Testing, Testing, one two three.
Seemingly, after 6 years...I've rediscovered this web space.
Can I re-adopt it, continue to use it?
Testing right now!
Friday, April 19, 2019
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
towards a year of study at SHN, and finding a partner in crime...
Our Jewish Community, Shirat HaNefesh, is planning a theme for the year for its members, where we work both as individuals and in pairs to grow.
Earlier in the week, I created a set of ideas and shared with our shul leadership. Now that people are posting their ideas to our listserve, I thought I'd just make this post that had been to leadership....public...and largely unedited. It may help to share how I've thought about this. The note is immediately below...
----------------------
Earlier in the week, I created a set of ideas and shared with our shul leadership. Now that people are posting their ideas to our listserve, I thought I'd just make this post that had been to leadership....public...and largely unedited. It may help to share how I've thought about this. The note is immediately below...
----------------------
Gerry, Ramon, Andi, Nan,
Getting ready for Yom Kippur, reflecting on our community
theme, I believe I’ve honed in on a likely target (though I’m flexible and can
change it), and am open to advice on a match/chevruta partner. I think
this program is set up, is that I would more formally ask for this assist on
Yom Kippur, and maybe you won’t have cause to reflect on this before then…but I
thought I’d grease the skids with this note. And, maybe I can identify a
partner before Yom Kippur, with or without your help.
I do think…of the 3 prompts given, #3, and tefillah, or
Jewish prayer, is a likely target.
I continue to reflect on this idea, and a different focus
occurs to me as time progresses.
I think both keva and kavvanah are targets…i.e., developing
skills with the service, and also, finding meaning in it.
Re the latter, I was reminded that Lawrence Hoffman has
either a combined book, or multi-volume series that is something I and my
partner could read. Doing a fresh look, I realize that Schwartz’s
Megatrends may be a new look into a similar idea that COULD be more broad
based. If a heavy effort were made, Kadish’s Kavanah is another book that
could be read together. Or all or none of these.
Also, I think appreciating and developing doors into the
service….for others….so…developing pedagogy and/or learning tools for the
service is an idea I have. Possibly helping with service instruction is
something I can do. This article I pulled up provides some ideas:
But, this morning, I further reflected that the very big
questions about tefilah might well be a target. For example, probably
near 16 years ago, my wife and I decided to become active within the Jewish
community, as something we would do together. But, right now….this
intention is not being fulfilled.
If my personal growth covenant were like our country’s
decision to invade Syria, I should think about what my strategic intent
is. And, if our original intent is not being addressed, anything I work
on that does not have the potential to feedback into that intent…may be missing
the point.
Adam frequently, and sometimes Betty do complain in finding
meaningful connections between what we might do during prayer, and what is
meaningful to them in their lives. Of course, social action is another
avenue, but if there were ways to link the big questions concerning prayer, and
the value in our participation in synagogue, with Jewish practice…that would be
a good direction.
And, it may be a bridge too far.
Anyway, this is what I’m thinking. It’s too long for
the 3 lines on the yellow form. Advice meanwhile is welcome.
I’d thought of asking Rain, and maybe she’d consider being a
partner, but she probably gets enough of this in her rabbinic program.
Also, all things being equal, I have a gender preference for a man, but a best
fit would trump that.
Thanks for reading. Matchmaking suggestions are
welcome.
Shana Tova,
Ira Z.
P.S. Feel free to forward or bury as
appropriate. Some of you have your own partners to find, I know.
----------------------------
So...to Shirat HaNefesh friends, here's some more spelled out ideas from me. Be in touch if some of this sounds cool, or alternately, if another but related direction makes sense instead.
Shana Tova,
Ira Z.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
B - Options for personal development
Ideas:
Siddur study
Determining what to do with the rest of my life...a life project, with possible retirement a decade away
Getting ready to publish...possibly in Kerem
Preparing for a new Jewish Study Center class, or for Shavuot
Understanding the 3rd section of the Amidah
Siddur study
Determining what to do with the rest of my life...a life project, with possible retirement a decade away
Getting ready to publish...possibly in Kerem
Preparing for a new Jewish Study Center class, or for Shavuot
Understanding the 3rd section of the Amidah
A - quick bringing forward, after 18 months...
Today begins Rosh Hashana for 2013. Shirat HaNefesh has begun a new program, where we might select an area to develop into, and with a partner, for the year. This web space might be used to list some ideas. So, I want to write here.
Seems like I should catch up a few things.
Evan has just gone off to college, to Goucher. Adam has begun high school.
Last fall, I offered a course at the Jewish Study Center called: Nondual Judaism through Liturgy, where 3 books were used: Rosenberg, Michaelson's book on Nondual G-d, and...my friend from NY (forgetting his name) and his book, I think...Shofar and the White Conch... by Philip Richman. (I found it by googling Vajrayana Judaism). Phil also skyped into the second of 3 classes. About 7 people participated. It didn't break new ground, but the discovery of Phil's book was cool. His approach is a bit narrow, and similar but different.
I started a 5/2 diet, with only modest results.
Maybe that's enough. A next entry can be about ideas for exploration.
Seems like I should catch up a few things.
Evan has just gone off to college, to Goucher. Adam has begun high school.
Last fall, I offered a course at the Jewish Study Center called: Nondual Judaism through Liturgy, where 3 books were used: Rosenberg, Michaelson's book on Nondual G-d, and...my friend from NY (forgetting his name) and his book, I think...Shofar and the White Conch... by Philip Richman. (I found it by googling Vajrayana Judaism). Phil also skyped into the second of 3 classes. About 7 people participated. It didn't break new ground, but the discovery of Phil's book was cool. His approach is a bit narrow, and similar but different.
I started a 5/2 diet, with only modest results.
Maybe that's enough. A next entry can be about ideas for exploration.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Experiments in Tachanun...
Though I've been experimenting with tachunan (the prayers said on weekdays after the Amidah), there's a few ideas I'd like to share here.
I
First, who is Tracey Rich, and why might we care.
It maybe used to more reliably be the case, but it pretty well probably still is, that when you do a search regarding a Jewish topic, you come to Tracey Rich's website, Judaism 101. It's well done, I think, broad based, fundamental in nature, and he allows that he writes from an Orthodox perspective.
