Bring on the K'doosha! Holiness in Dancing

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Once, when I first entered a seminary in Jerusalem, the whole school was invited to a wedding so I came along even though I didn't know people so well yet.

At the wedding there was lots and lots and lots of dancing -as is usual for a Jewish wedding. However, there was one girl there.....I don't know what she was doing but her dancing was out of this world! Her movements were so graceful and  went so well with the music, her expression -it wasn't silly happy nor angry, it was just very focused. It was just mezmerizing!

Later on I came up to her and said, "I don't know who you are, but I sure hope you can dance at my wedding!!!"

8 months later I got engaged and she did dance at my wedding!!! Thank God.

7 years later, I went to another wedding and I saw another girl dancing with that grace, ease of movement, focusedness. It sends chills down my spine!

Dancing in holiness can actually destroy an evil decree from on High. It can also bring sustenance, bounty, goodness down to where we are.

It involves lifting one foot and then the other, moving the hands, the body. Almost every culture has their own dance move  (that reminds me of how each of the 12 tribes had their own prayer method and Heavenly gate that the prayer entered that the other tribe didn't have). I've seen the Ethiopians and their shoulder dance -I wonder what power does that hold? The Yemenite and their fancy steps? Congolesians and their sway? and I suppose even the American square dance has something! (And imagine if all the dancing around the world was all a united act of bringing sustenance to the world?)

Unholy dancing --dancing to degrading lyrics, dancing to lure someone into a trap, just plain gyrating to rouse perverted thoughts - that also has a power. It brings down a consuming fire. Such as in the case of Nadav and Avihu.

What happened to them?

The Hebrews came out of Egypt and were so drunk with happiness to God for saving them, for revealing so much of Himself, they cried out "We will do, and we will hear!"  (Exodus 24:7) The doing before the hearing?! They were ready to do whatever God asked before even hearing what he wanted.  Nevertheless, that is an indication of how in love we can be to God. A precursor, hopefully, to how things will be (and an explanation for all those new age-y people who think love is all that is needed).  However, for the here and now, fear is also needed in order to temper our acts of love to the Holy One lest we get consumed by the fires of our love.

In the case of Nadav and Avihu - they had much to be grateful for. Their family was made priests (Cohens), their father was the high priest (Cohen gadol. the big kahuna). And they had the privilege and the opportunity to bring incense offering before Him at appointed times and He would "take in" the incense. What a miracle to perform and to behold!!! To be a part of this exclusive act was beyond the imagination.

Well, they had much to be grateful for and they were drunk with love. People can become in love with God (or things, or people, or other gods, etc) so much so that they can barely contain themselves, they may do things -in the name of love- that are wrong, innaproriate, intrusive, or even dominating in their gusto to show their love. This is why we have "measures".

Character traits are called "measures" in Hebrew (middot). Because these measures give us the boundaries in which to express our love -how much measures of anger do we express when we are hurt by a loved one, how much measures of giving is appropriate, how much measures of refraining when helping our beloved baby to walk, and so on and so forth. Without the proper measurements, things go awry, people get hurt, damage happens.

In the case of Nadav and Avihu, its recounted that they literally got drunk, all that wine drinking impaired their judgement and they went in an inapproriate time to bring the incense. This brought down upon them the "consuming fire" that destroyed them. Things were not done in their proper measurements, in their proper time, way, etc., and as a result an unholy fire consumed them.

Nadav and Avihu is compared to the right leg and the left leg -according to Rebbe Nachman. They had the wrong motive, the wrong measures, and thus was consumed by an unholy fire.

In conclusion, dancing is a powerful tool -as most things- to serve God with, to help ourselves with. But like most everything else, it must come from a properly measured motive. Otherwise, with the wrong intent, the wrong amount of measurements and we can get consumed and lost in our own desires, drives, lust or what have you (God forbid). May we always think a moment and gauge ourselves and the proper measurement to be used in all our actions. And may we dance a holy dance and bring goodness in our lives!!! Amen.

(a gratuitous dancing video to put a smile on your lovely faces!)

(never mind how mean the guy spoke to the kid in the beginning.)