Shabbat M'varkhim Tammuz

Shabbat Shalom Everyone.  This is "Shabbat M'varkhim" - the Shabbes before the New Moon of Tammuz.  The Holy Zohar teaches that on Shabbes all the blessings for each day of the week arrive are stored until the shine through on the day, since Rosh Hodesh come in this week, we set the intention to bring in blessings for the New Moonth.  

Lag B'Omer Hod of Hod, Humilty of Humility, Riding the Wave of Riding the Wave

Can I wait for the Hod that is mine?  do I truly look at  these waves with integrity?  or am I so eager to ride, that I hop on waves that are not mine to ride.  Do I look before I leap? Or  Do I love the ride so much, I forget to discern.  How do I discern which waves to ride.?

G'vurah in Hod; Boundaries in Humility

A few days ago we counted 30 days of the Omer G'vurah in Hod.
Consider is my humility disciplined? or do I move into a sense of ego and have a drive to be in control and do things my own way? G'vurah in Hod calls us to to modulate surfing a wave with waiting for a "right " wave to ride. Not all waves are for each of us. We can let some waves pass on by and choose to ride the ones that can move us where we wish to be.

Hod; Gratitude Humility, Seeing, Discerning and Riding the Wave

Hod
It is the week we consider Hod; gratitude, humility,surfing the universe, the ability to ride waves and move forward on available energy, flying like a bird flies, swimmng like a fish swims, the ability to discern which wave is your own wave to ride. Sometime we must wait patiently for the next wave to arrive.

Musings on the Omer  days 8-14  The week of G’vurah, Contraction.


Week 2; Days 8-14 invitation to reflect on the attribute of G’vurah; discipline, filter, membrane, contraction, limiting.
Discipline and boundaries’ purpose is to support life and love.   Boundaries are a necessary part of life.   Hesed; expansion and grace flow freely like water.  Water needs to be focused, filtered or contained to be  used.   Without G’vurah water has no form and cannot be used.
Time was very G’vuradik - restricted this week.  


8. Hesed Sh’b’G’vurah Expansion/Grace within Contraction
Consider  - Is my discipline gracious and expansive?
Image – blood  (Hesed) in an artery (G’vurah); A baby (Hesed) moving through the birth canal (G’vurah) to start life.
Guide for practice - ask: Do the discipline and boundaries I establish for others support growth and nourishment?  Or Is it demoralizing and destructive?  What about discipline I take on myself?  Is it useful and helpful?  Do the boundaries need to shift to better nourish others and myself? 


9. G’vurah Sh’b’Gvurah  Discipline within Discipline
Ask – Is my discipline disciplined?  Is it directed by moods swings or something external?  Is it severe?  Or does it serve to nourish and help. 


10. Tiferet Sh’b’Gvurah  Compassion/Harmony in Discipline
Image – 1) A heart with veins moving blood to it and arteries moving the oxygenated blood back through the body.  2) A breast feeding an infant. 
Compassion gives the receiver what they can receive and what will nourish.  Compassion receives what is given.  Compassion is the tuning between a giver and receiver.
Is my discipline compassionate?  Is it given in a way that can be received?  Is it too strict?  Too lenient?  


11.Netzah  Sh’b’G’vurah  Perseverance, longevity, eternity within Discipline
Focus/Intensity within Discipline
Imagine a beating heart.  Is the rate consistent?  Or are there random beats from time to time?  The heart need beat at consistent rate to support vitality, health and productivity.
Discipline must have the quality of perseverance to have impact.  Will it pass the test of time?  Or does it change frequently and allow benefits to deteriorate before they can help?    
Consider 1) Prayer practice or meditation practice 2) Exercise  


12. Hod Sh’b’Gvurah Fluidity/Humility in Discipline
Image - Imagine dry desert land.  See the tiny flowers that spring up even in the most harsh environment.  
Is my discipline fluid?  Am I willing to change my position when presented with new information in the moment?   Am I open to enhancing a practice when opportunity presents itself?


