256 results for author: Owner of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope

Day 33: Hod b’Hod

Hod of Hod by Judith E. Felsen Would that I be one with wind as self unseen, to live on earth with no resistance to Your will. My seamlessness would then leave only joy as winds of service flowed through able willing limbs devoted daily to Your love, each day inspired by divine decree. As one with Torah, I am not the self to which I cleave, instead perhaps as wind, I am an unseen element of Elohim. Instead, perhaps as wind, I pass through moments here, an element of nature, grateful servant of Your laws, an elemental joyous current of Your love. Reflection Perhaps today I may ...

Day 32: Netzach b’Hod

Netzach of Hod by Judith E. Felsen It is not any power over that I seek but strength of my surrender To Your will and trust in all Your ways. In that it matters not if I am as a subtle breeze or mighty roar of gale force might, as both Your winds of power and Your gentler breaths do speak of You. I can only yearn that practice of Your Torah/mitzvot with devekut, ahavah, all longing of my deepest prayers assists in clearing channels that prepare me daily as an empty vessel through which Your winds of heaven flow. Reflection Am I today victorious over the winds of emotion, desire ...

Day 31: Netzach b’Hod

Netzach of Hod by Judith E. Felsen It is not any power over that I seek but strength of my surrender To Your will and trust in all Your ways. In that it matters not if I am as a subtle breeze or mighty roar of gale force might, as both Your winds of power and Your gentler breaths do speak of You. I can only yearn that practice of Your Torah/mitzvot with devekut, ahavah, all longing of my deepest prayers assists in clearing channels that prepare me daily as an empty vessel through which Your winds of heaven flow. Reflection Am I today victorious over the winds of emotion, desire ...

Day 30: Tiferet b’ Hod

Tiferet of Hod by Judith E. Felsen Just as the winds of earth carry Your seeds to scatter so did Your servant Jacob bring the seeds of Torah to distant lands carrying the message of Your embedded light to all. Today the force of Torah, mitzvot, prayer encircles earth as does the wind awaiting harness and our yoke, embodiment of beauty and Your will through every choice. Like Jacob, may I flow as wind, now channeled by Your laws, directed by Your will, and empowered by Your might bringing harmony and light to sites of darkness. May the beauty of an open mind, willing heart, bended knee and ...

Day 29: Chesed B’Hod

Those of you who have followed the Ma'yan Tikvah blog over the years have read Judith Felsen's exquisite and delicate poetry and have experienced her deep spirituality. Judith has many talents and trainings, including having a Ph.D. and being a N.Y.S. licensed Clinical Psychologist. She is an avid student of Torah and Jewish mysticism, a board member of the Bethlehem (N.H.) Hebrew Congregation, Mount Washington Valley Chavurah, and Neskaya Center for Movement Arts, a hiker, dancer, runner, poet, author, Appalachian Mountain Club information volunteer, trail adopter, and kitchen crew staff. She holds certificates in hypnosis, ...

Day 28: Malchut b’Netzach

MALCHUT and NETZACH A Kingdom of Lasting Values Children love to play King and Queen. They set up their palace under the dining room table, Bring in the dolls and stuffed animals, Put on a crown, And order their subjects around. Little do they know that As they grow, they will be building A real kingdom of their own. The kingdom is based on pillars of value They learn from their parents If they are lucky: “We do not hurt each other” “We help out whenever we can” “We always try to do the right thing” “If we make a mistake, we ...

Day 27: Yesod b’Netzach

YESOD and NETZACH Enduring Connections I. A meteorite from the vicinity of Mars heads in our direction and enters Earth’s atmosphere. The meteorite is carrying organic compounds picked up on its travels as many meteorites do. The organic compounds react with Earth’s oxygen, burning and producing carbon dioxide, CO2. One particular molecule of CO2 drifts about in our atmosphere. After a while it ends up in a sunlit meadow and collides with a blade of green grass. A chloroplast in this blade of grass captures the CO2 molecule. A photon too is ...

