April 2018
Then Comes a Gift
Several years ago the New Yorker featured a cover that showed a woman sitting in the lotus position, ostensibly meditating. You can tell she is so wound up that she is about to jump out of her skin. If you look carefully in the direction of her baleful glare, there is a little fly, innocently tooling around.

One of the reasons I find this image so funny is that I have been there myself so many times. I sit down to meditate or to pray with great zeal and focus - and then, something interrupts my plan. The drive I feel to engage in practice ends up eclipsing the practice itself; my focus shifts to how my plan was derailed and that I couldn't meditate or pray as I (or my ego) wanted.  


Practices in this Letter
Rabbi Marc Margolius
Rabbi Jonathan Slater
Cantor Richard Cohn
Rabbi Nancy Flam
Mindfulness and Middot Practices for Zerizut /Zeal
Rabbi Marc Margolius

At one of the most critical junctures in the Exodus narrative, the Israelites stand between the proverbial rock and hard place, the impassible Red Sea before them and the pursuing Egyptian army approaching. In that portentous moment, God says to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Speak to the Israelites and instruct them to go forward; and you, raise your staff, stretch out your hand, and split the Sea.”

Paradox in Spiritual Practice
Rabbi Jonathan Slater

Healthy spiritual practice is often paradoxical. We work to know the ways of the ego, softening its persistent and often pernicious demands, so that we can rest secure in the moment. Yet, gaining perspective on our ego also permits us to see clearly who we are, to assert our capabilities and to claim rightful place at life’s table. We make effort in our practice to deepen our skills and gain wisdom; yet, we let go of expectations, open to whatever might emerge. We set out on a spiritual path, and eventually realize that there is nowhere to go.

Focus Chant for Zerizut /Zeal
Cantor Richard Cohn (introduction by Rabbi Jonathan Slater)

Performing any mitzvah can be a mindfulness practice if we bring our full attention to it. When we do so, we become fully engaged, body, heart, mind and soul. To help bring this about, our tradition added words in preparation, to orient us and ground us to move forward with intention. Such kavvanot (“intentions”) often begin with the words “Here I am, present, prepared and ready to perform X mitzvah ”. Reciting such a kavvanah can help us to perform any deed with zerizut , attention and dedication. Cantor Richard Cohn composed this chant to more deeply bring body, heart, mind and soul together in preparation for action.

Paradox in Spiritual Practice
Rabbi Nancy Flam

Some years ago, a wonderful student told me that the middah (soul quality) he most needed to cultivate in his life was simkha , joy. Among other resources, I pointed him to James Baraz’s book, Awakening Joy . James teaches about recognizing joy in many forms and intensities, from simple contentment to bursting delight. (We understand the Hebrew word simkha in just the same way: from “Moses was satisfied – s amakh – with his portion” to “Serve God with joy - b’simkha !”) He also teaches a wide range of practices to begin “awakening joy.” Among them is the practice of singing, even a few minutes every day.

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