Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
I did not attend synagogue. I did not fast. I did not participate in the festive meals. I did not hear the shofar and I did not proclaim my Ashamnu or Al Cheit sins. But for ten days I have found myself in an increasing state of awe.
I was working, with all the distractions that entails. Yet over these days even the work contributed to a sense of atonement.
God is with us. God is within us and about us. Too often I am inclined to feel unworthy of God. I push God to arms-length. In these days my worth did not increase, but I stopped pushing away and extended my hand.
Today and in the days ahead I will sin again and again. I will mistreat others and dishonor God's purpose.
But the gravest sin - that which even God cannot redeem - is the self-made choice to be separated from God. For this sin to be undone requires each of us to put aside our pride-of-self. Whether we express it in anger, or sadness, or unworthiness, or aggression, or obsession or whatever, we must give way to make room for God's grace.
Gracious and glorious God, thank you for the blessing of these days.
I was working, with all the distractions that entails. Yet over these days even the work contributed to a sense of atonement.
God is with us. God is within us and about us. Too often I am inclined to feel unworthy of God. I push God to arms-length. In these days my worth did not increase, but I stopped pushing away and extended my hand.
Today and in the days ahead I will sin again and again. I will mistreat others and dishonor God's purpose.
But the gravest sin - that which even God cannot redeem - is the self-made choice to be separated from God. For this sin to be undone requires each of us to put aside our pride-of-self. Whether we express it in anger, or sadness, or unworthiness, or aggression, or obsession or whatever, we must give way to make room for God's grace.
Gracious and glorious God, thank you for the blessing of these days.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Today is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. It is a day of fasting and perpetual prayer.
Completing our study of the Amidah prayer:
Blessed are You Lord, who blesses His people Israel with peace. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully. Let my soul be silent to those who curse me; let my soul be as dust to all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and let my soul eagerly pursue Your commandments. As for all those who plot evil against me, hasten to annul their counsel and frustrate their design. Let them be as chaff before the wind; let the angel of the Lord thrust them away. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me. Do it for the sake of Your Name; do it for the sake of Your right hand; do it for the sake of Your Torah; do it for the sake of Your holiness. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. He who makes peace in His heavens may He make peace for us and for all Israel, Amen. He who makes the peace in His heavens, may He make peace for us and for all Israel, Amen. May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that the Bet Hamikdash be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah.
Open my heart to your Torah and let me eagerly pursue your commandments. Make peace, fulfill your purpose, cause that which is broken to be made whole.
The English atonement is derived from the Germanic attone or atoon. But it might as well be an English compound because it means "at one." It is essentially to be as one, in agreement, in harmony, where two or more become as one.
This is day to be at one with our Creator, to be as one as children of one Creator, to be as one with ourselves, no longer divided, confused, and uncertain; but fulfilled, whole, and complete.
Ten days ago I cast my sins into the Merced River. Last evening I transferred my sins to a living seed spinning about my head. But beyond this, I believe that even before I was born my sins were forgiven.
It is not forgiveness that is needed. That has already been guaranteed. What matters is my acceptance of the forgiveness and my readiness to be at one with God.
Completing our study of the Amidah prayer:
Blessed are You Lord, who blesses His people Israel with peace. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully. Let my soul be silent to those who curse me; let my soul be as dust to all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and let my soul eagerly pursue Your commandments. As for all those who plot evil against me, hasten to annul their counsel and frustrate their design. Let them be as chaff before the wind; let the angel of the Lord thrust them away. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me. Do it for the sake of Your Name; do it for the sake of Your right hand; do it for the sake of Your Torah; do it for the sake of Your holiness. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. He who makes peace in His heavens may He make peace for us and for all Israel, Amen. He who makes the peace in His heavens, may He make peace for us and for all Israel, Amen. May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that the Bet Hamikdash be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah.
Open my heart to your Torah and let me eagerly pursue your commandments. Make peace, fulfill your purpose, cause that which is broken to be made whole.
-+-
The English atonement is derived from the Germanic attone or atoon. But it might as well be an English compound because it means "at one." It is essentially to be as one, in agreement, in harmony, where two or more become as one.
This is day to be at one with our Creator, to be as one as children of one Creator, to be as one with ourselves, no longer divided, confused, and uncertain; but fulfilled, whole, and complete.
Ten days ago I cast my sins into the Merced River. Last evening I transferred my sins to a living seed spinning about my head. But beyond this, I believe that even before I was born my sins were forgiven.
