Today is Day 37 in the Counting of the Omer: Gevurah of Yesod
Yesod reflects our foundations- In the Kabbalah Experience journal we refer to it as Integrity. Like the bottom of a brick tower, the foundation needs to be strong and balanced, for the tower to be resilient to the winds. When we practice the ‘tree pose’ in yoga, our foot is solidly grounded- When we […]
Today is Day 18 in the Counting of the Omer: Netzach of Tiferet
What kind of perseverance and resilience do we need to practice, in order to maintain balance, compassion and harmony? The number 18 represents the Hebrew word, Chai (Chet yud), or “Life”. Life takes perseverance, persistence, and resilience. Maybe we embrace it with a sense of perspective, balance, and equanimity. #countingup
Light, Color, and Tikkun Olam
by Janice Lines I have been thinking about what we discussed in class a couple of weeks ago, that spiritual pursuit and education is a privilege that not all get to enjoy. We felt humbled and somewhat ashamed that we are able to take classes, attend workshops, read and study, work on our faith and […]
Smelling Our Way
by Dr. David Sanders I thought it was a joke to learn that Google is beta testing the delivery of smells via your computer. What this will mean is that when you look up the word “rose” you can not only see an image or read about a rose, you can smell it. Covid-19 diminished […]
Counting Up
by Melanie Gruenwald At the beginning of April, we began counting the Omer, the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot. As we count each day of the Omer, we are engaged in a process of ‘counting up’ and increased mindfulness of where we are on this journey from slavery to receiving the Torah at Sinai. […]
Panicea
What do yawning, laughter, enthusiasm, and kindness share in common? They all can be referred to as infectious. Neuroscientists have measured through brain scans the contagious impact of viewing others acting with kindness. While the neural basis for contagious yawning is still not understood, the phenomena are not limited to humans, as it has been […]
For Koby, who always found Light in Darkness
One of the beautiful arrangements of my teaching schedule this semester, is that I teach ‘Soul: Intro to Kabbalah’ of the Year 1 curriculum immediately before ‘Masks: Who are you?’, its parallel in the second year curriculum. I deeply appreciate the themes that are woven between the classes, and the timeliness of these curricula for […]
The Accuracy of Being Happy
Does it matter so much about the accuracy of recollections or more about the impact of what happened? Every year, around this time, I listen to Martin Luther King’s final speech. He was murdered the next day on the balcony of his Memphis hotel room. The speech is titled from the crescendo of his closing […]
Welcoming Melanie
Dear KE Community: I can think of no better way than to introduce our newest teacher than presenting her in her own words. I have had the pleasure of studying with and mentoring her and learning from her courage and openness. with admiration, David In Kabbalah this semester, we are studying “Masks”. What masks do […]
Humaneness
Leave it up to humans to language benevolence toward animals as “humane” and a lack of compassion as “inhumane.” It reflects that tendency humans have to see things (only) from a human-centric point of view. Knowing what we now know of the benevolence and compassion of many animals for other animals, species-specific or for other […]