Tehillim: The Gates of Repentance

For the saying of Psalms has a special power for repentance. But you should occupy yourself all the year with sayings Psalms with kavvanah so as to merit coming to repentance. Likkutei Ayzot, Tshuvah, #32

According to Rabbi Weintraub Psalm 90 is good for this purpose also.

Psalms Chapter 90 תְּהִלִּים
A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.

Thou turnest man to contrition; and sayest: 'Return, ye children of men.'

For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, {N}
and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep; in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

For we are consumed in Thine anger, and by Thy wrath are we hurried away.

Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.

For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath; we bring our years to an end as a tale that is told.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore years; yet is their pride but travail and vanity; {N}
for it is speedily gone, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of Thine anger, and Thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto Thee?

So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom.

Return, O LORD; how long? And let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants.

O satisfy us in the morning with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, according to the years wherein we have seen evil.

Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory upon their children.

And let the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; {N}
establish Thou also upon us the work of our hands; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.

Whomever wants to merit becoming worthy of doing tshuvah, should accustomed himself to saying psalms, for the Psalms have a special power to inspire repentance. Likkutei Aytzot, Tshuvah, #32

Elisha Ben Abuya's Depiction on As A Driven Leaf

One aspect of mysticism is how the mystic can drive himself mad or worse if he is not careful in his quest for divine awareness.

"Our Rabbis have taught, four entered into the Pardes. They were Ben Azai,
Ben Zoma, Aher, and Rabbi Akiba. Ben Azai gazed and died. Of him it is
written, "precious in the eyes of HaShem is the death of his pious ones"
(Tehilim 116, 15). Ben Zoma gazed, and went insane. Of him, it is written,
"have you found honey, eat your share lest you become full, and vomit it
up.” (Mishlei 25, 16). Aher became an apostate. Rabbi Akiba entered, and
exited in peace.” Hagigah 14B

The book "As A Driven Leaf" is a fictional depiction of what happened to Aher (ussually associated with Elisha Ben Abuya)in his quest for truth. Although
Elisha Ben Abuya's life account is portraited as heroic, where in the midst of great
forces of change and tradition a man has to choose conscience as a
sanctuary for independent thought and live the consequences of that
resolve. Elisha's journey into perdition takes places as he begins to feel that the doctrines of tradition were weak against the reality he was facing, making him ponder important existencial questions. His quest for truth led him to the dark waters of heresy as Elisha admits to his childhood teacher that "the old
truth has failed me, I must find another" (p. 201). He later admonished the necessity for any form of belief for humans to define themselves. "Faith is indispensable both as a base on which thought may stand, and as a check rein when logic goes astray" (p. 242). Milton Steinberg was wise to express the climax of Elisha's inner struggles during the traumatic event of the character seeing an innocent child die. The skepticism that he had kept inside bursts as he exclaims "There is no reward. There is no Judge. There is no Judgment. For there is no God" (p. 250). These words lead to his demise; for as he runs from being ostracized, he carelessly instructs others not to put their trust in fables. Although it is important to have "... a theology, a morality, a ritual, confirmed by logic"(p. 203). People should come to a place where they can be comfortable with uncertainty. As much as we need to know that what we believe is true, we must wrestle with issues incorporating both out a strong religious foundation and leaving some room for doubt and scientific knowledge. That is how we know that we are not fanatics but mystics, those seeking g-dliness.

Yedid Nefesh and Jewish Meditation

I have been studying Jewish Meditation and found a handout regarding Yedid Nefesh which Maggid Yitzhak Buxbaum introduced to me and others a couple of years back. He spoke about how it is related to the Shechinah and it thanks G-d for creation and our relationship with the Eternal.

