kohenet

Iyyar: Counting the Omer

‍‍4 Iyar 5772 - April 26, 2012 By Ketzirah Leave a Comment

Counting the Omer, which starts on the second day of Passover, is the primary religious activity of the month of Iyyar. When you start reading about the practice of Counting the Omer, it seems super esoteric and ethereal. This means for a lot of people — time to tune out — which is too bad because it can be a simple, interactive, engaging way to do some serious self-reflection and personal growth.

With that in mind we’re going to focus here not on the details of the practice, but rather on the innovative and awesome Omer Calendars people have created to help take this practice out of the ethereal and intellectual and move it to the physical and embodied realm!

Counting the Omer: Quick Primer
The practice began as a 49 period of counting the barley harvest: an omer is a measure of barley. Over the centuries it has transformed into a 49 day period of introspection, which uses the kabbalistic “sephirot” or emanations of G!d/dess as daily and weekly spiritual themes.

For those that want more on the practice first, here’s some links to great primers on Counting the Omer.

Omer Calendar Styles
Just like everything else in Judaism there are Omer Calendars for every possible affinity and style. Omer calendars mostly fall into one of three categories (abacus, page a day, workbook) and over on Pinterest I’ve created a PinBoard of tons of different ones you can explore.

Think about each style and how they might best fit your spiritual needs for counting the omer. Matching the right kind of calendar to your style can make all the difference in adopting a new practice like this.

Style 1: Abacus
The abacus style of omer calendars really work just like an abacus. They allow you to tick of the days and see both the theme of the day, and also the past and the future. Some are very literally like an abacus, like this stunning Omer Calendar created by artist Susan Duhan Felix. This is probably one of the clearest examples of the abacus style. Others fall into a more subtle reference to an abacus like this “perpetual calendar” from the Museum of Tolerance. To assure you that not all Omer Calendars have to cost a fortune, check out this kid-friendly DIY abacus style one from Amy Meltzer.

Style 2: Page-a-Day
To understand the page-a-day style, just think of a page-a-day calendar. You only see the day you are on, and when that day is over you rip off the page to reveal the next day. I can see this being super satisfying for a lot of people. A lot of digital Omer Calendars follow this style. Take the Omer Calendar Widget from NeoChasid.org as a good example. With this widget you only ever see today. Some just tell you what day you are on, and others will include a daily meditation. This very traditional olive wood calendar, is a great example of this style that is not confined to the digital realm.

Style 3: Workbook
The third style, could be seen as an aspect of the “page-a-day,” but what differentiates it is that it’s really more of a workbook for spiritual growth. It’s intended to be engaged and interacted with, not just read or observed. The “A Spiritual Guide To Counting The Omer” by Rabbi Simon Jacobson is probably one of the best known examples. I’ve even made an attempt at creating my own version of an Omer Workbook. These workbook styles offer information, and above all ask questions for the reader to engage with.

Within these three basic styles are thematic Omer calendars to fit every possible taste and style; from RK’Jill Hammer’s Omer Calendar of Biblical Women to the Homer Calendar. There is even a whole website dedicated to Omer Calendars and creativity around them.

Questions for You!
So, what style appeals to you? What is your favorite thematic calendar? I hope you’ll share your favorites in the comments for the whole community!

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Ketzirah is a Kohenet, Celebrant, and artist. She works with individuals and groups to explore, discover, and create meaningful rituals and ritual artwork to mark moments in life.

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Filed Under: Featured, Jewish Practice, Ketzirah, Rosh Chodesh Guide Tagged With: embodied judaism, iyyar, ketzirah, kohenet, omer calendar, ritual, ritual objects, Spiritual Practices

Nisan and Chametz

‍‍3 Nisan 5772 - March 26, 2012 By Ketzirah Leave a Comment

Let’s talk chametz.

Chametz (חמץ) is one of two reasons we don’t eat bread during Passover. There’s a couple of reasons for eating unleavened bread given in the Torah, but beyond eating Matzah there is also this thing called chametz If it were just bread there wouldn’t be all these other prohibitions on food during Passover.

I’m not going to go all technical about the laws of Pesach or chametz — there’s plenty of other sites you can find that on. Personally, what I love is how Passover practices so closely align the spiritual and the physical. So let’s do a little more thinking about the symbolism of chametz and why it’s so important.

