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THE KABBALAH OF TIME: The Jewish Calendar is the master key to unlock the hidden rationale behind the formal structure of ancient sacred texts, as well as to understand and experience the most profound mystical concepts, which reveal the spiritual energy of each week, serving as a practical guide for self-analysis and development.
Daily Insight
Weekly Cycle
Monday, August 23, 2021
Immersion in Torah and Art: A Weekly Calendar
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Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Introduction - How to Read the Blog
"For everything there is a season and
for every time there is a purpose under Heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
We spend
much of our life in spiritual darkness. We often go about our lives with great
uncertainty, without the benefit of sage advice or guidance. Yet somehow we
just keep going, attaching ourselves to values that confuse our minds and our
hearts, and ignoring the real needs and wants of our soul.
We become so
busy with our own personal affairs and so distracted by the avalanche of
superfluous information directed at us, that we blind ourselves to the signs
all around, the lessons and warnings G-d presents to us at every moment.
Certain instances, however, awaken us from this darkness. In those times, which
are like lightning bolts of clarity, we realize that there is something
greater, something beyond this physical plane and our worldly concerns.
The reality
is that our soul needs to sing! Yet what are we to do if we do not know the
melody and the lyrics of the song? The Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of the
Chassidic movement, explains that this is the feeling behind the shofar blast on Rosh Hashanah. The shofar
is the most basic and primal expression of the soul, and it is with this cry
that the Jewish people awaken spiritually at the start of every year.
This blog’s
objective is to bring us closer to our song - the song of the soul - and the Jewish calendar itself is its sheet music. In an effort
to promote more harmony in our lives, we will study important Jewish figures, texts, values and
techniques for spiritual enhancement that will make ourselves attuned to the
energy of each week of the year. This book will give access to unknown tools,
which allow for an open channel of dialogue with G-d. These teachings are not new. They are already found in the
Torah itself. They are within everyone’s reach, close to the mouth and to the
heart. (Deuteronomy 30:11; Tanya - Introduction)
Through
continuous effort, an individual who is committed to change can obtain personal
as well as collective transformation: in the family, the local community, the
city, and beyond. As the prophet Isaiah exclaims, the Earth was not created to
be chaos. (Chapter 45:18) We desperately need to live in a better world, and leave it more peaceful for
future generations.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, teaches that one should “live with the times.” (Hayom Yom, 2nd of Cheshvan, p. 101) By connecting Jewish lessons to fixed times in the Jewish calendar, the book is meant to serve as a tool for self-reflection and spiritual development.
The Counting of the Omer
How to Read This Blog
The blog can be read from beginning to end all at once, but its main purpose is to be experienced during each cycle. Along with the meaning of every Jewish month and the important dates of the Jewish calendar, the idea is to connect with the spiritual energy of the cycle through the paradigms listed in each book. While doing so, one should try to absorb and internalize the teachings found in them, in order to improve one’s daily conduct.
The 32 paths of wisdom can be experienced through cycles of 22 days, which parallel the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, culminating with the 22 days of the Three Weeks of Mourning, from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, teaches that one should “live with the times.” (Hayom Yom, 2nd of Cheshvan, p. 101) By connecting Jewish lessons to fixed times in the Jewish calendar, the book is meant to serve as a tool for self-reflection and spiritual development.
The Counting of the Omer
The Counting of the Omer,
known in Hebrew as Sefirat Ha'Omer, is a Torah commandment to count
the weeks and days from which the omer sacrifice was offered
in the Temple. This sacrifice was made of barley, which in those days was
primarily an animal food, and had the Biblical measurement of one omer.
The counting takes place every year during the 49 days between the holidays of
Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost).
The Counting of the Omer has
always been used by the Jewish People as a basis for spiritual development. In
Egypt, the Jewish People had reached the 49th level of
spiritual impurity. During the first 49 days that followed their escape from
Egypt, the Jewish people gradually purified itself, until it reached the 49th level
of purity. Within but seven weeks, upon reaching Mount Sinai, the Jewish people
had become so spiritually and emotionally refined that the entire nation was
able to encamp there in complete harmony, peace, and unity: “as one person with
one heart.” It
was only in this way that they merited to receive the Torah.
During the omer count
performed every year between Passover and Shavuot, there is a
custom to spend each day concentrating on a different combination of sefirot. Sefirot,
as further explained below, are Divine attributes which are also
found within every individual. By doing so, it is possible to obtain a level of
spiritual and emotional improvement similar to what the Jewish people achieved
after leaving Egypt.
The Counting of the Omer takes
places mostly during the Jewish month of Iyar, a month known for
its healing powers. A hint of Iyar’s connection to healing is found
within the letters of its name, alef, yud and reish,
an acronym from the biblical verse Ani Hashem Rofechah, “I am G-d
your Healer.”
Besides from being a time of
great spiritual elevation and healing, unfortunately the omer is
also a reminder of a sad period in the history of the Jewish people.
Twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva passed away during these days.
They suffered from a plague inflicted due to their lack of unity and respect
for one another, the very opposite of what characterized the Children of Israel
at Mount Sinai.
The plague ended on the 33rd day
of the omer, known as Lag Ba’Omer. This is one of the
reasons why this date is so commemorated. Another reason for celebrating Lag
Ba’Omer is because it is the yahrzeit – the
anniversary of the passing – of the great tzadik Rabbi Shimon
Bar Yochai, who died many years after the plague. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai,
himself a student of Rabbi Akiva, is the author of the Zohar, the
basic and most important text of the Kabbalah.
The order in which the
combination of sefirot takes place for each day of the omer follows
a very simple principle. As further explained below, there are seven
emotional sefirot, and since the Counting of the Omer occurs
over seven weeks, each week represents one sefirah. The first week
represents the first sefirah, chesed (kindness),
while the second week represents the second sefirah, gevurah (discipline),
and so forth. Furthermore, each day within each week represents a subdivision
of one of the seven emotional sefirot within that sefirah.
For example, the first day of the omer represents the
attribute of chesed within chesed (chesed
shebechesed), as it is the first day of the first week. The second day of
the first week represents the attribute of gevurah within chesed (gevurah
shebechesed). Lag Ba'Omer is the fifth day of the fifth
week. The fifth sefirah is hod, and
therefore Lag Ba’Omer represents hod shebehod.
The sefirot combinations of each day of the omer are
found in most prayerbooks.
Furthermore, the most basic
element in the commandment of the Counting of the Omer is to
give each day a specific number. Numbers in Judaism have tremendous meaning
that goes much beyond their day-to-day usage. Each number has kabbalistic
significance, and each letter in the Jewish calendar has a numerical value.
Incredibly, just as Lag
Ba’Omer takes place on the thirty-third day of the omer,
two thirds into the counting between Passover and Shavuot, so too –
and this is quite remarkable – the week of Lag Ba’Omer falls
two thirds into the Jewish year, exactly on the thirty-third week! Each week of
the year therefore parallels each day of the Counting of the Omer,
and each week is connected to the sefirah combination for that
day. It is therefore possible to work on oneself through the sefirot and
the numbers related to the omer during the entire year.
