Mitzvah Process

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov describes the mitzvah process like this...

When someone feels the desire to do a mitzvah, they get joy in their hearts.  This joy rumbling inside them is the equivalent of Malchut going up to the Legs (Netzach, Hod, and Yesod).  When it reaches there, then the person is going. Moving. Marching towards the mitzvah. Either he's going to the store and buying materials for it, or preparing somehow. But he's moving. The Legs bring about an arousal from around.

Now everyone is looking at his quick actions, his purposeful movements.  They want to also do this mitzvah. They too become agitate and aroused. Now everyone is moving.

Now comes the mitzvah. Usually before a mitzvah, there is a blessing to be said. Saying this blessing is equivalent to bringing the Legs up to the Arms (Chessed, Gevurah, and Tiferet). Now blessings are flying around. We are sending blessings out, blessings are coming our way. Its great to do mitzvot. 

One blessing that usually comes from this is intellect (Chochmah, Bina, and Daat).  This brings us wisdom, understanding and knowledge.   If we are smart (lol) then we will pray for faith/Keter. This would be the crown to seal it all. 

Keter is like a helmut.  On the one side, we have emunah/faith.  This faith seals in our knowledge and keeps us secure in what we know.  If we dare to venture too far -with unanswerable questions-  we are brought back to base with faith.

But the other side of Keter is the outside part of that crown.  That is called Malchut.  Yes, its Malchut of the next bunch of sephirot.  And the beat goes on.

The Haitian Revolution from a Kabbalistic Perspective

Firstly, i'm not a kabbalist. This musing is all just skimming the surface.

About a month ago, I came out into my front yard and happened upon a hummingbird nest.  The brightly blue colored papa and greyish colored mama hummingbirds were there and they were tending to their baby hummingbird.  Crouching nearby was a cat!

As soon as the cat got too close for comfort, the papa hummingbird sprung into action! He flew right in front of the cat's face.  Then quickly dodged the swiping paw. Again, went the papa, right into the cat's face and out again. Each time the papa retreated, he went farther and farther from the nest -bringing the cat with him.  After a while, I realized he was luring the cat away from the nest.  What strategy!!

Eventually, the cat lost interest in trying to get the bright blue bird and went away. whew.

But that got me thinking, every creature that Hashem created has its power and its way of defending itself.  If they "work it" well enough, they can fight even the most formidable of enemies no matter the size.

Some time later, I was thinking about tribal people, these earthy people who live off the land. Africans from their villages, Native American Indians and their old way of life.  I wondered if they really had any defense against the onslaught of European invaders who took their land, their lives, their everything.

These people seemed as if they were untouched by the whole Adam and Eve story. They were naked and just fine.  Just fine until they were informed that they were naked. Its as if they were very natural, very normal, very heart oriented.  I remember reading an article by Phylis Chesler, where she tries to understand how is it that "third world people" whom she thought were so sweet and innocent, could crumbled to such violence and cruelty as she has seen in the middle east.  Personally, i think its just called "keeping things real."  When they are well, things are well. When they are angry, they smash. But when the enemy is as slithering and as sneaky as a snake, there's no time to smash and fight and thrash. By the time they realize what's up, the battle is already halfway finished.

So how could they have fought this enemy?

This makes me think of the Haitian revolution.  These captured Africans who were led to the "new land" the Island of Hispaniola made a secret ceremony in which every abled bodied man ready and willing to fight, had to drink the blood of a pig as a seal that they would do whatever they could to succeed in this legendary fight. And so they did.  And they won their independence!

From a Torah perspective this is a very interesting ritual.

In the Jewish world, thankfully, we have the Torah. Specific instructions and guidance. Eat kosher, it says.  Stay away from promiscuous women, it warns.  Beware of Amalek, it admonishes.  No one else was told to beware of Amalek.  Also, we have the teaching that Esav (Amalek's grandpa) was a wicked person, so we know to be weary.  But what of tribal people with no warning?

In the case of the Haitians, again I don't know what prompted them to do this ritual - it certainly wasn't a normal ritual done before a fight.  But it could, form a Torah perspective, be seen as taking the sword of Esav to strike.

Esav is called the Hunter, He is the fighter.  He is the man with the sword who exacts punishment.  Esav is also likened to a pig. Why? Because at a first glance, the pig looks kosher.  It has the split hooves.  But only after killing it and seeing its belly will one realize that it doesn't chew the kud.  Sneaky!!  Esav also pretends to be so pristine and clean and so good.  He seems to have all the right motives.  He seems to look like an angel.  But he has wickedness in his heart!  Essentially, what the Haitians did was to take the sword from Esav and gave their enemy a good beating. What would have been the Native American Indian's way of "taking the sword from Esav"?

Over Coming Insecurity

From wikipedia: Emotional insecurity is a feeling of general unease or nervousness that may be triggered by perceiving of oneself to be vulnerable in some way, or a sense of vulnerability or instability which threatens one's self-image or ego.

