A favorite part of my rabbinical training was studying under Dr. Moshe Idel, a world-renowned scholar of Kabbalah who occasionally visited and taught at UCLA. Kabbalah study was already an important part of my life at that time. I enrolled in every class he taught that I could. I felt privileged to participate in an informal weekly study group.
KABBALAH AND PRAYER
In one memorable class, he commented that people study Kabbalah to elevate their prayer practice and find ways to cultivate deeper intimacy with the Creator of All in Jewish Prayer.
This idea filled me with curiosity. I had recently purchased my first Kabbalistic Siddur and was wrestling with how to use it. I recall visiting his office hours with my little red siddur, Oz HaT’fillah by Rabbi Yehudah Shaharabani. Dr. Idel sat with me and answered all my questions about the siddur’s beautiful and cryptic notations. I returned to his office hour weekly. The notation and methods made prayer come alive for me. It provided texture and led to a deeper spiritual connection and greater inner peace.
KABBALAH AND NATURE
This connection to the Source has made me seek the Divine resonance in everyday life. Nature is the most accessible way Spirit manifests on Earth. The Divine imprint can be seen in many ways. I grow produce that we use for Shabbat and holidays. In my garden, I witness the Fibonacci series manifesting the plant life. This is a means to witnessing Sh’khinah, the Divine Presence, thriving here on Earth.
These images make the spiral in nature come alive.
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JEWISH PRAYER & EARTHLY PATTERNS
Earth’s Rotation
Earth completes a full turn on her axis every 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds. It is classical Jewish tradition to offer prayer three times each day – daybreak (Shahareet), midday (Minhah), and nighttime (Maariv).
Moon’s Orbit
Every 27.3 days, Earth’s Moon completes her orbit around Earth, marking the month. Every new moon offers a time of renewal and self-reflection. The Autumnal New Moon is the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah. It is the most potent New Moon of the year.
The full moon reflects personal fullness. The festivals Passover and Sukkot initiate on a full moon.
Earth’s Orbit around Sun
Earth completes her orbit around the Sun every 365.256 days to define Earth’s solar year. Jewish holidays cannot be separated from where Earth is in this orbit. For example, During the Autumn and Spring equinoxes, daylight and nighttime hours are balanced. This provides the most balanced times of the year. There are two of them. Tradition invites inner work around both these times. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are celebrated near the Autumnal equinox. This new moon of Tishrei (under Libra’s Scales) is when tradition invites weighing for the year. Pesah is celebrated near the Spring equinox – with an invitation to consider personal slavery, taskmasters, and ego (hametz).
I want to bless you to witness the Holy Presence manifesting in your life each and every day.
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I am excited to bring forward a new online course of study. Join me for a fresh look at davvenen.
Kabbalah, Meditation, and Ecstatic Prayer A six-week Sunday Mornings 10:00 AM PT
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