Pirkei Avot and Perek Shirah
In addition, from Passover
to Shavuot, in most religious Jewish communities there is a custom
to study the Pirkei Avot, also as a mechanism of
self-improvement. Pirkei Avot, which literally means “Chapters of
the Fathers,” is part of the Mishnah (the Oral Torah) compiled
by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi. In these chapters, each of the main rabbis of the
generation writes in concise form what he considers to be most important in
order to live ethically and in accordance with the principles of the
Torah. Pirkei Avot can also be understood as “Father Chapters,”
since these chapters include the fundamental principles for the study and
fulfillment of the rest of the Torah. In this sense, the teachings
of Pirkei Avot are like "parents," and the rest of
the Torah’s teachings are like their children.
This book shows how the
teachings of rabbis found within the first four chapters of Pirkei Avot are
organized in such a way that each rabbi corresponds to a week of the year.
Similarly, this book will show how this weekly method of self-improvement is
also related to each animal of Perek Shirah.
Perek Shirah, which means Chapter of Song,
is an ancient text that is not very well known, as it has been published only
in a handful of prayerbooks around the world. While the authorship of this work
is not certain, many attribute it to King David. Perek Shirah itself
hints to David’s authorship as it describes his interaction with a frog
immediately following the completion of the Book of Psalms. In this
conversation, the frog exclaims, “David! Do not become proud, for I recite more
songs and praises than you.”
Among sacred Jewish
texts, Perek Shirah is a pioneer when it comes to the
environment. It is a work of enormous lyricism and exaltation of the Creator,
including songs from the sun and the moon, Heaven and Earth, as well as from
various members of the plant and animal kingdoms. The praises found in this
book are like a great orchestra in which, instead of musicians, each element
and living being contributes to a beautiful and emotional masterpiece. That result
is the best possible exclamation of G-d’s greatness by all of His Creation.
It is extraordinary that of all
the different elements and creatures listed in Perek Shirah that
glorify the Creator, there are exactly fifty-two animals in Perek
Shirah, one for each week of the solar year.
In Judaism, as well as in many
other cultures, it is well known that humans can learn many important lessons
on how to behave by observing animals and nature. The Book of Job, for example,
teaches that we should learn how to glorify G-d by observing birds.[8] The
Talmud teaches that “Had the Torah not been given, we would have learned to be
modest from cats, to avoid theft from ants, to avoid promiscuity from doves,
and derech eretz (proper conduct) from roosters.” The
Book of Proverbs advises those that are lazy to observe the ant. Despite the
fact that this animal has no supervisor, it collects its food in the summer and
stores it during the harvest season. In
a similar vein, in Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Yehuda Ben Teima tell us to
be “bold like the leopard, swift like the eagle, fast like the deer, and
courageous like the lion, in order to fulfill the will of your Father in
Heaven.”
It is quite often easier for a
person to learn character traits from animals because human beings are full of
paradoxes and internal conflicts, while animals have emotional attributes that
are strong and clear, without room for human subtleties. The fact that during
the omer we work on our emotional characteristics (our animal
qualities) is reflected in the omer offering itself, which was
made out of barley, an animal food. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the
process of self-analysis which begins on Passover and runs through the Counting
of the Omer, culminating on Shavuot, is parallel to the
kind of food related to each of these days. On Passover we eat matzah,
which involves total nullification of the ego; the omer, made of
animal food, reflects our struggle to improve our emotional/animal
characteristics; on Shavuot, once our character traits have been
refined, leavened bread is brought into the Temple for the first time.
When reading Perek Shirah, it is fascinating to
observe how the animals so gracefully praise and acknowledge G-d’s actions. If
animals glorify G-d in such a way, how much more so should we! Furthermore,
through each animal and its respective song, we extract examples and lessons on
how to help us heal and combat sadness.
How to Read This Blog
The blog can be read from beginning to end all at once, but its main purpose is to be experienced during each cycle. Along with the meaning of every Jewish month and the important dates of the Jewish calendar, the idea is to connect with the spiritual energy of the cycle through the paradigms listed in each book. While doing so, one should try to absorb and internalize the teachings found in them, in order to improve one’s daily conduct.
The 32 paths of wisdom can be experienced through cycles of 22 days, which parallel the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, culminating with the 22 days of the Three Weeks of Mourning, from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av.
Books 1 through 7 of the blog can also be experienced during each day of the actual omer count, from Passover until Shavuot
(using one week for each day), given that the omer count is itself a microcosm of the whole year. The fifty-two
weeks of the year are also reflected in the rituals and times connected to each
day.
The weeks of
this book can even technically be applied on a yearly basis, with each week
representing a different year. This may have both an individual application,
with each week representing a year in a person’s life, but could even be applied
to history as a whole, which would more or less parallel the cycles of
Sabbatical and Jubilee years.
For the
individual, the cycle would start at birth, and then restart at age 52.
Examples of this would be King Solomon and Shmuel HaNavi, who both lived 52 years. This may also apply to more than
one reincarnation. In the Passover Hagaddah,
Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah states that he “was like a man of 70.” The Vilna Gaon
teaches that Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah, who was only 18, knew that he was a
reincarnation of Shmuel HaNavi, and
so therefore, he saw himself as being 18 plus 52, which equals 70.
For those
seeking a daily connection throughout the year, this can be done simply by
subdividing each week, using a different sefirah
for each day. In this way, a person would perform seven separate “omer counts.” The first day of the year
is chesed shebechesed shebechesed
(the first day of the first week of the first series of seven weeks), and Lag Ba'Omer will represent not only hod shebehod but, hod shebehod shebehod (the 5th day of the 5th
week of the 5th series of seven weeks).
In order to succeed in this journey, the reader will benefit from one more ingredient: emunah. Emunah means faith in G-d. The Midrash states that the Sea of Reeds only split, allowing the Jewish people to cross, after Nachshon ben Aminadav threw himself into the water. At that time, we know that the Jewish People was completely cornered, seeing the Egyptian army approach on one side, and facing the deep waters of sea on the other. What was the way out? The Jewish people hesitated, and somewhat panicked, despite the great number of Divine miracles they saw upon being freed from Egypt. At this moment, without having second thoughts and believing firmly that everything would work out for the best, Nachshon jumped into the sea. When the waters were already entering his nostrils, the Sea of Reeds split and all of the Jewish people followed him. The Midrash explains that G-d wanted His people to act based on emunah.
In order to succeed in this journey, the reader will benefit from one more ingredient: emunah. Emunah means faith in G-d. The Midrash states that the Sea of Reeds only split, allowing the Jewish people to cross, after Nachshon ben Aminadav threw himself into the water. At that time, we know that the Jewish People was completely cornered, seeing the Egyptian army approach on one side, and facing the deep waters of sea on the other. What was the way out? The Jewish people hesitated, and somewhat panicked, despite the great number of Divine miracles they saw upon being freed from Egypt. At this moment, without having second thoughts and believing firmly that everything would work out for the best, Nachshon jumped into the sea. When the waters were already entering his nostrils, the Sea of Reeds split and all of the Jewish people followed him. The Midrash explains that G-d wanted His people to act based on emunah.
Thus, it is through
Nachshon’s example that we learn how to conduct our lives. Emunah is a process we develop (it is etymologically linked to the
Hebrew word for craft, omanut), but
to begin, a person needs a certain amount of faith, to just jump in like
Nachshon. The obstacles in Nachshon’s way were removed because he was
determined to bring G-d’s will into reality. After all, nothing is impossible
or even difficult for the Eternal One, Who took His people out of the land of
Egypt. G-d took His dear people out of slavery; He did not do so through an angel or a
messenger, but did it Himself, through His strong hand and outstretched arm. For this reason, besides celebrating Passover annually, the Jewish people also
remember its freedom from Egypt in its daily prayers, despite the fact that
this liberation took place a few millennia ago.
