Tools needed:
     1. Mantra
     2. Sacred word or phrase
     3. Journal
     4. Time

D’vekut – is God-consciousness, seeing the world as the infinite flowing wholeness of God. Many times during the day, at home and outside on the street, think in all humility: "All the world is Godliness, even the particles of earth beneath my feet, as well as the air I breathe within me – and the reality of all that exists is Godliness."
   1. Avodah be-Bittul/Meditation – the meditation of self-annihilation. "There is service to God through stillness…when a person sits alone and in silence…and enters a world of absolute rest and stillness…" (Or ha-Ganuz l’Tzaddikim). The Psalmist calls this kalta nafshi, "the obliteration of my soul." A temporary ending of your sense of self and separateness (these are relative and not absolute terms). All definitions and labels are erased. You realize that you are God’s vehicle for knowing God as the Source and Substance of all reality. You look at yourself and the world as expressions of God, united in a reality that makes for infinite diversity. This understanding is accompanied by a heightened sense of connection with and compassion for all life. You develop a desire to bring about tikkun olam, perfecting the world through love and justice. Repeat mantra (see Gerushin – 2). If thoughts wander, just bring your attention back to the mantra.

   *  A fixed part of your day
   *  Before breakfast set aside twenty minutes
   *  Second time is late afternoon or early evening
   *  Sit, do not lie down. Do not rest head on wall, pillow, or back of chair

   2. Gerushin/Repetition – the silent repetition of a sacred word or phrase. The word translates as "dispelling." Rid one of unwanted thoughts. Physically is soothing; as you become aware of the phrase, your breathing slows and deepens, body relaxes, and you smile. As you repeat the phrase, you will find yourself letting go of the need to control situations and people, which is at the root of so much negative emotional stress. The sense of "I" lightens, the strain of maintaining a separate self eases, and you sense that God is not in you, but that you are God.

Repetition is the key, and repeating the same sound over and over again without change deepens the effect. From this tranquility you can respond to Life with ever deepening sensitivity and compassion.
   *  Adonai/Ineffable One
   *  Shalom/Well-being
   *  Ribbono shel olam/Source of the universe
   *  Yotzi u’Bori Ata/You are my Maker and Creator
   *  HaRachaman/Merciful One
   *  Da Lifnei Mi Ata Omed/Know before Whom you stand
   *  Shiviti HaShem l’negdi tamid/I place the Ineffable One before me always
   3. Musar/Inspirational Reading – the name of a 19th-century educational movement among the Jews of Lithuania, founded by Rabbi Israel Lipkin Salanter (1810-1883). The motivation for the movement is that humans suffer from moral laziness. During meetings people are urged to speak softly, thoughtfully, and to concentrate on saying precisely what they mean. Joking and sarcasm and irony are discouraged. Bolster positive traits and reduce negative ones. Musar literature refers to a huge body of Jewish ethical and inspirational literature. The more widely you read, the more deeply you will come to see the common ground in which are religions rooted.
   *  Read for five to fifteen minutes each day
   *  Make it part of daily meditation practice. Read after meditation. Close eyes. Meditate for five more minutes
   *  Learn from a Musar book every day
   *  Repeat what you have learned two or three times on same day or successive days
   *  Examples from Psalms: 29, 92, 93, 95-99
   4. Kavanah/Attention – Possible definitions: meditation, concentration, devotion, intention, integrity of action, attention. Shift your attention away from self to focus on the task at hand. Redirecting attention from the doer to the doing requires you to slow down (p. 111 bottom). Focused attention allows one to discover the wonderment embedded in the simplest acts. The more attention you pay to the things you do, the richer the doing becomes.
   *  When engaged in a conversation, redirect attention from what you want to say to what is being said to you
   *  When working on the computer try this kavanah:

Web of all life,
As I sit down before my computer, let me be aware that I am connecting with others all over the planet.

Help me appreciate the endless hours of untold human effort that went in to creating the computers, the wiring, the circuits, and the technology of this amazing system I will now use.

Let me not, however, forget that You are truly the Impetus of all Creation.

Elohai n’tzor l’shoni mayra

Source of all Connections; guard my tongue from evil and my fingers from typing guile.

As I use this instrument of human communication let my words be beneficial for the transformation of consciousness on this earth plane and in the heavenly realm.

