July is Builder Renewal season! Buildership powers this community and makes it possible for us to bring you services, education, podcasts, and so much more. If you are a Builder at Mishkan, we can’t wait for you to renew your commitment. Not a Builder yet? We invite you to join the community as a Builder. Not in Chicagoland? Join the 10% of our Builder community who live outside of Illinois. It would be an honor to take the next step on your Jewish journey with you.
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For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
July is Builder Renewal season! Buildership powers this community and makes it possible for us to bring you services, education, podcasts, and so much more. If you are a Builder at Mishkan, we can’t wait for you to renew your commitment. Not a Builder yet? We invite you to join the community as a Builder. Not in Chicagoland? Join the 10% of our Builder community who live outside of Illinois. It would be an honor to take the next step on your Jewish journey with you.
****
For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.
Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.
Transcript
It's finally here, builder renewal season builder ship powers this community and makes it possible for us to bring you services, education, podcasts, and so much more. If you're a builder at Mishcon, great, we can't wait for you to renew your commitment. And if you're not already a builder, we invite you to join the community. Not in Chicago land, join the 10% of our builder community who live outside of Illinois. It would be an honor to take the next step on your Jewish journey with you. Yeah,
morning for those people who are just tuning in. Sherry heard me say I'm feeling very goofy this morning. So we're gonna see what happens. Baruch atah Adonai. They know that how that Miss Jackie Chan women's with devotee Viola heeta TAFE, but seats, seats. Taking a moment to take all the frenetic, goofy energy or whatever energy is pulsating all around and inside and just settle with a few breaths relax the shoulders. Relax the belly. Relax the elbows. relax the knees and the ankles.
Feel a kind of inner smile, rising up in all of those places. Like what happens when you click the like button on Facebook during a video and it just like explodes with little hearts. Like imagine a lot, a lot of little smiles just emanating up from your ankles, through your bloodstream through your knees, your hips going up your chest torso, finally rising up to your mouth and your face. Lighting up your face with a smile. Good morning. Morning. Good morning. All right, so nice to see folks here. And I wanted to play a little bit I was feeling playful. So I set up my whole little setup my whole little station here. And we're gonna, we're gonna see what happens. We're gonna see what happens if we pray in harmony. Five, pray in harmony, we pray in harmony together. The Torah portion this week has us traversing the wilderness and looking at the possibility of entering a new phase. You know, the Israelites have been hanging out in the desert. And in theory, they've been preparing to create a new society based on the lessons of what they learned as slaves in Egypt, from having been liberated from slavery from having stood at Sinai received the Torah walked with God through the desert, had some already some sketchy moments of you know, complaining and oh, we want to go back and we don't like it over here. And it's hard and it's hard and God being understandably pissed at the people for being ungrateful. And also, you know, but we as readers, like we kind of get it like, it's hard to do new things, even if they're the right thing. And so this week is ProShot, Slack luffa. And we see the Israelites kind of beginning to plan for at least wonder what's on the other side. What what is over there? How can we learn what we need to know about going about going into a new place? What dangers there might be what what what is there to be afraid of? Anyway? Well, we'll look at that more when we get there. But I just I want to highlight that these words that are part of the morning service motto Khalifa Cove. This comes from a parsha a few weeks that that happens in a few weeks also in the book of Numbers. When the Prophet Bilaam, who is not Jewish and is supposed to be cursing the Jewish people has been paid by a king to curse us in the desert instead, opens his mouth and cannot help but say these words looking at all of these tents of all of these little little Israelites in the desert. Wow, how good your tents are people have Jacobs, your Mishcon people of Israel Mishkan attacca Israel, you're traveling sanctuaries. And then the rest of the song is a collection of Psalms. So, I want to invite us this morning into consciousness of alchemy, you know, taking whatever fear whatever anxiety, whatever, whatever, you know, nervous energy is coursing through our body that might make us sick Stand down, and instead stand up a little bit taller, relax into our spine, align into our spine and be able to say how beautiful motto. There is something good to be found. There's something positive to be identified in this moment and I will find it I am committed to finding it and to naming it and to bring that energy into the world. All right, more on that later. Let's see here.