I've been interested in the liturgy some good while now, and it's been a long time the case that I was introduced to the idea from this Judaism 101 website that, although traditional Judaism stresses the importance of praying in Hebrew, Rich does point out, and putting appropriately this part up front, this notwithstanding...
"The Talmud states that it is permissible to pray in any language that you can understand..."
And you can read this here yourself:
http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer.htm
Our Rabbi Gerry was kind enough to lead us recently in discussion about prayer, and movement in prayer. In the context of his comments, he seemed to have cause to point to the Talmud as a serious reference point for when we make references in our study.
So, since the Talmud does specifically give us guidance about prayer, and the need to understand the language of choice...and since most of us do not understand Hebrew...why do we continue, without challenge, to mostly use Hebrew?
Rabbi Gerri even brought forward, as though the unfortunate novelty that it was, his early practice in his career of teaching students who would not be able to understand Hebrew how they could attend an Orthodox service, and understand the whole of it, just from the English. Remarks of some surprise were made during this discussion, since our experience of doing the service primarily in anything other than Hebrew is not normative.
Anyway, I do serve on the Avodah committee for our community, and if it is game, I could challenge them to ask the question with me, why it is we do what we do. Maybe we will come up with a satisfying answer, as an alternative to just going back to what we have always been doing regardless.
I will add that I've been acting personally on the choice to read our liturgy primarily in English, and as a daily practice, for the most part. You could call that a prejudice if you like. Certainly it is me acting consistent with my beliefs.
II
Then, there is the topic of the insertion of a newly created prayer by our siddur author, Rosenstein.
In our Eit Ratzon, towards the center of our presentation of the Amidah, Rosenstein adds 2 pages, that he describes as petitionary prayer. He suggests, as I've also read suggested by another influential author to me, Rosenberg...that since the most common Jewish practice is to actually davven primarily weekly, at best, it may be reasonable to include a form of prayer, requesting those things we might experience to need, during our times of prayer, since predictably, we would not be praying during the week otherwise, when these forms of prayer are more routinely included.
For a long time, I had been moved to follow this advice. And, while doing so, I took I think no more credit for having made the choice, than I think a more knowledgeable prayer should take who would more routinely choose to skip this, based on their actual familiarity with the rhythm of the normative Amidah. I, on the other hand, had found it simply natural to read through the text from start to finish, and this included these 2 extra pages in the middle, so why not.
Things changed a bit, though once I did start to do the daily practice, saying the Amidah in that context. I found, since the exception Rosenstein described no longer applied to me...I did stop reading that 2 page insert. And yet, at the same time, a knowledge began to dawn in me that the practice I had been doing, including the additional 2 pages, was otherwise a good normative practice, for the reasons described.
This, I suppose is thing number 2 that I could suggest our Avodah committee consider. Which is, to make some sort of recommendation to our community, perhaps via the clergy, that if their practice is to include the Amidah on Saturdays or Fridays, and to not tend to include it otherwise during the week, they might consider looking closely at these 2 pages naturally presenting in the center of the Amidah, and contemplate whether they would like to include them, if they have not been doing so already.
III
And then, there is Tachunan.
The topic of tachanun came up in the context of doing, or preparing to lead meditation in our quarterly meditation working group. The focus actually was the Amidah itself, and in reviewing commentary concerning it with our group, I became interested in the special posture describe that one adopts at the end of the Amidah, in some contexts.
As I later reviewed this discussion with other member of our meditation working group, including Harvey, our Avodah leader, Harvey did help clarify some of the misconceptions I had concerning this posture, explaining that it was adopted actually after the conclusion of the Amida, and on weekdays.
I went looking for this in our editor's new daily siddur, and saw that he did present at least an abbreviated tachanun for us. And so, adventurous, I've tried adding it several times.
As I believe it is intended to be...it is very "Jewish." That is, it makes frequent reference to our practices as a Jewish people. This became in fact a potential distraction.
My thought process quickly went this way...
Look at the counterpoint of text our siddur editor sought to add at the aleinu, concerning our "heart os stone."
Continuing this thought process, I wondered if either for our community, or some other context, we might consider "penning" or rewriting, this very text, so as to be less self referential.
And, in what was probably the same thought process, I re-considered, and saw how our liturgy author actually presents tachanun in his siddur.
You will see this most easily if you can hold in your hand a copy of his daily siddur.
Immediately following the amidah, he presents in one page his abbreviated tachanun, but places it 2 pages later. But, in the 2 pages prior to it, he imputes the very same 2 pages he had previously included in the middle of the amidah. And he describes to the reader that they might well consider including this text he has authored as part of tachanun.
And, so....vwalla. The heavy lifting I had contemplated it might be helpful if we took upon ourselves...our siddur author has already seen to have taken this on. And, in the process, I find I even have an opportunity to now naturally re-engage the same text I found value in including so many shabbats with these 2 pages of author created text!
My first thought was to just include these now 3 pages immediately after the amidah, as I think the tachanun is traditionally done. But, having done this once, I believe I found that these 2 pages Rosenstein created did not perhaps most aptly serve to conclude the Amidah for me.
What had been my practice, after concluding the amidah, was to sit in simple meditation....actually....following the forms I have been shown, this style is more that of "non-meditation"....for about 5 minutes.
And, it occurred that returning to that meditation immediately following the amidah may be the better place to return to, rather than more text.
So, this morning, what I tried I thought worked pretty well. I concluded the Amidah. Sat in simple meditation for about 2 minutes, THEN read these total 3 pages in the daily siddur, comprised of the 2 page insert from the Shabbat Amidah, plus the one page abbreviated tachanun.....I then sat another 2 or so minutes...and then I concluded with Aleinu.
This..I found to be pretty good.
The whole thing adds a little time, and on a weekday, may represent a greater challenge. But, I'm optimistic about this approach, and will continue to experiment.
In that spirit, I share this notes.
L'Shalom,
Ira Zukerman
I
First, who is Tracey Rich, and why might we care.
It maybe used to more reliably be the case, but it pretty well probably still is, that when you do a search regarding a Jewish topic, you come to Tracey Rich's website, Judaism 101. It's well done, I think, broad based, fundamental in nature, and he allows that he writes from an Orthodox perspective.