May my efforts at this computer be for a tikkun/correction, to send and gather the holy sparks of YHVH, our divine light. --R. Geela Rayzel Raphael
   *  Before answering the phone, close your eyes and slow your breathing
   *  Before making a phone call, close your eyes and slow your breathing

The sages established blessings known as Birchot ha-Nehenin relating to the enjoyment of the five senses. They all begin, Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam…, Blessed is the Source of Life, the Fountain of Being…. Here are some other than food:

On smelling fragrant woods or barks

"…Who creates fragrant woods."

On seeing lightning, shooting stars, great deserts, high mountains, and sunrise

"… Who does the workings of creation."

On hearing good news

"… Who is good and does good."
   5. Tzedakah/Generosity – from the Hebrew word tzedek, "justice." "Tzedakah is equal to all of the commandments combined." This is the practice of generosity. When you practice generosity you open the circle of self and become aware of the larger whole in which the self rests. It is not about power or poverty, but about recognizing the interdependence of all things and our obligation to each other to help create the most just world we can. Make it a discipline during the week.
   *  Before you eat a meal
   *  Before making love
   *  Before you go food shopping (have a tzedakah box in your car)
   *  Before you go clothes shopping
   *  Before lighting Shabbat candles
   *  Before going on a journey
   *  Before turning on or working at computer (have a tzedakah box next to it)
   6. Gemilut Chesed/Kindness – first appears as a maxim attributed to the Talmudic sage Simon the Just: "The world stands upon three things: Torah, temple service, and acts of loving kindness." The classic examples are honoring parents, promoting harmony, et al visiting the sick. Gemilut chesed is a central concern: "One who engages in Torah study and does not involve himself in doing deeds of kindness is like one who has no God." Putting others first leads to the discovery of how much others do for you.
   7. Pitron Chalomot/Dream Interpretation – 1/60th of our dreams are prophecy, according to our sages. Use your dreams as vehicles for exploring the direction your life is taking.
   *  Before you sleep ask self to remember the dream. If you wake on the fringe of a dream, keep eyes closed. Allow dream to become more vivid.
   *  Keep a journal of dreams
   *  Write down a question or problem. Place it under your pillow. Stimulates intuitive thinking.
   8. Eco-kashrut/Ethical Consumption– treat animate and inanimate, sentient and nonsentient as manifestations of God. "If you do not maintain the world, no one after will come to straighten it out."

Four Principles of Eco-kashrut:

   1. Against Waste: the Talmud teaches that you must adjust an oil lamp so that it does not burn too quickly and waste fuel. Turn off lights when not in use; use fuel-efficient bulbs; do not overheat or overcool your home; recycle.
   2. Against Unnecessary Destruction: Check out story about Rav Huna and the silk purse. Take a mental inventory of the use of paper goods in your homes. Avoid needless destruction of our resources.
   3. Against Spoiling Food: you are forbidden to spoil food deliberately. Do you prepare more food than necessary? Are leftovers eaten or allowed to spoil? Do you compost?
   4. Respect: three aspects –
     - Respect your body: proper hygiene, diet, exercise, strive toward a vegetarian diet, consume nothing that is harmful.
     - Respect nature: consume nothing that causes harm to other beings or the planet.

o and respect for animals: avoid needless suffering of animals.
   *  Next time you sit down to eat, pause for a moment and consider what lies before you. The slice of bread was once a grain of wheat. To become more it had to interact with soil, rain, the sun, and the seasons. These depend on larger systems, leading us not only to the planet, but also to the entire universe. Additionally, someone had to plant the wheat. Someone else had to process it, and so on.
   *  Before you eat, close your eyes and offer a brief prayer of thanksgiving. When you open your eyes take a moment to appreciate the colors and textures of what you are about to eat. Food should delight the senses. The more you are aware of the joy of eating, the less you actually consume.

Here are some traditional blessings:

Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam


   *  Ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz (over bread)
   *  Borai pri ha-adamah (over vegetables)
   *  Borai pri ha-eitz (over fruit)
   *  Borai pri ha-gaphen (over wine)
   *  Borai minei mizonot (cookies and such)

These translate as "Blessed is the Source of Life, the Fountain of Being, by whose power the earth gives birth to bread/grain [vegetables, fruit, fruit of the vine]."

A blessing over food when there is no bread: Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam she-ha-kol nihiyeh b’dvaro, "Blessed is the Source of Life, the Fountain of Being, by whose word all things come into being."