The simplest definition of chametz is food made from five different grains that has been allow to ferment. Generally these grains are defined as wheat, barley, oat, spelt or rye. I have found a couple of articles that point out that spelt, rye and oats didn’t grow in biblical Israel — so they really can’t be what the Torah intended. But we are a people who build and build on tradition, so these grains may have been substituted for Middle Eastern grains during the Diaspora. But I digress….

What I find interesting here is the correlation between chametz and the “hamotzei” prayer over bread. Two food types have special blessings, wine and bread. With wine we say, “the fruit of the vine,” but there are lots of foods that grow on vines that we don’t use that prayer for: only grape wine and sometimes juice. The other special food is leavened bread.

What do these two things have in common? Divine Intervention.

Both foods are created through a partnership between G!d(dess) and humanity that goes way beyond basic cooking. If you’ve ever tried to bake bread or make wine, you totally know this to be true. There is magick — Divine Essence made manifest — in the act of fermentation. Why Jews picked these two types of fermentation to acknowledge — who knows?

Even the letters that make up the word chametz are a clue: חמץ. The letter Chet (ח) is the first letter of the word Chaya — life! The form of the letter chet, according to Inner.org, means: “The union of God’s immanence, transcendence, and the Jewish People.” So let’s look at the second letter, the Mem (מ). Here we have the letter that begins “mayim” — water. Inner.org puts it very poetically by saying, it “symbolizes the fountain of the Divine Wisdom.” Lastly we have the Tsadi Sofit (ץ). Inner.org mostly deals with the Tzadik in its regular, not final form — I found this to be quite revelant, “the consciousness of Atzilut uniting with the source of wisdom and descending to teach Creation.” Chametz is a substance that transforms and creates new life (ח) through contact to water (מ) and connects G!d(dess) and humanity.

This brings me to chametz and why we don’t eat it during Passover. During Passover we fast. Not like the fast of Yom Kippur or other fasting holidays. We fast, we refrain from creating or ingesting food that can only be created through this incredible partnership. We remove all traces of the Divine catalyst from our homes so we are sure it is not infected from the twelve plagues as we relive them each year. We break the final chains from slavery by insisting on self-reliance for a week and eating only foods that can be crafted without this Divine catalyst.

So this Passover, look at that Matzah differently. Look at the rules around clearing out the chametz differently. When Pesach ends and you take the first bite of delicious bread — or first sip of beer — think about it. Say the blessing. Know that this is evidence of G!d(dess) working in our world.

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Ketzirah is a Kohenet, Celebrant, and Artist. She works with individuals and groups to explore, discover, and create meaningful rituals and ritual artwork to mark moments in life.

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Filed Under: Featured, How Jews Eat, Jewish Practice, Ketzirah, Passover, Rosh Chodesh Guide Tagged With: bread, chametz, chometz, embodied judaism, food, ketzirah, kohenet, leaven, nisan, Passover, Pesach

Adar: Enter the Purim Shpiel

‍‍27 Shevat 5772 - February 20, 2012 By Ketzirah Leave a Comment

Adar 5772 begins at sundown February 23rd, 2012 and ends at sundown March 23rd, 2012.

Yes — it’s time for Purim! Who doesn’t love Purim? They tried to kill us, they failed, we kicked their @$$ to the 7th generation — LET’S PARTY!!!!

Over on my own site, I waxed poetic (and ritual) about the hamantaschen. Over at NewKosher.org, you can find some great hamantaschen recipes. Here at PunkTorah — I want to talk Purim Shpiel. Next to Passover, Purim is one of our most accessible and fun holidays and like Passover, it’s also serious. The Purim Shpiel is the tradition of doing a humorous play that mocks our enemies. Jews do love comedy, after all.

For years, I threw a killer Purim Shpiel at my house. I just called it a Purim party — but it was all the same. It’s amazing how awesome a party where everyone gets lit and acts out the bible while I read it can be. It was also always a huge opportunity for learning. I always read the JPS translation — and all the way through.

When we hit the end one year, my sister started to yell that I was making up the part where we slaughter Haman’s extended family. She didn’t remember that from Purim as a child. A HUGE debate ensued about this and whether or not they actually read the whole Megillah at our childhood synagogue and how this changed our impression of the holiday.

