Hod. Gratitude. Tiferet. Beauty. Hod she’b’Tiferet. Gratitude in beauty. It’s spring in the rain forest. So, I get to see lots of beautiful things. Cherry blossoms. Bees in flowers. Robins grazing in early gardens. In this season, I often feel overwhelmed by beauty. So, sometimes, I can’t believe my good fortune. How did I manage…
Attachment: Omer 18
Netzach: Enduring, Lasting. Tiferet: Beauty. Netzach she’b’Tiferet: Lasting beauty. Wanting beautiful things to last forever. Isn’t that a kind of attachment? One best met with non-attachment practice? But where do I begin? Maybe with last night’s dream. We discover harmful bacteria in our pond. Then, I notice blue ink stains all over my white dress.…
Numinous Beauty: Omer 17
Tiferet: Beauty. Tiferet she’b’Tiferet: Beauty within beauty. The ultimate. The heart of the tree of sefirot. Some say the vibe of Tiferet is like the vibe of YHWH. The ineffable divine, subtle like a breath. But also, like a breath, threading through everything we do. Occasionally it catches our attention. Leaps forward and touches our…
Justice in Beauty: Omer 16
Gevurah. Justice. Tiferet. Beauty. Gevurah she’b’Tiferet. Justice within beauty. How does beauty hold justice in it? Well, there’s Plato’s view, that all ideals converge. The best things are good, beautiful, and just. So when we see something truly beautiful, it’s because we also see justice in action. Injustice is ugly, and we find it jarring.…
Love with Beauty: Omer 15
Chesed: Love. Tiferet: Beauty. Chesed she’b’Tiferet: The love in beauty. Love that sees beauty. And love that seeks beauty. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” At the simplest level, this means we all find different things beautiful. When we love someone, for example, they seem beautiful to us. Like my cat Koi. He’s…
Mother Wisdom: Omer 14
Malchut. Also known as Shechinah, Archetype of the Mother. One whose guidance is always present. Gevurah. Judgment. Malchut she’b’Gevurah. Maternal wisdom, a part of good judgment. Today I just want to celebrate wisdom of the Great Mother. Or, as she’s known in ordinary English, a grandmother. Last night I dreamed: I am driving on a…
Mantra Strength: Omer 13
Yesod. Foundation. Gevurah. Judgment. Yesod she’b’Gevurah. Foundation of Judgment What are the foundations of judgment? Are they feelings? Beliefs? Can we free ourselves from old foundations? See the world anew? And then learn to make kinder, gentler judgments? Apparently, this is a big question right now. There’s a hot academic debate about “affect theory.” Here’s…
Philosophy Skills: Omer 12
Hod. Splendour. Gevurah. Judgment. Hod she’b’gevurah. Splendid judgment. So, I have a Ph.D. in philosophy. I don’t teach it anymore, and I’m glad. But I learned so much. Philosophy is equal parts critical thinking and creative thinking. In the critical thinking part, you have to define concepts precisely. Think quickly about all the implications of…
Lasting Judgment: Omer 11
Netzach. Endurance. Gevurah. Judgment. Netzach she’b’gevurah. Enduring Judgment. Ever read evaluations of your own teaching? Or an event you led? If so, then you know. You might get 28 positive comments, with one negative outlier. And what do you remember most? What lingers in your thoughts and hurts your heart? The one negative comment. Even…
Beautiful Judgment? Omer 10
Tiferet: Beauty. Gevurah: Judgment. Tiferet she’b’gevurah: Beauty in Judgment. At its best, judgment activates our rational minds. So, let’s take a theory break. A little detour into philosophy. Just for a few paragraphs! Plato’s allegory of the cave tells of prisoners chained to a bench. Where they sit, they can only see shadows. They’re experts…