Filled with emunah, one can march onward with ease in this
beautiful spiritual journey. It is with this strong sense of faith, truth and
hope that we present the tools for Jewish wisdom, understanding and knowledge
contained in the pages to follow.
If the Mishnah's purpose was merely to describe
the chain of tradition, a more detailed list would have been appropriate.[4] By
mentioning only these five individuals or groups, the Mishnah alludes
to five traits that are essential in developing a relationship with the Torah.
"Moshe" represents a unique fusion of humility and
pride. Although he was "more humble than any man on the face of the
earth,"[5] he
served as a firm leader of the people, confidently telling them: "It is I
who stood between you and G-d."[6] [Bereishit, the Book of Genesis, is essentially about Derech Eretz, proper behavior, as in the
statement, Derech Eretz Kadma LaTorah,
“proper behavior” preceded the Torah. In Bereishit,
the Torah first teaches us about how to properly behave by recounting the deeds
of our forefathers. It is only in Shemot,
the Book of Exodus, that we learn about the Torah itself and its commandments. Book 1 in "The Kabbalah of Time” is also
focused on proper behavior, which we learn even from animals. Interestingly, in
the end of the Book of Genesis, various tribes are compared to animals, because
certain good behaviors of each tribe have become instinctual, like that of an
animal.]
"Yehoshua" represents the epitome of dedicated devotion
- "a youth who never left the tent."[7] Such
dedication is also necessary if one is to make the Torah a part of one's
thinking processes. [As mentioned above, it is in Shemot, the Book of Exodus, that we acquire the Torah. Acquiring
the Torah demands tremendous commitment, like that of Yehoshua. Acquiring the
Torah is also the theme of Book 2 in the “Kabbalah of Time.”]
"The elders" represent the virtues of maturity and
cultivated wisdom. The commitment of Yehoshua must be nurtured through
disciplined study. [Disciplined
study and cultivating wisdom parallels the main theme of Vayikrah, the Book of Leviticus, which is primarily about the services
and sacrifices of the priests in the Tabernacle. Book 3 in "The Kabbalah of
Time” is also about Divine service and prayer.]
"The prophets" represent a drive to make one's thinking
processes reflect one's spiritual values. This is necessary to ensure that the
knowledge of the elders remains more than human wisdom, and reflects the G-dly
source of the Torah. [The
Torah’s spiritual values are in clear display throughout Bamidbar, the Book of Numbers, particularly in the first part of it.
Each member of the Jewish people is counted, and a particular focus is given to
the Nasi, the leader of each tribe. Book 4 in "The Kabbalah of Time” is
also about our spiritual values, realizing that we are spiritual in essence,
and connecting to the Nasi.]
In regard to "the Men of the Great Assembly," our Sages
explain the name was given because they "restored the original
glory."[8]
Moshe referred to the Almighty as "the great, mighty and
awesome G-d."[9]
Yirmeyahu said: "Gentiles are celebrating in His palace;
where is His awesomeness?" And when he referred to G-d,[10] he
did not use the term "awesome."
Daniel said: "Gentiles are subjugating His children; where is
His might?" And he did not use the term "mighty."[11]
They [the Men of the Great Assembly] arose and said: "On the
contrary, this is His might; that He overcomes His natural tendency, and shows
patience to the wicked. And this is His awesomeness; for were it not for His
awesomeness, one nation could not endure among the many."[12]
The Men of the Great Assembly were able to see G-dliness even in
the darkness of exile. This is the last quality which the mishnah chose
to emphasize as a prerequisite for our study of the Torah; regardless of the
situation in which we find ourselves, we must appreciate G-d's intent. [The second half of Bamidbar also focuses on the tests and the darkness of exile. The tests of exile bring about tremendous tragedy; yet
they also reveal our true nature, our Divine Essence. Book 5 in "The Kabbalah
of Time” is also about being able to see G-dliness, particularly in exile.]
In the above discourse, the Rebbe also
mentions that “the Men of the Great Assembly” established guidelines,
applicable to all, that ensured the continuation of the Judaism and the Jewish
people throughout the long exile to come. Devarim,
the Book of Deuteronomy, is also about setting general guidelines applicable to
future generations that would find themselves in different circumstances, such
as those living in the Land of Israel. Book 6 in “The Kabbalah of Time” is also
about general guidelines, prayers applicable to all people in all situations,
such as the Book of Psalms and Tikkun
HaKlali (Rebbe Nachman’s General Remedy).
Book 7 in the “The Kabbalah of Time” is a song that provides a microcosm/summary of the previous books, and parallels Haazinu.
Footnotes:
- See the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishneh Torah, where he indeed provides a more detailed index.
- Bamidbar 12:2.
- Devarim 5:5.
- Shemot 33:11.
- Yoma 69b.
- Devarim 10:17.
- Yirmeyahu 32:18.
- Daniel 9:4.
- Hence, in the daily prayers which they instituted we say "the great, mighty, and awesome G-d," as Moshe did.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Portuguese Introduction (2011 Draft)
Por vezes nos sentimos isolados em nosso canto, espalhados que estamos dentre os diversos e mais remotos espaços físicos, emocionais, intelectuais e espirituais. Sentimos que estamos perdidos, desconectados do mundo exterior, afastados das pessoas, natureza, de D’us e que, esta situação não tem remédio! Tão ocupados com os afazeres de nossas vidas e distraídos pela avalanche de informação supérflua, perdemos a sintonia com os sinais existentes a nossa volta – os avisos que Ele apresenta a cada instante. Além disso, inúmeras vezes nos apegamos a valores falsos que confundem a mente e o coração, obstruindo os verdadeiros valores da alma.
Visando uma vida mais harmoniosa, este livro tem por objetivo difundir valores e técnicas judaicas. Se utilizadas diariamente, asseguramos que irá promover uma transformação pessoal positiva. Para tanto, a narrativa tem como elemento básico associar lições judaicas ao tempo físico. O Judaísmo é uma religião principalmente ligada ao tempo e não ao espaço físico. Cumpre notar que, os ensinamentos para aprimoramento espiritual visando aplacar a distância entre o indivíduo e Seu Criador estão justamente prescritos na Torá. As lições sagradas estão ao alcance de todos, perto da boca e coração, e não misteriosas ou distantes: nos céus, montanhas ou mar (Deuteronômio 30:11 e seguintes). Portanto, este livro pretende mostrar como acessar ferramentas “desconhecidas”, mas existentes na Torá. Assim, pretendemos que o livro ajude a propiciar um canal aberto de diálogo com D’us.
Está escrito nos Livros Sagrados que poderoso é aquele que contém suas paixões e ira (Pirkê Avot 4:1). Quantos litígios podem ser evitados se o ser humano contiver seus ímpetos de arrogância e fanatismo? Acreditamos que através de uma luta diária, o indivíduo pode obter uma transformação pessoal, como também promover mudanças no seu núcleo familiar, comunitário, e assim, sucessivamente. Afinal, conforme prega Isaías, a Terra não foi criada para ser um caos (Capítulo 45:18). Precisamos sim, e desesperadamente, viver em um mundo melhor, e deixá-lo mais pacífico para as futuras gerações.
