A real post coming soon, but here’s a little something fun for Shabbas.
I’ve also started a YouTube channel where I’ll be collecting videos, both sublime and surreal, that may be of interest.
Archive for November, 2007
Earth-based spirituality? Put your actions where your mouth is! Each month I’ll be reposting the “carbon-conscious” pledge from the Center for the New American Dream.
This Month: Beat the Heat, Wash in Cold
Wash four out of five loads of laundry in cold water
From NewDream.org
Beat the Heat, Wash in Cold, Score an Eco-Friendly Home Office
Did you know that simply by pushing the “cold/cold” button for four out of every five loads of laundry you can cut 72 pounds of CO2 emissions this month alone? Keep it up and you’ll save more than $60 a year in energy costs too!
Washing in hot water is more likely to clean out your wallet than your apparel. Today’s more efficient clothes washers and laundry detergents make it possible to get even whites clean in cold water. Did you know that almost 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. Wash in Cold is an easy way to cut down on your energy use.
So this November we’re asking you to think before you press the buttons on your washer…take the Carbon Conscious Consumer pledge and keep the ecosystem clean and healthy.
Each month from July to December, Carbon Conscious Consumer (c3.newdream.org) will highlight a new, simple way each individual can make an impact, plus show the difference each person makes both individually and along with the people they’ve influenced; prizes go to participants who influence the most new pledges.
During November, make a conscious choice to Wash in Cold. In addition to benefiting the environment, participants will have a chance to win $1500 worth of green office furniture and supplies from Office Depot. Visit the website now to get started.
Technorati Tags: environment, actions, eco-concious, carbon, new dream, eco-judaism
Chayei Sarah is an incredibly challenging Torah portion. There’s just so many things that happen, and for a woman there’s a lot to explore. Reading it this time, however, it was nothing about Sarah or Rebekah that got my attention. It was about Hagar, Yitzhak, and Yishmael.
Just as the story turns to Rebekah and Yitzhak meeting for the time — there is a line that got my attention (Gen 24:62):
And Yitzhak came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the land of the South.
Yitzhak is returning from Beer-lahai-roi, the Well-of-the-Living-One-Who-Sees — Hagar’s well. This is the well that Hagar finds when she runs away from Avram and Sarai before Yishmael is born (Gen 16:14). I was astonished. After his mother dies, Yitzhak goes to Hagar and Yishmael?
But it gets more interesting. Later in Chapter 25 when Abraham dies — both Yitzhak and Yishmael bury him (Gen 25:9).
And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
First Yitzhak goes to Hagar and Yishmael and then there is enough peace between the brothers that they come together to bury their father. But, it’s even more amazing. The next several lines of the text name the twelve tribes of Yishmael. And then the text says that Yitzhak settled in the Negev — which is Yishmael’s land near the well of Beer-lahai-roi.
The text seems to go to great trouble to make sure we know that there was peace between Yitzhak and Yishmael before they died. I’d never seen this before. It really stunned me. The wisdom of the annual Torah reading cycle really is clear to me in moments like this. I need to start a cycle for the psalms and other writings to ensure that I’m reading them year after year and finding all I can in them.
Technorati Tags: torah, chayei sarah, interpretation, peace, yitzhak, yishmael
During our last Kohenet intensive Rabbi Jill said to me, “your spiritual world is very complicated.” Or something along those lines. I “poo-pooed” and dismissed her say, “no not really….” Well, time to come clean. It is complicated and confusing — even to me. Don’t get me wrong, there are certain things I’ve very, very clear on. For one, I’m Jewish. There’s no question in my head or heart about that. But that is where the simplicity starts and stops. Because we live in a world that likes simple, clean answers and sound bite solutions - everything beyond that is much harder. People want “Jewish” to mean a single thing — but it doesn’t. Like all religions, Judaism is multi-faceted. We tend to forget that just “Christian” only means that they follow the teachings of Jesus — but that’s all it means. Same with Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu and any other religion (not the Jesus part, just the one element we may know).
There’s never been one Judaism. There’s always been many voices in the tribe — even back to Torah. Judah and his brothers didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye, and Dinah — well she’s just a girl — no need to really worry about what she thought.
Admitting to myself that things are complicated is actually a really important thing. I am Yisrael - a God Wrestler. That’s not just a name, it’s a title. I’ve been honored to have Reb. David at NeoHasid.org include my site under what he calls “beautiful struggles.” Damn skippy, it’s a struggle. I appreciate that someone may find it beautiful. It helps me to see the beauty in the journey.
My world is complicated. God(dess)(es) is complicated. Life is complicated. But — it’s also beautiful, mysterious, surprising, and that’s why we’re here - to experience life.
Pardon the rant.
Beautiful struggles (among many) that inspire me:
Technorati Tags: complicated, answers, judaism, jewish, struggles
I just learned that Kohenet’s extraordinary drum priestess, Shoshana Jedwab (Bat Shemesh) will be appearing in Baltimore this Saturday night with the “Kirtan Rabbi.” If you can go — go!
Mystical Hebrew Kirtan Chanting
Saturday, November 10th, 2007
Baltimore, Maryland
Weinberg Park Heights JCC
5700 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore
November 10th, 2007
7:30 PM
$8/JCC Member $12/Non-member
For more information, call:
310.356.5200, x320 or x371
Come to an evening of participatory Hebrew Chant in the Kirtan form. No knowledge of Hebrew necessary! No need to be Jewish at all! Havdallah service greeting the new week follows the chanting. Then food!
Technorati Tags: kohenet, drum circle, kirtan, shoshana jedwab, jewish, events
