Water From Underground (Maya’anot)
מעיינות
Soaking in water is a welcome activity at many retreats. I remember the day before my rabbinic ordination at Elat Chayyim Retreat Center (now part of Isabella Freedman Retreat Center), doing a mikveh (ritual immersion) in a chilly spring-fed creek at a secluded spot in the woods, then moving on to warm up in the the retreat center’s wooden hot tub. It was a spiritual immersion–water symbolic of Torah and life–while simultaneously a very physical, healing experience.
Underground water can also represent our hidden imagination, dreams, and the unconscious mind underneath the surface of life. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi has described Aggadah, the lore/legends/symbols of our people, in terms of a vast “aquifer,” an underground source of living waters that enlivens our civilization. Without drawing on these sources, we feel spiritually dehydrated. “Filling our own well” has become a metaphor for the kind of nourishment that we need in order to live our fullest lives and to serve others with a full heart.
For the Eternal Your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills. (Deuteronomy 8:7)
Immerse in this Gateway of Water Under Ground to explore the symbolism of wells and springs in Jewish tradition and in your own life.
Start On Your Journey
The first option below is the suggested next step on your journey. Feel free to browse the following paths and explore in your own time at your own pace.
The Shema: The Essence of Judaism in Six Words (A Deep Dive Into Prayer)
We've started a new series at my congregation, "Deep Dive into Prayer" (pretty appropriate for Seaside Jewish Community ????) At certain services, we will focus in on one prayer or one section of the liturgy, and "dive deep" by exploring it's history and meanings,...
Happy Birthday to Trees!
Happy Tu Bishvat, the Jewish New Year of Trees! (the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, corresponding to January 17 this year) Visit Wellsprings’ Gateway of Trees for Pathways (posts) with teachings and resources including all about Tu Bishvat, as well as music,...
New Beginnings in the New Year
This is a time for new beginnings. There’s a New Year coming on the calendar, 2022. And the corresponding Hebrew month will also bring one of the Jewish New Years: Tu Bishvat, the New Year of Trees. I think these dates have something in common. Our Sages...
The Lights of Hanukkah
Note: I'm resharing my Hanukkah post from last year, because this practice is always meaningful to me. I've also updated some of the links. Many people like to have a different poem or reflection for each night of Hanukkah. I think that's great, and I also like...