It is not forgiveness that is needed. That has already been guaranteed. What matters is my acceptance of the forgiveness and my readiness to be at one with God.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Inscribe all the children of Your Covenant for a good life. And all living things shall forever thank You, and praise Your great Name eternally, for You are good. God, You are our everlasting salvation and help, O benevolent God. Blessed are You Lord, Beneficent is Your Name, and to You it is fitting to offer thanks. Bestow peace, goodness and blessing, life, graciousness, kindness and mercy, upon us and upon all Your people Israel. Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance. For by the light of Your countenance You gave us, Lord our God, the Torah of life and loving-kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace. May it be favorable in Your eyes to bless Your people Israel, at all times and at every moment, with Your peace. And all living things shall forever thank You, and praise Your great Name eternally, for You are good. God, You are our everlasting salvation and help, O benevolent God. Blessed are You Lord, Beneficent is Your Name, and to You it is fitting to offer thanks. Bestow peace, goodness and blessing, life, graciousness, kindness and mercy, upon us and upon all Your people Israel. Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance. For by the light of Your countenance You gave us, Lord our God, the Torah of life and loving-kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace. May it be favorable in Your eyes to bless Your people Israel, at all times and at every moment, with Your peace.
We do not come to God alone. No matter how shy or shunned, we stand before God as one in relationship with others.
Our relationships may be slight, strained, or broken. If so, we are asking God's help to understand what this tells us of our relationship with God.
Our relationships may be deep, comfortable, and healthy. If so, we are asking God's help to understand "loving-kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace."
Our relationships often range between these poles and are of great variety. What does this variation tell us of ourselves, others, and God?
Bless us, our Father, all of us as one.
Sunday afternoon I finally returned home, fifteen days after leaving. The bright heat of the west was exchanged for the cloudy coolness of the east.
This is the Erev Yom Kippur, the eve of Yom Kippur. In most Jewish homes it is a day of festive meals, giving charity and asking forgiveness of others.
Before sunset the faithful gather for the Kol Nidre service. Here with sacred song the congregation renounce rash vows made in the name of God, but offered as expressions of human control. The congregants recite:
All personal vows we are likely to make, all personal oaths and pledges we are likely to take between this Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur, we publicly renounce. Let them all be relinquished and abandoned, null and void, neither firm nor established. Let our personal vows, pledges and oaths be considered neither vows nor pledges nor oaths.
While the purpose of Kol Nidre has sometimes been misunderstood by both Gentile and Jew, it is a communal act of worship that highlights human frailty and discourages human pride. It is not our vows, but God's will that offers assurance.
In some Jewish communities the eve of Yom Kippur is also recognized with the tradition of Kapporas. Last evening my wife and I went into the woods across our meadow, chose a tree nut, placed it in a gauzy golden bag and three times swung it over our head as we recited:
This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement. This living seed will be buried while I will enter and proceed to a good long life and to peace.
Then we buried the seed in the ground. There is also a tradition of doing this with a live chicken that is slaughtered and given to the poor.
Prior to the three swings, we are to read from Psalm 107:
O give thanks unto the Lordor He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever. So let the redeemed of the Lord, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea. They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; they found no city of habitation.
and from Job 33: 23-24:
If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom.
It is easy - perhaps too easy - for a Christian to perceive in this sense of atonement something very close to how many understand the Easter story.
We do not come to God alone. No matter how shy or shunned, we stand before God as one in relationship with others.
Our relationships may be slight, strained, or broken. If so, we are asking God's help to understand what this tells us of our relationship with God.
Our relationships may be deep, comfortable, and healthy. If so, we are asking God's help to understand "loving-kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace."
Our relationships often range between these poles and are of great variety. What does this variation tell us of ourselves, others, and God?
Bless us, our Father, all of us as one.
--+--
Sunday afternoon I finally returned home, fifteen days after leaving. The bright heat of the west was exchanged for the cloudy coolness of the east.
This is the Erev Yom Kippur, the eve of Yom Kippur. In most Jewish homes it is a day of festive meals, giving charity and asking forgiveness of others.
Before sunset the faithful gather for the Kol Nidre service. Here with sacred song the congregation renounce rash vows made in the name of God, but offered as expressions of human control. The congregants recite:
All personal vows we are likely to make, all personal oaths and pledges we are likely to take between this Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur, we publicly renounce. Let them all be relinquished and abandoned, null and void, neither firm nor established. Let our personal vows, pledges and oaths be considered neither vows nor pledges nor oaths.
While the purpose of Kol Nidre has sometimes been misunderstood by both Gentile and Jew, it is a communal act of worship that highlights human frailty and discourages human pride. It is not our vows, but God's will that offers assurance.
In some Jewish communities the eve of Yom Kippur is also recognized with the tradition of Kapporas. Last evening my wife and I went into the woods across our meadow, chose a tree nut, placed it in a gauzy golden bag and three times swung it over our head as we recited:
This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement. This living seed will be buried while I will enter and proceed to a good long life and to peace.
Then we buried the seed in the ground. There is also a tradition of doing this with a live chicken that is slaughtered and given to the poor.
Prior to the three swings, we are to read from Psalm 107:
O give thanks unto the Lordor He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever. So let the redeemed of the Lord, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea. They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; they found no city of habitation.
and from Job 33: 23-24:
If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom.
