At a recent evening program in Washington, D.C., Rabbi Shefa led chanting of short phrases of scripture and liturgy followed by moments of meditation interspersed with occasional teachings and comments. The chanting (in both Hebrew and English) refined consciousness which bought about intuition and revelation. Shefa accompanied the chants with a sruti box (a small harmonium) and a hand drum. Three of her friends and students also played drums. Another led movement for some of the chants. The room filled. Between chants Shefa said:
We prepare for prayer by chanting: “Oh pure soul, in you I see endless possibilities.” Go inside and see yourself when you were a little baby, an infant, and bless that baby with all potential, with every conceivable possibility.
“O’ God, show me my end, and what is the measure of my days? (from Psalm 39.5) Go beyond the tyranny of time. Go way into the future, to the end of your days, when you’re wise and mature. See yourself then. Now invite that wise elder who is you to come here now and comfort and guide you and bless you in what you are up to these days. You can go back also from here all the way to the time of your infancy and small childhood, and let go any clusters of protection from bruising that may have occurred and is still being held by the body somewhere. Worries marry and have babies.
Remember that there is the one who comforts and delights our soul, despite all the concerns and worries that sometimes bubble up in these dry days between Sabbaths. What does that wise elder in you say and advise you today?
During our great adventure in awakening inside this palace of existence, the art is practicing balancing intention with surrender: over and over again use the will with focused, forthright intentionality while simultaneously surrendering fully to the unknown, to the great mystery.
In the silence after a chant, focus on the breath; breathe into the heart. Open up and let go. Be a channel of that great love. Inside God’s names is the essence. Let that essence in us blossom and flow through us ever more and more.
“From the moment of birth unto death, Hallelu-Yah.” (from Psalm 150.6) I hear sambas and tangos, congas and djembes. I see dark-haired dancing goddesses.
“When worries multiply within me, your comfort soothes and delights my soul.” (from Psalm 94.19) In the teachings of the prophet Isaiah are amazing guidelines for breaking free.
Go back to a place and time when your heart was overflowing with love, light and joy -- and feel that love for God now. Also go back in time to the occasion when you felt devastated by a great loss and hurt and grief and sorrow
“He transforms her wilderness into delight, her wasteland into a divine garden.” (from Isaiah 51.3) Look inside. See that divine garden flourishing. What plants, bushes, flowers and trees are there. Look and see.
God is saying to each of us, “You’re engraved on the palm of MY hand.” (from Isaiah 49.16) We are the lines on God’s hands. So let’s do what we can to lead a noble life. We are that close; we are never forgotten.
And look at the lines also on “our” own palms. Let us touch palms with one another and then look at our hands. Now we are forever touched, transformed, merged with the other. There are symbols on our palms. (ancient runes?) Look -- on our hands are the ten teachings, ten words, ten power symbols, five opposite five.
And now journey into the heart: “Unify our hearts to love and to be in awe of your name, your essence.” (from Psalm 86) It’s not just awe. The translating scribe added love to the line.
Go back to a time when you experienced so much love, light and joy and feel that love for God now. Go back in time also to when you were trembling in the presence of something so amazing, so overwhelming, so terribly vast and powerful, and also feel that awareness now before this vast presence. Marry these two acknowledgements inside your heart.
What great devastation in your past do you still harbor? Bring this love to that place and melt that knot of sorrow and dismay so you can be like a little babe again – overflowing with infinite possibilities and all magnificent potential.
We prepare for prayer by chanting: “Oh pure soul, in you I see endless possibilities.” Go inside and see yourself when you were a little baby, an infant, and bless that baby with all potential, with every conceivable possibility.
“O’ God, show me my end, and what is the measure of my days? (from Psalm 39.5) Go beyond the tyranny of time. Go way into the future, to the end of your days, when you’re wise and mature. See yourself then. Now invite that wise elder who is you to come here now and comfort and guide you and bless you in what you are up to these days. You can go back also from here all the way to the time of your infancy and small childhood, and let go any clusters of protection from bruising that may have occurred and is still being held by the body somewhere. Worries marry and have babies.
Remember that there is the one who comforts and delights our soul, despite all the concerns and worries that sometimes bubble up in these dry days between Sabbaths. What does that wise elder in you say and advise you today?
During our great adventure in awakening inside this palace of existence, the art is practicing balancing intention with surrender: over and over again use the will with focused, forthright intentionality while simultaneously surrendering fully to the unknown, to the great mystery.
In the silence after a chant, focus on the breath; breathe into the heart. Open up and let go. Be a channel of that great love. Inside God’s names is the essence. Let that essence in us blossom and flow through us ever more and more.
“From the moment of birth unto death, Hallelu-Yah.” (from Psalm 150.6) I hear sambas and tangos, congas and djembes. I see dark-haired dancing goddesses.
“When worries multiply within me, your comfort soothes and delights my soul.” (from Psalm 94.19) In the teachings of the prophet Isaiah are amazing guidelines for breaking free.
Go back to a place and time when your heart was overflowing with love, light and joy -- and feel that love for God now. Also go back in time to the occasion when you felt devastated by a great loss and hurt and grief and sorrow
“He transforms her wilderness into delight, her wasteland into a divine garden.” (from Isaiah 51.3) Look inside. See that divine garden flourishing. What plants, bushes, flowers and trees are there. Look and see.
God is saying to each of us, “You’re engraved on the palm of MY hand.” (from Isaiah 49.16) We are the lines on God’s hands. So let’s do what we can to lead a noble life. We are that close; we are never forgotten.
And look at the lines also on “our” own palms. Let us touch palms with one another and then look at our hands. Now we are forever touched, transformed, merged with the other. There are symbols on our palms. (ancient runes?) Look -- on our hands are the ten teachings, ten words, ten power symbols, five opposite five.
And now journey into the heart: “Unify our hearts to love and to be in awe of your name, your essence.” (from Psalm 86) It’s not just awe. The translating scribe added love to the line.
Go back to a time when you experienced so much love, light and joy and feel that love for God now. Go back in time also to when you were trembling in the presence of something so amazing, so overwhelming, so terribly vast and powerful, and also feel that awareness now before this vast presence. Marry these two acknowledgements inside your heart.
What great devastation in your past do you still harbor? Bring this love to that place and melt that knot of sorrow and dismay so you can be like a little babe again – overflowing with infinite possibilities and all magnificent potential.
For more, see: RabbiShefaGold.com
