March 2010. First Thursday evening, Contemplative Ma-ariv, at Nehar Shalom

Par'shah this week is Ki Tissa.

We chanted "yeilech na yah b'kirbeinu" with the chordal help of a Sruti. "Let G!d / Yah walk amongst us, circulate within each of us, permeate us, both individually and collectively." B'kirbeinu is poetically related to "as we get closer", so another reading makes it: G!d moves within us when we bring ourselves closer to holiness

We encouraged folks to hold this kavannah / intention (or choose another) during a short silent-sit.

We took an experiential / engaged tour of the par'shah:

The tabernacle requires material donations: Among them, a half-shekel from each adult (male). Even if you're rich, you only need to give that much. If you're poor, you still need to give that much. We see a model of standards that come with compassion.

Also, each gives one-half b/c we always need others to complete / complement our contributions.

Literally, they only asked the men for half-shekels. The omission of the women may have created a karmic vacuum, a yearning by the women also to contribute. Perhaps it was this yearning that was mis-directed by the expedient of asking the women for their gold earrings in order to make the Calf.

The 'melt-down' resulting in the Golden Calf represents tension between (a) preparing for and experiencing Revelation, integration with the G!d-force, religious passion, etc., while also (b) making mistakes and wrong turns in our practice, in our behaviors, in our decisions, in our lives. One moral: We are always work in progress, but can never settle into complacency.

G!d calls Moshe 'by name', that is, by Moshe's manifesting-attributes, by the way he affects the Universe around him. Then G!d calls out the famous 13 Attributes of G!d, which we heard to include both compassionate and disciplinary elements. It's a balance, or dance, of Consequences and Grace.

Moshe cannot see the 'Face of G!d', and yet, they do speak 'face to face, like friends in conversation'. This paradox beckons us to see and understand G!d, others, the Universe, as deeply as we can, while realizing that we can't possibly get 'the full picture'.

Rabbi Victor Reinstein also offered some teaching on the par'shah ( see *his* blog! :) .

After our tour of the par'shah, we chanted Ma-ariv (the Evening Service). We encouraged folks to tune into a "dance of listening". A climax in Ma-ariv occurs at the classic call for Israel to hear / listen / internalize the Oneness of G!d. A corresponding moment in the Amidah asks G!d to hear our prayers.