I've been interested in the liturgy some good while now, and it's been a long time the case that I was introduced to the idea from this Judaism 101 website that, although traditional Judaism stresses the importance of praying in Hebrew, Rich does point out, and putting appropriately this part up front, this notwithstanding...
"The Talmud states that it is permissible to pray in any language that you can understand..."
And you can read this here yourself:
http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer.htm
Our Rabbi Gerry was kind enough to lead us recently in discussion about prayer, and movement in prayer. In the context of his comments, he seemed to have cause to point to the Talmud as a serious reference point for when we make references in our study.
So, since the Talmud does specifically give us guidance about prayer, and the need to understand the language of choice...and since most of us do not understand Hebrew...why do we continue, without challenge, to mostly use Hebrew?
Rabbi Gerri even brought forward, as though the unfortunate novelty that it was, his early practice in his career of teaching students who would not be able to understand Hebrew how they could attend an Orthodox service, and understand the whole of it, just from the English. Remarks of some surprise were made during this discussion, since our experience of doing the service primarily in anything other than Hebrew is not normative.
Anyway, I do serve on the Avodah committee for our community, and if it is game, I could challenge them to ask the question with me, why it is we do what we do. Maybe we will come up with a satisfying answer, as an alternative to just going back to what we have always been doing regardless.
I will add that I've been acting personally on the choice to read our liturgy primarily in English, and as a daily practice, for the most part. You could call that a prejudice if you like. Certainly it is me acting consistent with my beliefs.
II
Then, there is the topic of the insertion of a newly created prayer by our siddur author, Rosenstein.
In our Eit Ratzon, towards the center of our presentation of the Amidah, Rosenstein adds 2 pages, that he describes as petitionary prayer. He suggests, as I've also read suggested by another influential author to me, Rosenberg...that since the most common Jewish practice is to actually davven primarily weekly, at best, it may be reasonable to include a form of prayer, requesting those things we might experience to need, during our times of prayer, since predictably, we would not be praying during the week otherwise, when these forms of prayer are more routinely included.
For a long time, I had been moved to follow this advice. And, while doing so, I took I think no more credit for having made the choice, than I think a more knowledgeable prayer should take who would more routinely choose to skip this, based on their actual familiarity with the rhythm of the normative Amidah. I, on the other hand, had found it simply natural to read through the text from start to finish, and this included these 2 extra pages in the middle, so why not.
Things changed a bit, though once I did start to do the daily practice, saying the Amidah in that context. I found, since the exception Rosenstein described no longer applied to me...I did stop reading that 2 page insert. And yet, at the same time, a knowledge began to dawn in me that the practice I had been doing, including the additional 2 pages, was otherwise a good normative practice, for the reasons described.
This, I suppose is thing number 2 that I could suggest our Avodah committee consider. Which is, to make some sort of recommendation to our community, perhaps via the clergy, that if their practice is to include the Amidah on Saturdays or Fridays, and to not tend to include it otherwise during the week, they might consider looking closely at these 2 pages naturally presenting in the center of the Amidah, and contemplate whether they would like to include them, if they have not been doing so already.
III
And then, there is Tachunan.
The topic of tachanun came up in the context of doing, or preparing to lead meditation in our quarterly meditation working group. The focus actually was the Amidah itself, and in reviewing commentary concerning it with our group, I became interested in the special posture describe that one adopts at the end of the Amidah, in some contexts.
As I later reviewed this discussion with other member of our meditation working group, including Harvey, our Avodah leader, Harvey did help clarify some of the misconceptions I had concerning this posture, explaining that it was adopted actually after the conclusion of the Amida, and on weekdays.
I went looking for this in our editor's new daily siddur, and saw that he did present at least an abbreviated tachanun for us. And so, adventurous, I've tried adding it several times.
As I believe it is intended to be...it is very "Jewish." That is, it makes frequent reference to our practices as a Jewish people. This became in fact a potential distraction.
My thought process quickly went this way...
Look at the counterpoint of text our siddur editor sought to add at the aleinu, concerning our "heart os stone."
Continuing this thought process, I wondered if either for our community, or some other context, we might consider "penning" or rewriting, this very text, so as to be less self referential.
And, in what was probably the same thought process, I re-considered, and saw how our liturgy author actually presents tachanun in his siddur.
You will see this most easily if you can hold in your hand a copy of his daily siddur.
Immediately following the amidah, he presents in one page his abbreviated tachanun, but places it 2 pages later. But, in the 2 pages prior to it, he imputes the very same 2 pages he had previously included in the middle of the amidah. And he describes to the reader that they might well consider including this text he has authored as part of tachanun.
And, so....vwalla. The heavy lifting I had contemplated it might be helpful if we took upon ourselves...our siddur author has already seen to have taken this on. And, in the process, I find I even have an opportunity to now naturally re-engage the same text I found value in including so many shabbats with these 2 pages of author created text!
My first thought was to just include these now 3 pages immediately after the amidah, as I think the tachanun is traditionally done. But, having done this once, I believe I found that these 2 pages Rosenstein created did not perhaps most aptly serve to conclude the Amidah for me.
What had been my practice, after concluding the amidah, was to sit in simple meditation....actually....following the forms I have been shown, this style is more that of "non-meditation"....for about 5 minutes.
And, it occurred that returning to that meditation immediately following the amidah may be the better place to return to, rather than more text.
So, this morning, what I tried I thought worked pretty well. I concluded the Amidah. Sat in simple meditation for about 2 minutes, THEN read these total 3 pages in the daily siddur, comprised of the 2 page insert from the Shabbat Amidah, plus the one page abbreviated tachanun.....I then sat another 2 or so minutes...and then I concluded with Aleinu.
This..I found to be pretty good.
The whole thing adds a little time, and on a weekday, may represent a greater challenge. But, I'm optimistic about this approach, and will continue to experiment.
In that spirit, I share this notes.
L'Shalom,
Ira Zukerman
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tools, Tools Tools...
Where to start?
