PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality Online

Milk, Symbol of Sivan

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Milk 2 by Andrew Magill, used by CC-A permissions
Milk 2 by Andrew Magill, used by CC-A permissions

Cross-posted from www.peelapom.com

It’s traditional to eat dairy on Shavuot, which begins the first week of Sivan. Because of this, we’re going to explore dairy for the month of Sivan.

Let’s start with the separation of milk and meat in the Torah. What it actually says is “don’t boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (לֹא-תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי, בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ). This prohibition is found tthree times in the Torah: Ex 23:19, Ex 34: 26 and Deut 14:21, which means — seriously, don’t freaking do this we’re not kidding around!!! Most likely this was a prohibition on mixing life and death; milk being the source of life and death being meat, very literally in this case the meat of the kid goat. It was also, according to the Encyclopeida of Jewish Symbols, a common ancient pagan practice to give an offering of [Read more…]

Kislev: ReDedication

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Tishrei 5773 began at sundown on November 14, 2012.

I know, we’re just starting the month — not even Thanksgiving and I’m about to talk about Hanukkah. What? Well, the whole month of Tishrei is a month that allows us to make Hanukkah into something that is actually meaningful — and even important.

Hanukkah is important. That’s right. I’m saying it.Hanukkah is important. It’s not just a “me too” holiday of modern American/Western Jewry so we don’t feel bad that we don’t get Christmas. The proximity and importance of Christmas is a factor in why it is important today, but not the only reason. I wrote about why Hanukkah is important last year, and that’s not really what this is about. But to move forward with the rest of this post, we all need to just accept that Hanukkah is important.

All on the same page? Great! Moving on.

Kislev [Read more…]

Av: Strength to Heal

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The Month of Av begins at sundown on July 19, 2012, and ends at sundown on August 18, 2012.

What happens when the worlds seems to crumble? How are we able to carry on after total disaster? These are questions that Jews have had to ask far to many times in our history. In some ways it has transformed the tribe into permanent victims, but it has also made us the ultimate survivors. The month of Av is a celebration of survival, if we choose to embrace it this way. Av asks us the question: are you a victim or a survivor?

Rosh Chodesh Av falls in the three-week period of time traditionally known as bein ha-metzarim (בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים), which means “between the straits.” This is the time when tradition tells us that both the first and second Temples fell. The holiday of Tisha B’Av (9th of [Read more…]

Cheshvan: A month to explore something new

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

  1. Weekly Shabbat
  2. 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.

Elul: Lesson of Gad

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Elul begins at sundown August 30th, 2011 and ends sundown on September 29th, 2011.
Be sure to join us online at OneShul.org for Rosh Chodesh Services, at 7:30pm on August 30th, 2011.

Gad (גָּד), the patriarch and tribe associated with the month of Elul (אֱלוּל), is the seventh son of Jacob. Seven is a lucky number in many cultures, Judaism included, and not only is he the seventh son, but he also fathers seven sons. He is of the line of Leah, through Zilpah. Gad’s name means “good fortune,” and in Genesis 30:11 it says that “Leah said: ‘Fortune is come!’ And she called his name Gad.”

[Read more…]

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