But seriously — when can you read the bible to people without seeming creepy? It’s awesome!

Here’s how I do it. I have some props that are for each main character and either asked friends who wanted to be whom, or in the true spirit of Purim, had them draw lots for parts. If people were unfamiliar with the characters, I would do a quick explanation. Everyone who didn’t play a part, had groggers and other noise makers — plus they got to drink.

Then I just start reading, and my friends act out any interpretation of what I’m saying they like. I can assure you, we had some fascinating interpretations going. I remember a prissy, pissy french Haman. One time it turned out the hidden story was that Haman was jealous of Vashti’s awesome gold/velvet stole. And well, Esther bowing before the King’s “golden scepter” lead to a not so family friendly interpretation of how Esther saved her people….

This year — invite your friends over and read the bible to them. Read the whole Megillah — word for word. Drink — you are obligated by Jewish law to eat, drink and be merry. Seriously — this is the only holiday where you are obligated to have fun. Take the opportunity to see what you can learn from the reveling and topsy-turvy experience of Purim.

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Ketzirah is a Kohenet, Celebrant, and Artist. She works with individuals and groups to explore, discover, and create meaningful rituals and ritual artwork to mark moments in life.

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Filed Under: Featured, Holidays, Jewish Practice, Ketzirah, Purim, Rosh Chodesh Guide Tagged With: drinking, embodied practices, Esther, food, haman, hamantaschen, kohenet, Mordechai, Purim, purim shpiel, ritual, talmud, traditions

Bibliomancy: Seeing Clearly in Tevet?

‍‍6 Teves 5772 - January 1, 2012 By Ketzirah Leave a Comment

Here’s a little bit of deep spiritual practice, disguised as light fun, for Tevet. This month of Tevet, which began at sundown on December 26th, 2011 and ends at sundown on January 24, 2012, is associated with the concept of seeing. The letter associated with the month, according to Inner.org, is the Ayin (ע) — the eye. Over at PeelaPom.com I used this concept to explore the lighting of candles as a practice for the month. Then I had a flash of inspiration or insanity right before Rosh Chodesh services at OneShul.org — a little divination for the month of seeing!

Now, before you panic, yes — many kinds of divination are … frowned upon in Jewish tradition. Of course, if it’s the BESHT doing it — it doesn’t count. But I’m not the BESHT. Several sources, including the Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Supersitiion, call the Jewish tradition of bibliomancy “Sheilat Sefer” (שאלת ספר). Sheilat Sefer simply means, “Question a Book.” This makes sense since dream interpretation is often called Sheilat Halom – Question a Dream (שאלת חלום).

Techniques like Sheilat Sefer allow us to tap into our deep intuition, and open ourselves to the wisdom of the Divine. They allow us to move beyond our rational minds to finds ideas, answers, or inspiration. Technically you could use any book for this practice, but traditionally it’s done with either a Chumash (The Five Books of Moses) or The Book of Psalms. But there’s a host of other amazing Jewish (and not Jewish) texts that can provide a powerful experience. Personally, as the folks at OneShul found out, I like to use the Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols by Ellen Frankel. I think the Perek Shirah, the Song of Nature, is another fabulous Jewish text to use for this practice

Curious? Want to give Sheilat Sefer a try? It’s pretty easy. Just grab a book, and flip randomly to a page. Then either without looking put your finger on something and read, or use whatever your eyes first fall upon. Don’t cheat — that’s really not the way to go. Just read and see what thoughts, feelings, or images the words bring up for you. This all works a bit better if you clear your mind, maybe state your Kavanah (intention) or question, and even give a little prayer to center yourself. Be sure to also give a prayer of thanks for the wisdom received — even if you don’t feel like you got much!

Want to learn more? Check out these articles

Jewish Encyclopedia article on Bibliomancy
ZEEK: Priestesses, Bibliomancy, and The Anointing of Miriam by R’Jill Hammer
Peeling a Pomegrante Bookstore – lots of books on and for bibliomancy

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Ketzirah is a Kohenet, Celebrant, and Artist. She works with individuals and groups to explore, discover, and create meaningful rituals and ritual artwork to mark moments in life.