Tool #1
I am not sure where I got the idea that it may be attractive to work with tefillin, but I did get the idea within the last 2 years. Near a year ago, I acquired my own set. After local advice, and a review of “net” options, I did purchase my set from one of the two stores in Wheaton, after having looked at the offerings in both stores. If you decide to do this, too, you’ll learn that there are different grades of tefillin. Deciding what “grade” involved assessing information that was somewhat disparate. That is…where sets of information agree, you can have an easier time. It was not that easy in this case. For example…there are typically 3 grades: peshutim, dakkot, and gassot. If I heard the presentation correctly from the folks who “present” about this from their “world wide wrap” movement in the Conservative movement, they directed you to peshutim, or bust. Reviewing other authority, they may suggest only dakkot and gassot are reliably kosher…and frankly, this was from a person trained conservative, too (and actually, in their rabbinical school). In the end, when finding the shop I was willing to invest in, they showed me both grades I asked for, and demonstrated to me that the materials in one might be more favorable to wear, so I selected it. But, any of the three would seem to be viable, for any rationale you like.
I’ve now used these over this time….and more actively in the last month. It’s become effectively a
daily practice for me …more about that later.
Did I begin to consider this when my son’s bar mitzvah came
on the horizon? In any case…
As I am reminded by reviewing the earlier entry in this
blog, the idea that our Shirat HaNefesh community may be coming together to
explore using tefillin is becoming a reality…now to happen…as I understand may
be the more traditional way…just before Adam’ Bar Mitzvah, in our home, this
coming Sunday.
It is possible some of you reading this may choose to acquire a set of tefillin. So let me
expand this section one on “tools.”
In considering and preparing for today, after negotiating
with the mother figure, it was allowed we’d get tefillin for both boys. And so, I was back to shopping again. In doing so, some of the questions I had before simply returned to me. And, at
the same time, some of the answers now were different than before, when I shopped for a set of tefillin for myself.
For example, the shop where I bought these tefillin from no
longer offered the dakkot type. Though I was going to get peshutim mehedurim (superior simple ones), not having the choice for the middle type was different.
As before, they were unsure of the type of script included in the tefillin.
Type of script? OK, what’s that about.
My learning about tefillin has been connected to my shopping. When going on-line, starting by typing into google nothing but “tefillin,” you see lots of sites for shopping. One of them is aJudaica. I did end up going with them for my children’s set. Even
from the beginning, by having been exposed to their site, I learned, and have
no reason to disbelieve what they say is not the case…that included in the
tefillin, is script that may be one of really several types, but is probably
primarily beit ari or yosef. Now, like buying a car, you might not expect a sales person to be a mechanic, and, for that matter, you might not, as a consumer, be necessarily concerned for what’s under the hood. Likewise, with tefillin, maybe you need not care about these things.
But, the aJudaica site had taken some trouble to give readers some
background, and in the same way that the fact of ashkenazy and sefardic
traditions are well recognized in Judaism, similarly, these 2 scripts are
variously used, not so much to separate these two traditions…but….well…the ari
apparently are associated with more Hasidic and kabbalistically oriented
communities. So, it’s a choice you either make or take, depending on what you get.
And…what you get at the local store is not entirely clear.
When initially going to the Jewish bookstore…or even before
that, I reach Menachem on the phone, and he assured me that they have lots of
levels there, consistent with them being a family of scribes. When arriving, another gentleman does take care of me. I ask about script type, he indicates these are not done in house…the sets that they have there…and he does not know what type they are. Later, I
had gone with the boys to Eli Chai on University, and he says he is not sure,
but thinks they are Ari, but from his description, I’m not sure that he doesn’t
mis-attribute what he thinks for bet yosef. Neither store spoke to me about winding types. At aJudaica, you choose which way you wind, and clearly enough, there are different traditions for winding, whether towards you or away from you. Although some
will tell you Ashkenazi is towards, and sephardi is away, if you actually
search this on the net, I found maybe 50% identifying just the opposite.
Again, there may be a question of … does this matter? Winding type, script type?
So…now let me tell you about diamonds. I’ll try to make this brief.
About 7 years ago, my wife lost the diamond she had in the
engagement ring I gave her. I sought to replace it, and as a person alive today and then who knew to use google, I learned that I had options for shopping.
I discovered in the process a website called Pricescope, and
found there not only an educational forum, but a place to be involved in
writing threads both about diamonds and my life, and I have in excess of 5000
posts from my time there, though truth be told my major investment there was in
the first 9 months on-line.
Generally, though, there were lessons learned in shopping
for diamonds. For diamonds, and for tefillin,
it seems that it is often the case that you have choices and by the way cost
savings that are available on the internet, that are not available from a local
vendor. Partly, it’s because you have a
national, or in the case of tefillin, an international market, and one not
depending on gas in your car to get you there.
In the case of diamonds, you also have knowledge
deficiencies at the vendor that are remedied on-line. With tefillin…I’m just too new a
shopper. But..you’re getting the idea.
Now, having acquired tefillin marked for winding towards
you, I do see they are knotted differently than the set at the store. So, the choices you can make seem to be realized in fact.
Do these things, again, matter. They are at least nominal differences. If they are qualitative will depend on the value you may place on the differences.
So, as a long way around defining “tool” #1, I would offer
that the internet offers a tool for shopping, that provides options beyond a
local vendor for acquiring tefillin.
Tool #2
Are there other reasons to shop locally?
In the case of diamonds, one reason people are drawn to do
so is for concern for servicing. Are prongs tightened? In the case of my wife’s
first diamond, it did fall out. We never had it tightened. We did get the new
engagement ring at an internet vendor who happens to also be local, in Frederick. But, we never go there, and frankly, this is a problem.
Is servicing an issue with tefillin?
Early, in using my tefillin, I experienced (maybe because I
read about the option for winding choices at aJudaica), the need to “turn” my
tefillin to tie them around my arm. I called the store, and the guy says…yeah, you need to turn it. So…I am not experiencing the need to go back to have them retied, based on this conversation.
Later, for my boys, I do shop with aJudaica. I find that the set for my lefty son has a
head loop that seems to be tied too tight.
I write to aJudaica, asking if they have advice. They give me traditional advice, and also,
suggest I can send them back to have them fixed. So, no, they do not help.