Seguimos twitters, blogs e sites... Estamos sempre em busca. Porque então não darmos uma chance a esse método aqui mapeado de conexão com D’us? Se utilizado todas as semanas do ano, promoverá uma conexão direta com o Criador. Como ensina o Rabino Schneur Zalman de Liadi, é preciso “viver com o tempo”!
Resumidamente, este livro promove uma forma de viver ligada com o tempo. Serve de auto-análise e desenvolvimento espiritual, a partir das canções de cada animal no Perek Shirá, dos preceitos de cada rabino do Pirkê Avot, e sefirá (característica divina) ligada a cada dia da contagem do ômer.
A contagem do ômer sempre foi usada pelo Povo Judeu como base de aprimoramento espiritual. A contagem começa em Pessach e segue até Shavuot. No Egito, o Povo Judeu estava no 49o nível de impureza. Durante a contagem do ômer, gradativamente o povo se purificou, revertendo o quadro para atingir o 49o nível de pureza! Ao chegar no Monte Sinai, estavam tão refinados espiritual e emocionalmente, que ali acamparam em harmonia e paz, com união total: “como uma pessoa só, com um só coração”. Só assim foram merecedores e puderam ser presenteados com a Torá.
Da mesma forma, é possível obter esse aperfeiçoamento através da concentração diária em uma sefirá (uma explicação mais detalhada sobre o significado das sefirot (plural de sefirá) segue abaixo). A contagem do ômer ocorre na maior parte dentro do mês de Iyar, que está ligado a cura. O mês de Iyar é conhecido como um mês de healing, pois é formado pelas letras hebraicas que simbolizam o verso “Eu sou Deus Seu Curador” (Êxodo 15:26).
Abrindo parênteses, além de ser uma época de elevação espiritual e cura, lamentavelmente o ômer marca uma era triste na história do Povo Judeu. Em decorrência de uma praga, faleceram vinte e quatro mil alunos do Rabi Akiva, justo durante esses dias. Esta praga que ocorreu exatamente pela falta de união e respeito mútuo entre os alunos, terminou no 33o dia do ômer, Lag Ba'Ômer. Este é um dos motivos pelos quais essa data é tão celebrada. A outra principal razão pela qual se comemora Lag Ba’Ômer é atribuída ao yahrzeit – aniversário de falecimento – do grande tzadik Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai, muitos anos depois. Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai é o autor do celebrado Livro Zohar, o texto básico da Cabalá.
Impressionante notar, tal qual a festividade de Lag Ba'Ômer representa dois terços (33/50) da contagem dos dias entre os feriados judaicos de Pessach a Shavuot, também –– a semana de Lag Ba’Ômer constitui a trigésima terceira semana do ano, de acordo com o calendário judaico. O cômputo das semanas é sempre feito a partir da semana de Rosh Hashaná, no mesmo dia da semana na qual começa a contagem do ômer. Por exemplo, se Pessach cai numa terça-feira e a contagem do ômer começa na quarta-feira, então a contagem das semanas começaria na quarta-feira antes de Rosh Hashaná. Assim, é possível dar a cada dia do ano uma combinação de sefirot. Lag Ba’ômer representará não só hod shebehod, mas sim, hod shebehod shebehod (5o dia, 5a. semana e 5a serie de sete semanas). (Para saber quado começa cada semana do ano, veja a Tabela II, no final do livro).
Em consequência, cada semana deste livro está representada e conectada por uma variação das sefirot, procedimento semelhante ao adotado durante a contagem do ômer entre Pessach e Shavuot. A partir das características de cada sefirá, este livro mostra como uma pessoa pode trabalhar o seu lado interior visando auto-aprimoramento.
Entre Pessach e Shavuot, na maioria das comunidades judaicas, existe o costume de se estudar o Pirkê Avot, também como mecanismo de auto-aperfeiçoamento. Pirkê Avot, que significa Capítulos dos Patriarcas, é parte da Mishná (Torá oral) compilada por Rabi Iehudá HaNassi. Nesses capítulos, cada principal rabino da geração escreve, o que considera de mais importante para se viver eticamente de acordo com a Torá. Pirkê Avot também pode ser entendido como “Capítulos dos Pais”, pois nele estão incluídos os princípios fundamentais para o estudo e cumprimento da Torá. Neste sentido, as lições do Pirkê Avot são como "pais", e o restante da Torá são como filhos. Tal conclusão é uma decorrência dos conceitos básicos listados nesses capítulos sagrados.
Este livro mostrará como os pronunciamentos dos rabinos constantes nos primeiros quatro capítulos do Pirkê Avot estão organizados; de tal forma que, cada rabino corresponde a uma semana do ano. Igualmente, se revelará como este trabalho semanal de auto-aprimoramento também está relacionado com cada animal do Livro Perek Shirá. O Perek Shirá que significa Capítulo da Canção, é um texto pouco conhecido. Foi publicado em apenas alguns livros de prece no mundo. Outra razão pelo qual seu texto não é veiculado, reside no fato de que sua leitura não é obrigatória durante as rezas diárias. De autoria ainda desconhecida, certos comentaristas atribuem a criação do Perek Shirá ao Rei David ou ao seu filho, o Rei Salomão.
Dentre outros livros sagrados do judaísmo, o Perek Shirá é pioneiro em matéria ambiental. Este poético livro contém os elementos essenciais do universo, incluindo os céus e a terra, plantas e animais. Suas páginas sãode extremo lirismo, deslumbramento e exaltação ao Criador. Tal qual ocorre em um concerto de orquestra, ao invés de músicos, cada animal deste livro oferece sua contribuição em prol de um belo resultado sentimental. No caso do Perek Shirá, o produto final é desvelado através da melhor possível aclamação à D’us por parte dos representantes do reino animal ali elencados.
É sabido que o ser humano pode aprender sobre conduta observando o comportamento dos animais e os atos da natureza. No Livro de Jó, está contido o ensinamento de como devemos glorificar a D’us observando o procedimento dos pássaros (Capítulo 35:11). O Talmud nos ensina que mesmo sem a Torá, aprenderíamos sobre modéstia com os gatos, e a não roubar com as formigas (Eruvim 100b). Neste sentido, o Pirkê Avot leciona através do ensinamento de Iehudá ben Teimá, para sermos ousados como o leopardo, ligeiros como a águia, ágeis como o veado, e fortes como o leão.(Cap. 5:23). Impressionante: também o livro de Provérbios ensina ao preguiçoso para observar a formiga e com ela adquirir sabedoria. Este animal embora não tenha patrão, supervisor ou soberano, provê seu pão no verão e estoca alimento durante a colheita (Cap. 6:6)!
Na realidade, muitas vezes para o ser humano é mais fácil aprender determinadas condutas com os animais. Sabemos que o indivíduo é cheio de paradoxos e conflitos internos, enquanto os animais tem características fortes e claras, sem espaço para as tantas sutilezas humanas.
Prosseguindo, fascinante observar na leitura do Perek Shirá como os animais reconhecem o poder criador de D’us e são agradecidos em seus louvores! Se os animais glorificam à D’us, que dirá como a humanidade deveria louvá-Lo, já que detém o poder da comunicação verbal... Sob o prisma ecológico, nas páginas do Perek Shirá encontram-se distintos louvores do reino animal exaltando as maravilhas do Criador. E, através de cada animal e de sua respectiva canção, extraímos lições edificantes para combater inclusive a depressão.
É extraordinário perceber que dentre todos os elementos da Terra que glorificam seu Criador Único, existem os animais listados no Livro exatamente em número de 52, um para cada semana do ano!
