(excerpt from Adar Rosh Chodesh Guide)
Adar begins at Sundown February 24, 2009 and ends at Sundown March 25, 2009
What is revealed with laughter? Adar is a month of joy and laughter and of mysteries revealed, which clearly relates to the holiday of Purim. On Purim we are commanded to let our hair down and be silly, which is not the norm in Judaism. We release our inner “monkeys”, one meaning of the letter Kuf, and play and laugh. But the story of Purim is not a silly one. There is darkness, descent, courage, and change. It is a story of love both good and bad. So, why do we laugh?
Continue reading ‘Adar: Revealing Laughter’
(x-posted from Embroidered Prayers)
First in a new series of Hamsas I’m working on. This one is already planned as a gift to a friend who collects hamsas. The design is inspired by the henna work of a good friend who is a henna artist.
Also, this piece is the beginning of me using a new cipher to sign my work. Names are really important to me, and I realized that this is not the work of Carly Lesser anymore. It really represents a shift and is part of the work of being Ketzirah. The new cipher is a pomegranate with the Hebrew letter Kof (ק) in the center, for my Hebrew name Ketzirah. Originally the Kof was a pictograph that symbolized a needle, which a is a super fun “coincidence.” I can’t say that I think this is a coincidence at all, but to each her own.
I started working with round pieces recently too. This is also a fairly intentional shift. I’ve also taken on the moniker of Magelet, which means circle maker. This is one way to express that part of my work in a very literal way. The desire to work with round forms came before the conscious realization of the connection.
I have three more 3″ ones that I just need to frame, and they’ll be available through my shop on Etsy.
Technorati Tags: judaica, art, hamsa, embroidery, magelet
In reading Yitro (Ex 18:1-20:23) this week several things struck me. I did a bit of a double-take with Tzipporah’s reappearance. What happened to here? Where did she go? We last saw her in Ex 4:25, which is the infamous “bridegroom of blood” passage where she circumcises her son. As far as I can tell, she’s not mentioned again until Ex 18:2. There is says, “after she had been sent home.” So the arrival of Yitro also should be a joyful reunion between Moses and his family. Where is that passage? Moses embraces Yitro, but not his family (18:7)? Nice.
In 18:18 Yitro tries to help Moses realize that the people must take up the work with him and thus we get a court, not just a prophet-king. This should free up Moses to spend a little time with the family, but it doesn’t appear that he takes advantage of that.
This whole section of the text seems to tell a sad backstory of a neglected family put last by the husband and father. I think this is a common challenge with all clergy. How do you care for a flock and still put your own family first? I think that is part of the lesson and challenge this section of the text is supposed to teach us. I touch on this a bit in my midrash on Miriam. But reading Yitro this time has made me see another big whole in the text that needs to be filled: Tzipporah’s story. Talmud tells us that Tzipporah was never made it to Egypt. Aaron says to send her back to Midian when he meets Moses in the desert (Sefer Ha-Aggadah 64:40
). What happened to her between Ex 4:25 and Ex18:2?
Two other sections also got my attention this year: 19:12 - 19:15 and 20:22.
Continue reading ‘Thoughts on Yitro - 5769′
There are four tradtional “special” Shabbats during the year: Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zachor, Shabbat Parah, and Shabbat haChodesh. All of these occur during or near the month of Adar. There is another special Shabbat that the women of Kohenet have identified and are figuring out ways to honor: Shabbat Tzovot.
The Tzovah (singular form of Tzovot) is one of the Netivot, or paths, of Shekhinah that we study at Kohenet. She is the priestess at the doorway; the sacred serving woman, the “temple keeper.” The Tzovot is mentioned by name in the Torah and it is the Shabbat where this portion is read that we are identifying as Shabbat Tzovot. The Tzovot is mentioned during the reading of Vayakhel (Ex 38:8). The Tzovot are the ones who give over their sacred mirrors to create the wash basins for the priests.
Continue reading ‘Shabbat Tzovot’