But…
Google! I googled like: “how to tie and until knots in tefillin,” it churned…and delivered to me
a) a site, written by the creator of tefillin Barbie, and b) who included links
to a rabbi’s site with wonderful videos describing detailed strategies for
adjusting the knots.
Bottom line…in this case…with respect to tool #2…I was able,
so far…to make the loop adjust fine, thank you very much, with some effective
and efficient education under my belt. The internet can be amazing. The
vendor didn’t help too much, but I was able to self help, thanks to this
combination of tools including google, and youtube, and again, the internet.
Tool #3
Well, this is the main point, I think.
In the last month, I’ve established a daily practice.
I’m not altogether sure what’s kicked in for me. I have had these tefillin for the better part
of a year. But, as its evolved, my practice is unlike any I’ve had for several decades. In some part, I attribute it to these tools…these tefillin.
They are boxes. They have text in them. They have meaning for me. But, none of these things, taken by themselves, represents the answer.
As I have shared with my Buddhist friends, it would be
inappropriate not to share that the meaning of “binding,” to me, stretches….reaches across traditions here.
In Buddhism, the tradition is that you “bind” yourself to your guru through “samaya,” and to my general sense of things, with tefillin,
similarly, you are binding yourself in your life, to your life, yourself, with
these.
They are live toys. For now, for me, they seem to be a successful part of my process.
In Judaism, we don’t like the Christian’s enthusiasm for Israel,
understanding that their theology usurps the reality of our “state” in ways
unintended by us, for what could be an accidental common purpose.
I might think there would be some that would attribute my
practice of using tefillin in a similar light, imagining that what I’m doing
with them is swell, but not hitting the mark.
I hope such folks are wrong, objectively. I think so.
I can understand that some people will wear tefillin, and
describe their adoption as consistent with the instruction that we are
commanded to wear them daily. That is
not my view, but I don’t think there is a necessary disconnect between those
that will have this view, and those that have my view.
Also, I think our siddur author agrees with this view.
Additionally, some people say that there are two kinds of
people…those that see things in two kinds of ways, and those that don’t.
For myself, having recently, from watching “Glee” with my
family, I have taken some delight in understanding that my practice of Judaism
and Buddhism represents some sort of “mashup.”
But, the main thing here, which I’ve given an acronym, is:
nmoam or pronounced: noam, being:
Not much of a mashup
There’s not much of a mashup, because the practices are not
so different that such is needed.
Anyway, thank you for reviewing these notes. Maybe, if you’re reading, and are a
SharatHaNefesh-nick, I’ll see you wearing tefillin in April, as services continue on weekdays. I think that practice is to be determined.
All the best,
Ira Z.
Tool #1
I am not sure where I got the idea that it may be attractive to work with tefillin, but I did get the idea within the last 2 years. Near a year ago, I acquired my own set. After local advice, and a review of “net” options, I did purchase my set from one of the two stores in Wheaton, after having looked at the offerings in both stores. If you decide to do this, too, you’ll learn that there are different grades of tefillin. Deciding what “grade” involved assessing information that was somewhat disparate. That is…where sets of information agree, you can have an easier time. It was not that easy in this case. For example…there are typically 3 grades: peshutim, dakkot, and gassot. If I heard the presentation correctly from the folks who “present” about this from their “world wide wrap” movement in the Conservative movement, they directed you to peshutim, or bust. Reviewing other authority, they may suggest only dakkot and gassot are reliably kosher…and frankly, this was from a person trained conservative, too (and actually, in their rabbinical school). In the end, when finding the shop I was willing to invest in, they showed me both grades I asked for, and demonstrated to me that the materials in one might be more favorable to wear, so I selected it. But, any of the three would seem to be viable, for any rationale you like.
I’ve now used these over this time….and more actively in the last month. It’s become effectively a
daily practice for me …more about that later.
Did I begin to consider this when my son’s bar mitzvah came
on the horizon? In any case…
As I am reminded by reviewing the earlier entry in this
blog, the idea that our Shirat HaNefesh community may be coming together to
explore using tefillin is becoming a reality…now to happen…as I understand may
be the more traditional way…just before Adam’ Bar Mitzvah, in our home, this
coming Sunday.
It is possible some of you reading this may choose to acquire a set of tefillin. So let me
expand this section one on “tools.”
In considering and preparing for today, after negotiating
with the mother figure, it was allowed we’d get tefillin for both boys. And so, I was back to shopping again. In doing so, some of the questions I had before simply returned to me. And, at
the same time, some of the answers now were different than before, when I shopped for a set of tefillin for myself.
For example, the shop where I bought these tefillin from no
longer offered the dakkot type. Though I was going to get peshutim mehedurim (superior simple ones), not having the choice for the middle type was different.
As before, they were unsure of the type of script included in the tefillin.
Type of script? OK, what’s that about.
My learning about tefillin has been connected to my shopping. When going on-line, starting by typing into google nothing but “tefillin,” you see lots of sites for shopping. One of them is aJudaica. I did end up going with them for my children’s set. Even
from the beginning, by having been exposed to their site, I learned, and have
no reason to disbelieve what they say is not the case…that included in the
tefillin, is script that may be one of really several types, but is probably
primarily beit ari or yosef. Now, like buying a car, you might not expect a sales person to be a mechanic, and, for that matter, you might not, as a consumer, be necessarily concerned for what’s under the hood. Likewise, with tefillin, maybe you need not care about these things.
But, the aJudaica site had taken some trouble to give readers some
background, and in the same way that the fact of ashkenazy and sefardic
traditions are well recognized in Judaism, similarly, these 2 scripts are
variously used, not so much to separate these two traditions…but….well…the ari
apparently are associated with more Hasidic and kabbalistically oriented
communities. So, it’s a choice you either make or take, depending on what you get.
And…what you get at the local store is not entirely clear.
When initially going to the Jewish bookstore…or even before
that, I reach Menachem on the phone, and he assured me that they have lots of
levels there, consistent with them being a family of scribes. When arriving, another gentleman does take care of me. I ask about script type, he indicates these are not done in house…the sets that they have there…and he does not know what type they are. Later, I
had gone with the boys to Eli Chai on University, and he says he is not sure,
but thinks they are Ari, but from his description, I’m not sure that he doesn’t
mis-attribute what he thinks for bet yosef. Neither store spoke to me about winding types. At aJudaica, you choose which way you wind, and clearly enough, there are different traditions for winding, whether towards you or away from you. Although some
will tell you Ashkenazi is towards, and sephardi is away, if you actually
search this on the net, I found maybe 50% identifying just the opposite.
