Dark Nights of the Soul
Many pivotal biblical encounters with the Divine take place during the darkness of night, when dreams, blessings and visions are imparted. and one of the most important is when our forefather Jacob wrestles with a mysterious stranger.
You Want it Darker, by Leonard Cohen
Or Zarua: Let the Light In
The Creation of Light in the Torah
The book of Genesis shows the creation of light in two phases, first Light itself, then luminaries. . .
Where to find the hidden light
The Hidden Light: It seems an oxymoron. Light shines and reveals what is hidden. How can a light be hidden, and where might we find it again? (more…)
As the Sea fills a Cave
Rabbi Joshua of Sachnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, “To what should we compare the Tent of Meeting [that Moses set up in the desert]? To a cave on the seashore. When the tide rises and the sea floods the cave, the sea is not diminished. Thus the Tent of Meeting was filled with the Shechinah (the Divine Presence).”
ר’ יהושע דסכנין בשם ר’ לוי למה היה אוהל מועד דומה למערה שהיא נתונה על שפת הים ועלהים והציף המערה נתמלאת מן הים והים לא חסר כך אוהל מועד נתמלא מזיו השכינה
–MIdrash, Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, 1b
Enter the Darkness to Greet the Dawn
Can we face the darkness of our own depths? Individuals and societies who can’t face their own shadow side will often project it on others.
Song: Evening the Evenings
“Evening the Evenings” by Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael
The Miracle of Light: Hidden in Plain Sight
I heard the following Midrash repeatedly from my teacher, Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi:
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