
The Counting of 50 days from Passover through Shavuot
We are adding our own way of approaching this 50 day count. Be mindful that this is a practice of living in the present moment; being aware of just today and the possibilities it presents—without being stuck in the past — living with regret of the past , or being stuck in the future—waiting for […]
Fifty First Dates
Can we start anew each day, each moment? Memory is like an anchor in the flow of time. We remember our ports of call, the people, places, tastes, smells, feelings etc. Can we really ever start anew? Can starting anew carry any memory from the past? Starting next week on the second night-day of Passover […]
Making Good Time
I was watching Young at Heart, a delightful documentary about a singing group of people in their seventies and beyond. The group is a compilation of people making each day count. There are many precious lines—one I laughed out loud—“We may be lost, but we are making good time.” This is the time of year […]
Gratitude
You can say thank you or even try it in another language to let the person know—I mean it, todah rabah. Words, however powerful, can often be like a present without wrapping paper or a bow and a card that would have the recipient know—I took the time. So I want to try and wrap […]
Kabbalah and Coffee
With the start of the new semester we are offering coffee, tea and water for your convenience and enjoyment. We discussed how we could do this in an environmentally friendly way, so know that thought is going into this. The cups are Venti size—we call them Da’at size. You are welcome to bring your own […]
Getting Personal
Why do we name hurricanes? Does it make it more personal? I am not aware that we name tornadoes or earthquakes or tsunamis. Would giving them a name make it more personal? The devastation in Japan and for the Japanese people is still being uncovered in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami. How do […]
It’s Time to Change
It’s time to change. So move your clocks forward one hour this coming Saturday night. As you move the clock forward, your fire department encourages you to change batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Your Kabbalah department encourages you to examine your relationship with time. Is it possible to lose an hour? Move […]
Hearing Voices
Let our voices be heard. Maybe a new phrase we can adopt is Think Global. Be Vocal. How appropriate then that the winner of Best Film of 2011 is The King’s Speech. As the King states in utter frustration: “I have a right to be heard. I have a voice!” I want to start a […]