It is easy - perhaps too easy - for a Christian to perceive in this sense of atonement something very close to how many understand the Easter story.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
We thankfully acknowledge that You are the Lord our God and God of our fathers forever. You are the strength of our life, the shield of our salvation in every generation. We will give thanks to You and recount Your praise, evening, morning and noon, for our lives which are committed into Your hand, for our souls which are entrusted to You, for Your miracles which are with us daily, and for Your continual wonders and beneficences. You are the Beneficent One, for Your mercies never cease; the Merciful One, for Your kindnesses never end; for we always place our hope in You. And for all these, may Your Name, our King, be continually blessed, exalted and extolled forever and all time.
The last five days were blessed. I was solo teaching from 7:30 to 4:30 each day, with plenty of thinking before and after.
Most of my adult life has been closely related to the defining and doing of "good" teaching, but it is hard for me to do. As an introvert (or is it just my pride?), I am especially sensitive to public error. I am too easily shamed.
Yet the best teaching method is to let learners take the substantive lead and to shape learning objectives to their particular interests. The best teaching method is to be open to the concerns of a group of strangers in an unfamiliar place and to uncover concerns that are held in common.
We always place our hope in you.
Unless I am effective at hearing their interests and insightful finding intersections with what I know, the learning can be uneven. And my students - cops, firefighters, emergency managers, and such - can be quick, harsh, and accurate in their judgments.
You are the strength of our life, the shield of our salvation.
When the intersections are found, the shared concerns are exposed, and these are explored and framed in a meaningful way, what unfolds is a kind of communal joy akin to a winning sports team. You feel it when a tough police sergeant shakes your hand and says, with a sparkle in his eyes, "these were the best two consecutive days I have had in years..."
Your miracles are with us daily.
According to the class evaluations, some outside observers, and my own assessment these were fabulous classes. The students enjoyed themselves, they were challenged, they learned alot, and they left ready and intending to apply what they learned.
Your mercies never cease.
Thank you my God and friend.
The last five days were blessed. I was solo teaching from 7:30 to 4:30 each day, with plenty of thinking before and after.
Most of my adult life has been closely related to the defining and doing of "good" teaching, but it is hard for me to do. As an introvert (or is it just my pride?), I am especially sensitive to public error. I am too easily shamed.
Yet the best teaching method is to let learners take the substantive lead and to shape learning objectives to their particular interests. The best teaching method is to be open to the concerns of a group of strangers in an unfamiliar place and to uncover concerns that are held in common.
We always place our hope in you.
Unless I am effective at hearing their interests and insightful finding intersections with what I know, the learning can be uneven. And my students - cops, firefighters, emergency managers, and such - can be quick, harsh, and accurate in their judgments.
You are the strength of our life, the shield of our salvation.
When the intersections are found, the shared concerns are exposed, and these are explored and framed in a meaningful way, what unfolds is a kind of communal joy akin to a winning sports team. You feel it when a tough police sergeant shakes your hand and says, with a sparkle in his eyes, "these were the best two consecutive days I have had in years..."
Your miracles are with us daily.
According to the class evaluations, some outside observers, and my own assessment these were fabulous classes. The students enjoyed themselves, they were challenged, they learned alot, and they left ready and intending to apply what they learned.
Your mercies never cease.
Thank you my God and friend.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Hear our voice, Lord our God; merciful Father, have compassion upon us and accept our prayers in mercy and favor, for You are God who hears prayers and supplications; do not turn us away empty-handed from You, our King, for You hear the prayer of everyone. Blessed are You Lord, who hears prayer. Look with favor, Lord our God, on Your people Israel and pay heed to their prayer; restore the service to Your Sanctuary and accept with love and favor Israel's fire-offerings and prayer; and may the service of Your people Israel always find favor. May our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You Lord, who restores His Divine Presence to Zion.
God hears. God has not turned-away, but abides with us always. God looks. God pays heed.
In our prayers, do we hear? Do we abide with God or do we turn away. Do we look for God in our daily lives? Do we pay heed?
God is present on Zion. God is present here and now. But to participate in blessing we must be present to God.
God hears. God has not turned-away, but abides with us always. God looks. God pays heed.
In our prayers, do we hear? Do we abide with God or do we turn away. Do we look for God in our daily lives? Do we pay heed?
