Before the sun sets today there is still time for Day Six of Omer practice, contemplation of the sephirot Yesod sheh b'Chessed. Yesod—Foundation nestled within the embrace of Divine Lovingkindness--Chessed which is the dominant sephirah for this first Omer week. While contemplating this pair of sephirot an old friend from high school called to say how her dislike of religious ritual is confirmed by being at sedarim (seders) where items--like salt water--are held up and the questions is yet again asked, "what does this stand for" as though she is again in Hebrew School and expected to give the right answer. A more recent friend expressed similar sentiments earlier today....
I feel so sad for them—the obstacle of the trauma, the wounds they, you, we…carry from growing up when the Jewish soul had fled from even the possibility of feeling(s) or healing and straight into fearfully conserving our tradition through the rote recitation of rites. Too many of the children of those so traumatized are missing out on how life-affirming and joyfully juicy Judaism can be! Friends, we must re-parent ourselves on this one, I am grateful to Reb Zalman for showing the way. For example:
Ok, yes. It is fair enough to have learning as a first step, so that all generations present have a good foundation [yesod] in the meaning of the symbols of the story. However, meaning for living, spirituality primarily intensifies during the next steps. For example, tonight some from Hassidic and Neohassidic paths such as the one I am, will celebrate a vision quest-style seder of opening the door for divine guidance towards a better future. Here are a few creative options for tonight or the first or second night of Passover:
Pause to contemplating the salt water (or whatever symbol is being addressed at any given moment)--what arises for you at so doing? Physically, emotionally, intellectually, and your soul as a whole? What arises in your awareness? Acknowledge it and release and keep dipping your consciousness into this practice until you feel empty and see what comes that is new and precious. Not all readers have the "stuffing" that I do as a well-mentored mystic with decades of advanced Jewish education and practice, so here is so material to contemplate before this practice should you be so included:
1. When the Israelites start to celebrate the drowning of Pharaoh's army the sages in the Talmud envision God reacting strongly:
"How can you sing as the works of my hand are drowning in the sea?" Talmud, Megillah 10b
For me, images come through quickly in regard to this verse; one year a seder a now-deceased cousin who miscarried placing her hand on her womb under the table, remembering her miscarriage. My husband grew up in Maitland, South Africa where his Latvian family served a hardboiled egg to everyone in the salt water—revealing womb as indeed, another traditional meaning. I recall a seder where an adult child of Holocaust survivors whispered: "Ayeka! Where are you? Ribono shel Olam—where are you when the world is again drowning in violence?"
Listening my soul reminds me that we take drops of wine from the cup of joy for the plagues, and two for the slaying of the Egyptian first born. My inner child wonders should I tonight, the last night of Passover add a third for the necessity of Allied and Saudi troops that are presently bombing ISIL militants? Yes, Chessed is that strong, I will add a third drop tonight with a prayer for us to evolve past the need for war.
2. Dayeynu, it would be enough if tonight we only recall the courage it takes to cross a sea of opposition and vision ourselves and those who bought the salt water in heckhered (kosher certified) cartons appearing in front of the producer's store asking for the product to be discontinued.
Dayenu, it would be enough if tonight we visionned teams of Israelis and Palestinians in a mikveh discussing shared water rights and coming to agreement as the pure Chessed (water symbolizes Chessed) of the womb of mikveh transforms enmity.
Dayenu it would be enough if tonight we only vision holding hands across a river outside a toxic industrial plant to emphasize environmental concerns and next week create flash mobs doing so across the globe.
Dayeynu it would be enough if my two friends, both artists and writers could create something to bring about salt water to a seder that would help to open their hearts to the deep meaning and value of more than gastronomic Judaism.