As páginas deste livro vão mostrar o elo de conexão dos animais do Perek Shirá, dos rabinos do Pirkê Avot, e de cada combinação de sefirot, com as datas relacionadas a cada semana.
Este livro pode ser lido de uma vez do início ao fim, mas seu propósito principal é de que seja vivenciando a cada semana. Além de explicar o significado de cada mês no calendário judaico e de apontar datas e feriados importantes, a idéia é fazer com que o indivíduo se conecte com a energia espiritual da semana através de três prismas: Perek Shirá, Pirkê Avot e contagem do ômer. A intenção é propiciar ao leitor a internalização dos ensinamentos contidos nestas páginas, de modo a alcançar uma conduta mais positiva no dia-a-dia.
O livro também pode ser vivenciado durante cada dia da própria contagem do ômer, de Pessach até Shavuot (usando uma semana para cada dia), pois a contagem do ômer é em si um microcosmo de todo o ano. As 52 semanas também se refletem por inteiro nos rituais e horários do dia. (Ver Apêndice e Tabela I, no final do livro)
Para poder cumprir a jornada devidamente, o leitor precisará ter humildade e mente aberta, além de outro ingrediente básico imprescindível: fé em D’us. Está escrito no Midrash1 que o mar se abriu e os judeus só puderam prosseguir depois que Nachshon se jogou ao mar. Com o propósito de recordar o episódio, sabemos que o Povo Judeu estava completamente emboscado antes da abertura do mar. Qual a saída? Na frente, águas profundas e, atrás, o impiedoso exército egípcio. Por tudo isto, o povo estava hesitante e incrédulo, apesar dos inúmeros milagres divinos que tinham culminado com sua libertação do Egito. Sem titubear, acreditando piamente em um desenlace favorável, Nachshon se lançou ao mar. Quando as águas estavam já entrando em suas narinas, o Mar Vermelho se abriu e todos o seguiram. O Midrash explica que D’us queria que Seu povo agisse baseado em fé.
Visando uma vida mais harmoniosa, este livro tem por objetivo difundir valores e técnicas judaicas. Se utilizadas diariamente, asseguramos que irá promover uma transformação pessoal positiva. Para tanto, a narrativa tem como elemento básico associar lições judaicas ao tempo físico. O Judaísmo é uma religião principalmente ligada ao tempo e não ao espaço físico. Cumpre notar que, os ensinamentos para aprimoramento espiritual visando aplacar a distância entre o indivíduo e Seu Criador estão justamente prescritos na Torá. As lições sagradas estão ao alcance de todos, perto da boca e coração, e não misteriosas ou distantes: nos céus, montanhas ou mar (Deuteronômio 30:11 e seguintes). Portanto, este livro pretende mostrar como acessar ferramentas “desconhecidas”, mas existentes na Torá. Assim, pretendemos que o livro ajude a propiciar um canal aberto de diálogo com D’us.
Está escrito nos Livros Sagrados que poderoso é aquele que contém suas paixões e ira (Pirkê Avot 4:1). Quantos litígios podem ser evitados se o ser humano contiver seus ímpetos de arrogância e fanatismo? Acreditamos que através de uma luta diária, o indivíduo pode obter uma transformação pessoal, como também promover mudanças no seu núcleo familiar, comunitário, e assim, sucessivamente. Afinal, conforme prega Isaías, a Terra não foi criada para ser um caos (Capítulo 45:18). Precisamos sim, e desesperadamente, viver em um mundo melhor, e deixá-lo mais pacífico para as futuras gerações.
Seguimos twitters, blogs e sites... Estamos sempre em busca. Porque então não darmos uma chance a esse método aqui mapeado de conexão com D’us? Se utilizado todas as semanas do ano, promoverá uma conexão direta com o Criador. Como ensina o Rabino Schneur Zalman de Liadi, é preciso “viver com o tempo”!
Resumidamente, este livro promove uma forma de viver ligada com o tempo. Serve de auto-análise e desenvolvimento espiritual, a partir das canções de cada animal no Perek Shirá, dos preceitos de cada rabino do Pirkê Avot, e sefirá (característica divina) ligada a cada dia da contagem do ômer.
A contagem do ômer sempre foi usada pelo Povo Judeu como base de aprimoramento espiritual. A contagem começa em Pessach e segue até Shavuot. No Egito, o Povo Judeu estava no 49o nível de impureza. Durante a contagem do ômer, gradativamente o povo se purificou, revertendo o quadro para atingir o 49o nível de pureza! Ao chegar no Monte Sinai, estavam tão refinados espiritual e emocionalmente, que ali acamparam em harmonia e paz, com união total: “como uma pessoa só, com um só coração”. Só assim foram merecedores e puderam ser presenteados com a Torá.
Da mesma forma, é possível obter esse aperfeiçoamento através da concentração diária em uma sefirá (uma explicação mais detalhada sobre o significado das sefirot (plural de sefirá) segue abaixo). A contagem do ômer ocorre na maior parte dentro do mês de Iyar, que está ligado a cura. O mês de Iyar é conhecido como um mês de healing, pois é formado pelas letras hebraicas que simbolizam o verso “Eu sou Deus Seu Curador” (Êxodo 15:26).
Abrindo parênteses, além de ser uma época de elevação espiritual e cura, lamentavelmente o ômer marca uma era triste na história do Povo Judeu. Em decorrência de uma praga, faleceram vinte e quatro mil alunos do Rabi Akiva, justo durante esses dias. Esta praga que ocorreu exatamente pela falta de união e respeito mútuo entre os alunos, terminou no 33o dia do ômer, Lag Ba'Ômer. Este é um dos motivos pelos quais essa data é tão celebrada. A outra principal razão pela qual se comemora Lag Ba’Ômer é atribuída ao yahrzeit – aniversário de falecimento – do grande tzadik Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai, muitos anos depois. Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai é o autor do celebrado Livro Zohar, o texto básico da Cabalá.
Impressionante notar, tal qual a festividade de Lag Ba'Ômer representa dois terços (33/50) da contagem dos dias entre os feriados judaicos de Pessach a Shavuot, também –– a semana de Lag Ba’Ômer constitui a trigésima terceira semana do ano, de acordo com o calendário judaico. O cômputo das semanas é sempre feito a partir da semana de Rosh Hashaná, no mesmo dia da semana na qual começa a contagem do ômer. Por exemplo, se Pessach cai numa terça-feira e a contagem do ômer começa na quarta-feira, então a contagem das semanas começaria na quarta-feira antes de Rosh Hashaná. Assim, é possível dar a cada dia do ano uma combinação de sefirot. Lag Ba’ômer representará não só hod shebehod, mas sim, hod shebehod shebehod (5o dia, 5a. semana e 5a serie de sete semanas). (Para saber quado começa cada semana do ano, veja a Tabela II, no final do livro).
Em consequência, cada semana deste livro está representada e conectada por uma variação das sefirot, procedimento semelhante ao adotado durante a contagem do ômer entre Pessach e Shavuot. A partir das características de cada sefirá, este livro mostra como uma pessoa pode trabalhar o seu lado interior visando auto-aprimoramento.