Beloved of the soul, Compassionate Father, ידיד נפש אב הרחמן
draw Your servant to Your Will; משוך עבדך אל רצונך
then Your servant will hurry like a hart ירוץ עבדך כמו איל
to bow before Your majesty; ישתחוה אל מול הדרך
to him Your friendship will be sweeter יערב לו ידידותיך
than the dripping of the honeycomb and any taste. מנפת צוף וכל טעם


Majestic, Beautiful, Radiance of the universe, הדור נאה זיו העולם
my soul pines [lit: is sick for] for your love. נפשי חולת אהבתך
Please, O G-d, heal her now, אנא אל נא רפא נא לה
by showing her the pleasantness of Your radiance; בהראות לה נעם זיוך
then she will be strengthened and healed, אז תתחזק ותתרפא
and eternal gladness will be hers. והיתה לה שמחת עולם

Enduring One, may Your mercy be aroused ותיק יהמו נא רחמיך
and please take pity on the son of Your beloved, וחוסה נא על בן אהובך
because it is so very long that I have yearned intensely כי זה כמה נכסף נכספתי
to see speedily the splendour of Your strength; לראת מהרה בתפארת עזך
= only these my heart desired, אלה חמדה לבי
so please take pity and do not conceal Yourself וחוסה נא ואל תתעלם

Please, my Beloved, reveal Yourself and spread upon me הגלה נא ופרש חביבי עלי
the shelter of Your peace; את סכת שלומך
illuminate the Earth with Your glory, תאיר ארץ מכבודך
that we may rejoice and be glad with You; נגילה ונשמחה בך
hasten, show love, for the time has come, מהר אהוב כי בא מועד
and show us grace as in days of old. וחננו כימי עולם

Kiddushin, The Mystical Aspects of Jewish Marriage

“Like the rose maintaining its beauty among thorns, so is My faithful beloved among the nations.” Rashi's interpretation of Song of Songs 11:2

Many mystics have interpreted Leviticus 9 as a wedding between G-d and Israel. The Song of Songs is seen by them as an expounded version of the same events where G-d becomes Shlomo who brings about Schelemut, wholeness to the people of Israel. There is a also a masculanization of female characters in the text. A "Gender paradox occurs, (as) the Daughters of Tssiyyon are read as the circumcised men of Israel...The mystical experience is interpreted as a penetration by the divine word or spirit into the body and soul of the adept" (Boyarim, 46-47.) The mystic takes a female role in their experience of G-d. This aspect of our spiritual connection with G-d in Sinai can help us value and appreciate more our marriages. The importance of sexual, emotional and spiritual intimacy among spouses is compared to our relationship with G-d "The Song of Songs is… a song that was sung at a concrete historical moment of intimacy, at a moment in which God showed Himself to all the People." (Boyarim, 50). Sexuality in Jewish thought is elevated to the highest degree in many texts, especially the Song of Songs which is seen by the rabbis as a “desublimation of divine love, an understanding of that love thorough its metaphorical association with literal, human, corporeal sexuality." (Boyarim, 51)

Kiddushin is a covenant, an agreements between two contracting parties as the one given to Abraham and the one of Torah in Sinai, which is sealed with blood. At the same time the marriage covenant in Judaism, is called Kiddushin instead of "berit," which means a process of holiness, an ongoing sanctification or a distinct intimate relationship apart from others. Shalom bayit "marital wholeness" is the ongoing pursuit of peace in marriage, the covenantal relationship of two human beings. The "Dedication," that takes place during the kiddushin indicates that the couple now have an exclusive relationship, involving total dedication of the bride and groom to each other, to the extent of them becoming "one soul in two bodies."

In Sephardic circles the giving of Torah in Sinai event is seen as "the marriage between Jews and G-d… being solemnized symbolically between the Torah--the bride--and the people of Israel, the bridegroom. In these versions, God as the bride's father gives as dowry the 613 commandments, the Bible, Talmud , and other sacred writings. Moses presents as dowry to his son--the people of Israel--the prayer shawl and phylacteries, the Sabbath and festivals. The contracts are witnessed by God and His servant Moses." (Goodman). This powerful image portrays the relationship between G-d and Jews, in the book “Toward a Jewish Theology” other images connected to marriage are explored. The tabernacle is used by many mystics as a symbol of sexual encounters in marriage. "The Holy of Holies is depicted as a bedroom where the cherubs engage in the procreative act. Where does God dwell? Between the cherubs. Similarly, when a licit coupling occurs between sexual partners. God is present. " (Sherwin, 150)


Bibliography


Boyarim, Daniel People of the Book
Byron, Sherwin Toward a Jewish Theology
Goodman, Philip The Shavuot Anthology

