Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalom (Reb Zalman) wrote:
“People who have worked on their awareness have pointed out that there are 49 days from the end of Tish’ah b-Av / the fast of the 9th of Av, to the day before Rosh HaShannah. In counting S’feerah between Pesach andShavu’ot, we make our way downward from Chesed of Chesed to Malchut of Malchut. During the Elul season, we make our way upward from Malchut of Malchut toChesed of Chesed.” (A Guide for Starting Your New Incarnation, 2001, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, p. 1)
I will use this way of counting up through the days between Tisha b'Av and Rosh HaShannah to cleansing spirit and soul, using the sefirot as a spark for personal daily meditations to map out and reflect on the journey. Below are my kavanot or intentions for climbing up from 5773 to 5774.
*******
BUILDING
THE REALM-Day 15
“Psalm
27:13-[They would have crushed
me] had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of
the living. (#1)” Giving myself and others gentle
compassion that there is hope at the end of the tunnel. Everyone must have hope
to go on. Each of us must have hope and belief in our own hearts but also reach
out to those we see in need.“Psalm 27:13- I wouldn't have
survived If I hadn't hoped that I would see, yet, Your goodness, God,
fully alive on earth. (#2)”
RIBBONO
SHEL OLAM: I hereby prepare myself for Sefirat HaBinyan / a counting for
building God’s realm during the time between Tisha B’av and erev Rosh
HaShannah.
Today
there are 15 days left until erev Rosh HaShannah, which is 2 weeks, and 1 days,
Chesed Sheb’ Tiferet.
Dear
God: Please let me be a vessel for Your light and help to align me with Your
will. May this period of Sefirat HaBinyan and the New Year be for good, for
peace and for blessing for all of Israel, for all inhabitants of the earth and
let us say Amen.
(Day kavanah
by Menuhah Peters/Psalm 27 #1 translated by Y.B. Marcus, Nissen Mangel and
Eliyahu Touger, #2 translated
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi/prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
& Gabbi Seth Fishman)
*******
BUILDING
THE REALM-Day 14
“Psalm
27:14- Hope in the Lord, be
strong and let your heart be valiant, and hope in the Lord. (#1)” We must believe
with conviction and we must say with belief that it can happen in our time. If
we can open our hearts to the goodness in each other, to the light not the
darkness and be disciplined to always look for it in ourselves and in each
other. If we do we can have heaven on earth.“Psalm 27:14-I wouldn't
have survived If I hadn't hoped that I would see, yet, Your goodness,
God, fully alive on earth. (#2)”
RIBBONO
SHEL OLAM: I hereby prepare myself for Sefirat HaBinyan / a counting for
building God’s realm during the time between Tisha B’av and erev Rosh
HaShannah.
Today
there are 14 days left until erev Rosh HaShannah, which is 2 weeks, Malchut
Sheb’ Gevurah.
Dear
God: Please let me be a vessel for Your light and help to align me with Your
will. May this period of Sefirat HaBinyan and the New Year be for good, for
peace and for blessing for all of Israel, for all inhabitants of the earth and
let us say Amen.
(Day kavanah
by Menuhah Peters/Psalm 27 #1 translated by Y.B. Marcus, Nissen Mangel and
Eliyahu Touger, #2 translated
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi/prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
& Gabbi Seth Fishman)
*******
BUILDING
THE REALM-Day 13
A
week in a seminary living in a monk cell for my Jewish chanting retreat and
there was no tv. Then I spent three days staying in a Japanese spa in a room
not a monk cell but without a tv. For ten days I was in spaces without tvs and
so I have watched no tv nor missed it. Tonight my new hotel has a tv and I am
watching it. I thought perhaps I had acquired the discipline to ignore a tv
after being without it but I was wrong. How strong is my discipline? It needs
bonding because it cannot exist on its own.
RIBBONO
SHEL OLAM: I hereby prepare myself for Sefirat HaBinyan / a counting for
building God’s realm during the time between Tisha B’av and erev Rosh
HaShannah.
Today
there are 13 days left until erev Rosh HaShannah, which is 1 week, and 6
days Yesod Sheb’ Gevurah.
Dear
God: Please let me be a vessel for Your light and help to align me with Your
will. May this period of Sefirat HaBinyan and the New Year be for good, for
peace and for blessing for all of Israel, for all inhabitants of the earth and
let us say Amen.