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so that's what I that's what I meant when I said we're gonna play a little this morning. Because not like, I am like a real expert with this thing. I'm still really not. But. And now, as my children said to me this morning, there's no such thing as perfect, Mommy. That's right. That's right. All right. So if you're able to invite you to stand or just, you know, do these blessings from whatever position you are in. As we bless our bodies, bless our minds bless our abilities this morning. baharu
Ah, I don't I alone no matter what I'm not sure enough time. SSBB narla Queanbeyan you're moving Lila. I'm grateful for the ability to make distinctions between day and night. Mahabharata. I don't I don't know man, if I were them. Sure. Sunny. But so no, I am grateful that I am created in your image. Or ohata I don't I don't know. Monica, I'm just Sani Batterien grateful that You created me to be free. By ruleta. I don't I don't no matter what I'm sure assignees I'm grateful that I was created a Jew a god wrestler, or I created myself to be a god wrestler. Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha olam podcast every time. I am grateful that you opened my eyes each day with new vision. Take a moment. And then just take a look around the room here and look at every single person's face who's here that I can see. Hello. Hi, Gail and Terry and Glen and Sarah and Felicia and Sherry. Prudie. Roberta. Good morning. It's nice to see you. Hi, Susan. And Morris and Brenda, Julia. Miriam, Orion, Susanna.
My mother, Susan.
Delia Quinn.
Oh my gosh, Jasper. Casey, it's so lovely to see you. And I now I'm just you know, because the the metaphor is that my eyes open each day, not just to see visually, but also to have insights to have sight and both insight. And I guess I'll put out the question now I'm feeling put on the spot. I don't have an answer, but maybe you do. Is there something that you feel like you've had an insight about, you know, recently, but that was like a half? Yeah. Thank you, thank you, whatever force whatever, whatever force greater than myself. It is that helps me realize new things about my life or about the world and if so, I want to invite you to share in the chat because when we because when we have insights, you know, they're meant to be there. They're meant to be shared, and we build greater wisdom. All right? I'm reading Jasper the process of forgiveness. Feel free Jasper, if you want to add to that and explain how you've arrived at the enlightened state of knowing how to forgive, but I'm in I'm in I'm in the process of forgiveness. I'm going to keep going. But if anyone has any insight please drop in the chat. But I really have to add on I love you no matter how Allah ma Bish I really am. I am grateful for the gift of clothes over my naked body. And the for the gift of shelter and boundaries
are real hot. I don't I know you no matter how lamb mightier as supreme, I'm grateful for the ability to release what is all bound up, it is all tied up. So feel free to take a moment now and stretch into some tight places.
Don't stretch too hard. But maybe you just lean into each ribcage leaning over your ear with your hand, tilting to the other side, reaching over your ear with your hands stretching out that ribcage breathing into it. Reaching up
really single it is all bound up what is tied up
praying as we do each day for those who are not free to be free for us to be able to bring ourselves to the project of releasing what is all tied up and who are all tied up and who are not free. By rule Hatha
I don't I mean no matter how old I am, it's okay if goofy him I'm grateful for my ability to straighten what is banned. Take a moment to take a forward fold or at least just bend your neck and roll
and then straighten up a little bit even more with greater alignment than you had before. Feel your feet firmly on the earth
by rule saturnine Can you manage that oh them broke ha ha ha I am. I am grateful for the stability of the earth over the waters. By rule Hatha i don't i No, no medical alarm. I'm a female sciatica there. I am grateful that you prepare my steps. Ba Rosa to add on I don't even know how them show Sally cold turkey. I'm grateful that you provide for all my needs.
We were talking today about getting ready to just have a little newsletter letting everyone know that next week, during the week of Independence Day, we're going to be closed our office will be closed and and realizing the language of Independence Day is very deceptive because really what Independence Day is is interdependence day. There's, you know, this myth of independence like all of us, you know, work really hard and do what we need to do so that we succeed, as if any of us have done any of that on our own, including, you know, the United States of America. And so as I read this blessing you provide for all my needs. You know, we're all embedded in this blessing is the language of recognition that we are not alone in the project of living. Just sadly cults are key beyond myself, I have been given the tools to survive and thrive. Thank you for this inter interdependent life and for my place in it
by raw data and I don't know whether I was there use rail big hoorah. I am grateful that you give strength to me and my people. Place a hand on your belly and breathe into your belly This is the belt buckle stretch. The
belt buckle blessing was airy Israel the Quran during strength even from your breath as your belly rises and falls
Maruka Tara motera Israel the T Farah, I am grateful that you crown me with dignity and beauty by ohata I don't know how to manage that with them and attend Lea F Cova.