Again, there may be a question of … does this matter? Winding type, script type?
So…now let me tell you about diamonds. I’ll try to make this brief.
About 7 years ago, my wife lost the diamond she had in the
engagement ring I gave her. I sought to replace it, and as a person alive today and then who knew to use google, I learned that I had options for shopping.
I discovered in the process a website called Pricescope, and
found there not only an educational forum, but a place to be involved in
writing threads both about diamonds and my life, and I have in excess of 5000
posts from my time there, though truth be told my major investment there was in
the first 9 months on-line.
Generally, though, there were lessons learned in shopping
for diamonds. For diamonds, and for tefillin,
it seems that it is often the case that you have choices and by the way cost
savings that are available on the internet, that are not available from a local
vendor. Partly, it’s because you have a
national, or in the case of tefillin, an international market, and one not
depending on gas in your car to get you there.
In the case of diamonds, you also have knowledge
deficiencies at the vendor that are remedied on-line. With tefillin…I’m just too new a
shopper. But..you’re getting the idea.
Now, having acquired tefillin marked for winding towards
you, I do see they are knotted differently than the set at the store. So, the choices you can make seem to be realized in fact.
Do these things, again, matter. They are at least nominal differences. If they are qualitative will depend on the value you may place on the differences.
So, as a long way around defining “tool” #1, I would offer
that the internet offers a tool for shopping, that provides options beyond a
local vendor for acquiring tefillin.
Tool #2
Are there other reasons to shop locally?
In the case of diamonds, one reason people are drawn to do
so is for concern for servicing. Are prongs tightened? In the case of my wife’s
first diamond, it did fall out. We never had it tightened. We did get the new
engagement ring at an internet vendor who happens to also be local, in Frederick. But, we never go there, and frankly, this is a problem.
Is servicing an issue with tefillin?
Early, in using my tefillin, I experienced (maybe because I
read about the option for winding choices at aJudaica), the need to “turn” my
tefillin to tie them around my arm. I called the store, and the guy says…yeah, you need to turn it. So…I am not experiencing the need to go back to have them retied, based on this conversation.
Later, for my boys, I do shop with aJudaica. I find that the set for my lefty son has a
head loop that seems to be tied too tight.
I write to aJudaica, asking if they have advice. They give me traditional advice, and also,
suggest I can send them back to have them fixed. So, no, they do not help.
But…
Google! I googled like: “how to tie and until knots in tefillin,” it churned…and delivered to me
a) a site, written by the creator of tefillin Barbie, and b) who included links
to a rabbi’s site with wonderful videos describing detailed strategies for
adjusting the knots.
Bottom line…in this case…with respect to tool #2…I was able,
so far…to make the loop adjust fine, thank you very much, with some effective
and efficient education under my belt. The internet can be amazing. The
vendor didn’t help too much, but I was able to self help, thanks to this
combination of tools including google, and youtube, and again, the internet.
Tool #3
Well, this is the main point, I think.
In the last month, I’ve established a daily practice.
I’m not altogether sure what’s kicked in for me. I have had these tefillin for the better part
of a year. But, as its evolved, my practice is unlike any I’ve had for several decades. In some part, I attribute it to these tools…these tefillin.
They are boxes. They have text in them. They have meaning for me. But, none of these things, taken by themselves, represents the answer.
As I have shared with my Buddhist friends, it would be
inappropriate not to share that the meaning of “binding,” to me, stretches….reaches across traditions here.
In Buddhism, the tradition is that you “bind” yourself to your guru through “samaya,” and to my general sense of things, with tefillin,
similarly, you are binding yourself in your life, to your life, yourself, with
these.
They are live toys. For now, for me, they seem to be a successful part of my process.
In Judaism, we don’t like the Christian’s enthusiasm for Israel,
understanding that their theology usurps the reality of our “state” in ways
unintended by us, for what could be an accidental common purpose.
I might think there would be some that would attribute my
practice of using tefillin in a similar light, imagining that what I’m doing
with them is swell, but not hitting the mark.
I hope such folks are wrong, objectively. I think so.
I can understand that some people will wear tefillin, and
describe their adoption as consistent with the instruction that we are
commanded to wear them daily. That is
not my view, but I don’t think there is a necessary disconnect between those
that will have this view, and those that have my view.
Also, I think our siddur author agrees with this view.
Additionally, some people say that there are two kinds of
people…those that see things in two kinds of ways, and those that don’t.
For myself, having recently, from watching “Glee” with my
family, I have taken some delight in understanding that my practice of Judaism
and Buddhism represents some sort of “mashup.”
But, the main thing here, which I’ve given an acronym, is:
nmoam or pronounced: noam, being:
Not much of a mashup
There’s not much of a mashup, because the practices are not
so different that such is needed.
Anyway, thank you for reviewing these notes. Maybe, if you’re reading, and are a
SharatHaNefesh-nick, I’ll see you wearing tefillin in April, as services continue on weekdays. I think that practice is to be determined.
All the best,
Ira Z.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Bringing Forward, now March 2011
I see it's been nearly a year since I've come here and logged on.
First, one newly created website by me, and then I'll catch up:
As you may be interested, please check out: http://www.jewbu.org/
Now...how did that come to be?
Going back a bit farther...
Last summer, the reunion (described below) of both high school friends and family was swell. What can I say, 300 cousins coming together, not only every 5 years, but this past one being the 100th reunion. It was terrific. We drove to Chicago for it, bringing my mother in tow.
Then, end of summer, during our week's vacation to Seven Springs...I took the time to create the basic text for the above website. I learned then just the basics enough to post it using Wordpress, using Bluehost for webhosting, to get the core ideas down. Whereas blogspot has been easy as pie to set up and install, my concept was to have a more regular site, where the substantive messaging can stay on the front, rather than being pushed down by the next post (which happens in this blogging environment). I've still yet to learn more about Wordpress...just bought a book on it....but I can still do simple things.