3. Another text: Salt Water by Julian Lennon (there are powerful youtubes out there of this)
We are a rock revolving
Around a golden sun
We are a billion children rolled into one
So when I hear about the hole in the sky
Saltwater wells in my eyes
We climb the highest mountain
We'll make the desert bloom
We're so ingenious we can walk the moon
But when I hear of how the forest have died
Saltwater wells in my eyes
I have lived for love
But now that's not enough
For the world I love is dying And now I'm crying
And time is not a friend (no friend of mine)
As friends we're out of time
And it's slowly passing by ....right before our eyes
We light the deepest ocean
Send photographs of Mars
We're so enchanted my how clever we are
Why should one baby feel so hungry she cries
Saltwater wells in my eyes
I have lived for love
But now that's not enough
For the world I love is dying And now I'm crying
And time is not a friend (no friend of mine)
As friends we're out of time
And it's slowly passing by ....right before our eyes
We are a rock revolving
Around a golden sun
We are a billion children rolled into one
What will I think of me the day that I die
Saltwater wells in my eyes
Saltwater wells in my eyes
Songwriters: SPIRO, MARK / LENNON, JULIAN / SPIRO, LESLIE
Saltwater lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
4. We Jews know what it is like to despair that anyone will care or act. In a traditional midrash some of the Egyptians wake up to the sea change about to befall them in the Exodus story. This text laments how hard and sometimes sadly even impossible it can be to shake some governments, the "father" of wrongheaded convictions and actions:
"To him who struck Egypt in their firstborn" (Psalms 136:10). When God sent the plague of the firstborn...All the firstborn went to speak to their fathers and said "Everything which Moses has said has come true, don't you want us to live? Let us get the Hebrews out of our homes otherwise we are dead". They answered, "even if all of Egypt dies they are not leaving". All the firstborn gathered in front of Pharaoh and screamed "Please remove this nation, because of them evil will befall us and you". Pharaoh said to his servants "Remove them and break their knees". What did they do? Each took a sword and killed his father. Thus it says: To him who struck Egypt in (with) their firstborn. --Midrash Tehilim 136:6, Ancient Tanchuma Bo 18, found in Footnote 5 at http://www.aish.com/tp/i/moha/48942426.html [3]
Amazing, isn't it, how this text laments how hard, and sometimes sadly even impossible it can be for those affected to shake awareness and change into the "father", the government leaders of wrongheaded convictions and horrific actions.
5. Oy, Reb Zalman, z"l, I've been sitting here for hours! Look how you've inspired a whole megillah (forgive the mixed metaphor). Just one more text to help our spirits soar:
Ezekiel 36
25 I will sprinkle upon you pure water upon you so purify you of all your errors and I will purify you of all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart and a new [ruakh] spirit/breath and I’ll turn out the heart of stone from within your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Our lanai (porch) here in Florida overlooks a verdant landscape of fruit trees—fig, avocado, palms, loquat, lime, and my soul turns to the greens that will be dipped into the salt water…symbolizing new life. Out in the pool here in this community created by "red diaper babies" that sits within a nature preserve and bird sanctuary along the Gulf of Mexico, I see Herbert, one of many Holocaust survivors who live here. He is floating and chatting vigorously with someone's grandchild. Herbert's face becomes radiant whenever he talks about living here in "Gan Eden," our "Garden of Eden" where many environmental actions and collective creative programs emerge. Herbert is my moment of green today in the pool's salty water, the kindest person I know, he has not let the hard parts of life's journey leave him bitter.
Time for my pre-Shabbos mikveh-like dip! And, tonight let us be the High Priests of each other's livs and shpritz each other with homemade pure water that our hearts might soften and possible Chessed shine through the Yesod, the foundation of the Shabbat and Pesach rituals for our visioning tonight!
Yesod sheh b'Chessed, may we be blessed for our ever deepening foundation in Jewish spirituality to encircle us with the capacity for Lovingkindness everywhere we manifest. Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach. Dae-dae-eynu, Dae-dae-eynu, Dae-dae-eynu, Dae-eynu, Dae-eynu!
This has been Omer Day Six.