One might add to the blessing: "May I live in a manner worthy of the gift of this food. May I turn from ingratitude to gratitude, and eat only what I need. May I use this food for the realization of the way of wisdom, service, and loving kindness."

When you finish eating: Baruch Ata Adonai Hazan et HaKol, "Blessed are You Eternal One, Who nourishes us all," or "May the food I have just eaten find honor by sustaining me in my quest for holiness."
   9. Teshuva/Self-Perfection – the Hebrew word means "to turn," and traditionally is translated as "repentance." There are four stages: admitting wrongdoing, feeling genuine remorse, refraining from that action in the future, and channeling your energies into doing good. As with the other disciplines, this leads toward creating a new persona, or, as the Bible puts it, you make for yourself "a new heart."
   *  Begin and end conversations with Shalom, "peace."
   *  Review conversations you have had during the week and ask how you might have handled things better
   *  Pick one day a month when you will weigh each word you speak with extreme care
   *  At the end of the day ask yourself the following questions:
   o How was I better today than yesterday?
   o What mistakes did I make today?
   o What can I learn from these mistakes?
   o What can I do tomorrow to make amends?
   o What must I do never to repeat these mistakes?
   o What harm did my words cause?
   o What can I do tomorrow to make my speech more thoughtful?
   10. Shabbat/Sabbath – provides rest and renewal from our harrowing and hectic lives.

Shabbat Candles Meditation

Let your eyes close and become comfortable and relaxed. Allow some deep, slow breaths to bring peace and harmony into your body and soul…. With every deep breath your body becomes more and more relaxed. See how good and at peace you feel…. Everything is just right. Your heart is calm; you are at one with yourself.

Imagine you are home getting ready to light your Shabbat candles…. The house is clean and in order….The Shabbat table is set and ready….The beautiful Kiddush cups – one for each member of your family – are filled. A beautiful cloth covers the Challah.

Before you pick up the match and strike it your mind wanders. Think of the special people in your life and picture each one of them…. Maybe they are from your past. Maybe from your present family…. Take a moment and say a brief word to each of them before you strike the match….

Now light each candle, with love and devotion for each one, and watch the burning glow….Take your time as you gaze at the different colors in their fire – the orange, the light blue, the green and the red….Now you follow the ancient custom by waving your arms in a circle, extending your hands in front of you, embracing the light of the candles, and then closing the circle by bringing your hands back to your chest – feeling the warmth of the flame in your heart, feeling that warmth and energy pulsing through your veins to every part of your body…. and now place your hands over your eyes – feeling your facial muscles tingling with a vital energy.

The energy entering every pore of your body is the Neshama Yetera is the extra Shabbat soul. It heightens our spirit and uplifts the heart. Pay attention to how you feel with this extra soul inside of you….

Now that Shabbat has come into your life, and you enter into the realm of Shabbat, think about what you have to look forward to during the rest of the evening and tomorrow until sundown, when Shabbat takes leave of your home….

As you stare comfortably at the flickering flames in front of you, see what thoughts and feelings come to your mind…. Let them float across the stage in your mind, and see what comes….

As the peace and tranquility of Shabbat envelops your body, and your home, return to the breath and when you are ready, return to this room, and slowly open your eyes.
   11. Joy - Rabbi Nachman said that the value of joy is its ability to combat the destructive power of our imagination. The ability to return to GOD (Teshuva) will surpass any and all forms of despair. He also said that the pathway to our true destiny is JOY. Our JOY is not always dependent upon other people, but often on our individual relationship with life and with GOD. When we experience LOVE ----JOY---SPIRITUAL ECSTACY we know we are on the right path.

The practice of Judaism is a joyful practice.
   *  Start day with a smile as God starts with a smiling sun.
   *  Sing Modeh Ani Lifanecha – with a smile in your heart
   *  Music: Play what you like over and over again until it is in your mind constantly. Sing. Make up songs to God.
   *  Dance just for yourself. Give yourself twenty minutes of movement and joy each day or each week.
   *  Nature: Find a place to walk that is not near people. Be vigilant so you do not think about yourself. Be your own tour guide – Say, "Wow, look at that ant, flower, etc." Talk aloud.
   *  Be selective of not just the food you eat, but of whom we are with, what we think, read, and watch. May we be a part of the creation of a holy space within us.
   *  Books: Browse in a bookstore or library and look for books you enjoy or for books with new interests in mind.
   *  Go to a playground; hug a tree, walk barefoot in the grass (Remember Edward Lewis in the movie "Pretty Woman"), go on a swing or a slide.
   *   Go to a museum and excite your imagination.
   *  When someone cuts you off in traffic, smile at him or her when you pass them.
   *  Soak in a tub for thirty minutes. Use bubbles – No thinking about yourself, family or work. How about thinking about God?
   *  Read the Hoda’ah (Thanksgiving) prayer in the prayerbook. Be thankful to God for sight, touch, taste, family, and others. Get grateful.