My intention was to lay out the core ideas on the site from which the course I'd created on Judaism and Buddhism was developed. After learning more of Word press, I'll hopefully revise what I already posted there, and add to it.
Meanwhile, I have the odd pleasure of seeing a number of creepy e-mails come by, acknowledging to me that they've read it, and by the way, coming from a porn site author...very weird. I have to presume so far that either virtually no one has read it (well...that's not true, I know at least 2 people have who talked to me about it), or that if they have, they have NOT written one of the many e-mails I've received in response.
Otherwise, inasmuch as my morphing from being a member of Temple Shalom to now being a member of Shirat Hanefesh has been in the genesis of this blog, I'll pick up on that piece now.
I maintain my ongoing activities in several committees in SHN, including Avodah, Education, and Tzedek/Tikkun Olam/Social Action.
My now younger son has recently turned 12, and consequently, many of my contemporary thoughts are going to planning for his having a successful experience becoming a bar mitzvah.
As background for that, however, I have been moved to be contemplative of our involvement in Jewish practice altogether, as a family. Our decision to participate as a member of a synagogue had begun, in some measure, consistent with the driver to provide a religious upbringing for our children. Depending on the "nits" involved in a coming Bar Mitzvah Handbook, being only generated now in our new Jewish community, there may be additional strings in play that will maintain naturally this additional connection to this congregational community. But, as I have been thinking this, stupidly or not, as is my nature, I had sought to, and did, write a very public note to both of our clergy, and Karen, our president, letting them know exactly what I was thinking....telling them that I was in fact concerned that the concerns I have still about how our children are learning, or failing to learn, the purpose of our liturgy, may impact on whether or not we will have a vision for being able to continue as members, post bnai mitzvah.
I do think our particular community is as about as progressive as they come, this way.
Barriers to understanding the function of the liturgy are deep, I don't know that I have the key particularly.
This past Saturday, after having read, as I usually do, the Washington Jewish Week, I saw that at Adas Israel, they would have a service tuned more towards being a learning service. Seeing that we would be at synagogue anyway Saturday night for Purim, and Adam would not be at our Saturday school, I thought I would take the morning to check out what they do there at Adas Israel, and how they do it. I was very encouraged. Their newish Rabbi Steinlauf did lead a very engaging service, and while covering all the mechanics ( I was kindly invited to take the 3rd of 7 aliyas, and was also tickled to have been so well prepared by our own community), Rabbi Stenlauf did, in fact, seek to present to his community an approach to the liturgy that I found, essentially, wholly consistent with the positive ways I have learned about it. That is, he proactively encouraged his congregants to visualize the various sections of the service, and find how they could engage in the developing pattern of how the service evolves forward, naming most parts for what they were. Although this WAS a learners service, this was very encouraging to me.
At their kiddush afterwards, I spoke briefly with one of their board members, Michele. She talked about how this new Rabbi was bringing a different, new, energy to their community, including an interest in meditation, such that he has launched a meditation group, which became a women's group, but now he was seeking to begin a men's group.
How much this approach the rabbi personally believes and wishes to engage his community in, is consistent with how their community overall experiences the service...is an open question. But, it is clear he is assuming an advocacy position, and wishes them to experience in just this way he is recommending.
Why do I care what he does? Since our Zukerman family have decided to raise our children as Jews.....it is, at least, helpful to have a positive vision for the view they will be exposed to as they come into maturity. My own explorations are still, yes, quite meager.
And....I have come to think at least two things:
a) that it can be helpful to thing bigger, more towards background, on the context in which prayer happens, to involve then asking questions about contemporarizing our ideas of G-d, perhaps to study the new book I see out by Arthur Green, and working further back, to provide a background that adds a further sensibility to the why of "traditional prayer," and also
b) doing something different, relaxing (a), but figuring out strings that can reach to (a). In other words....maybe there can be some further, practical, utility, between the co-existence in space between a place like the Shambhala Center, and a place like Adas Israel.
As we read in our meditation working group, the book recently: Torah & Dharma....it was suggested as one of the foundational points of buddhism....was that it came into being because of the dysfunctionality of conceptualizing g-d at the outset. Seeing that inhibiting the ego was a goal, one conceptualization of the origins of the creation of buddhism, is that it just decided not to go there....as a utilitarian measure.
So, as has always been the case....but now, post Bar Mitzvah, will have new cause to come into focus again....the decision to give particular effort to actualize our Jewish experience will come under new pressure.
But...Adam's Bar Mitzvah won't be until January 2012.
Meanwhile, while I've misplaced my buddhist practice materials....
I have determined to, and have acquired tefillin.
I've used them about 4 times.
And, provisionally, I've gotten agreement that our community will have a workshop on laying tefillin....perhaps only....on the day following Adam's BarMitzvah, 1/21/11. Hopefully, Adam would even go to that. Hopefully, we will have family in town to present a conflict to that.
I've tried to have our community adopt language, in a developing B'Nai Mitzvah Handbook, that would encourage families to recognize the limnal nature of the year prior to the B'Nai Mitzvah.
Our young community continues to struggle. Our new education director has committed to a job in Israel for next fall, so we will have to hire for that position, to continue our programming successfully in the fall. Though I've not been invited to participate on that search committee, I can hope that is for the good (i.e., I can see the decision as functional enough, and hope I needn't take it personally too much).
Our clergy are quite special, I think. And, in some measure, our community, too. From the point of view of learning, being in a smaller community certainly has its benefits. Certainly, its downsides, too. Hopefully, it will be a net benefit.
Closing nits, my job has been stable, with offices having moved from Rockville to Bethesda. Commuting is close to a wash, and if my left leg holds up, I hope I can walk to work soon.
If you're reading still, best,
Ira Z.
First, one newly created website by me, and then I'll catch up:
As you may be interested, please check out: http://www.jewbu.org/
Now...how did that come to be?
Going back a bit farther...
Last summer, the reunion (described below) of both high school friends and family was swell. What can I say, 300 cousins coming together, not only every 5 years, but this past one being the 100th reunion. It was terrific. We drove to Chicago for it, bringing my mother in tow.