God is present on Zion. God is present here and now. But to participate in blessing we must be present to God.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
May Your mercies be aroused, Lord our God, upon the righteous, upon the pious, upon the elders of Your people, the House of Israel, upon the remnant of their sages, upon the righteous proselytes and upon us. Grant ample reward to all who truly trust in Your Name, and place our lot among them; may we never be disgraced, for we have put our trust in You. Blessed are You Lord, the support and security of the righteous. Return in mercy to Jerusalem Your city and dwell therein as You have promised; speedily establish therein the throne of David Your servant, and rebuild it, soon in our days, as an everlasting edifice. Blessed are You Lord, who rebuilds Jerusalem. Speedily cause the scion of David Your servant to flourish, and increase his power by Your salvation, for we hope for Your salvation all day. Blessed are You Lord, who causes the power of salvation to flourish. Hear our voice, Lord our God; merciful Father, have compassion upon us and accept our prayers in mercy and favor, for You are God who hears prayers and supplications; do not turn us away empty-handed from You, our King, for You hear the prayer of everyone. Blessed are You Lord, who hears prayer.
Trying to make sense of a transliteration of the Amidah prayer, I am pretty sure the mercy being prayed for so intensely is the Hebrew racham.
Other than mercy this is most often translated as compassion. There is a clear suggestion, especially in Isaiah, of forgiveness.
Forgive us, have compassion on us, and return us to power. This strikes me as a fair summary of the prayer.
Yesterday, speeding through the orchards of California's Central Valley as sign outside a church read, "Many want to serve the Lord... as advisers."
We come to God with our desires. I am not suggesting we should not. But we should also stay around long enough - and be open enough - to hear if God might have some advice regarding our desires.
Trying to make sense of a transliteration of the Amidah prayer, I am pretty sure the mercy being prayed for so intensely is the Hebrew racham.
Other than mercy this is most often translated as compassion. There is a clear suggestion, especially in Isaiah, of forgiveness.
Forgive us, have compassion on us, and return us to power. This strikes me as a fair summary of the prayer.
Yesterday, speeding through the orchards of California's Central Valley as sign outside a church read, "Many want to serve the Lord... as advisers."
We come to God with our desires. I am not suggesting we should not. But we should also stay around long enough - and be open enough - to hear if God might have some advice regarding our desires.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sound the great shofar for our freedom; raise a banner to gather our exiles, and bring us together from the four corners of the earth into our land. Blessed are You Lord, who gathers the dispersed of His people Israel. Restore our judges as in former times, and our counsellors as of yore; remove from us sorrow and sighing, and reign over us, You alone, O Lord, with kindness and compassion, with righteousness and justice. Blessed are You Lord, King of judgment. Let there be no hope for informers, and may all the heretics and all the wicked instantly perish; may all the enemies of Your people be speedily extirpated; and may You swiftly uproot, break, crush and subdue the reign of wickedness speedily in our days. Blessed are You Lord, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.
The Amidah prayer is to be said three times each day throughout the year. During the Days of Awe a few phrases are changed. These edits tend to punctuate the penitential potential leading up to Yom Kippur.
For example, during the remainder of the year the "King of Judgment," offered above, is the "king who loves righteousness and justice."
The difference in tone is pronounced. But we are fortunate this does not signal a shift in divine substance. The judgments of our king are expressions of righteousness and justice.
The prayer proceeds to seek swift and stark intervention against our enemies. I perceive these petitions reflect a too narrow understanding of righteousness, justice, and good judgment.
The last two days (and again on Thursday and Friday), I have worked with those assigned to protect us from our enemies. Our enemies are real. The threat is real. Fulfillment of our enemies intent would be awful.
But in the best judgment of many - myself among them - the most important work we can do to defeat our enemies is to reduce our self-made vulnerabilities. This requires being much more self-critical than we are usually inclined.
For these particular days of penitence and these days of awe, I offer the following seasonal adjustment in the language of the prayer:
Blessed are You Lord, King of judgment. Let there be no hope for the arrogant, and may all who deny what is real instantly be enlightened; may all of Your people speedily share your judgment; and may You swiftly uproot, break, crush, and subdue those hidden faults, wounds, and vulnerabilities that we have allowed to spread unseen. Blessed are You Lord, who enlightens our minds and encourages us to action.
The Amidah prayer is to be said three times each day throughout the year. During the Days of Awe a few phrases are changed. These edits tend to punctuate the penitential potential leading up to Yom Kippur.
For example, during the remainder of the year the "King of Judgment," offered above, is the "king who loves righteousness and justice."
The difference in tone is pronounced. But we are fortunate this does not signal a shift in divine substance. The judgments of our king are expressions of righteousness and justice.
The prayer proceeds to seek swift and stark intervention against our enemies. I perceive these petitions reflect a too narrow understanding of righteousness, justice, and good judgment.
The last two days (and again on Thursday and Friday), I have worked with those assigned to protect us from our enemies. Our enemies are real. The threat is real. Fulfillment of our enemies intent would be awful.
But in the best judgment of many - myself among them - the most important work we can do to defeat our enemies is to reduce our self-made vulnerabilities. This requires being much more self-critical than we are usually inclined.