Obviously there are hundreds of activities that lighten the heart and nourish the soul. We do not have to wait for JOY to find us; we can invite it in at this very moment.

Meditation: Each day we are given opportunities to give and receive. Let's take a few minutes to review yesterday and today. Take note of all the giving and receiving you experienced. It may be deep and profound, or it may be very small----for example a storekeeper SMILED at you when he gave you change. Take time to savor each interaction you had with others, with nature, and even yourself. Savor the flow of Divine energy in each interaction.

After the meditation, write in your journal. 10 minutes.
    1) Write down the highlights of this meditation.
    2) What do you appreciate about your life now? Can you list 15 things you are grateful for?
    3) What people do you appreciate in your life? How about showing it to them soon.
Meditation time again. 5 minutes. The Mantra is "JOY".

***

Those who partake in these hanhagot are automatically members of Congregation Or Chadash’s Minyan. Our Minyan’s goal is to help each of you face the struggles of the world better. Some of you will be forming into communities within our community. This allows for a supportive circle of friends whose freely chosen obligation is the mutual support of each other’s spiritual practice and maturation.

The bulleted items are the disciplines you may wish to practice. This is by no means a complete list. If you have others to share, please contact me at the synagogue office.
    1. We must try to control our thought processes and learn to think in new ways, thus gaining new and richer mind experiences.
    2. Enhance our awareness and perception of the world around us. We need to learn to quiet interference and focus more on the experience and the people around us.
    3. Attune our minds to certain truths (or Truths) - the meaning of existence.
    4. Become more aware of yourself, your needs and desires. Pull away the thick veil of Ego.
    5. Gain awareness to the spiritual world.
    6. Perceive God, not as a mirror of us; but beyond that.
Cultivating the Soul

A tourist visiting Eastern Europe to visit the renowed scholar and tzaddik, the Hafetz Hayyim (Israel Meir Kagen, Lithuania, 1838-1933). He came in and saw a bed, a chair, a table, a cupboard, a closet, and a bookcase.

"Where are your possessions?"

"Where are yours?" the Hafetz Hayyim replied.

"What kind of question is that?" the tourist said. "I’m a visitor here."

"I am too," the sage replied.

The Hafetz Hayyim seems to be at odds with the Jerusalem Talmud which says that God will ask a person as he or she reaches the next world, "Why did you not enjoy all that was permitted to you?"
    1. soul repair work begins with a willingness to look at ourselves honestly and to change if needed.
    2. prayer is also a window into the center. In personal prayer we express ourselves honestly and openly.
    3. seeing life as a gift from God. Allows us to experience life as constantly fresh, awe inspiring, and an unfolding gift.
    4. blessings are statements of gratitude to God in response to an event before us. They elevate our consciousness and link the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives. Blessings slow us down and help us consider the web of partnership with the world and others.
    5. meditation provides varying degrees of inner quiet. The deep stillness provides access to intuitive insight and feelings of "oneness."
    6. cosmic empathy comes from internalizing the concept that we are all created in the "image of God." There is a divine connection with us all.
   7. encounters with the spirit lead to service. In holy moments we are filled with love and the desire to give.
   8. soul work is an integration of the three elements (physical, emotional, spiritual) – sex, Sabbath, kashrut…
    9. a belief in reincarnation influences our moral sensibilities.

Our challenge is to use the time we have to live gratefully and responsibly, knowing that choosing how we live shapes our soul. Tom, My outline for a Joyful meditation.

THE JOY OF AND FROM MEDITATION

November 8, 2000

Reb Shlomo's stories. He was a saint-if we had them. Always talking to people or praying to G-D. He was late many times because someone was in trouble.
Tom, I then read this to the group. Reb Shlomo wrote it.
". In the last remaining synagogue in Krakow---
I made up a march for the six million,
but then,
while I was singing this sad melody,
I looked through all the
tears and I could see
them, the six million,
looking back at us,
and saying,
"is this the way, to go to Yerushalayim
Why don't you dance?"