Entre Pessach e Shavuot, na maioria das comunidades judaicas, existe o costume de se estudar o Pirkê Avot, também como mecanismo de auto-aperfeiçoamento. Pirkê Avot, que significa Capítulos dos Patriarcas, é parte da Mishná (Torá oral) compilada por Rabi Iehudá HaNassi. Nesses capítulos, cada principal rabino da geração escreve, o que considera de mais importante para se viver eticamente de acordo com a Torá. Pirkê Avot também pode ser entendido como “Capítulos dos Pais”, pois nele estão incluídos os princípios fundamentais para o estudo e cumprimento da Torá. Neste sentido, as lições do Pirkê Avot são como "pais", e o restante da Torá são como filhos. Tal conclusão é uma decorrência dos conceitos básicos listados nesses capítulos sagrados.
Este livro mostrará como os pronunciamentos dos rabinos constantes nos primeiros quatro capítulos do Pirkê Avot estão organizados; de tal forma que, cada rabino corresponde a uma semana do ano. Igualmente, se revelará como este trabalho semanal de auto-aprimoramento também está relacionado com cada animal do Livro Perek Shirá. O Perek Shirá que significa Capítulo da Canção, é um texto pouco conhecido. Foi publicado em apenas alguns livros de prece no mundo. Outra razão pelo qual seu texto não é veiculado, reside no fato de que sua leitura não é obrigatória durante as rezas diárias. De autoria ainda desconhecida, certos comentaristas atribuem a criação do Perek Shirá ao Rei David ou ao seu filho, o Rei Salomão.
Dentre outros livros sagrados do judaísmo, o Perek Shirá é pioneiro em matéria ambiental. Este poético livro contém os elementos essenciais do universo, incluindo os céus e a terra, plantas e animais. Suas páginas sãode extremo lirismo, deslumbramento e exaltação ao Criador. Tal qual ocorre em um concerto de orquestra, ao invés de músicos, cada animal deste livro oferece sua contribuição em prol de um belo resultado sentimental. No caso do Perek Shirá, o produto final é desvelado através da melhor possível aclamação à D’us por parte dos representantes do reino animal ali elencados.
É sabido que o ser humano pode aprender sobre conduta observando o comportamento dos animais e os atos da natureza. No Livro de Jó, está contido o ensinamento de como devemos glorificar a D’us observando o procedimento dos pássaros (Capítulo 35:11). O Talmud nos ensina que mesmo sem a Torá, aprenderíamos sobre modéstia com os gatos, e a não roubar com as formigas (Eruvim 100b). Neste sentido, o Pirkê Avot leciona através do ensinamento de Iehudá ben Teimá, para sermos ousados como o leopardo, ligeiros como a águia, ágeis como o veado, e fortes como o leão.(Cap. 5:23). Impressionante: também o livro de Provérbios ensina ao preguiçoso para observar a formiga e com ela adquirir sabedoria. Este animal embora não tenha patrão, supervisor ou soberano, provê seu pão no verão e estoca alimento durante a colheita (Cap. 6:6)!
Na realidade, muitas vezes para o ser humano é mais fácil aprender determinadas condutas com os animais. Sabemos que o indivíduo é cheio de paradoxos e conflitos internos, enquanto os animais tem características fortes e claras, sem espaço para as tantas sutilezas humanas.
Prosseguindo, fascinante observar na leitura do Perek Shirá como os animais reconhecem o poder criador de D’us e são agradecidos em seus louvores! Se os animais glorificam à D’us, que dirá como a humanidade deveria louvá-Lo, já que detém o poder da comunicação verbal... Sob o prisma ecológico, nas páginas do Perek Shirá encontram-se distintos louvores do reino animal exaltando as maravilhas do Criador. E, através de cada animal e de sua respectiva canção, extraímos lições edificantes para combater inclusive a depressão.
É extraordinário perceber que dentre todos os elementos da Terra que glorificam seu Criador Único, existem os animais listados no Livro exatamente em número de 52, um para cada semana do ano!
As páginas deste livro vão mostrar o elo de conexão dos animais do Perek Shirá, dos rabinos do Pirkê Avot, e de cada combinação de sefirot, com as datas relacionadas a cada semana.
Este livro pode ser lido de uma vez do início ao fim, mas seu propósito principal é de que seja vivenciando a cada semana. Além de explicar o significado de cada mês no calendário judaico e de apontar datas e feriados importantes, a idéia é fazer com que o indivíduo se conecte com a energia espiritual da semana através de três prismas: Perek Shirá, Pirkê Avot e contagem do ômer. A intenção é propiciar ao leitor a internalização dos ensinamentos contidos nestas páginas, de modo a alcançar uma conduta mais positiva no dia-a-dia.
O livro também pode ser vivenciado durante cada dia da própria contagem do ômer, de Pessach até Shavuot (usando uma semana para cada dia), pois a contagem do ômer é em si um microcosmo de todo o ano. As 52 semanas também se refletem por inteiro nos rituais e horários do dia. (Ver Apêndice e Tabela I, no final do livro)
Para poder cumprir a jornada devidamente, o leitor precisará ter humildade e mente aberta, além de outro ingrediente básico imprescindível: fé em D’us. Está escrito no Midrash1 que o mar se abriu e os judeus só puderam prosseguir depois que Nachshon se jogou ao mar. Com o propósito de recordar o episódio, sabemos que o Povo Judeu estava completamente emboscado antes da abertura do mar. Qual a saída? Na frente, águas profundas e, atrás, o impiedoso exército egípcio. Por tudo isto, o povo estava hesitante e incrédulo, apesar dos inúmeros milagres divinos que tinham culminado com sua libertação do Egito. Sem titubear, acreditando piamente em um desenlace favorável, Nachshon se lançou ao mar. Quando as águas estavam já entrando em suas narinas, o Mar Vermelho se abriu e todos o seguiram. O Midrash explica que D’us queria que Seu povo agisse baseado em fé.
ortanto, a partir do exemplo de Nachshon aprende-se que basta ter certeza e acreditar com fervor no Eterno Único Criador do resplandecente universo. Os obstáculos foram removidos pois existiu determinação por parte de Nachshon de realizar um desígnio divino. Afinal, nada é impossível ou sequer difícil para o Eterno que tirou Seu povo da terra do Egito (Êxodo 20:2 e Salmo 78). Isto mesmo, D’us tirou Seu querido povo da escravidão: Ele não enviou anjos nem emissários para esta missão, realizada com Sua mão poderosa e braço estendido (Deuteronômio 4:34). Por isto, além de celebrar anualmente a festividade de Pessach, diariamente nas rezas matutinas, o Povo Judeu lembra de sua libertação da escravatura, ocorrida há milênios atrás.
Em conclusão, imbuído de fé pode o indivíduo trilhar firme esta proposta para uma bela jornada espiritual de duração anual. E é movido pela fé, verdade e esperança que as ferramentas na busca de entendimento da sabedoria judaica se seguem apresentadas nas próximas páginas deste livro.
Em conclusão, imbuído de fé pode o indivíduo trilhar firme esta proposta para uma bela jornada espiritual de duração anual. E é movido pela fé, verdade e esperança que as ferramentas na busca de entendimento da sabedoria judaica se seguem apresentadas nas próximas páginas deste livro.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Introduction to 22-Day Cycles
Introduction
We live in a time of
tremendous material disparity. While many of us have access to technologies and
luxuries previous generations could not even dream of, large populations remain
deprived not only of such advances, but also of even the most basic needs and
services such as food, water, shelter, healthcare, and personal safety.
Millions have been displaced, many of which are still searching for a place to
call home, while many more millions live in tension and often despair.