For these particular days of penitence and these days of awe, I offer the following seasonal adjustment in the language of the prayer:
Blessed are You Lord, King of judgment. Let there be no hope for the arrogant, and may all who deny what is real instantly be enlightened; may all of Your people speedily share your judgment; and may You swiftly uproot, break, crush, and subdue those hidden faults, wounds, and vulnerabilities that we have allowed to spread unseen. Blessed are You Lord, who enlightens our minds and encourages us to action.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Bless for us, Lord our God, this year and all the varieties of its produce for good; and bestow blessing upon the face of the earth. Satisfy us from Your bounty and bless our year like other good years, for blessing; for You are a generous God who bestows goodness and blesses the years. Blessed are You Lord, who blesses the years. And it shall be that before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear. For You, Lord, are He who answers in time of distress, who redeems and rescues in all times of distress and tribulation. Blessed are You Lord, who answers His people Israel in time of distress.
Rosh Hashana is, among other things, the anniversary of the creation of the universe. As such, it is the anniversary of the creation of space and time.
We often seem to desire more of both space and time. But we are innately limited in our capacity to engage each.
The Abidah prayer assures us that God, "blesses the years." God is with us in time, even while being beyond time.
We pray to a God "who redeems and rescues in all times..." May we seek redemption and rescue even when not in distress.
We are creatures of space and time. May we always give thanks for the beauty, challenge, and opportunity of this creation.
But we were created of an abundance beyond space and time. May we also seek a wisdom and courage that prepares us, at the right time, to untether ourselves from these limitations.
Rosh Hashana is, among other things, the anniversary of the creation of the universe. As such, it is the anniversary of the creation of space and time.
We often seem to desire more of both space and time. But we are innately limited in our capacity to engage each.
The Abidah prayer assures us that God, "blesses the years." God is with us in time, even while being beyond time.
We pray to a God "who redeems and rescues in all times..." May we seek redemption and rescue even when not in distress.
We are creatures of space and time. May we always give thanks for the beauty, challenge, and opportunity of this creation.
But we were created of an abundance beyond space and time. May we also seek a wisdom and courage that prepares us, at the right time, to untether ourselves from these limitations.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Pardon us, our Father, for we have sinned; forgive us, our King, for we have transgressed; for You are a good and forgiving God. Blessed are You Lord, gracious One who pardons abundantly. O behold our affliction and wage our battle; redeem us speedily for the sake of Your Name, for You God are the mighty redeemer. Blessed are You Lord, Redeemer of Israel.
Answer us, O Lord, answer us on our fast day, for we are in great distress. Do not turn to our wickedness, do not conceal Your countenance from us, and do not disregard our supplications. Be near to our cry; let Your lovingkindness console us; answer us even before we call to You, as it is said:
Heal us, O Lord, and we will be healed; help us and we will be saved; for You are our praise. Grant complete cure and healing to all our wounds; for You, Almighty King, are a faithful and merciful healer. Blessed are You Lord, who heals the sick of His people Israel.
Answer us, O Lord, answer us on our fast day, for we are in great distress. Do not turn to our wickedness, do not conceal Your countenance from us, and do not disregard our supplications. Be near to our cry; let Your lovingkindness console us; answer us even before we call to You, as it is said:
Heal us, O Lord, and we will be healed; help us and we will be saved; for You are our praise. Grant complete cure and healing to all our wounds; for You, Almighty King, are a faithful and merciful healer. Blessed are You Lord, who heals the sick of His people Israel.
We pray to be healed and to be redeemed. The ancient Hebrew word for redemption is ga'own. In scripture it is used most often in Isaiah. But there it most often refers to God's majesty and splendor or human pride and arrogance. To be redeemed is to trade our pride for God's splendor.
In these days -- in every day? -- we are preparing ourselves for atonement. Yom Kippur is the high festival of atonement.
Strangely, as least for me, kippur is derived from kaphar, which means to cover over, especially to cover over with pitch. Think of a tar baby. But it came to mean what we now think of as being forgiven.
Moreover, through sacrifice the priest makes kaphar and thereby receives kaphar, as in the following passage:
'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. "(Leviticus 4:31)
Dear God, in the week ahead help me to learn your way of atonement. Amen
Sunday, September 20, 2009
This is the second day of Rosh Hashana. Originally it was a one-day celebration, but after the destruction of the Temple it was no longer possible to determine precisely when the new moon would appear over Jerusalem. As a result, two days were proclaimed just to be sure that the beginning of time was marked with rough accuracy.
The shofar will sound today, since it is not Sabbath. My personal approach to Tashlikh should have waited for this second non-Sabbath day. But I will be traveling and working today.
This Sunday is also the first day of Eid al-Fitar, an Islamic festival marking the end of the month-long Ramadan fast. The descendants of Isaac and Ishmael share a common time - if not cause - of celebration.
We continue with the Abidah:
Who is like You, merciful Father, who in compassion remembers His creatures for life.
You are trustworthy to revive the dead. Blessed are You Lord, who revives the dead.
