Preface
This book is the first of a series that provides us with a path for spiritual growth through the Jewish calendar and the traditions that are embodied in it. According to Jewish philosophy and mysticism (Kabbalah), every period of the year holds within it a special holy and spiritual energy which can embody a different awareness. In every period a special holy light comes down into the world and we learn about that special light through the philosophy of the traditions pertaining to that holiday or that period of time. That special light allows us to connect with a certain dimension of our soul (consciousness).
For example, on Passover we celebrate our coming out from Egypt – exile. Therefore, we also feel our personal redemption. On Shavuot we received the Torah 3700 years ago. So amazingly enough, every year on Shavuot, we get the spiritual opportunity to receive the Torah again – meaning inside of us, we experience again the receiving of the Torah. On every Shabbat not only our physical and emotional strength renews itself, but we also experience a spiritual reset. ‘Shabbat’ comes from the word ‘return.’ What do we return to? During the week we become more materialistic, we disconnect from our spiritual and emotional existence. On Shabbat we get the chance to reconnect. In the same way the whole year is filled with opportunities for transformation in different aspects of our consciousness. Every day in the Jewish calendar has a spiritual significance which enables us to look at our lives and change them according to the spiritual significance that the day empowers us with.
The idea of spirituality in Judaism is to take the magical powers of the day and to allow one’s consciousness to shift through praying, thinking and meditating on the spiritual concept of the power of the holiday or the month. Jewish mysticism teaches us that we need to be proactive. We learn it from these two terms in Jewish mysticism, the first is ‘Itaruta Ha’dilela’ which means G-d’s intervention. The second one is ‘Itaruta Hadiltata’ which means human intervention. Passover symbolizes G-d’s intervention because G-d took us out of Egypt, a place which was swallowing us deeper and deeper into more and more ways of impurity. But then comes the necessary work of humans to continue climbing up the ladder of self-improvement.
The text in this book is based on transcripts and insights of classes taught by one of the biggest spiritual leaders of our generation, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, of blessed memory. In between the transcription the reader will also find clarifications based on the discussion of the editor, Rabbi Shlomo’s close student for more than 20 years, Miriam Drori, and her friend Amy Rappaport.
The classes were taught when we were sitting in a group of a few dozen people in a small apartment. Every time I came to the class hoping to talk to Reb Shlomo about the questions I prepared in advance and to my surprise every time my personal questions were answered through the evening. One time he taught that when you have your answers through a teacher without even asking him the questions then it is a sign that you have found your spiritual teacher. I guess that I found mine!!!
Later in life, I also learned in the same context about Rabbi Arye Levine, of blessed memory, who is also known as ‘the Father of the Prisoners’ because, for twenty-five years, he was the Father of the Prisoners of the Underground who were arrested by the British. He was the one who took care of the emotional well-being of all of them. One of the stories that was told about Rabbi Arye was how he once came into the Beit Midrash (Jewish learning center) at midnight and he saw Rabbi David Ha Kohen, who is also known at the “Nazir” (someone who does not cut his hair, does not drink wine). He was the right-hand man of Rabbi Kook, of blessed memory (the first Chief Rabbi of Israel). Rabbi Arye was very happy for the opportunity to have a personal conversation with the “Nazir.” He had many questions to ask him so he sat across from him and waited for a sign to begin. The Nazir smiled and looked deeply into the eyes of Rabbi Arye Levin for a few hours until he got up and said, “Now I have to go and I was so happy to meet with you.” The next day Rabbi Levine told Rabbi Kook about his experience the day before. He also added that even thougheventhough not even one word was spoken between them, all of the questions he came with were answered. To which Rabbi Kook replied, “Besides all of the languages that our Reb David, the Nazir speaks, he knows another language, the language of silence. That is the language of which we give over everything that is indescribable in words.”
The classes I attended and the things that are written in this book and the spiritual impression that I absorbed through them are an important milestone in my spiritual search. In the Jewish library, there are many texts for which one needs a poetic soul or a broad imagination as well as intellectual capacity to be able to absorb the texts. And there are many stories and texts whichforrom which, if we do not open our spiritual receptors, it will be very difficult to absorb them. The experiences that I had in those classes with Rabbi Shlomo allowed me to open my spiritual receptivity thanks to the energy in which his classes were given. I then internalized the stories and insights that came out of them and began reading Jewish spiritual texts in an existentialist way.
At the beginning of each class, Shlomo would start by saying, “Open your hearts.” or he would say, “Let’s open the gates of heaven.” and then we would sing and play some music and meditate for some time. When the gates were open he would start talking or teaching in the coziest environment you can imagine.
Many times he would say, “My dear friends I ask you for your utmost concentration because I have no idea what I will talk about today.” In those times my feeling was that the things that he shared that day were connected to an even higher and deeper place than usual. When I listen to these classes now, twenty-five years later, I realize how much deeper the class was when he was less prepared for the class.