Hod b’Netzach

HOD and NETZACH Enduring Glory We go about our earthly business, Concern ourselves with right and wrong; We love our neighbors as best we can And do our best to walk with G-d. Then every once in a while On a dark night We may chance to look up, and Oh! The magnificent glory of the heavens Is revealed to us As a dome so enormous as to encompass all humanity A rich brew of sparkling points draws us in; In every direction, lights, patterns, depth. We are so small, sitting as we do on an arm of the Milky Way, We are so large, comprehending ...

Netzach b’Netzach

NETZACH and NETZACH Sun Be the sun, shine Exude heat Warm those nearby Draw people to your hearth Offer safety and offer life Emit light So others may find knowledge Understand each other Comprehend the world And not be afraid Disperse colors Thrilling yellow, cold piercing violet Ignitable red And green, of course, the green of growth How could we be glad without colors? Embody netzach Moment by moment, day after day, eon by eon Produce heat, light, and color From source without end And when your warmth is shut out Knowledge ...

Day 24: Tifereth b’Netzach

TIFERETH and NETZACH Beauty Perceived and Lasting Many blessings are given It is said To those who follow the Law Who navigate life By Judaism’s guideposts Intending to do right Also said (or it should be) That many blessings come To all who so much as take a breath Blessings unearned and unsought We are blessed with a mind That is nourished by starlight Takes pleasure in spectral hues Feasts on designs found on flowers and birds Relishes musical scores Who knows what really is “beauty” Who knows why we treasure it so We only ...

Day 23: Gevurah b’Netzach

GEVURAH and NETZACH Heroism That Perseveres A dictionary of modern Hebrew translates gevurah as “heroism, strength, or heroic act”. Ask any marathon runner, or indeed anyone from Greater Boston, about the gevurah evident in Boston at last year’s (2013) marathon. People running without hesitation towards the explosions, making tourniquets from their own clothing, lifting heavy steel barriers to free trapped people, carrying the injured, etc. etc, etc. In a dire emergency, people lose their usual hesitations, doubts, and ruminations. They act from their G-d given urge to use their strength to help those in ...

Day 22: Chesed b’Netzach

This week, we dip into poetry for the week of Netzach, the Divine attribute of endurance, perseverance, and fortitude. This week's reflections were written by Lois Rosenthal, a member of Temple Tifereth Israel in Winthrop, where she teaches Hebrew School and tutors b’nai mitzvah students. Lois is also a member of the CREW Poets chapter of the MA State Poetry Society. She is retired from Santa Clara University, where she held an academic position in chemistry. As we journey through the week with Lois, may we gain trust in our ability to endure and to persevere, with kindness, with strength, and with dignity. Rabbi ...

Day 21: Week 3, Day 7 of the Omer – Malchut of Tiferet

by Rabbi Robin Damsky The ultimate expression of Tiferet; Malchut of Tiferet, is the nobility of compassion. Words like sovereignty, dignity, enhancing status and boosting up – like Brendan Graham’s lyrics, “You raise me up” – come to mind. Michael Jacobs, in his book, Counting the Omer, asks of this day: do our actions create dignity in those we intend to help? I am reminded of Maimonides’ Eight Levels of Tzedakah. There are many ways to help people, and many ways to give charity. But what is most noble isn’t charity, it is righteousness and justice. Rambam said this is expressed at its greatest level when we support another by ...

Day 20: Week 3, Day 6 of the Omer – Yesod of Tiferet

The foundation of compassion by Rabbi Robin Damsky Did you ever notice how you walk differently on the beach or the forest than you do in the city? By the sea we usually remove our shoes. We want to feel the sand in our toes. If we walk close to the shore, the sand is firm from the ocean. It holds us up, but our feet sink in a bit, molding the earth with our steps. When the water washes over our feet they sink in even deeper. In the forest, our shoes mold to the earth as well, but less so. We can feel the softness of the soil underfoot, cushioning our steps and inviting our muscles to stretch fully. Contrast this with the concrete of the city. A ...