You are holy and Your Name is holy, and holy beings praise You daily for all eternity. Blessed are You Lord, the holy King. You graciously bestow knowledge upon man and teach mortals understanding.
Graciously bestow upon us from You, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Blessed are You Lord, who graciously bestows knowledge. Cause us to return, our Father, to Your Torah; draw us near, our King, to Your service; and bring us back to You in whole-hearted repentance. Blessed are You Lord, who desires penitence.
According to Genesis we have been exiled for partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Yet we give thanks for knowledge.
The shofar will sound today, since it is not Sabbath. My personal approach to Tashlikh should have waited for this second non-Sabbath day. But I will be traveling and working today.
This Sunday is also the first day of Eid al-Fitar, an Islamic festival marking the end of the month-long Ramadan fast. The descendants of Isaac and Ishmael share a common time - if not cause - of celebration.
--+--
We continue with the Abidah:
Who is like You, merciful Father, who in compassion remembers His creatures for life.
You are trustworthy to revive the dead. Blessed are You Lord, who revives the dead.
You are holy and Your Name is holy, and holy beings praise You daily for all eternity. Blessed are You Lord, the holy King. You graciously bestow knowledge upon man and teach mortals understanding.
Graciously bestow upon us from You, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Blessed are You Lord, who graciously bestows knowledge. Cause us to return, our Father, to Your Torah; draw us near, our King, to Your service; and bring us back to You in whole-hearted repentance. Blessed are You Lord, who desires penitence.
--+--
According to Genesis we have been exiled for partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Yet we give thanks for knowledge.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
This morning is the first day of Rosh Hashana, the first day of the year 5770. Shana Tova! (good year!)
Because today is also the sabbath, the shofar will not be sounded. In a traditional Jewish community the shofar would have been sounded each day for several days to warn of the approaching day of judgment.
According to the Talmud, on this first day of the New Year, God seals the destiny of the righteous and the wicked, but leaves open the accounts of those in-between. For those of us -- and least I hope I can include myself -- in-between the ten days between now and Yom Kippur are offered as a time of penitence and reformation.
Continuing with the Amidah prayer, we begin with a verse assigned specifically for the Ten Days of Awe that begin on Rosh Hashana:
Remember us for life, King who desires life; inscribe us in the Book of Life, for Your sake, O living God.
Then we continue with the daily prayer
O King, (You are) a helper, a savior and a shield. Blessed are You L-rd, Shield of Abraham.
You are mighty forever, my Lord; You resurrect the dead; You are powerful to save.
Because it is still summer we pray:
He causes the dew to descend.
If it was winter we would pray, "He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall."
And we continue,
He sustains the living with loving kindness, resurrects the dead with great mercy, supports the falling, heals the sick, releases the bound, and fulfills His trust to those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, mighty One! And who can be compared to You, King, who brings death and restores life, and causes deliverance to spring forth!
The Yosemite Valley was suddenly before me. I had driven through a long tunnel to emerge with El Capitan right there. I had seen enough Ansel Adams photographs to be sure.
The morning light was glistening along the perpendicular granite, the west side of Half Dome was still in shadow, just a wisp of water was falling at Bridalveil.
After a pause I drove into the valley, walked to the base of the falls and found the Awanhnee Hotel. From there I hiked along the Merced River until about noon, thinking about what separates me from God, feeling closer to God both in the thinking and the walking.
On my way back to the city I stopped again at the Merced, just where it flows closest to El Capitan. From the sandy bank I threw into the flow a breadcrumb for distraction, both external and internal, but especially for internal distraction.
I threw a second breadcrumb for the specific distraction of worry. A third joined the slowly moving stream for the pride that often spawns worry. Then I crumbled the remaining bread into a hundred pieces for each prideful thought and action.
But instead of throwing the tiny crumbs into the river, I put some in each pant's pocket. Then praying for forgiveness and giving thanks, I turned out my pockets and their contents into the stream. This was my approach to Tashlikh.
The tradition comes from Michah 7:19, "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." I watched the crumbs flow toward the Pacific and returned to the car.
Because today is also the sabbath, the shofar will not be sounded. In a traditional Jewish community the shofar would have been sounded each day for several days to warn of the approaching day of judgment.
According to the Talmud, on this first day of the New Year, God seals the destiny of the righteous and the wicked, but leaves open the accounts of those in-between. For those of us -- and least I hope I can include myself -- in-between the ten days between now and Yom Kippur are offered as a time of penitence and reformation.
Continuing with the Amidah prayer, we begin with a verse assigned specifically for the Ten Days of Awe that begin on Rosh Hashana:
Remember us for life, King who desires life; inscribe us in the Book of Life, for Your sake, O living God.
Then we continue with the daily prayer
O King, (You are) a helper, a savior and a shield. Blessed are You L-rd, Shield of Abraham.
You are mighty forever, my Lord; You resurrect the dead; You are powerful to save.