We also have become
enslaved to a culture of always having to know what just happened in the last
moment, and eager for constant updates, no matter how impersonal or irrelevant
to our daily lives. We are made aware of “breaking news” and “latest
developments,” tragedies and dangers across the globe that stimulate, but also alarm
us and cause additional anxiety. We are impacted by this deluge of information,[1] which often is opinionated
and sensationalized, meant to seek attention instead of to inform, when not to
deliberately mislead and slander. We
lose ourselves, our focus and time, and cannot even accomplish the simplest of
tasks without interruption. In the process, we have also lost much of our
privacy. Every piece of information gleaned about us becomes a marketing tool,
if not something worse.
In the area of social
interaction and networking, we have never been so electronically “connected”
and yet so distant and “disconnected” at the same time. Many become enamored
and even addicted to receiving personal approval through “likes” and “hearts”
on social media that are not only impersonal, but probably mean next to nothing
or nothing at all. Responses are also expected to be almost immediate, as more
and more devices track not only if a message was sent, but also when it was
read. Relationships are becoming empty and superficial, and many suffer from
loneliness and depression, which can go unnoticed and untreated.
Furthermore, individuals
are often in a state of constant struggle. This can be due to past traumas or
disappointments, addictions or fraught relationships, or perhaps challenges in
the areas of health, finding a spouse, fertility, raising children, caring for
a loved one, or making a living. Even
for the most privileged among us, there is a general sense of unfulfilled
potential, a sense that there's something missing.
The truth is that in
fact there is something missing. Humanity remains "unredeemed," even
if most of us do not even know what such “redemption” would entail. In the
quest for fulfillment, many are unaware of how Judaism, Chassidism in
particular, can provide us with the tools necessary to address our challenges
and to live in a state of gratitude and joy.
With these tools, one is
better able to face struggles and losses, both collective and individual. While
acknowledging shortcomings, one learns to be compassionate and forgiving, focusing
on the good within others and within oneself. One can also rediscover how to have
faith and live in the present, as well as the wisdom and delight contained
within every Divine teaching and commandment.
This approach is best
exemplified in the period in the Jewish calendar known as the "Three Weeks
of Mourning." Every year, between the 17th of the Jewish month of Tammuz[2]
and the 9th of the month of Av, the
Jewish people remember our greatest losses: the destruction of the First and
Second Temples. The Temple, originally built by King Solomon, and then rebuilt
by Ezra and Nehemiah,[3] was the focus of Jewish observance
at the time. Even today, many of our rituals and symbols, prayers and houses of
worship, are based on how services in the Temple were performed. Its
destruction, first by the Babylonians (684 B.C.E.) and then by the Romans (70
C.E.), represents a calamity of gigantic proportions, and was accompanied by murder
and persecution of the Jewish population of those times.
The Book of
Lamentations[4]
states that, "all her pursuers overtook her [Jerusalem] within the
straits." The "straits" is a reference to this three-week
period. On the 17th of Tammuz, the walls of Jerusalem were breached, which
eventually led to the destruction of the Temple. Both Temples were destroyed on
the same date on the Jewish calendar: the 9th of Av. The Code of Jewish Law states that when Av begins, “we decrease in joy.”[5] As further explained below, there are certain
restrictions that apply to the Jewish people during this time, so as to
decrease activities that lead to happiness.
But if the goal in overcoming
our struggles and losses is to be joyful and grateful, how can we learn to do
so specifically from the days in which such tragedies took place, to the extent
that we are urged to decrease in joy on them? With G-d’s help, the answer to
this question, as well as to how we can incorporate the lessons from this
period into the entire year, will be found in the following chapters of this
book.
Seeking Balance
Tisha B’Av is the day of our greatest tragedies, yet it is also the day
that marks the birth (and the much anticipated arrival) of Mashiach. Everything in G-d’s creation is balanced in perfect
equilibrium: darkness and light, purity and impurity, good and evil, and even
sadness and joy.[6]
This is best exemplified by the teachings of the wisest man to ever live, King
Solomon. In Ecclesiastes, he sets out various opposing emotions and actions,
and states that there are specific times for each. There is also a famous
legend about King Solomon’s ring, which could balance out a person’s joy or
sadness, and had the following words inscribed: “This too shall pass.”[7]
Rabbi Moses
Maimonides, known as the most important codifier of Jewish law since perhaps
Moses himself,[8]
also begins his magnum opus, the Mishna Torah, by stating that a person
should always strive for balance and moderation, also known as the “middle path.”
Maimonides, who was also a physician, elaborated on the known scientific concept
of Homeostasis, which means that the
human body itself is always in search of balance.
During the Three
Weeks, from the Seventeenth of Tammuz to
Tisha B’Av we remember that our world
was literally torn apart – our walls breached, our Temple destroyed - but that
was only in order to rebuild ourselves and achieve even greater heights.
Whenever we are faced with struggles that bring us down, we must quickly strive
to regain our balance and keep moving forward, in harmony with ourselves and
the world.
This book will focus
on three concepts in order to achieve this balance:
I.
The
Hebrew Alphabet and the Sefirot –the Building Blocks of Creation
Our sages teach us
that the building blocks of Creation are the letters of the Hebrew alphabet,
the Alef Beit.[9] G-d used these letters in
order to create each and every element of existence. The letter by itself is an
ingredient – the word is the smallest unit.[10] It is interesting that in
Hebrew, letters only create words once they connect to one another, and are balanced
by one another.
Each one of us is also
an Olam Katan, a “small world,” and we
also contain within us the elemental forces of the Alef Beit, just as each one of us contains a mirror image of the Sefirot.[11]
Just as the Alef Beit has twenty-two letters, there
are twenty-two days from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av.
We may therefore use these days to strengthen our connection to the Alef Beit within ourselves.
On Tisha B’Av, we read together the Book of Lamentations, in which each of the
four first chapters is written as an acrostic – the first verse starts with an Alef, followed by Beit, Gimmel, etc. until
the last verse of the chapter which starts with the last letter of the Hebrew
alphabet, the Tav. The last chapter
of Lamentations has twenty-two verses, but is not an acrostic. This break in
structure appears to symbolize how everything has gone out of order, and is in
desperate need to be put back in place. That is our job during these days – to
put things, including our internal Alef Beit,
back in order,[12]
in balance.
Study of Torah – the
Blueprint of Creation
Another way in which
we seek to build ourselves and find balance during this period is through the
study of Torah. While on Tisha B’Av we
do not study most Torah subjects, there are certain topics that are permitted,
particularly those related to the destruction of the Temple. One Talmudic story
in particular that is generally studied is the story of Kamza and Bar Kamza. This
is an account of the baseless hatred, extremism, and the general lack of
harmony that existed among the Jews (and also between the Jews and the Romans),
which ultimately led to the destruction of the Temple.
More broadly, during
the summer months that include Tammuz and Av, there is a widespread custom to
continue to study Pirkei Avot – the
Ethics of our Fathers.[13] This work is particularly
geared towards improving our relationships and being in harmony with our fellow
human beings. During the 9 days of Av, there is also a custom of making Siyumim
(completing tractates of Talmud study, and sharing the joy of completing the
study with others.[14]
Perek Shirah – Balance
within Creation
Another potential
source of balance is to look at Creation itself. In the first chapters of Perek Shirah, a Song of Nature
attributed to King David, the elements listed come in pairs that are often
diametrically opposed: Heaven and Earth, Day and Night, Gan Eden (Paradise) and
Gehinom (Purgatory), etc. Here is as well the lesson appears to be that G-d is
not to be found in one extreme or another, but in moderation. This was G-d’s
ultimate message to Elijah the Prophet:
Then the word of the L‑rd came to him: ‘Why
are you here, Elijah?’ He replied, I am moved by the zeal for the L‑rd, G‑d of Hosts…” The L‑rd said to him, ‘Go
out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the L‑rd, for the L‑rd is about to pass
by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the
rocks before the L‑rd. But the L‑rd was not in the wind. After the wind was an
earthquake, but the L‑rd was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire.