Day 19: Week 3, Day 5 of the Omer – Hod of Tiferet

How do we find and maintain humility in our compassion? by Rabbi Robin Damsky   Nature is an abundant force. Those who swim the ocean know just how powerful an undercurrent can be. Those who have witnessed a wildfire jumping across a six-lane freeway can only feel miniscule, as well as terrified, at its indomitable force. In moments like these, how can we help but feel humble? The more intimate our relationship with the earth, the more humbled we become. Gardening is an exercise in humility. It is wonderful to reap the benefits, and feel like a proud mama when what you plant comes to fruit. But any urban or rural farmer, any backyard ...

Day 18: Week 3, Day 4 of the Omer – Netzach of Tiferet

Endurance in Compassion: Rabbi Simon Jacobson asks: “Is my compassion enduring and consistent?” by Rabbi Robin Damsky When we sit down to a meal, do we think about where the food has come from? Judaism teaches us to say a brachah – a blessing – for that food. We may or may not take the time to do that, and even if we do, do we stop for a minute and think about the origin of that salad or how that bread came to our table? Barbara Kingsolver focuses on this idea in her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I was struck by a conversation she relays to a friend, telling her that the potato plants were coming up. Her friend hadn’t seen a potato ...

Day 17: Week 3, Day 3 of the Omer – Tiferet of Tiferet

Could there be anything more harmonious, anything more joyful, than the compassion of compassion? This is Tiferet of Tiferet. by Rabbi Robin Damsky The truest compassion has no limits. It is as Isaiah spoke: You shall indeed go out with joy, and be led forth in peace. Before you mountains and hills shall break into cries of joy, And all the trees of the wild shall clap their hands. – Isaiah 55:12 When I walk in the forest and I feel the leaves crumble under my feet, when I sit on a rock and absorb the light filtering through the trees, I am in a state of joy much like the mountains and the hills. I can feel the trees clapping ...

Day 16: Week 3, Day 2 of the Omer – Gevurah of Tiferet

Compassion that is disciplined and focused. by Rabbi Robin Damsky Recently I was rear-ended at a red light. I was more stunned than anything else, and getting out of my car, the thought that was foremost in my mind was the time I lived in Los Angeles and was the victim of a hit and run. My immediate focus was, if nothing else, to get the license plate and make of the car in case my assailant was planning to take off. And I got right on the line with 911. Stepping out of my car I was greeted by a young man who pleaded with me not to call the cops. It seems he was not only driving his mother’s uninsured car, but he was driving without a ...

Day 15: Chesed b’Tiferet

Week three of the Counting of the Omer is the week of Tiferet, and in the context of Tiferet, Rabbi Robin Damsky will be sharing thoughts about gardening. Rabbi Damsky is the rabbi of West Suburban Temple Har Zion in River Forest, IL, and the proud mother of Sarah. In her spare time she promotes tikkun olam - repair of the world - through her garden. Tiferet is the Divine Attribute of compassion, harmony and truth. Rabbi Damsky quotes from Spiritual Guide to Counting of the Omer, by Rabbi Simon Jacobson, the following reflection for us to consider throughout this week: Tiferet – compassion, blends with and harmonizes the free ...

Day 14: Malchut B’Gevurah

Day Seven of Week 2 (14th day of Omer): Malchut in Gevurah by Susie Davidson Malchut is about dignity, and the final manifestation of the intended change. But it is also about sovereignty and authority, and if necessary, assessing if the recipients of such change are deserving and judging if they will utilize it wisely. It could only have been unimaginably difficult for G-d to mete out justice in the form of punishment to those of His creation. Similarly, it is tough for us to judge others, and our own detrimental leanings and inclinations as well. That's where the discernment of Gevurah can help us to realize the impediments that ...