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Filed Under: Featured, Insights, Jewish Practice, Ketzirah, Rosh Chodesh Guide Tagged With: Bibliomancy, divination, Folk Religion, Jewish, Judaism, ketzirah, kohenet, magic, mysticism, peelapom, Sheilat Sefer, Spiritual Practices, tevet, zeek

Hanukkiah: Symbol of Kislev

‍‍6 Kislev 5772 - December 2, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

In thinking about Kislev, I went right to the dreidel and the Hanukkiah. I decided that if I had to pick one, it’s the Hanukkiah (but I may explore the other dreidels later in the month!) The Hanukkiah is the nine-branched menorah that we light on Hanukkah. Even though we generally just call it a menorah, not all menorahs are for Hanukkah! The menorah, which is an ancient symbol of the Jewish people is actually seven branched.

If the menorah is considered “the most central role of all the sacred vessels, for it is the symbol of light,” and a symbol of spiritual illumination — then it’s safe to assume that this is also the role the Hanukkiah plays. Hanukkah is a strange holiday because it’s not only post-biblical, but also two holidays smooshed together. I guess we have a lot of holidays that are two smooshed together, though. Most commonly Hanukkah is the holiday that celebrates the victory of the Maccabbees over the Greeks, and the “miracle of the oil.” It’s also a Winter Solstice (Tekufat Tevet) holiday, that acknowledges the darkness of the year and returning of the light. That’s actually found in ancient midrash, it’s not just some modern “new agey” thing. It’s even one of the stories I included in the Hanukkah Haggadah!

The lighting of the Hanukkah menorah offers wonderful opportunities for spiritual refreshment and renewal. This year, toss away the annual debates over whether or not Hanukkah is important or just a reaction to Christmas. Don’t worry about the ethics of celebrating the victory in a war (and that the Maccabees were total zealots, who probably would have killed many of us too…). Embrace our own holiday of lights at its root level — light.

What do you want to light up? What areas of your life, your heart, your soul need light? Dedicate your entire Hanukkiah to bringing light into an area in your life. Let each candle represent a step along the way, and watch the light grow over the eight days! Take this time to rededicate yourself — to whatever you need to rededicate yourself. Bring back the light in your own life, and rejoice in our very special holiday of lights!

Ketzirah is a Kohenet, Celebrant, and Artist. Her mission is to help others experience the best life possible by connecting with the Divine presence, physical resources, creative expression, and communal ritual experience.

Originally posted here: Hanukkiah: Symbol of Kislev | Peeling a Pomegranate http://www.peelapom.com/wheel-of-the-year/chanukah/hanukkiah-symbol-of-kislev/#ixzz1fPdj3kkP

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Filed Under: Chanukah, Featured, Featured Blogs, Ketzirah, Rosh Chodesh Guide Tagged With: hanukkah, ketzirah, kislev, kohenet, rosh chodesh

Cheshvan: A month to explore something new

‍‍2 Cheshvan 5772 - October 30, 2011 By Ketzirah 1 Comment

Photo: Calm Sea by Hans Kylberg, used by CC-A permission

Cheshvan is a month with no holidays, which makes it “Mar Cheshvan,” or bitter Cheshvan to some (there’s also the reading of the Flood — but we’ll save that for another time). For me, I think it’s a great time to breath and take stock after the whirlwind of high holiday season. In Cheshvan we’ve finished with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah and all the days in between!

In thinking about how to best use the “time off” in Cheshvan, I thought it seemed like the perfect month to explore one of the myriad of Jewish practices that we haven’t adopted into our lives. If you’re Orthodox, there’s even room for you to explore some of the more modern adaptations of traditional practices. For the rest of us, I’m guessing there’s plenty of practices we’ve heard about, thought about, and maybe even studied — but really haven’t tried out for ourselves.

To act as a guide to these practices and where to even begin, I highly recommend The Rituals & Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal. I first read this book a couple of years back and decided to read it again a few weeks ago. I find it to be a very good guide to Jewish practice, and especially for how to even get started with many of these practices that can seem like a life commitment or nothing.

