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ספירת העומר
MALCHUT sh b'CHESED
Kabbalistic Sephirot Counting of the Omer day 7
MY HANDS ARE HOLY
- by Joy Krauthammer
The 7th day (G*d's holiest number) of the Kabbalistic Sephirat HaOmer Counting is Malchut sh b'Chesed, sovereignty within a week of loving kindness, in combination, a pair. All the energies of the six Sephirot flow into the 7th. Malchut is the holy vessel to hold all the energies that come before. My expression filled with inspiration strongly manifests from this vessel.
When on the 7th day of the Exodus (Exodus 15:20) Miriyahm HaNeviah danced through the Kriat Yahm Suf, she was prepared with drums, timbrels, to have all the women dance with her and they sang. Miriyahm could do this because she was a prophet and because of the great love, the Chesed she manifested ever since a child, in so many ways for the Israelites.
I, too, like Miriyahm have the freedom (away from Mitzrayim / constricted places) to celebrate in joy as I offer my leadership, and it is accepted.
I know my place, and the contribution that I make to my People. That is my Chesed. As G*d's emanations flow through me and come to rest in Malchut, awakening more fully my expression of connection, flowing through Hod in appreciation, gratitude, splendor and humility, and guided by The Divine One -- boundless with Netzach going forward, and birthing in Yesod, although Gevurah is not far away to again hold me in place in restriction, and keep me in balance through Tiferet, central place of beauty and harmony, and the Tree of Life.
It is my desire to perfect, as I can, my own Sephirot in my Tree of Life. In counting, I examine myself with the hope that I can cleanse and purify myself in an internal mikveh, to arrive at Mount Sinai, again this year. In Chesed I am not only giving through my loving-kindness which manifest in many ways, I am also receiving the energies of others as they receive me. That is for me a serious teaching. Through my receiving in consciousness, the love and appreciation from others, I need to be more aware of the gifts of G*d that come through others as blesSings and directed towards me. It is wrong if I don't fully accept the abundDance of love offered to me. I am still learning how to humbly receive and honor the other as they share their Chesed. My heart and soul feel the gift from others as they smile at me, connecting to me and my gift from G*d. My smile and expression of soul truly reflect theirs and I am expanded. The energy circulates and gains strength. My drumming bursts forth in glee and subtlety as a direct response of this love. (Please see my accompanying Drum poem and sketch.)
..."And the way to sing the song of joy is by seeking the good in all people, especially in our selves. Each good point is one more note in the song of life." - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z'l, taught me, as his drummer, that the "Hands are the holiest part of our body because they reach the highest." I reach, outstretched beyond myself, like an oar (ohr) in my hand, and find it important to acknowledge this blesSing as my gift of Chesed. My hands literally become the blesSings shared with community as I am a vessel for G*d's energies, as I am played through my hands and my heart. (I wrote a Chesed story, "MOE" about my outstretched oar / 'ohr', in http://www.joys-prose.blogspot.com/ )
The word "Sephirah" has a root from "sapir," a sapphire stone, a translucent crystal. The window "tzohar" which is known in Torah to have been at the top of Noah's ark, was possibly a "sapir", a shining crystal sapphire.
My Hebrew name given to me by Reb Shlomo Carlebach is "Tzoharah", which is the word for the ark's top window. As Gila Rena Tzohara, Shlomo mamash named me in 1994 on Shabbat Pekudei, "Double Joy and Light". I am grateful and feel the innate responsibility to 'shine' as joy, which is what I feel. It's important for me to recognize my reasons for being. My first Lubavitch rabbi at my wedding two decades earlier, named me "Gila" for my rejoicing, and my Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (also ordained by Lubavitch) named me "Rena" for my joy of song. I feel blessed.
With my greater guided awareness of self through the Kabbalistic Omer counting, I am able to cleanse off some shmutz that is a veil for me. That then purifies me to go beyond the seven weeks, to the next and last 'Gate', the 50th, and reach Shavuot at Mount Sinai. And yes, with my tof / my timbrel in outstretched hand in joy, like Miriyahm at the Yahm Suf in a state of mochin d'gadlut / spiritual expansion.
How and from where does your offering flow into our world?
In what moments have you felt great chesed/lovingkindness?
In what moments have you felt great chesed/lovingkindness?
~
Drumming, Drumming, Drumming
Women drumming, Women dancing.
I am sunning, I am singing
I am dancing, I am drumming
I am blesSing, I am loving, I am holy
I am drumming
on the conga, on the djembe, on my dumbek
I release
I let go
I breathe
I am free
- by Joy Krauthammer
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(What is "sunning"?
It is basking in the warmth of the Light and radiating light out into the universe.)
~ ~ ~
ספירת העומר
MALCHUT sh b'CHESED
Kabbalistic Sephirot Counting of the Omer day 7
GATES OF GILA
© Joy Krauthammer
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1 comment:
Love your drumming hands
galorYa
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