13. Yesod Sh’b’Gvurah  Bonding in discipline  Friday April 20th 2012
Discipline must lead to developing deeper bonds to be useful and productive.
Image – an old tree, its trunk and abundant roots twisting deeply and embedded in the Earth.
Does discipline lead to deepening bonds? Are people left alienated as a result?   discipline need support bonding. 


14. Malkhut Sh’b’GVurah  Shabbes  April 21rst
Discipline, like love, must enhance personal dignity, the sovereign self. Discipline that breaks a person will degrade dignity.
Does my discipline allow the recipient to  keep his or her own integrity and sense of self?  Does if increase self-esteem and self-awareness or does it weaken and dishearten me and others?

2012 Bio Omer Counting Days 4-7

4. Netzah sh'b'Hesed  Perseverance in Expansion


Image:
a. The Sun beaming nourishing light to our mostly blue planet Earth allowing life and beauty.
b. A mountain sides with a small channels of water flowing tricking midst the rocks.
c. Loving something or someone very very much.


Spiritual Challenge: 
a. Unrelenting sunlight can  scorch Earth and deplete her resources. 
b. Impatience. Time. A slow trickle and slowly chisel away hard rock over enough time.  
c. Wanting more of them or from them. 


Guide for practice:  
a. Sun shines on Earth by day and Moon by night. 
b, Tuning into Divine time. Appreciating the blessings available to us during our finite time on Earth as they are available.
c. Though the impulse to be together can be very strong, it is key to modulate the desire for balance and health.  We've all been the recipient of needy love. It can be overwhelming and unpleasant. We've also all felt the tendency toward over indulgence. Learning to balance is key to a happy life.


5. Hod sh'b'Hesed


Image:
a.The tiny plants growing alongside cactus in the dry desert.   
b.Birds flying upon the air currents*.  
c.Fish Swimming with the waters*.  


*Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi


Spiritual Challenge:
a.  Resources and energy are finite.  


Guide for Practice:
Just like the delicate cactus flowers find enough to exist, and the birds and fish conserve their own energy by supplementing it with the air and water flow, 
Pause to recognize and utilize the blessings (resources) that are available.  Open to using them in simple and creative ways.  


Note: This is useful when considering oil consumption.


6.Yesod sh'bHesed


Image:
a. Trees blossoming.
b.  Pregnancy.


Spiritual Challenge:
Nourishment, Patience, External conditions beyond our control, Grace is needed.


Guide for practice:


a. Proper water and fertilizers. We pray that the weather and external conditions will support the fruit's development. 
b. Thoughtful nourishment for the pregnant mother, low stress environment. Prayer and intention that the baby be born healthy.




7.  Malkhut sh'b'Hesed


Image:
a. A juicy apple. 
b. An infant.  An individual.  




Spiritual Challenge:
a. Hunger.  Waiting for the delicious apple to grow to it's fullness. 
b.The baby is an individual distinct from the parents.




Guide for practice:
a. Walt until the time is right to harvest the fruit.
b. Get to know the individual that has been brought into the world.  Listen. Pay attention to what the infant individual tells you.  This is true for individuals of all ages.

Last night we counted Day 3 - Tiferet sh’be’Hesed Compassion, Balance in Expansion

Last night we counted Day 3 Tiferet sh’be’Hesed
Compassion, Balance in Expansion


The birth canal pressing and coddling the infant, massaging and nourishing it as it enters into the world.  The act of nursing; breast milk is formulated specially for the infant. It is what the infant can receive and take in.  Just the right nourishment and flow. 


Giving must be offered in a way that can be received to be effective giving.  Tiferet calls to tuning into the one receiving.  Compassionate giving holds the needs of the recipient as primary.
Not enough or too much do not nourish adequately.  The offering must be matched, that is tuned to the one receiving. 
Guide to Practice; Ask yourself, am I giving in order receive something in return?  Am I giving to demonstrate my superiority?  Am I giving too much and burdening the recipient?
How can I give in a manner that better supports the recipient’s fuller receiving what is being offered?