Lantern

Your body is a lantern,

  Inside a flickering soul.

The cleaner your heart,

  The cleaner the glass.

Then clearer is the light,

  And the further its reach.

Welcome the cleaning,

  A world awaits your light.

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Encounter

Don't ever lose sight:

When you meet another,

You encounter a soul.

The same is true when,

You encounter yourself.

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Strange Aroma

Something strange happened yesterday. 

As a kindness, a community member called me to ask me if I needed someone to cook meals for me and my children this Sabbath. I explained that I was already taken care of and thanked her profusely for her concern. Hearing on the other end of the phone that she sighed, I asked her if everything is alright.  She explained that the food was already prepared. So I suggested sending it to another community member whom I felt could really use it.  She sounded happy with the solution and we hung up.  

None of this in itself was strange. That's just the normative kindness that goes around my community, which I certainly don't take for granted. What was strange to me was something else. The whole time we spoke, I smelled the food. Then it faded when we hung up. How did that happen? Any suggestions?

Lantern You

Did you know you are a luminous lantern,

  Shining with splendorous, deep, sweet light?

You intake invisible lights from your soul.

  Then with good deeds recast them visibly.

Far from being static, you are truly organic.

  You not only glow, but you can also grow.

Your every good deed molds your capacity,

  Deepening you to contain sweeter luminosity.

As the soul train passes through your station,

  She holds passengers for your contemplation.

Surprise! You've unexpectedly enlightened;

 Yet barely by thinking, mostly by doing.

Though you can't contemplate your way to God,

  Good deeds may bring you fresh divine insights.

~ Inspired by Rabbi Nathan of Nemirov, LH, Gitten 4

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Longings

Who are you? I wish I knew.

  Don't know you, yet miss you so.

I yearn for you to frame how I see.

  I yearn for you to frame how I hear.

I yearn for you to frame how I feel.

  I yearn for you to frame how I think.

You are me in the skin of another.

  Without you, my whole perception is half.

As two eyes belong to one face,

  As two ears belong to one head,

As two legs belong to one body,

  So two bodies belong to one soul.

Our higher self weeps over our separation.

  When will we share earthly life too?

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Manifest Your Portion

Our sages teach in "Chapters of the Fathers" that the definition of a wealthy person is one who is happy with his/her lot.

Today a novel approach to this teaching dawned on me. It was based on a Rebbe Nachman story about a pauper who suddenly found a gem.

Why is someone a pauper or lacking? Possibly because his or her lot has not yet been fully manifest. Quite possibly abundance is the person's real lot. It just hasn't yet been fully manifest. In that case, true happiness with each step by step manifestation can download more and more of one's lot until s/he's wealthy. So happiness with one's lot can literally bring to wealth.

Shabbat Shalom friends :)

Practical Kabbalah

Approximately, 29 - 30 years ago I used to attend classes in what later became known as, "The Kabbalah Centre". I remember a very special lady named Chaya who worked there.

She told me a story that really resonated. Once someone asked her to teach "Practical Kabbalah", i.e. Kabbalah's parallel to sorcery. She responded, "Study the 'Code of Jewish Law'. It's all 'Practical Kabbalah! "

What she meant was that by living according to the Torah one creates the "vessels" designed to receive those wonderful "lights" Kabbalah teaches us about; as well as all the blessings in life that they bring along.

Ripe for You

What does not pluck easily is probably not ripe.

Struggle not with what time has not yet favored.

Instead, look around your field for what is truly ready.

For at this moment, your blessings lie there ~ awaiting.

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Sage Advice

Deep resonant drums play,

 My being in peaceful trance.

The hookah wafts with sage,

 Glass bowl goes smoky, misty.

Memories of hippy dens arise,

 Of Jerusalem and Everglades.

As I inhale the healing herb,

 I inhale deep sage advice.

I hear, "Go slow, slow my son.

 Build a vessel, light will come.

"Take marriage deep into heart,

 Study her varied paths n' ways.

"In the right time, she'll arrive,

 Never too early, never too late."

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All Ears

Breeze Your voice through me,

Blow into life Your holy words.

Bring them to life for me,

To hear them with all my ears.

Fashioned with many sets of ears,

Indeed, my whole self is multi-eared:

Ears on my head and in my head,

Ears on my heart and in my heart,

Ears on/in every nerve and muscle,

Ears on/in every duct, gland and node.

All these are merely bodily ears.

My soul is even more multi-eared.

Please bless each set of ears.

Bless them to really hear You.

Bless them to hear You through Torah.

Bless them hear You in voices of others;

Whether in the counsel of the wise,

Whether in the outcry of the needy!

Till blessed, they're so so deaf,

And they know not what they see.

As hearing contextualizes seeing,

Nothing is truly seen until also heard.

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