Congregation Beth Mordecai
Congregation Beth Mordecai
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
May 12, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 27 -- יסוד שבנצח: Foundation within Endurance
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : endurance foundation netzach netzah omer online learning victory y'sod yesod יסוד נצח
May 11, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 26 -- הוד שבנצח: Splendor within Endurance Jewish tradition sometimes describes our bodies as garments for our souls. Our bodies, each of them unique, are the splendid containers, the Hod for the Netzah of our spiritual energy (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.139).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : endurance hod netzach netzah omer online learning splendor victory הוד נצח
May 9, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 24 -- תפארת שבנצח: Harmony within Endurance “Tiferet is the gathering place for the desires of our hearts. When simple longing becomes fervent yearning, we find fresh fortitude to pursue our goal…The halutzim, the early settlers of modern Israel, had similar perseverance. Finding malarial swamps and unoccupied rocky hills oat the site of their future homes, they pursued their dreams moving boulders one at at imd, draining marshes and reclaiming land. Their longing gave them forces and vigor, Tiferet she b’Netzah” (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, pp.132-133).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : balance endurance harmony netzach netzah omer online learning tiferet victory נצח תפארת
May 8, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 23 -- גבורה שבנצח: Discernment/Strength within Endurance “Prudent judgement contributes to persistence. Deciding what to add and what to remove is key to good editing. When we take a political stand, change jobs, or try a different approach in a stuck relationship, it is rigorous consideration of the options that helps us persist. Today we appreciate our ability to understand complex situations and evaluate alternatives, certain that thoughtful choices will increase the possibilities of success” (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.130).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : discernment endurance g'vurah gevurah netzach netzah omer online learning strength victory גבורה נצח
May 7, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 22 -- חסד שבנצח: Lovingkindness within Endurance On any path toward self-improvement, persistence is key. Gyms and health clubs experience an upsurge of interest, enrollment and attendance every January as people resolve to exercise, lose weight, and get fit after the indulgence of the winter holiday season. By March, the enthusiasm has usually waned, replaced by boredom, hard work, slow progress and the distractions of early spring. Preparing for revelation, which we do during the counting of the Omer, is a spiritual path that requires stamina. In Hesed sheb’Netzah, that stamina is powered by love, as in Psalm 136 where the phrase “God’s love endures forever (ki l’olam hasdo) is repeated twenty-six times. Created in God’s image, we are inspired and committed to tikkun loam, helping others,[...]
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : endurance God's love endures forever gym lovingkindness netzach netzah omer online learning psalm 136 success חסד נצח
May 6, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 21 מלכות/שכינה שבתפארת - Indwelling Presence within Harmony The path between these two s’firot in our body is along the centerline, from Malkhut/Sh’khinah, a place where we connect to the earth (base of the spine or feet) through Y’sod (genitals, foundation, the location of th energy of regeneration), to Tiferet (heart, harmony, balance). When we keep these places in our body in alignment with each other, we stand or sit up straight. This posture is recommended in many meditation traditions, as it allows energy to flow smoothly up and down. One of the traditional morning blessings expresses gratitude to God who “straightens the bent,” who keeps these s’firot lined with each other (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation[...]
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : balance Eyn Sof God harmony Indwelling Presence kabbalah keter kingship malkhut omer online learning presence sh'khina sh'khinah shekhinah אין סוף כתר מלכות שכינה תפארת
May 5, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 20 יסוד שבתפארת - Foundation within Harmony
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : balance body foundation genitals harmony omer online learning s'firot sefirot straight יסוד ספירות תפארת
May 4, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 19 הוד שבתפארת - Splendor within Harmony “As we open ourselves to recognizing visible patterns, we become more aware of many invisible ones. Creation’s splendor is expressed in earth, air, fire, water, animal, vegetable, atom, rock and human, in an astounding variety of ways of emotions and ideas. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel described an experience of God as “radical amazement” (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.112).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : balance harmony omer online learning splendor הוד תפארת
May 2, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 17 תפארת שבתפארת - Harmony within Harmony Prayer is an intimate act, flowing between our hearts and God’s love. Tiferet sheb’Tiferet is the pairing of intimate reciprocity. Today we try to align ourselves in perfect balance, imagining ourselves as a gyroscope, all our actions helping to keep us upright and stable. We are kept alive as a result of a complex interplay of atoms and energy, matter and spirit. Tiferet sheb’Tiferet is an extraordinary opportunity to focus on the harmony of this delicate, fragile and astonishing balance (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.107).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : balance harmony omer online learning tiferet תפארת
May 1, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 16 גבורה שבתפארת - Discernment/Strength within Harmony G’vurah sheb’Tiferet pairs the clarity of careful discernment with harmony and beauty. It reminds us that structure and discipline are essential ingredients in harmony. The word for Jewish law, halakhah, is related to the word holekh, which means “to walk.” Jewish legal principles guide us in the proper way to walk through the world. When the essence of the law is interpreted well and honored by the community, people live in greater harmony (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.101).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : balance discernment g'vura g'vurah gevura gevurah harmony omer online learning strength tiferet גבורה תפארת