I think one big stumbling block for many Black Jews and others as well, is the insecurity factor.  The fear that people will out them and treat them badly because they are different when in a mostly (and sometimes only) white Jewish setting. White Jews have insecurities as well -y'all can't hide it neither! lol.

But how do we overcome this? Particularly for Black Jews, because very often their worries are valid. 

I remember once my guard was down and I was speaking with a friend.  Because I couldn't think of a more appropriate word, I used the word, "obfuscate".   Ohh! Everything changed! He looked at me and made a big noise, "oooh! you know that word! three syllables!" and on and on he went. It was as if I was not suppose to know this word and if I did it was a big surprise (disturbance?). Such a big deal was made to last the next time I venture out of my "lowliness" to dare use such multisyllablic word.

If using such words causes such a ruckus, if using such words rocks the boat so much, how can a Black Jew even venture into discussing topics which require such words for convenience? Why is it seen as such a bad thing for a black person to sound.... intelligent?


to be continued...

Black Jews

Just musing...

There is an interesting phenomenon going on.  There are many Black Jews in existence... and ever increasing. However, there is a great disunity going on within that "community."  Disunity in the sense that many speak of wanting a shul together and yet, it is too hard to do... they speak of social events to participate in and that ends up being a strain on the organizers (trying to encourage people to come and contribute).

All this, when the Hebrew Israelites, people of "the Kingdom" etc seem very organized...so much so that they are traveling across the globe to Africa spreading their beliefs.

As the saying goes...

"Falsehood can get half way across the world before Truth can get its pants on!"

And why is that?

Just to backtrack, I want to look at the Black community in general.  I think there are alot of holy sparks there...but scattered.  We have been encouraged to think that we are lowly and nothing, etc., thus, with the amazing snowball effect occurring, Black folks have taken it upon their own selves to make sure each one knows that they are lowly and shouldn't raise their heads too high or expect to deserve anything. (there are exceptions of course) This is done out of training, out of protection that their loved ones aren't seen as "uppity," partly out of habit, and maybe partly out of not wanting to exert the effort to bring about positive changes and yet not wanting another to show us down either.

But nevertheless there ARE the holy sparks --plain as day-- all around.  And these sparks need to be elevated.  Every group has their share of holy sparks.  For Black folks you can feel it in the music, in the way many flock to the church as their center point-Madea definitely picked up on that one.  It is also seen in the fact that, until recently, a Black athiest was an oddity.

However these holy sparks are fallen.  Scattered on the floor and stepped on without people knowing that they are holy.  And some sparks being picked up but held backwards or upside down -such as listening to the loudest loud mouth.  Or being overly criticizing constantly.  Yes, you can spot a firey person with their "words of coals."  But still one must pay attention to what is being said; just because it's loud doesn't make it right.

The mandingo myth attributed to Black folks once upon a time.  Why? Interestingly there is a connection to sexuality and spirituality... the way the Bible explains how someone KNEW his wife...there is a connection to  knowing and sexuality. And knowing, knowledge, true wisdom is of the wisdom of Hashem.

A more ugly example is the gang rapes that occur, the trains, even that can be seen as a spark gone very wrong.

And in the Black churches, the members are so devoted you would think this was always their religion! They so took it to another level.

So what to do with these shards of holiness?  How to help those to see them laying about and to pick them up the right way? And since many are not Jewish, is it even up to them to pick up those sparks? Perhaps its just up to the Jews to reach out in that direction for the sake of those sparks waiting to be elevated?

I want to note that these "shards" are considered holy in Judaism, but I can not speak for other religions. So from the point of view of other religions these may not be holy sparks at all!

There are religions that are close to Judaism --not quite Judaism yet-  but a sort of stepping stone for some or a permanent dwelling place for others.  Hebrew Israelites, Messianics, Kingdom, Commandment Keepers, etc and so forth.  They may at least recognize the shards.

For those Black folks who choose Judaism either at bar mitzvah or upon conversion, among them still many would rather not see these sparks or not do anything about it. Even in the Black & Jewish community, I see folks speaking in the same "keepin' it real" way, but not saying anything different.  In debates, folks still try to talk down or insult others as a means of winning the argument, and most interestingly, many prefer to include amongst themselves Heb. Israelites and others simply because they are black and not necessarily because they share the same values.

At times I wonder if the reason Black Jews don't want to spread their wings or create their own shuls, or help communities in Africa, etc is they would rather enjoy the rich Jewish life --which is plentiful. Lots of holidays, the family or shul is the focus, one can be very busy with mitzvoth, with hitbodedut, with building one's own malchut (kingship).

Another possible factor is that perhaps there is a fear of maris ayin --the appearance of doing wrong.  With the many wayward groups of Black folks disgracing the Black community, I wonder of some are afraid that doing something that appears "too black" may have the scent of maris ayin?



At any rate, whatever the reason may be, there are still the holy sparks to be picked up, brushed off, and made to shine. B'ezrat Hashem (G-d willing) soon.


(and then there are the instigators that dwell among us, who wouldn't care one way or another about a topic really, but will run with the loudest idea just to appear knowledgeable or tough or I don't really know)