I am you, you are me
I spent my Yom Kippur at the campus Chabad House. Chabad is a branch of Hassidism which is Matisyahu's Sect of Judaism. It was a really interesting and deeply meaningful experience for me.
I want to focus on one series of thoughts I had because alot went through my mind from sundown Sunday until Sundown tonight.
First I need to do some back tracking.
The night before I moved out of my parents house, I had this really deep dream. All I could see was a piece of art, a painting. And all I could here was a woman's voice. The next day I interpreted the voice as saying to me the art was just as it was and it was bound by time and space and could not change. I then submitted to this idea, that the picture was its own independent vessel, bound by time and space. However, once I accepted this, I saw that the picture was a small piece of a much greater masterpiece of art composed of many different pictures. Although each piece of art was its own individual expression, they only existed in context of the masterpiece. Once I could see the whole picture, so to speak, the colors bgan to move between all the different smaller pieces of art.
When I first shared this dream with a semi-intoxicated girl at a frat party, she was blown away. "G!d talks to you in your dreams...Now I understand G!d" At first I slightly shrugged off what she said.
Over Yom Kippur I engaged many times in learning and spiritual growth, by myself in the library, and also in a group with our Rabbi, Zev. There are three things you focus on between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, from our names being written in the book of life and when they are sealed, and they are: teshuva, tefilah, and tzedakah. It was through a discussion of teshuva that I understood my dream in a greater context. (I would go into great length to discuss tefilah and tzedakah but I spent a number of hours discussing these ideas).
Alot of times Teshuva is translated into english as repentance, even in one of the prayer books we were using. However, it is a much greater concept than that. Teshuva means return. It is not going through anything new, but seeking to become closer to the divine. One aspect of teshuva is placing G!d before oneself. Not like saying I am dirt before all else. For me, for a long time I understood the universe as there is me, there is the table which holds up my computer, and the internet in which I post my ljs, and then there is G!d. One aspect of performing teshuva is giving that belief up, removing one's ego so to speak, and recognize that one is not independent from all else.
Through discussion on this topic, I smiled. I smiled because I finally understood my dream, I finally was able to understand that voice.
I am unique, however I am not independent of all creation. I am part of a masterwork of art, the colors which flow through me are connect me to the rest of the masterpiece which is creation.
That is all I have to say for tonight. may your lives be full of love, sweetness and many blessings.
I want to focus on one series of thoughts I had because alot went through my mind from sundown Sunday until Sundown tonight.
First I need to do some back tracking.
The night before I moved out of my parents house, I had this really deep dream. All I could see was a piece of art, a painting. And all I could here was a woman's voice. The next day I interpreted the voice as saying to me the art was just as it was and it was bound by time and space and could not change. I then submitted to this idea, that the picture was its own independent vessel, bound by time and space. However, once I accepted this, I saw that the picture was a small piece of a much greater masterpiece of art composed of many different pictures. Although each piece of art was its own individual expression, they only existed in context of the masterpiece. Once I could see the whole picture, so to speak, the colors bgan to move between all the different smaller pieces of art.
When I first shared this dream with a semi-intoxicated girl at a frat party, she was blown away. "G!d talks to you in your dreams...Now I understand G!d" At first I slightly shrugged off what she said.
Over Yom Kippur I engaged many times in learning and spiritual growth, by myself in the library, and also in a group with our Rabbi, Zev. There are three things you focus on between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, from our names being written in the book of life and when they are sealed, and they are: teshuva, tefilah, and tzedakah. It was through a discussion of teshuva that I understood my dream in a greater context. (I would go into great length to discuss tefilah and tzedakah but I spent a number of hours discussing these ideas).
Alot of times Teshuva is translated into english as repentance, even in one of the prayer books we were using. However, it is a much greater concept than that. Teshuva means return. It is not going through anything new, but seeking to become closer to the divine. One aspect of teshuva is placing G!d before oneself. Not like saying I am dirt before all else. For me, for a long time I understood the universe as there is me, there is the table which holds up my computer, and the internet in which I post my ljs, and then there is G!d. One aspect of performing teshuva is giving that belief up, removing one's ego so to speak, and recognize that one is not independent from all else.
Through discussion on this topic, I smiled. I smiled because I finally understood my dream, I finally was able to understand that voice.
I am unique, however I am not independent of all creation. I am part of a masterwork of art, the colors which flow through me are connect me to the rest of the masterpiece which is creation.
That is all I have to say for tonight. may your lives be full of love, sweetness and many blessings.