In Olam Habah, the World to Come, the “Messianic Era” where all life dwells in bliss, peace, abundance and clarity, there will be no separation. Ego death will release us from our perceived differences. In Isaiah 11:9, “The earth will be full of the knowledge of G-d as the sea fills up the ocean bed.” R. Eliyahu Touger says, “The ocean contains a vast host of living beings. However, the waters cover them to the point that their individual existence is no longer perceived. Similarly, in [the World to Come], the world will continue to exist. However, every element of its existence will be permeated by the knowledge of G-d.”
This reminds me of a beautiful story I heard years ago when I was a fellow at @urbanadamah. A wave was very lonely, rolling along and seeing other waves being born and crashing around her. Day after day, she rolled along alone, without a companion to speak of. One day, she felt herself losing form. She realized she was no longer a wave. She realized that she, and all the other waves around her, were water, all together... @dearaabby @instakimmy0 @frecklefoot366 maybe you can help me tell the story a little better? 😊 There is so much magnificence in the ocean. 🌊💦 We need not concern ourselves with separation. Instead we should concern ourselves with how better to serve each other, love the “other” and come together in our collective power.
#Rambam #wisdom #torah #jewish #judaism #hebrew #priestess #kohenet #kohenettribe #ocean #california #norcal #searanch #beach #wilderness #wildernessculture #rabbi #spirituality #community
“It is natural for a man’s character and actions to be influenced by his friends and associates and for him to follow the local norms of behavior. Therefore, he should associate with the righteous and be constantly in the company of the wise, so as to learn from their deeds. Conversely, he should keep away from the wicked who walk in darkness, so as not to learn from their deeds.” (Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De’ot, Ch. 6:1)
Who do you associate with? Are your friends, neighbors, lovers, and teachers reverent, humble, and kind? Sages in our tradition held wickedness to be contagious. Are you careful with who you allow in to your inner life? Do you surround yourself with people who lift your spirit higher, or keep you down?
#sacred #kohenettribe #sonomacoast #forest #rabbi #wisdom #rambam #maimonides #learning #torah #trametesversicolor #turkeytail #foraging #mushroom #fungus #fungusamongus #fungi #fungusporn #shrooms #herbalism #california #armstrongredwoods #redwoods #wilderness #wildernessculture #foraging #jewish #judaism #kohenet #priestess
The eternal flame. The Ner Tamid. The light that continues to burn, witnessing our prayers, pleas, tears, and joy. A symbol of G-d’s omnipresence in our lives. In ancient times, templekeepers devoted much of their time to tending the sacred flame on the altar of our ancestors. To borrow from Quaker tradition, each one of us holds within an “inner light”. Your soul, your neshamah, glows your life from within your body. The light of the Divine is within you. How are you tending that flame? 🔥✨ #Judaism #rabbi #eternallight #soul #nertamid #california #aju #losangeles #jewish #kohenet #hebrew #priestess #wisdom #kohenettribe #seminary #socal #shul #synagogue #temple #altar #sacred #prayer #fire #sacredfire #art #architecture #quaker #quakerism #light
“The shaman in the Judaic tradition does not rush into a spiritual experience like a famished desert traveler arriving at an oasis. Moses is not desperate for a vision because he knows that looking for one often gets in the way of seeing one. When we put all our energies into seeking we risk not finding, we risk rushing right past it. ‘If you grab for a lot, you’ve come away with nothing.’” -Talmud Bavli, Er’chin 4b trans. Gershon Winkler✨🐍 In the Torah, Moshe wanders through the desert, but he is not seeking anything in particular. Instead, he walks through the wilderness with a sense of openness to wonder. He does not cry out to G-d, “Please, help me, guide me, enlighten me!” Instead, he is present with his work, tending his flock, pouring forth his energy into service to the animals. It is at that time that he sees a bush aflame, and as he looks into it, he hears the Divine Voice calling to him. He responds: “Hineini” — “Here I am”. It is at that moment that he receives the word of G-d.
It is all too easy to rush through our lives, focusing on what we think enlightenment looks and feels like. But in truth, the moments when we are most vulnerable are the moments when there is space for the Divine voice of intuition to come through us. It’s easy to be afraid of this vulnerability, and even to hide from it, feigning openness when in reality we are attached to our own egotistical vision of what spiritual engagement looks like. If we are courageous, we allow ourselves to commit to presence in our work, remaining open to unexpected moment — no matter how uncomfortable it feels — when G-d calls out to us. It takes courage to say, “Hineini, I am here. I am listening.” This is faith. This is trust. Do not seek, but instead simply listen...✨
#talmud #wisdom #judaism #jewish #rabbi #babyloniantalmud #seminary #clergy #priestess #hebrew #kohenet #kohenettribe #wilderness #wildernessculture #gershonwinkler #desert #bamidbar #moses #faith #spitiruality #california #sierranevada #easternsierras #witch #witchcraft #sacred #ritual #feminist #mountains #femalerabbi
