Blog

Dandilion, Google Images

Hurray! Computer has returned from yet another repair trip since brown out on Day Seventeen. There is still time before sunset, on this forty-first day of the Omer, to engaged in the exponential spiritual practice of contemplating Yesod sheh b'Yesod.

Floating in the Dead Sea

Omer Day 16, Strength—gevurah within beauty—tiferet. Like many parents, mine would deny themselves a great deal in order to "do" for their children. I recall collecting the mail at age 17 and finding a letter appointing me as the Jewish and Nature programs director for a summer camp. I had secretly applied for the position, shown to me by an encouraging mentor. Running to tell my parents, I found them both in the kitchen. They looked like they had both swallowed the proverbial canary. Could they already know my special news and be in favor of me taking the job?

Green Apple; photo credit: Google Images

There is still time before the sun sets to engage in Omer Day 15 reflection upon Chessed--abundance--within/sheh b'Tiferet--harmony. When we would pass a fruit stand, Reb Zalman would often buy me a green apple. For a long time I though this was because he saw how often I brought red Braeburn apples to work as a snack, often leaving a pile for him in some funny or artful arrangement. One day I asked why he always handed me a green apple.

Handmade Midrash by Jo Milgrom

Omer Day 14, Malchut sheh b'Gevurah, the Shechinah [Malchut] manifesting with strength [Gevurah], and such was our powerful Shabbat here. When we both lived in Mt. Airy, Reb Zalman, z"l would often have the Zohar open on his lap during services and turn to whisper to me just enough of a tidbit from it for my level of development. My diary shows on a parallel Shabbat day decades ago he taught based on Zohar Vayikra 35B how:

Reclaiming Judaism as a Spiritual Practice, Jewish Lights Publishing

Yesod sheh b'Gevurah, Omer Day 13, was a Friday and our process of preparing for Shabbat. My entire Jewish identity has its yesod—divine foundation in Shabbat. There's was a time in Europe when I was invited to consider mentoring a couple who wished to become Jewish. They invited us for Shabbos dinner at their home in the woods in a beautiful rural village. Covering their computer monitors and television were hand-needlepointed fabrics with the words "Shabbat Shalom" on them. Much like covering the cage of a parrot to help it sleep silently for everyone's sake.

(c) 2015 Carola de Vries Robles; www.caroladevriesrobles.com

There is still time before the sun sets to engage in the Omer Day 12 practice of contemplating Hod sheh b'Gevurah, refining/incubating awareness/healing while being strongly held. In my twenties, in the greater Vineland, NJ area, I founded one of the early, small projects for interviewing survivors and Allied soldiers.  There came a day when my soul was over-saturated with the stories being told. Praying for guidance each night before sleep, the answer came in a dream.

Sarasota Film Festival Poster created by Vince Fraser

Omer Day 11 is still with us here in line at the Sarasota Film Festival where the logo is strikingly Kabbalistic. Netzakh, the Divine driving us within the boundaries, Gevurah, of what is truly possible. Releasing  into this contemplation throughout today, I learned my own will must be relaxed into greater trust, to feel moved through the Tree rather than driving through my own way...the pathways of the Tree are strong arteries with strong walls designed to guide the way. Today has been Omer Day 11.

Reb Zalman playing flute; libcudl.colorado.edu

Jewish Humanist neighbors, newly aware of this Omer blog, upon learning Day Ten is Tiferet sheh b'gevurah--"Harmony wrapped in discernment" insisted upon taking us to see the movie Seymour at the local art cinema. It is beautifull and truly a fit for this day's pair of sephirot. If you have the opportunity, do go see it. As the trailer moves along it shows some of the remarkable spiritual perceptivity of Seymour Bernstein (concert pianist, composer, master teacher) that is conveyed throughout the film: https://youtu.be/oCOM3wMqoHg