Malchut, another name for Shechinah, Dweller. Divine Dweller, that is. Thus, a Divine Presence. Hod, Splendour. Shechinah she’b’hod, Divine Presence in Splendour. But Shechinah isn’t just any Divine Presence. It’s like the presence of a loving mother. One who follows you into exile. Physical exile, but also spiritual exile. Emotional exile. She cries for you…
Category: Animals
Mrs. L's Love: Omer 22
Chesed. Love. Netzach. Endurance. Chesed she’b’Netzach. Love that keeps us keeping on. Today, I’d like to tell a Sophia Street story. It’s about lasting love between friends. True confession: We have an indoor-outdoor cat. His name is Koi and he is 16 years old. He’s quite friendly. So, after 14 years in the neighbourhood, he…
Deborah: Bee Peaceful
Deborah: biblical judge, prophet, warrior, singer, peacemaker. Here are three perspectives on her story: feminist, zoological, and Kabbalistic. Deborah, The New Miriam First, a feminist take. Deborah is the new Miriam. She’s a more modern version of a heroic woman. A bolder version. Take a look at the parallels between their stories. Then, note the…
Locust: Best Post Ever
So I checked my blog stats! And thus I found my most-read post ever. It’s “Grasshoppers and Locusts: Biblical Power Animals.” Looks like almost 20,000 people read it (so far). On the one hand, it’s just a great post. It’s religious, spiritual, and ecological. And it hints at current events: immigrants, inclusive communities, global locust…
Aliens on Our Planet
Aliens were trending on twitter yesterday. No, not terrestrial aliens like the ones in the picture. (However, I’ll talk about them below). But EXTRA-terrestrials, the kind from another planet. Apparently, the New York Times reported on them yesterday. Well, on efforts to learn more about them. The US Office of Naval Intelligence is studying UFOs.…
(Don)key to Redemption
The Biblical donkey is here, to talk about redemption. Especially about our role in it. So, let’s hear what the donkey has to say. Balaam’s Donkey King Balak of Moab hires the seer Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam is a dedicated follower of Hashem. So, when God comes to him in a dream and…
Crow: Talking the Talk
The CROW EXPERIMENT worked! I SPOKE CROW and the CROW LISTENED. There’s a highly sensitive, easily agitated crow on our street this spring. I’ve been watching it since April, when it bashed the back of my head. Yesterday it shrieked and flapped at me. When I paused to scold back, it flew at my head…
Sing a New Song
Spoiler alert: you can scroll right down to the video, without reading. Lockdown has its own odd rhythm. So, I’m surprised to realize: I haven’t blogged in weeks! Not because I’ve had no thoughts. But because I’ve been busy. Creating the conference advertised at the bottom here. Singing in virtual synagogue, as in the video…
Our Ancestral Sheep
There’s a sweet medieval Jewish work of eco-spirituality called Perek Shira, Nature’s Songbook. The author describes creation as a choir. Every animal sings a different Biblical verse. Sheep chant mi chamocha ba’eilim HaShem – who is like you among the princes, HaShem? Why? The Artscroll edition offers a theory. Sheep are prey. They have no…
Donkey Facts for Prophet Balaam
Donkey week. On the Jewish liturgical calendar, that is. We read the story of Balaam’s talking donkey. Yes, the one that knows the way better than her rider does. She’s more spiritually attuned. More awake. She sees more dimensions of reality. Thus, she’s no different from other donkeys in the Torah. (Read about donkeys in the…