If even this seems overwhelming, then pick one of these two:

Weekly Shabbat
Daily Prayer

Both of those are really a cornerstone to Jewish spiritual life. I also put them in this order for a reason. I really believe that a weekly Shabbat practice is the true gateway to enhancing Jewish spiritual life. Don’t make it complicated. Don’t put barriers in your way. Just make it happen. Find a bakery to buy your challah — that’s the biggest challenge. Then every week get to that bakery and buy your challah. Then when you get home — whenever that is. Set up your candles, kiddush cup, and challah — and say the prayers. If you already do that, then consider adding additional blessings or Torah study. If you can do it for a month consistently, you’ll be amazed at how it can change your worldview.

Daily prayer is a second place to start. Thanks to Jewish prayer being three times a day, you have several choices. You can start by waking up with a single prayer from the Shacarit, or morning prayers. Pick just one to start, and consider the prayer for gratitude — Modah Ani/Modeh Ani. If you’re comfy in Hebrew, rock it! If you aren’t, then pray in English. What matters is committing to the act and seeing it through. I’d also recommend adding the Sh’ma in, because it’s the cornerstone of Jewish prayer.

If mornings aren’t your thing, then try Mincha (afternoon) or Maariv (evening) prayers. For Mincha, pick out a prayer from the prayerbook — or just take a moment and say the Sh’ma. For Maariv, again — you can just say the Sh’ma, but there’s also a host of other great bedtime prayers to choose from, or you could go crazy and do the whole thing! Needless to say, Ahava Rabbah: The OneShul Community Siddur 5772 has plenty of great options to help you along.

Whatever you do, use this break we find in Cheshvan to explore a new practice, and then tell us about your experience!

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Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links and purchases provide a few pennies to Ketzirah. For any purchases made directly from links on PunkTorah posts, Ketzirah will make a $1 donation back to PunkTorah.

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Carly Lesser (a.k.a. Ketzirah – קצירה) is Kohenet, Celebrant and Artist whose passion is helping Jews who are unaffiliated, earth-based or in interfaith / inter-denominational relationships connect more deeply with Judaism and make it relevant in their every day lives. She is an active blogger and prayer leader on OneShul.org andPeelaPom.com.

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Filed Under: Featured, Jewish Practice, Judaism, Ketzirah Tagged With: Cheshvan, daily prayer, jewish calendar, jewish practice, Judaism, kohenet, shabbat, wheel of the year

Tammuz: Lesson of Reuben

‍‍10 Tamuz 5771 - July 12, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

Tammuz began at sundown on July 2, 2011 and ends sundown on July 31, 2011.

Reuben (רְאוּבֵן) is the first born of Jacob and Leah is the tribe associated with the month of Tammuz (תָּמוּז). His name, Reuben is directly related to the sense of sight, which is considered to be the sense of the month of Tammuz. When Reuben was born, Leah exclaimed, “Because the LORD hath looked (רָאָה) upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” (Gen 29:32)

Reuben has three very stand-out memorable moments in the Torah. Possibly more, but three that jump right to mind for me. First, is the the scene with mandrakes in Gen 30 where Rachel begs Leah to give her the mandrakes (דוּדָאִים) Reuben has harvested, with this Leah “buys” another night with Jacob and conceives Issachar. The second is Reuben’s role in the story of Joseph, where in Genesis 37 he suggests the brothers shouldn’t kill Joseph — just throw him into a pit and say he died. Finally, Rebuen seems to have had an affair with Bilhah, one of his father’s wives. Needless to say this doesn’t go over so well with Jacob.

The question of Reuben is “what do you see.” When you look, do you see? I think Reuben, who was the oldest, but is not then or historically the leader of the tribes had a failure of vision. It got me thinking about the concept of “perceptual blindness.” I had just heard a story about a police officer who ran right past someone being beaten and claimed he didn’t see it.

When you look, do you truly see? Do you understand what biases you have that filter your perceptions? Do you know what’s distracting you and causing you to miss things you don’t realize? So many of our relationships are based on what we perceive, so when we miss subtle — or unsubtle — clues to what is really happening our relationships can change and it seems shocking. I think this is really the story of Reuben returning to the pit and finding Joseph gone (Gen 37:20-30). He only saw what he wanted to when he suggested, “let’s throw him in the pit.”

As the summer heats up, be sure you don’t let the heat cloud your vision.