But the L‑rd was not in the fire. And after the fire – a still, small
voice.
(I Kings 19:9-12)
Yeridah
L’Tzorech Aliyah (Descent for the Purpose of Spiritual Ascent)
A key concept in
Jewish thought is the notion of “Yeridah
leTzorech Aliyah,” that every descent is only for the sake of
an even greater and fuller ascent. After Tisha B’Av, comes Tu B’Av, the day in
which the moon is full again. The joy of Tu B’Av is the greatest of the entire
year because it comes after the tragedy of Tisha B’Av.[15]
As we seek to find our
balance, we can learn from the brokenness and deep introspection of Tisha B’Av
how to be joyful and empathetic, and connected to others during the rest of the
year.[16] From certain acts which
we are prohibited to do on Tisha B’Av (specifically because they increase our
joy), we can learn what we should do during
the rest of the year. We also learn how to be joyful and apply these lessons
from the customs connected to Tu B’Av.
For example, on Tisha
B’Av, we are not supposed to greet people and ask how they are doing. (The
exact language used is to “inquire about their peace,” which involved more than
just a superficial greeting.)[17] We learn from this, how
important it is to greet people with a smile and show sincere interest in their
wellbeing during the rest of the year. Tu B’Av commemorates a series of events
in which the Jewish people were reunited and showed empathy for one another. On
that day, young men would go out of to greet the young maidens in order to find
their brides.
The potential brides
would exclaim, “Young man, please lift up your eyes and see what you choose for
yourself for a wife. Do not set your eyes toward beauty, but set your eyes
toward a good family.” The Talmud teaches that each woman would speak of
different qualities that they thought might make a good impression on a
potential groom, focusing on their good points. Similarly, by asking the men to
“lift up their eyes,” the young women would encourage them to look at them in a
more spiritual way.
Similarly, on Tisha
B’Av, along with not eating and drinking, we also do not bathe, perfume
ourselves, wear leather shoes, and do things that give us physical benefit and
embellish us, improving our general wellbeing. We learn from this that during
the rest of the year, we are supposed
take care of ourselves, and make sure that we can feel and be at our best. On
Tu B’Av, the young women would dress nicely in borrowed pure white garments.
The Talmud states that the clothes were borrowed out of concern for the women who
may not have a garment. This carries a tremendous lesson regarding the need for
empathy.
On Tisha B’Av, we are
forbidden to study topics of Torah that make us happy. We learn from this how
great it is to study Torah (and to find joy in it!) during the rest of the
year. The Talmud teaches that starting from Tu B’Av, as the nights become
longer, the Jewish people would increase in their Torah study.
On Tisha B’Av, and
during the entire three weeks that precede it, we do not listen to music. On Tu
B’Av, the young women would dance together.
As will be explained in further detail in the
next chapter, the entire year can be divided into cycles of 22 days, and the
Three Weeks is one of those cycles. We can apply the lessons of these three
weeks to the entire year using fundamental tools and sacred texts that follow
this 22-day pattern, and thereby function in greater harmony with the Jewish
calendar. As noted in our first book, the idea is to find and connect our
fourfold song: the song of the individual, the song of the Jewish people, the
song of humanity, and the song of nature as a whole.
[1] As
mentioned in Book 1.
[2]
The Jewish Calendar, which is determined by both the sun and the moon, consists
of 12 months (13 in leap years): Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Teveth, Shvat, Adar
(I and II in leap years), Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, and Elul. Each month
is also connected to various other “forces” in nature, including also the signs
of the Zodiac.
[4] This book was composed by the Prophet Jeremiah
and is part of the Tanach (the Jewish
Bible). Contrary to public perception, the writings in that book were composed prior
to the destruction of the First Temple, even though it describes in great
detail all the tragedies that took place.
[5]
(Explain Code of Jewish Law – “set table”; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, 122:7)
[6] Jewish
law itself balances the statement that as of the month Av begins we decrease in
joy, with the statement that when the month of Adar begins we increase in joy.
[7]
Footnote?
[8]
“From Moses to Moses, there was none like Moses.”
[9] The Sefer Yetzirah, one of the foremost Kabbalistic works,
begins by explaining that G-d created the world through 32 mystical paths,
which represent the ten sefirot and
the twenty two letters. The verse first of the Torah, “In the beginning, G-d
created the Heavens and the Earth, Bereshit
Barah Elokim Et HaShamayim ve’Et
Ha’Aretz,” can also be read as, “Bereshit
Barah Elokim ‘Et’ [spelled Alef Tav” In
the beginning, G-d created [the Hebrew letters] from Alef, the first letter, to
Tav, the last.
[10] http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/228,2266616/A-Language-of-Letters-Inside-the-Hebrew-Alef-Bet.html
[11] The
Kabbalah explains that G-d’s attributes manifest themselves in heavenly spheres
known as sefirot. Sefirah (sefirot in the plural) can be translated as
emanation, characteristic, quality or divine attribute. We also have a
reflection of these sefirot within us, which are also known as middot. There
are ten sefirot in total, three intellectual (Keter (or Da’at), Chochma, Bina)
and seven emotional (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and
Malchut).
[12]
The Hebrew word for order is Seder,
which is also the name of the Passover meal. Part of the redemption process is
putting everything, including our intellectual and emotional energies, in its
proper place. An aspect of this spiritual work begins on Pessach and goes
through the entire 49-day period of the Counting of the Omer (in which each day
we “work” on a combination of Sefirot,
and culminates on Shavuot.” The Passover Seder and Tisha B’Av are extremely
connected – to the extent that we even place an egg on the Seder Plate as a
reminder of Tisha B’Av and the destruction of the Temple. Both nights also
always fall on the same day of the week.
[13]
The communal study of Pirkei Avot begins in the Counting of the Omer, as a way
to fix our emotions, as mentioned in the previous note.
[14] Despite our limited understanding, we focus
on the good: we celebrate our achievements in Torah and promise to return to
our study.
[15] Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel says, “Never were
more joyous festivals in Israel than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur.” On this day, young maidens of Israel would dress in
white and dance in the vineyards. Young men would come greet them in order to
find their brides. Thus the full moon of Av is seen as greater than that of
any of the other months, due to the contrast between its brightness and the deep
darkness of the Ninth (Tisha
b'Av) that precedes it. The greater the descent the greater the
ascent, and "greater is the light that emerges from darkness." (see Tanya ch.26 — based on Prov. 14:23 and Eccl. 2:13.) https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/4089863/jewish/FIFTEENTH-OF-AV-TU-BAV.htm
[16]
Story about the Friederker Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, putting the
clothes of others.
To be able to truly relate to others, we must try our
best to put ourselves in the other’s shoes.
[17]
Shulchan Aruch p. ___ - Shulchan Aruch, which means “Set Table,” is the
compilation of Jewish Law for practical day-to-day activities, including
festivals, etc.
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