Because it is still summer we pray:
He causes the dew to descend.
If it was winter we would pray, "He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall."
And we continue,
He sustains the living with loving kindness, resurrects the dead with great mercy, supports the falling, heals the sick, releases the bound, and fulfills His trust to those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, mighty One! And who can be compared to You, King, who brings death and restores life, and causes deliverance to spring forth!
--+--
Just before sunrise I left the city and was driving north among the corn and grapes as light exploded over the Sierra Nevada mountains. The road headed higher. There was a sign for 2000 feet, then 3000. I never noticed more than 5000.
I was driving to Yosemite in search of many new things, but on this Rosh Hashana I would especially look for flowing water to practice Tashlikh, a symbolic casting away of sin. What were the sins -- attitudes and actions that separate me from God -- that I should be especially mindful to give away.
I was driving to Yosemite in search of many new things, but on this Rosh Hashana I would especially look for flowing water to practice Tashlikh, a symbolic casting away of sin. What were the sins -- attitudes and actions that separate me from God -- that I should be especially mindful to give away.
The Yosemite Valley was suddenly before me. I had driven through a long tunnel to emerge with El Capitan right there. I had seen enough Ansel Adams photographs to be sure.
The morning light was glistening along the perpendicular granite, the west side of Half Dome was still in shadow, just a wisp of water was falling at Bridalveil.
After a pause I drove into the valley, walked to the base of the falls and found the Awanhnee Hotel. From there I hiked along the Merced River until about noon, thinking about what separates me from God, feeling closer to God both in the thinking and the walking.
On my way back to the city I stopped again at the Merced, just where it flows closest to El Capitan. From the sandy bank I threw into the flow a breadcrumb for distraction, both external and internal, but especially for internal distraction.
I threw a second breadcrumb for the specific distraction of worry. A third joined the slowly moving stream for the pride that often spawns worry. Then I crumbled the remaining bread into a hundred pieces for each prideful thought and action.
But instead of throwing the tiny crumbs into the river, I put some in each pant's pocket. Then praying for forgiveness and giving thanks, I turned out my pockets and their contents into the stream. This was my approach to Tashlikh.
The tradition comes from Michah 7:19, "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." I watched the crumbs flow toward the Pacific and returned to the car.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Today is Erev Rosh Hashana, the eve of the head of the new Jewish year. Over the next ten days, until Yom Kippur, I will explore the high holy days.
I have not prepared much for this exploration. I will very likely take some wrong turns. I hope that in openness to the unexpected I will also find meaning.
Unlike my typical morning meditations, this will be more of a daily journal. I expect to post in both morning and evening, even during the day if there is cause and opportunity.
Throughout the Ten Days of Awe until Yom Kippur I will open and close each day with the Amidah prayer (in English). In the mornings I will give some attention to the contents of this traditional prayer.
The Amidah - or Standing - Prayer has, since the destruction of the Temple, succeeded the obligatory sacrifices. It is a prayer of nineteen (or more) blessings offered three times a day.
My Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise. Blessed are You Lord our God. Blessed are You, Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, exalted God, who bestows bountiful kindness, who creates all things, who remembers the piety of the Patriarchs, and who, in love, brings a redeemer to their children's children, for the sake of His Name.
On this first day of exploration may I be especially attentive to bountiful kindness. May I also be a source of bountiful kindness.
On the eve of Rosh Hashana there is an old tradition -- apparently no longer widely practiced -- of recruiting three friends to serve as a Rabbinical Court to preside over a ceremonial release of vows or Hatarat Nedarim. The following English version was created by Reb Zalman.
Petitioner: My friends, I ask the three of you to serve as judges in the court that is empowered to release one from vows. Will you please serve for me in this capacity?
The judges: Yes, we are prepared to hear you.
Petitioner: What follows is not intended to void promises I made to other people from which only they can release me.
In the last year I have from time to time made vows, sometimes speaking them out loud or had an intention, a resolution to change something in my actions, behavior and attitude in my mind. Some of these are in relation to myself, my body, my mind, and my soul. Some of these deal with the way in which I conduct myself in relation to other people. And most of all, there are those that deal with my relation to God.
Sometimes I took on a practice or a custom and did it at least three times and have since either willingly or unwillingly abandoned it and I know that this, too, has the power of a vow.
Many times when I ask for prayers for some people whether they are prayers for healing, for blessing or for the repose of souls departed, in which the formula includes "Because I shall contribute to tzedakah" and I may have forgotten to do that or not been aware, I ask you to release me from that, too.
All these I regret and I ask you to recognize my regret and release me from all those vows.
The judges: Hearing your regret, we release you. All is forgiven, all is released, and may it be that in the same way that we here below release you from theses vows and obligations, so may you be released from the court above from the same.