The Mystical View of Brit Milah

"A man is not called by the name of a man except through the commandment of circumcision. Without it he is called a demon not a man. As long as the demonic forces have a hold on a man, through the foreskin and the uncleanliness of man, it is impossible for the higher soul (which distinguishes him as a Jew) to alight upon him and it is impossible for him to be called by the name of an Israelite. Thus it is customary not to give him a name until after circumcision, when the foreskin and uncleanliness have already gone. Then the secret of the higher soul rests on him and he may be called an Israelite man through the commandment of circumcision." Chesed Le-Avraham 2:52 by Abraham Azulai, published in Vilna, 1877

As circumcision has come under attack by those who consider it a mutilation of genitalia, Jewish responses have been the (typical assertions) that it is our rite for entering the community and an historically unbroken Jewish tradition. I would like to propose that according to Jewish sources, circumcision is not only part of our spiritual heritage but a way of reaching divine perfection. The kabbalistic view mentioned above is out of the ordinary in some ways, since it is extra halakhic "According to halakhah, a child born is to a Jewish mother is already an Israelite by the fact of birth." (Jean Holm, p.121)

Maimonides agrees with this stance in theory but feels that an Israelite does not become a Jew until he or she accepts G-d and his revelation to Sinai as real and the commandments as binding on their life. Gershom Scholem speaks of brit milah as part of the perfection of G-d "The eight day then represents a step above the physical, into the realm of the transcendental" (Scholem, p.217). The Hasidim see it as setting apart a Jewish child for a special calling" it gives the individual access to the highest spiritual realms, from which he can draw down the most lofty souls." (Kaplan, p.37)

Daniel Boyarim covers this subject extensively and speaks about how the brit milah can be seen by anti-Semites as form of Jewish alienation "As long as the participation in the religious community is tied to those rites that are special, performed by and marked in the body, the religion remains an affair of a particular tribal group, " (Boyarim, p. 41) To some this "strange practice" (circumcision) comes from an Israelite obsession with hygiene, as there are medically speaking some health benefits associated with this practice. Jews are also seen by others as the "saviors of this civilization, a salvation effected through the invention and transmission of the principles of health and hygiene." (Hart, 10 )

To Boyarim the midrashim on this subject are a denunciation of Christian lack of historical cohesiveness, over spiritualization, and lack of nationhood or ethnical unity (Boyarim, p. 43) The most important aspect of brit milah is how it makes an ordinary man an instrument of the divine "...for the Rabbis of the Midrash it is a sign of the sanctification of the physical body; the cut of the penis completes the inscription of G-d's name on the body. It speaks of circumcision as a transformation of the body into a holy object." (Ibid. 43)

Bibliography


Boyarim, Daniel People of the Book

Hart, Mitchell B. The Healthy Jew

Holm, Jean Rites of passage

Kaplan, Aryeh Sefer Yetzirah The Book of Creation

Schlohem, Gershom Ha Kabbalah shel Sefer Hetemunah VeSehl Abraham Abulafia Jerusalem

G-d's Anthropomorphisms & Feminine Attributes

The prayer for the state of Israel starts with "Our Father in Heaven, Rock and Redeemer of the people Israel..."

G-d as Grandparent
There are many anthropomorphisms in the Tanak, but in mystical circles G-d's compassion is symbolized using human characteristics such the 13 strands of G-d's beard. His 13 attributes of mercy. In the High Holidays we say Adonai, El Rachahim, describing Hashem as a loving, giving, patient and forgiving parent. He is merciful and gracious. He also displays Gevurah-severity might. In Hebrew zakan means beard, while elder is zakeu. G-d is depicted as an elderly man with a white beard, a male that shows fatherly characteristics. To most people a grandfather is known as someone who in his wisdom knows how to love. Although G-d should be seen as an old man, he is helpless like a baby. The Maggid Bauxbaum uses this example to communicate that "G-d is helpless (and) needs us to save the world." That is why there is a Sephardic custom to kiss your hand like you kiss the mezuzah after shaking the hand of another Jew.

