FLIGHT OF THE SEPHIROT - day 38 TIFERET sh b'YESOD

- Reprinted from The Deronda Review, a journal of poetry and thought, Vol. II No. 2 - Spring-Summer 2009
- Reprinted in Kol Chevre,  Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z'l, 16th Yahrzeit issue, 5771.  "G*d In Our Lives"

PSALMS OF MY SOUL
ספירת העומר

TIFERET sh b'YESOD
Sephirat HaOmer day 38

FLIGHT OF THE SEPHIROT

- Joy Krauthammer

I never look to write a poem; they just come...
like butterflies of my mind

You ask if for Shabbat I could "do a poem?"
on the holy Omer Counting "Sephirot of the day"
Tiferet sh b'Yesod

...so I guess not, of course not

or maybe
in my mind
I took flight and
I just did create one.)

Imagine if I go outside
to look for a flower of Creation
the Yesod of the Divine One
it just beckons to me
smiles at me
and I see G*d


the nasturtium
growing at the edge of the earth, low
do I pick one? bright wine toned
and eat one in my organic salad?
as we do at Esalen
high above the cliffs

the edge of Big Sur
place of majesty
where Tiferet reigns.

In exaltation and surprise
in my garden today
I see white Wood Irises
with purple petal interiors
dozens blossomed overnight
tall, appearing
as shadow puppets, a host of
winged butterflies in flight

One spring
butterflies passed through my garden
a channel for their journey of life
millions for fourteen days
alighting upon my citrus trees
in connection, bonding with me.

Continuing their mission
over my roof, finally
left me on Erev Shabbat

Swarms of pretty Painted Ladies
embracing me
Gracing me
when I needed G*d
They gave me delight
I was in ecstasy, in awe
I couldn't ask for more
all I could do was
stand in centered stillness,
as golden delights brushed past my cheeks
my beating heart
bonded in belief
my desire granted
by the Compassionate One.

Silently, I had wished, yearned
my heart dreaming
to see the migrating butterflies
thousands of miles away

they came to me
a miracle revealed

Caregiving, I could not leave
my paralyzed husband
of blessed memory.

Tiferet sh b'Yesod
is his birthday.

Balance of beauty, Truth
we are gifted by the Creator of Life.
Harmony to begin this 38th day
lead the way
in Tiferet and Yesod
Compassion as our Foundation
join all other Sephirot
within the Etz Chayim, the Tree of Life.
             ~ ~ ~
.
"Flight of the Sephirot" is a psalm of my soul about G*d totally hearing me and my desire during my time of service as caregiver for G*d. I took care of ONE of G*d's children, z'l.

G*d listened to me and heard my yearning to be with the butterflies and BROUGHT THEM TO ME.

I had no idea that this could happen. Giving me the butterflies in my garden is a pure one time gift of MIRACLE from the Compassionate One.

The Painted Ladies could have had the world as their passage way, their Kriat Yahm Suf, as they left from one home on their survival journey, and they travelled through my opening. I stood outside and welcomed each of them greeting me.

(It was not easy to give up my public life of sharing, to be Caregiver Angel Warrior. I came to the realization that serving ONE was just as important as being present for greater community.)

Talmud says, "And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."
- Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:8 (37a)

Many times, as a vessel for Hashem, I saved the life of Marcel, z"l, my husband, during his 18 years of metastatic brain cancer. (My intention was to get Marcel to Aviva's wedding, and I did. Marcel went on life-support only three weeks later, following our daughter's honeymoon.)

- Joy Krauthammer

Wood Iris and Nasturtium photos

©  Joy Krauthammer

May the refinement work of cosmic cleansing that I do on myself during the 49 days of Kabbalistically Counting the Sephirat HaOmer help me to mamash/truly be who I am, and need to become. I need to delete klipot/husks (negative influences) and again ready myself for Shavuot by strengthening, elevating and perfecting my midot/character traits.

Note: The counting of the Omer takes place between Passover and Shavuot, and each day is associated with a specific Kabbalistic combination pair of Sephirot.  For a greater explanation and understanding of this theme, see Rabbi Simon Jacobson's "A Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer," which may be found on http://www.chabad.org/ or http://www.meaningfullife.com/ 

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