Unpacking: Emunah (ืืžื•ื ื”) Faith

โ€œUnpackingโ€ is my approach to exploring the deeper or hidden meanings of Hebrew words. Itโ€™s a combination of gematria (Jewish numerology), letter meanings, grammar, and intuition. Emunah (ืืžื•ื ื”) = Faith  Gematria: 102 or 3 Emunah (ืืžื•ื ื”) faith means being a vessel that both receives and shares the Presence of the Divine through thought, speech, and action….

Unpacking: Tov (ื˜ื•ื‘) Good

A few years back, I got curious about what the Torah might really mean by โ€œgood.โ€ Good is one of the first concepts weโ€™re introduced to in the Torah. ื•ึทื™ึทึผึงืจึฐื ืึฑืœึนื”ึดึ›ื™ื ืึถืชึพื”ึธืึ–ื•ึนืจ ื›ึดึผื™ึพื˜ึ‘ื•ึนื‘ ื•ึทื™ึทึผื‘ึฐื“ึตึผึฃืœ ืึฑืœึนื”ึดึ”ื™ื ื‘ึตึผึฅื™ืŸ ื”ึธืึ–ื•ึนืจ ื•ึผื‘ึตึฅื™ืŸ ื”ึทื—ึนึฝืฉึถืืšึฐืƒย God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:4…

A More Magickal Passover

There are so many amazing things you can do to add a little more magick to your Passover Seder.  Considering that so much of the Seder is about creating a sense of wonder to engage your body, mind, and spirit.  Itโ€™s intended to be experiential.   Here are a few ideas to bring a little…

Cedar (ืืจื–)

Jewish sources and resources for cedar called erez (ืืจื–) also sometimes gopher (ื’ืคืจ) in Hebrew.

Tekufah Tevet: The Winter Solstice

While observance of the solstices and equinoxes may not taught in Hebrew school, there is a long tradition of observing these moments drawn from the talmud. In Hebrew a solstice or equinox is called tekufah (ืชืงื•ืคื”) or plural tekufot (ืชืงื•ืคื•ืช). The word means to cycle or turning. The solstice is an astronomical event but in…

Murry & Lanman Florida Water

Overview Letโ€™s talk about the history of Florida Water, a two hundred year old product with deep connections to African American hoodoo practice, Caribbean and South American communities and also used by many others, but that seems to have started as a simple cologne (or did it?). Part of my curiosity, is a desire to โ€œdecolonizeโ€…

Minshar Cholem: Dream Decree

This is a practice for Elul and High Holy Days, but can also be utilized for the secular new year or any of Judaism’s four New Years. During the Elul and the High Holy days we tend to hear over and over that three things can โ€œavert the harsh decree: prayer, repentance and tzedaka.โ€   But…

Elul: Hineni (ื”ื ื ื™) Presence

Welcome to Kesharim K’doshim Mussar, where we explore the soul-traits through the wheel of the year and the Kohenet Netivot. In Adar, we turn to the soul-trait of Zehirut (ื–ื”ื™ืจื•ืช) Illuminated Awareness and the Leitzanit (Sacred Fool).