The Rosh Chodesh calendar is a project of Ketzirah at PeelAPom.

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Filed Under: Featured, Ketzirah, Rosh Chodesh Guide Tagged With: ketzirah, kohenet, peelapom, reuben, rosh chodesh, tammuz

Parsha Vayakhel

‍‍20 Adar I 5771 - February 24, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

Parsha Vayakhel is one of those parshot that is easy to just gloss over. It seems, at first glance like one of the “listing” parshot. You know the ones, lists of begats or lists of things that just seem endless. I’m sure a true Torah sage can find great depth in them, but to me they are like certain passages in Jane Austen novels that you can read a few lines and then just skip on. There presence in no way diminishes the overall experience, but seem best glossed over.

But Vayakhel, is actually a parshat that my experience in Kohenet has helped me to find great depth in, but we’ll get to that part in a second. In studying Vayakhel to prepare to write this drash, I found something new. It may have been obvious to others but it was a new treasure for me. The passage starts out with a reminder of the prohibition against working on the Sabbath. The first time through this time, I glossed over that, but about half way through the passage I thought, ” hold on a minute!”

The majority of this passage is about the tribe’s excitement in the building of the tabernacle. Who wouldn’t be excited? Just think about how great it is just to build a community Sukkah. Now imagine you’ve just escaped slavery and persecution — oh and the G!d(dess) who rescued you has said to help build the sanctuary! AWESOME!

You would might get so excited that you think, “this isn’t work!” That reiteration that we aren’t to work on the Sabbath was a reminder to the Israelites that even building the Mishkan counted as work. For me it was a moment to rethink some choices I’ve been making about things I do and do not do on the Sabbath. I look at halakah as a reference point, not law, so halakah offers me a perspective what I should and should’t do, but then it’s up to me to do soul searching and set my direction. This passage made me rethink things I had classified as “avodah,” or work of my heart, which I didn’t consider as “work.” If the Israelites were supposed to cease work on the Mishkan on the Sabbath, then maybe I needed to refocus on the Sabbath being a liminal-space day of just being. Especially in this day and age when so many of us feel that we don’t have enough hours in day to begin with, the Sabbath and the cessation from work is even more precious.

But how do I do this? I guess the answer is, “just stop.” But is the kind of thing tzitzit and tefillin were supposed to help us with: And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.” Pretty much every Jew knows the words to the “v’ahavta,” which is really a part of the Shema prayer. It was the first Hebrew prayer I remember learning to chant in Hebrew School. Fewer may be familiar with the “vayomer” section that includes this phrase: “And they shall be tzitzit for you, and when you look at them you will remember all of the Lord’s commandments and do them and not follow after your heart and after your eyes which lead you astray.” We tie these words around our hands and make signs between our eyes to keep us from just following our hearts or eyes. They help us from making bad choices in moments of spiritual weakness.

I have a brass cuff bracelet I wear every day inspired by this idea. The choice of material was inspired by another section of Vayakhel, one that we studied in the Kohenet program. Exodus 38:8 is one of those lines that you’d think there would be a TON of commentary about, but there doesn’t seem to be. We studied it in Kohenet because part of what we do in the training is dive into the overlooked and buried parts of the women’s stories. The Tzovah, the priestess path of Shekhinah of Kohenet spiritual framework appears in Exodus 38:8. Generally, Tzovot, plural for Tzovah, has been translated as “working women” or “serving women.” Much of the traditional commentary that does exists seems to want to explain these women’s appearance away.

38:8. Mirrors of the serving women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting (JPS, 1917)

Modern translations and commentaries seem to acknowledge that these women, who gave their brass or copper mirrors to the cause of the Mishkan, probably had some ritual function. In an incredibly thought-provoking book by Christian theologian Wilda Gafney, it is proposed that they were a core of women whose job it was to guard the entry to the Mishkan. She also posits that the mirrors they sacrificed for the Mishkah were their signaling tools. Wow, did that put this offering in a whole new perspective. It even made me alter a line of a prayer in the Kohenet prayerbook, which is a regular part of my morning prayers to say, “I call to mind the Tzovah, at the threshold’s door — guarding the holy of holies forevermore.