(Day kavanah
by Menuhah Peters/prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Gabbi Seth
Fishman)
*******
BUILDING
THE REALM-Day 12
Well,
well well, the first night I didn’t make it to writing a kavanah. Exhausted
from touring and finding comfort in hot water and clean sheets could be my
excuse. I suppose the excitement of going up the tram to the top of the Sandia
mountains to watch the sunset and then thinking about a hot air balloon ride
this morning were distractions. Well pride goes before a fall when you are
disciplined but forget about being humble. Obviously still more to work on in
these last days.
RIBBONO
SHEL OLAM: I hereby prepare myself for Sefirat HaBinyan / a counting for
building God’s realm during the time between Tisha B’av and erev Rosh
HaShannah.
Today
there are 12 days left until erev Rosh HaShannah, which is 1 week, and 5 days Hod Sheb’ Gevurah.
Dear
God: Please let me be a vessel for Your light and help to align me with Your
will. May this period of Sefirat HaBinyan and the New Year be for good, for
peace and for blessing for all of Israel, for all inhabitants of the earth and
let us say Amen.
(Day kavanah
by Menuhah Peters/prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Gabbi Seth
Fishman)
*******
BUILDING
THE REALM-Day 11
The
sun rises everyday even if we don’t see it. I have seen sunrises from the
ground and from a plane. I have seen the sunrise from many different countries
but this morning was the first morning to see the sunrise while being in a hot
air balloon. I saw the same sunrise and yet it was fresh. Perhaps we need
something new now and then to see things in a different way. Maybe we should
look at which of our regular rules and regs might benefit from being seen
through a different prisim.
RIBBONO
SHEL OLAM: I hereby prepare myself for Sefirat HaBinyan / a counting for
building God’s realm during the time between Tisha B’av and erev Rosh
HaShannah.
Today
there are 11 days left until erev Rosh HaShannah, which is 1 week, and 4 days
Netzach Sheb’ Gevurah.
Dear
God: Please let me be a vessel for Your light and help to align me with Your
will. May this period of Sefirat HaBinyan and the New Year be for good, for
peace and for blessing for all of Israel, for all inhabitants of the earth and
let us say Amen.
(Day kavanah
by Menuhah Peters/prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Gabbi Seth
Fishman)
*******
BUILDING
THE REALM-Day 10
Being
disciplined to wake up for early air flights is something I am always amazed I
can do. I set two alarms but in my head I know there will be no ignoring the
alarms as I might on any other morning. There is a flight to be caught and
maybe a hotel bill to settle and sometimes a rental car to return. Getting to
the airport and getting through security has to be accounted for as well. I
have learned to be compassionate towards myself since it means I will end up
not sleeping long enough and I love my 8 hours of sleep. It is the price to be
paid.
RIBBONO
SHEL OLAM: I hereby prepare myself for Sefirat HaBinyan / a counting for
building God’s realm during the time between Tisha B’av and erev Rosh
HaShannah.
Today
there are 10 days left until erev Rosh HaShannah, which is 1 week, and 3 days
Tiferet Sheb’ Gevurah.
Dear
God: Please let me be a vessel for Your light and help to align me with Your
will. May this period of Sefirat HaBinyan and the New Year be for good, for
peace and for blessing for all of Israel, for all inhabitants of the earth and
let us say Amen.
(Day kavanah
by Menuhah Peters/prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Gabbi Seth
Fishman)
*******
BUILDING
THE REALM-Day 9
We
are not yet at the Jewish new year but we are approaching a new school year
when discipline and organization become especially important. From my vacation
I am hoping to bring in even more of the outdoorsfor the children I will be
teaching and for myself because I know that being close to nature is calming.
It is easier just to stay inside. I will really need to find a way to keep my
own focus on the trees and what they represent and in my joy carry the children
along with me.
RIBBONO
SHEL OLAM: I hereby prepare myself for Sefirat HaBinyan / a counting for building
God’s realm during the time between Tisha B’av and erev Rosh HaShannah.
Today
there are 9 days left until erev Rosh HaShannah, which is 1 week, and 2 days
Gevurah Sheb’ Gevurah.
Dear
God: Please let me be a vessel for Your light and help to align me with Your
will. May this period of Sefirat HaBinyan and the New Year be for good, for
peace and for blessing for all of Israel, for all inhabitants of the earth and
let us say Amen.
(Day kavanah
by Menuhah Peters/prayer by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Gabbi Seth
Fishman)
No comments:
Post a Comment