Sixth week of the Omer count: An opportunity to reflect on Yesod: Foundation
In today’s “postmodern” intellectual climate, philosophers like to discuss foundationalism.
Human consciousness is diverse. We wander between sensing, reasoning, feeling, imagining, and dreaming. These interweave to form human knowledge and experience. If the weave becomes complex and confusing, foundationalists have the solution: look to the most foundational state of consciousness. Some say that’s reason, some sensation, others feeling or imagination.
Contemporary philosophers, aware of nuance and complexity, consider foundationalism old-fashioned. Today, everyone is an anti-foundationalist. Except me. In the right hands, I think, foundationalism can be beautiful, inspirational, healing, and flexible.
Hands like those of Hermann Cohen (1842-1918). For Cohen, the ultimate foundation is peace.
“What is peace?” Cohen asked himself. He answered: Emotionally, peace is a feeling of being moved. Intellectually, peace is experiencing a whirl of ideas settling into clear insight. Ethically, it is remembering to consider what is best for all. Spiritually, it is a recognition that hate is an unreal emotion, a smokescreen of blame we send up when not at peace with ourselves. Politically, peace is belief that the human future will be better than the past.
Cohen noticed that the last sentence of the priestly blessing says:
Yisa HaShem panav eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom
May God raise the Divine face (panim) towards you and place upon you peace.
Panim means “face,” “presence” and “deep within.” Peace, Cohen realized, is the face of the Divine. Peace is unity within the individual heart. Peace is persons fully present to one another, working for a common good. Peace is the presence of the One God.
When the weave of life becomes too complex, look towards peace. As the foundational state of consciousness, it resolves all dilemmas, all disputes.
What does “peace” mean to you? Is it one of the foundations of your life? What kind of consciousness do you consider most pure or desirable? How do you reach for it?
Image: jackieolenick.com
On this Omer day of Yesod she-be-Yesod (Foundation of Foundation), I was just doing a standing meditation, wrapped in a tallit that I sensed as love, peace, and divinity, and feeling deep within that I am rooted on a divinely firm Foundation. Then I read your post and it described my prayer exactly. Thank you very much for writing this.
Julie, that’s beautiful! I’m glad we were aligned, and I’m glad you felt the Divine presence in this way. Blessings!