Then, end of summer, during our week's vacation to Seven Springs...I took the time to create the basic text for the above website. I learned then just the basics enough to post it using Wordpress, using Bluehost for webhosting, to get the core ideas down. Whereas blogspot has been easy as pie to set up and install, my concept was to have a more regular site, where the substantive messaging can stay on the front, rather than being pushed down by the next post (which happens in this blogging environment). I've still yet to learn more about Wordpress...just bought a book on it....but I can still do simple things.
My intention was to lay out the core ideas on the site from which the course I'd created on Judaism and Buddhism was developed. After learning more of Word press, I'll hopefully revise what I already posted there, and add to it.
Meanwhile, I have the odd pleasure of seeing a number of creepy e-mails come by, acknowledging to me that they've read it, and by the way, coming from a porn site author...very weird. I have to presume so far that either virtually no one has read it (well...that's not true, I know at least 2 people have who talked to me about it), or that if they have, they have NOT written one of the many e-mails I've received in response.
Otherwise, inasmuch as my morphing from being a member of Temple Shalom to now being a member of Shirat Hanefesh has been in the genesis of this blog, I'll pick up on that piece now.
I maintain my ongoing activities in several committees in SHN, including Avodah, Education, and Tzedek/Tikkun Olam/Social Action.
My now younger son has recently turned 12, and consequently, many of my contemporary thoughts are going to planning for his having a successful experience becoming a bar mitzvah.
As background for that, however, I have been moved to be contemplative of our involvement in Jewish practice altogether, as a family. Our decision to participate as a member of a synagogue had begun, in some measure, consistent with the driver to provide a religious upbringing for our children. Depending on the "nits" involved in a coming Bar Mitzvah Handbook, being only generated now in our new Jewish community, there may be additional strings in play that will maintain naturally this additional connection to this congregational community. But, as I have been thinking this, stupidly or not, as is my nature, I had sought to, and did, write a very public note to both of our clergy, and Karen, our president, letting them know exactly what I was thinking....telling them that I was in fact concerned that the concerns I have still about how our children are learning, or failing to learn, the purpose of our liturgy, may impact on whether or not we will have a vision for being able to continue as members, post bnai mitzvah.
I do think our particular community is as about as progressive as they come, this way.
Barriers to understanding the function of the liturgy are deep, I don't know that I have the key particularly.
This past Saturday, after having read, as I usually do, the Washington Jewish Week, I saw that at Adas Israel, they would have a service tuned more towards being a learning service. Seeing that we would be at synagogue anyway Saturday night for Purim, and Adam would not be at our Saturday school, I thought I would take the morning to check out what they do there at Adas Israel, and how they do it. I was very encouraged. Their newish Rabbi Steinlauf did lead a very engaging service, and while covering all the mechanics ( I was kindly invited to take the 3rd of 7 aliyas, and was also tickled to have been so well prepared by our own community), Rabbi Stenlauf did, in fact, seek to present to his community an approach to the liturgy that I found, essentially, wholly consistent with the positive ways I have learned about it. That is, he proactively encouraged his congregants to visualize the various sections of the service, and find how they could engage in the developing pattern of how the service evolves forward, naming most parts for what they were. Although this WAS a learners service, this was very encouraging to me.
At their kiddush afterwards, I spoke briefly with one of their board members, Michele. She talked about how this new Rabbi was bringing a different, new, energy to their community, including an interest in meditation, such that he has launched a meditation group, which became a women's group, but now he was seeking to begin a men's group.
How much this approach the rabbi personally believes and wishes to engage his community in, is consistent with how their community overall experiences the service...is an open question. But, it is clear he is assuming an advocacy position, and wishes them to experience in just this way he is recommending.
Why do I care what he does? Since our Zukerman family have decided to raise our children as Jews.....it is, at least, helpful to have a positive vision for the view they will be exposed to as they come into maturity. My own explorations are still, yes, quite meager.
And....I have come to think at least two things:
a) that it can be helpful to thing bigger, more towards background, on the context in which prayer happens, to involve then asking questions about contemporarizing our ideas of G-d, perhaps to study the new book I see out by Arthur Green, and working further back, to provide a background that adds a further sensibility to the why of "traditional prayer," and also
b) doing something different, relaxing (a), but figuring out strings that can reach to (a). In other words....maybe there can be some further, practical, utility, between the co-existence in space between a place like the Shambhala Center, and a place like Adas Israel.
As we read in our meditation working group, the book recently: Torah & Dharma....it was suggested as one of the foundational points of buddhism....was that it came into being because of the dysfunctionality of conceptualizing g-d at the outset. Seeing that inhibiting the ego was a goal, one conceptualization of the origins of the creation of buddhism, is that it just decided not to go there....as a utilitarian measure.
So, as has always been the case....but now, post Bar Mitzvah, will have new cause to come into focus again....the decision to give particular effort to actualize our Jewish experience will come under new pressure.
But...Adam's Bar Mitzvah won't be until January 2012.
Meanwhile, while I've misplaced my buddhist practice materials....
I have determined to, and have acquired tefillin.
I've used them about 4 times.
And, provisionally, I've gotten agreement that our community will have a workshop on laying tefillin....perhaps only....on the day following Adam's BarMitzvah, 1/21/11. Hopefully, Adam would even go to that. Hopefully, we will have family in town to present a conflict to that.
I've tried to have our community adopt language, in a developing B'Nai Mitzvah Handbook, that would encourage families to recognize the limnal nature of the year prior to the B'Nai Mitzvah.
Our young community continues to struggle. Our new education director has committed to a job in Israel for next fall, so we will have to hire for that position, to continue our programming successfully in the fall. Though I've not been invited to participate on that search committee, I can hope that is for the good (i.e., I can see the decision as functional enough, and hope I needn't take it personally too much).
Our clergy are quite special, I think. And, in some measure, our community, too. From the point of view of learning, being in a smaller community certainly has its benefits. Certainly, its downsides, too. Hopefully, it will be a net benefit.
Closing nits, my job has been stable, with offices having moved from Rockville to Bethesda. Commuting is close to a wash, and if my left leg holds up, I hope I can walk to work soon.
If you're reading still, best,
Ira Z.
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