We passed the Rainstick during our Check-In which carried a
theme of the fragility of life and deep spiritual experiences/learning. As the last folks left, it began to rain,
while the sky was still blue to the north.
Continuing our study of the Elements (including plants) in
the PSALMS:
Psalm 50 by Asaph
We looked at R. Zalman Schechter-Shlomi’s prayerful
interpretation (Larry introduced) as well as other texts. We mostly
concentrated on the middle of the psalm with its references to nature (Lines 7-15);
then the ending (22-23), backing up to 16-22 finally, we ended with the first line. (I like that, ending at the beginning, the
snake eating its tail.) What we wished
for today was a skilled Hebrew reader who could help us understand some of the
variations in interpretive choices and meanings. It would be nice to revisit.
Nonetheless it was and is a rich, broad and deep journey into this Psalm
written by Asaph.
So much of the psalm speaks to the questionable necessity of
Animal Sacrifice (5, 8, 14) resulting in a deeper look at Sacrifice in general-
Line 23 he so offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving honoring; and to him that
ordereth… Honors me15, 23
We did discover its possible significance for the indigenous Hebrew Mind*:
Reasons for Ritual
Sacrifice:
>Humbleness by reducing riches.
Hedge against Hubris
-Humbleness also by
giving up pride and value of what one has worked hard for whatever one’s
economic status: (sacrificial animals were usually of the Best Quality One Had
-But
a possible hubris of being able to Give more than Others if you have more (to
gain further status)
>a form of buying salvation
whatever one’s holdings.
>Nourishing G-d w food (as implied in this psalm)
>Appease an Angry /Punishing God
in a world out of one’s control -not understood, insurance policy against
future harm from an uncontrollable consequences of Nature/Natural disasters or
other hardship, war/conflict, starvation, economic loss. It’s a form of
ritualized control against the unknown based on need formed from prior
experience of loss.
>or an exchange/trade – I give
you this, You give me that (just fair business)
>Is it a form of Giving Up
self/ego?
>Does the ritual put us in right
relationship with nature?
(discussion: Today,
We are out of control – there is no order or respect for nature: Look what ‘we’
(the world) have become without it – how we have destroyed and are destroying
our planet – from mountain, land and sea, animals, plants, the air ; pollution
and loss
the act of
controlling and using nature for our own benefit: logging, over farming &
fishing, exhausting the earth nutrients, coral reefs, Monsanto seeds/genetics, chemical
spraying, killing to extinction, industrial destruction of the air/greenhouse
effect/melting glaciers/icebergs, weather cycles, ad infinitum….
Change in Methods
of Sacrifice:
Getting away from Human Sacrifice –
Abraham and Isaac (Rosh Hashanah)
Getting away from Animal Sacrifice
– after the destruction of the Temple
What level of Sacrifice do we have
now (fasting, tithing, have we succeeded, is it effective?)
Have large portions of humanity
forgotten purposeful Sacrifice?... thereby sacrificing & suffering
inadvertently and at great loss.
Sacrifice in
Ritual Form:
Controlled ritualistic predictable sacrifices, and
mindfulness of what we have with gratitude.
Ritual enabled us to at least believe that we could control
the severity (degree and amount) of the loss (by spiritual decree) by
preempting with Temple sacrifices. Perhaps this served to control our impulses,
be grateful and stay moderate in our greed. Do we now hedge our bets by
producing too much? Sacrifices – are we less humble and respectful now? (increased hubris)
*Sacrificing
consciously vs unconsciously…..Perhaps we have underestimated the role that
Ritual Sacrifice played/plays in the Indigenous Hebrew Mind. How can we
more deeply understand and own this indigenous perspective to our own
resurrection as consciously indigenous seeking Jews today? We were unexpectedly struck by the feeling
that we may have lost something when we gave up Ritual Sacrifice! Sacrifice may have given us a right
relationship to our egos, our planet and material goods/riches. A rich man had
many cattle, sheep, etc. What the rich ‘man’
does today is pay “taxes” but in the game of trying to retain rather than of
giving willingly in relationship to the Divine.
What does
Sacrifice have to teach us now? Are there forms of sacrifice living well in
Judaism today (fasting, Tzedukah, etc)
Is it enough, or maybe what we do now is just not powerful enough? How to integrate these realities as modern
Hebrew indiginists? At the very least
line 23, the ending, suggests spiritual self improvement through a Ritual
Sacrifice of thankfulness/gratitude (thank offering)
Overview of Psalm
points:
‘Thousand mountain’(Hebrew interp? Also it sounds so
Chinese) and the pasture (another nourishing image where animals graze)
interpretations of Creatures of the Field: The plants themselves? Wild Beasts?
