To Infinity and Beyond

Laura on glacier

Solomon Ibn Gabirol

A Jew raised in Muslim Spain

11th century

 

Known to Jews

as a literary artist

a liturgical poet

of wild imagination and skill

 

Known to Muslims

as a philosopher

in the Neo-Platonic tradition

able to put the subtlest metaphysical intuitions

into a single word

 

Solomon Ibn Gabirol

Likely the author of Adon Olam

 

You know Adon Olam,

The last song

of the Shabbat morning service

 

Adon Olam Asher Malach

B’terem kol yetzir nivra

 

Adon Olam Asher Malach

B’terem kol yetzir nivra

 

And you know its peshat

Its simple translation

 

Master of the World Who Ruled

Before every thing was created

 

Master of the World Who Ruled

Before every thing was created

 

But Ibn Gabirol

poet and philosopher

was not thinking peshat

was not thinking simple

 

He was thinking deep

Adon Olam Asher Malach

 

Adon

From biblical Hebrew

Adanim

Joints

The matrix that holds a structure together

 

Olam

Eternal in time

Infinite in space

Elusive

Hidden

 

Adon Olam

The Hidden Matrix that holds reality together

 

Asher

Not just a preposition

But an adjective

Happy, joyous, blissful

 

Adon Olam Asher

If you grasp this matrix,

you feel joy

and bliss

your most sublime moments of peace

radiate

in every direction

 

Malach

From the word malchut

royalty

In Kabbalah

a synonym

for Shechinah

The one who dwells

The indwelling presence

Dwelling every where

In every thing

 

Adon Olam Asher Malach

The indwelling elusive matrix of bliss

 

B’terem kol yetzir nivrah

 

B’terem

Before

in the before

in the great before

 

Kol Yetzir

Everything that has form

 

Nivra

was created

 

B’terem kol yetzir nivra

Before anything with physical shape

Anything with conceptual form

or boundaries

of any kind

was created

 

Before even a thought

of creation

Before a design

or a plan

arose

 

The indwelling

elusive matrix of bliss

existed

 

But “existed”

is a verb

in the past tense form

And until beings

with form

were created

There was no

past tense

There was no

“before”

Only

an indwelling

elusive

matrix of bliss

 

There was no

infinity

Because infinite

means

“not finite”

And without finite beings

Who can measure

infinity?

 

Oh Infinity!

A poor concept

Product

of the short reach

of the human mind

as it tries

to grasp

the elusive

indwelling

matrix of bliss

 

Infinity!

A marvelous angel

God’s first

created concept

Our very best tool

To touch

The matrix

Of bliss

 

Infinity

a measure

a hint

The footsteps of time

 

Marked out

by the poet

In his rhythmic words

 

Adon Olam Asher Malach

B’Terem Kol Yetzir Nivra

 

When I,

Laura,

Pray

 

I often ask:

Holy One,

help me

hold it all,

all my thoughts,

all my feelings,

all my fears,

all my failures

Because you,

Holy One,

already hold them

in your elusive matrix

 

B’yado afkid ruchi

Into this cosmic hand

I assign

my spirit

Trusting

it is held

in the matrix

 

B’eit Ishan

When it’s time for sleep

I

whose bodily life

is timed

down to the minute

By hormones, neurons, and nutrients

Conforming to a circadian rhythm

Living 16 of 24 hours

at full attention

 

I

surrender my control

for 8 hours

I let

the matrix

hold me

 

V’aiyra

Until I wake up

and beyond

 

V’im ruchi geviyati

With my soul expressed

through this time-bound form

 

Adonai Li

My concept

of an infinite God

keeps me company

 

V’lo Irah

Irah, to see

Irah, to fear

 

Though I will never see

the matrix

itself

It holds me

I will not fear

 

Notes: This 7-minute spoken word piece was created for and performed at the Limmud Vancouver Cabaret 2016 by Laura Duhan Kaplan. It was followed by a heart-aching performance of Adon Olam, arranged in a bluesy style pioneered by James Stone Goodman and colleagues on his album “The Sefirot,” and delivered by the Vancouver, Canada band “Sulam” and guest artists (guitarist Charles Kaplan, mandolinist Martin Gotfrit, bassist Joe Markovitch, flautist Wendy Rubin, violinist Elana Brief and vocalist Laura Duhan Kaplan).

Please feel free to “share” this blog post with the “share” button. If you wish to share or use it in another context, please attribute the work to my authorship and let me know how you have used it.  lauraduhankaplan@sophiastreet.com

Photo credit: Charles Kaplan

22 Comments
  1. Thank you for putting this up. It deserves wide distribution.

  2. We are in the matrix of Adon Olam. Thank you Reb Laura for guiding us into this illumination of our creation with the Creator.
    Yours in profound appreciation,
    Debbie Havusha
    And-Thank you to my beloved friend Michal for sharing this.

  3. The spoken word is also very rich when reading it quietly. Thank you for this wisdom. I will use it to teach the meaning behind the meaning of Adon Olam… Tamara

  4. Not sure how to start. I am moved and enriched. I think, for me, this reading will provide a springboard for meditation as well as beginning a different, deeper search for ways to consider the eternal. Certainly I will never sing Adon Olam in the same way again!!

  5. The idea of a matrix of bliss will remain with me for along time. Thank you R’Laura.

  6. I heard your recitation and never thought of asking for a copy so thank you for posting. I’ve never contemplated the meaning behind the words.

  7. This is stunning.

    As it happens, my hevruta partner reminded me of the meaning of adanim just yesterday, so reading this post today feels like hashgacha pratit.

    1. Together they will spark a creative insight and you will take the concept in a whole new direction!

  8. I was there, and I now know the meaning of “blown away”. I never feel as if I can thank you enough.

    1. Thank you, Shira. It was pretty amazing for me too. I felt the energy of the room was all collated in the matrix!

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