G-d should be also seen as our beloved
Rebbe Nachman said that G-d should be seen as our beloved. With a passionate love we should approach him. Awe of G-d is separate from the fear of G-d. Love connects you with G-d, there is no guilt and fear with G-d, only a relationship of love and reverence for his might.

G-d as Mother
I have been reading the book Metaphorical Theology by Sallie McFague she writes "Religious language consists of nothing but metaphors and models, and theological language is rife with them." (P.106)
Jewish feminists have questioned traditional G-d-language, people like Rita Gross argue that, "If we do not mean that God is male when we use masculine pronouns and imagery," there should be no objection "to using female imagery and pronouns as well." (Grenn, Connecting With Deity Through a Feminist Metaformic Thealogy)
The Shekhinah in Jewish thought can fulfill the need from feminist to have a "feminine deity or divine principle is necessary if women’s experience is to be included in a religious world view." (McFague, Metaphorical Theology p.156)
At the same time the article Connecting With Deity Through a Feminist Metaformic Thealogy by Deborah J. Grenn, Ph.D. says the following "While the image of the Shekhinah was an important consistent of Kabbalism that gained widespread popularity, it was never incorporated into the liturgy as an accepted counterweight to the masculinity of God."

G-d's feminine attributes
An important thing to remember is that "Since one is not describing God but expressing the quality of a relationship all kinds of metaphors will be appropriate which genuinely reflect some aspect of that relationship.” (McFague, Metaphorical Theology p.166) The book speaks about how G-d’s feminine attributes are described in Israel’s relationship with Hashem thought the Bible, such as the imagery of a mother conceiving, birthing, and breast-feeding his people. Before someone dismisses the claims of the feminist we should think about this as“(Hashem) bears Israel from its conception to old age” like a loving mother. (Tribble, God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality p.19)

Isaiah 44 יְשַׁעְיָהוּ
ב כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה עֹשֶׂךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ מִבֶּטֶן, יַעְזְרֶךָּ: אַל-תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב, וִישֻׁרוּן בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ. 2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob My servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

Devekus: Union with G-d

Dvekut is a Kabbalistic concept which draws from biblical mandates of restoring creation through union with G-d and heart-felt observance of mitzvoth. In Hassidic thought dvekut is as an outcome of G-d’s presence in the midst of all Israel. This concept provides a path to holiness for individuals. The Hasidim believe that by clinging on to G-d they could restore the original perfection of the universe. This deep understanding of existence is fulfilled not only by Jewish prayer and the practice of Torah's commandments, but by the intent behind these spiritual exercises.
According to Aaron Wertheim "The Hasidim regard the fulfillment of each mitzvah as only preparation for deveikus with God.” Early Hasidim influenced by Sefer Ha Zohar had a unique perspective of the soul, restoring the world, the human condition. They viewed the Shekhinah as actively involved in human affairs. "...the Shekhinah is distressed at the suffering of its children. Every creature is linked to its Creator, and the Shekhinah is linked to man, when any man suffers, the Shekhinah suffers "

Dvekut is part of Hasidic esoteric vision of the world as it plays an important role in the belief that G-d is mystically united to Israel through the covenant of Sinai. " The mystical literature of the middle ages took a new conceptual turn, based on the conflation of the feminine figures of the Shekinah and of the congregation of Israel into a single image representing the feminine side of divinity."

The concept of dvekut was influential in building a stronger Jewish community in the pre-Enlightment era as they dealt with Galut (the Great Exile). "As the daily concerns of the practical reality of the exile (the main focus of halakhah) gave way to an eschatology oriented toward a celestial reality beyond the limits of time and space, so the study of norms and practices of halakaha was gradually replaced in certain mystical circles with the study of Kabbalah."

The early Hasidim through their piety, penitent behavior and strong central leadership model brought about revival within their small Jewish communities. They also drew the masses to either observance of the mitzvoth or a stronger connection with G-d. This as they felt that the redemption of Israel was imminent through tiqqun olam. "Thirteen Qualities engraved before me and shining like candles. When you explain them all, it will rise and they will be fixed, crowned and hidden in the secrets of the beard's tiqqunim. Each tiqqun, when explained sits like a king over his armies. Be aware that such an array will not be until the days of Messiah."