Creeping creatures–(small) animals/insects (more Hebrew please).
Asaph’s psalm reports HaShem comparing the human need for
edible animals: i.e.fowl & fatlings vs the free wild animals that are
“Mine”(10).
Giving a “Thank Offering” 14, 23(what are the types of
sacrifices? maybe in Leviticus?). The G-d voice in the psalm chides us that
there is No need to do animal sacrifices,
HaShem does not need to be nourished. (already has an embarrassment of eternal nourishment -why do we bring the
Divine down to our own level?) In the psalm specific references to domestic,
edible animals (lines 9&13), yet also Hashem claims relationship to all the
living Beings, wild and tame, animal and plant (10-11). Instead Of animal
sacrifice (14,23) Asaph presents a God that asks only for sacrifice of gratitude.
The point is to be thankful, be in gratitude which maintains our umbilical cord
to the Divine so we can receive nourishment .
the gratitude nourishes us –not the Divine – but keeps the Divine alive in
us allowing us to receive Divine care.
Without that mindfulness there are consequences! 22
Discussion:
Is the existence of G-d dependent on our belief and attendance to the
Divine? Does the Divine disappear when
we are not mindful(23)? Line 22: Are we
punished vs are we suffering the consequences of not being mindful in
remembering the Divine presence in our lives?
Or is G-d vulnerable to our conscious creation of Him/Her? How can Divine
influences assist us if we don’t keep Him/Her near? Are we destroyed/punished when
we are not mindful, or setting the stage for our own destruction. Does God disappear (we are destroying him?)
when we do not think of/relate to “Her/Him”
Taking responsibility for maintaining the connection (the
umbilical cord) to receive G_d’s blessings and protection. It is still the
Divine that provides the experience of salvation. (Zalman 23) Level of control
– Divine Being as all powerful, “Making us” experience.
Surrender
of “Self” enables experience of ____________(fill in the blank, i.e. salvation,
ecstasy, visions)
Yet
responsible for remembering by attending to Divine qualities, mitzvoth,
remembering, contemplation, maintaining awareness of Divine Presence, the
connection, being receptive by our awareness/belief/ritual/order (mitvot –
seder) This process contains Reciprocity
of receptivity/action as does the Beauty of the Shechinah (discussed below).
16-20 complains of not abusing the connection through
“recite my laws” – Extremism and entitlement we see today. 20=”maligning your brother, defaming the son
of your mother” points out the importance of the mother in a matrilineal post
matriarchal society. Points out what is
going on today .
Experience salvation23/redemption/rescue 15 Hebrew word
used?
Beauty of Zion –
the Earth an aspect of the Divine Lines 1-2
Multi vs Uni God
Aspects / qualities of the Divine vs each quality is personified.
“Shekinah” as “Mother earth, the Divine Presence. The other Sefirot with differing qualities,
strength, degree of accessibility
Divine Feminine is not just receptive. There is an action in
preparing and presenting One’s Beauty and a reciprocity of receiving and
giving. Give experience of one’s beauty
to the observer who receives and responds, thus giving (thanks/appreciation) as
the Shechinah receives the appreciation.
Jonathan contributes from Isaiah (not from this psalm) My thoughts are not your
thoughts, my ways are not your ways
Story
comparison by Jonathan re making a meal for one’s spouse – ready when he is
home vs asking day before what they want in detail.
To be grateful is to remember one’s Divine connection:
Divine part of your
body – agnos agnocia (not knowing that one does not know….. as in a CVA,
unawareness of a hemiplegic side of body “this arm is not my arm”). Are we
aware of Having Lost or forgotten a part
of our Spiritual Body? Laurie
suggests this as an exercise for Passover Village. We can Re-Member (Dan).
How to regain our inner connection. And our communal
connection to the Divine. (minyan)
My own sticking point: Christianity has claimed the God of
Love and Jews branded with a punishing Divinity, Do this or else! I prefer not to accept this, Not a punishing
G-d. Is it the absence of the Divine (out of mind) that creates a state of
“falling apart” dismemberment, feels like punishment. Sufism says Make G-d a Reality.” I ask for each of us to inquire within … What
is our preferred version/vision of the Divine Being?
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