Petitioner: As I stand here and I am aware of my fickle nature in matters of vows, promises and resolutions, I hereby declare that for the coming year, should I again offer such vows, promises and resolutions, they should have no effect and not become binding on me. At this moment I regret any of these and do not wish them to be valid.
The judges: We have heard your declaration and consider it licit and legal. May you be blessed with a good year, inscribed in the book of life and sealed for good.
The petitioner was once expected to specifically identify all these self-made and unfulfilled vows and then to also offer something close to the above for any such vows he had since completely forgotten.
There is in the Hetarat Nedarim profound self-criticism, a commitment to communal relationships, and an amazing sense of God's grace.
Today I traveled through a desert, watered by the hand of man and generosity of God, and saw tomatoes being hauled like coal, huge fruit orchards extending to the horizon, more olive trees than I could gather in a single gaze. I share many concerns with industrial agriculture. But what an example of the potential for man and God in creative partnership.
Another ceremony Erev Rosh Hashana tradition is to soak in a mikveh, I did not have access to any living waters. But I did swim in an outdoor pool and take a very hot bath.
This is a kind of Jewish New Years Eve. Tonight I had apples and honey and a glass of champagne.
I did not interact with many others today. I extended a few simple sorts of kindness. But I was the recipient of bountiful kindness.
I have not prepared much for this exploration. I will very likely take some wrong turns. I hope that in openness to the unexpected I will also find meaning.
Unlike my typical morning meditations, this will be more of a daily journal. I expect to post in both morning and evening, even during the day if there is cause and opportunity.
Throughout the Ten Days of Awe until Yom Kippur I will open and close each day with the Amidah prayer (in English). In the mornings I will give some attention to the contents of this traditional prayer.
The Amidah - or Standing - Prayer has, since the destruction of the Temple, succeeded the obligatory sacrifices. It is a prayer of nineteen (or more) blessings offered three times a day.
My Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise. Blessed are You Lord our God. Blessed are You, Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, exalted God, who bestows bountiful kindness, who creates all things, who remembers the piety of the Patriarchs, and who, in love, brings a redeemer to their children's children, for the sake of His Name.
On this first day of exploration may I be especially attentive to bountiful kindness. May I also be a source of bountiful kindness.
--+--
On the eve of Rosh Hashana there is an old tradition -- apparently no longer widely practiced -- of recruiting three friends to serve as a Rabbinical Court to preside over a ceremonial release of vows or Hatarat Nedarim. The following English version was created by Reb Zalman.
Petitioner: My friends, I ask the three of you to serve as judges in the court that is empowered to release one from vows. Will you please serve for me in this capacity?
The judges: Yes, we are prepared to hear you.
Petitioner: What follows is not intended to void promises I made to other people from which only they can release me.
In the last year I have from time to time made vows, sometimes speaking them out loud or had an intention, a resolution to change something in my actions, behavior and attitude in my mind. Some of these are in relation to myself, my body, my mind, and my soul. Some of these deal with the way in which I conduct myself in relation to other people. And most of all, there are those that deal with my relation to God.
Sometimes I took on a practice or a custom and did it at least three times and have since either willingly or unwillingly abandoned it and I know that this, too, has the power of a vow.
Many times when I ask for prayers for some people whether they are prayers for healing, for blessing or for the repose of souls departed, in which the formula includes "Because I shall contribute to tzedakah" and I may have forgotten to do that or not been aware, I ask you to release me from that, too.
All these I regret and I ask you to recognize my regret and release me from all those vows.
The judges: Hearing your regret, we release you. All is forgiven, all is released, and may it be that in the same way that we here below release you from theses vows and obligations, so may you be released from the court above from the same.
Petitioner: As I stand here and I am aware of my fickle nature in matters of vows, promises and resolutions, I hereby declare that for the coming year, should I again offer such vows, promises and resolutions, they should have no effect and not become binding on me. At this moment I regret any of these and do not wish them to be valid.
The judges: We have heard your declaration and consider it licit and legal. May you be blessed with a good year, inscribed in the book of life and sealed for good.
The petitioner was once expected to specifically identify all these self-made and unfulfilled vows and then to also offer something close to the above for any such vows he had since completely forgotten.
There is in the Hetarat Nedarim profound self-criticism, a commitment to communal relationships, and an amazing sense of God's grace.
Today I traveled through a desert, watered by the hand of man and generosity of God, and saw tomatoes being hauled like coal, huge fruit orchards extending to the horizon, more olive trees than I could gather in a single gaze. I share many concerns with industrial agriculture. But what an example of the potential for man and God in creative partnership.
Another ceremony Erev Rosh Hashana tradition is to soak in a mikveh, I did not have access to any living waters. But I did swim in an outdoor pool and take a very hot bath.
This is a kind of Jewish New Years Eve. Tonight I had apples and honey and a glass of champagne.
I did not interact with many others today. I extended a few simple sorts of kindness. But I was the recipient of bountiful kindness.
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