More important to me though, than this line of a prayer, is my bracelet. My brass cuff, which I bought for $5 at a festival, is a daily reminder of who I am, a Kohenet. Regardless of the situation I am in, when I see the cuff I think of the Tzovah and remember that one of my jobs in this world is to guard the thresholds of the sacred, and welcome people as the come, and help them as they exit. Now, because of Vayakhel, I am exploring having special one made for Shabbat. So no matter else is going on in my life, I will have special reminder that the Sabbath is for ceasing. It is a liminal time, where we are to just “be.” What an incredible gift and challenge all at once.

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Filed Under: D'var Torah, Featured, Ketzirah Tagged With: bible, D'var Torah, exodus, heart, kohenet, tabernacle, temple, torah portion, vayakhel

PunkTorah Radio: Alternative Judaism

‍‍25 Shevat 5771 - January 30, 2011 By punktorah 3 Comments

Shalom chaverim!

This week we talk about mainstream movements vs. alternative Judaism (do we really wanna go to their party?), and Michael has the first (of many) conversations with our good friend Ketzirah from Peeling A Pomegranate. Check it out!

PunkTorah Radio: Alternative Judaism

Also, click here to subscribe on iTunes!

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Filed Under: Featured, Ketzirah, News, Patrick Aleph, Podcasts Tagged With: alternative, earth based, Judaism, kohen, kohenet, magic, prayer, preist, priestess, wicca, witch

Lesson of the Tribe: Cheshvan (Oct. 7 – Nov. 7)

‍‍21 Tishrei 5771 - September 29, 2010 By punktorah Leave a Comment

Check out Ketzirah at PeelAPom!

Lesson of the Tribe
The tribe of Cheshvan is Menasheh (מְנַשֶׁה), the first-born but officially second son of Joseph. That means the first two months of the spiritual year (Tishrei and Cheshvan) make up the “House of Joseph” in the Jewish Wheel of the Year. Joseph is generally not counted in the listing of the tribes, because his birthright was passed to his sons with their adoption by Jacob. The name Menasheh, according to many, means “Who Makes to Forget.” I found this really interesing since his brother Ephraim’s name means “doublely fruitful.” The idea that the House of Joseph is both doublely fruitful and able to forget seems telling, especially since Cheshvan is often called “Mar Cheshvan” or “Bitter Cheshvan.”

During the time in the desert, the tribe of Menasheh was positioned with Benjamin to the West of Tabernacle. Menasheh was on the side of the setting sun. Sunset is a time of endings and beginnings. In Jewish tradition our day begins when the sun goes down. So Menasheh was the one on the side of the new day. Maybe another lesson from Menasheh is to forget our anger as the sun sets in the West.

According to Inner.org, “the name Menasheh (מְנַשֶׁה) permutes to spell “soul” (נְשָׁמָה). Menasheh represents the sense to reveal the Divine soul in Israel.” Considering the “soul scrub” that is the high holidays, it does seem appropriate that Cheshvan would be associated with Menasheh. It’s a month where we should still have a soul that is still holding the glow of the Days of Awe. As the year moves on it can get harder and harder to hold that feeling, but in Cheshvan we are still so fresh.

In recent years, we’ve learned that we forgot the Tribe of Menasheh — not that they forgot us or what it means to be Jew. The tribe was thought to be assimiliated in the lands it lived in and fully adopted the ways of those people (Jewish Encyclopedia). Of course I don’t think the Tanach says it quite so nicely. But then in one sentence it will condem and in another it, or the Talmud, will praise. In 2005, Bnei Menashe was officially welcomed back into the fold and was recognized by the State of Israel. These Jews from an area in North East India are considered to be one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. They, like the Jews of Ethiopia, offer an alternative view of what it means to be Jewish. They are Jews who split off from the rest of the Tribe before the Rabbinic era, so their traditions evolved directly out of the Biblical era.

As we move into Cheshvan it’s time to stop looking inward. We cannot grow and be fruitful (Ephraim), if we forget (Menasheh) the outside world and live in a state of constant self-examination — or celebration. The literal meaning of Menasheh is “to leap up and away.” Maybe the lesson of Menasheh is that after a month of deep self-reflection and celebration in Tishrei — it’s time to leap up and get on with the business of living.

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