April, 2010. Thursday Evening at Nehar Shalom, Tiferet in G'vurah

This Omer-week is associated with the G!d-force of G'vurah, container energy, discipline, boundaries. The Torah reading includes the story of the ecstatic celebration of the new Mishkan, including the improvisation by, and fire-consumption of, the two elder sons of Aharon. We meditated on and discussed the importance both of play, improvisation, joy, creativity, on the one hand, and limits or boundaries, on the other hand. These two 'hands' are complementary as opposed to mutually exclusive. One needs a container to direct and shape our enthusiasm, but of course a container is pointless unless there is substance getting contained and directed by it.