Oh, wow. Now Now I'm seeing some insights. I'm grateful for the ability to spend time on the lakefront nearly daily Amina main the importance of knowing oneself Morris tech wackiness, the insight of rather than getting grouchy sticking with the oops and staying curious. And Jasper elaborates hard to put into words. But the thing about forgiveness part of it was something my counselor said that forgiveness is about letting go of pain. I said I thought there was a social component to though, that it's both a choice and an emotional reality but then maybe that emotional space opens up through the releasing of that hurt you're holding on to for self protection or for whatever reason. It's very powerful and beautiful Jasper That reminds me of a quote from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. He says, forgiveness is giving up the hope of a better past. Right? Forgiveness is letting go giving up the hope of a better past and deciding, okay, from this moment forward, maybe I can create the future differently inside of myself and in this world, Phylicia Yes, the universe has awakened some truths about an org I've been working with recently acceptance of reality and my own limited perspectives are mine. And then I don't see all reality. Woof, man, I wish everybody would hold on to that. You know, and ask more questions. Ah, gosh, I love learning other people's insights. And then you know what happens? You hear them you're like, Oh, God, how true how real that's a good one. And then we forget them. And then we relearn them and then we forget them and then we relearn them. So thank you all for the blessing of your insights. All right, this line from this line from Leviticus, we don't start enough mornings with that I'll start us with this morning. Behold, I accept upon myself the creator's commandment You shall love your neighbor as yourself that's an intention for our day and for our prayer practice.
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We bow in bliss. I bow to you, you bow to me. We bow to the divinity and each other. We call out we respond and then we create a little bit of oneness. Back during the pandemic, when it was just you know, it was just screens all the time and we did this service for our littles for our for the kids. When we would get to the Shema, we would do these hand motions. So Shema like either listen or pay attention. Like focus, Israel, all of us out and I used to say, lifeforce everywhere. Put our hands out like this. And lo Hainault inside of us, God that is inside of us. I don't I lifeforce of the universe everywhere, everything inside and then we take our little finger and touch it to the computer camera like that. And so are all of our little asides would be touching. And it would be just a reminder that all of us are connected. So I'm going to invite us to do that right now.
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This past week in in the week's Torah portion, we actually saw the line for this healing prayer. Ana, Elmira final law. This is from when Moses is sister Miriam has got beef with Moses. And so she she talks a little bit of smack behind his back and she gets caught. And it's not good. God strikes her with some kind of strange skin disease. And rather than saying about his sister's affliction, oh well she deserved it. Let's let her suffer for a while. Moses pleads with God and says, Anna Elena refine Allah. Please, please heal her. So this will be our healing prayer this morning. And if there's somebody you're thinking about who needs healing, a person place or thing mostly people though, who need healing. Please go ahead and share in the chat
His names are coming in just know like, look, look at the names and direct this loving healing energy to each one to each one of them. Grant grant us and not her all beautiful. Yeah, Grandpa ceiling. Wow. Yeah. Pious elder by Miriam Jackson rich and Leah backloads Kevin Simmons.
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breathe out and the energy of love each one of you who is here who woke up who made a choice this morning to come and pray to come and pray on your own behalf on behalf of people who need healing on behalf of the world to reaffirm the sense of oneness that connects you and I and all of us to all things for all time and space. And take a few more breaths really relaxing that and releasing that oneness into our bodies.
Let's see I'm Psalm for Wednesday. Oh, well. Include any other words in this can include any other words for the psalm for Wednesday in this in this little document here. So I guess we'll do that next week. As we are coming right up on 830. And I want to make sure we say Khadija tome. And then for anybody who wants to stick around for a few minutes afterwards, we'll look at the Parsha and we'll look at something that Dr. Aviva Zorn Berg has to say about the spies, the the scouts going into the land of Israel scouting out, scouting out what their future might be getting real freaked out, and then passing on that sense of that sense of fear and freaking out to everyone else. And what happens when we're operating from a place of fear? Yeah, we'll look at that together. All right. That was a teaser, because now I want to come back to what we've got in front of us here. Is there anybody this morning who is remembering someone whose name you want to share with us this morning? Whose name whose spirit you want to bring into this room
have you ever been Esther Bernard McCaskey Sharon Napo?
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all right. Yes your QA wow thanks everybody for bearing with me that was fun. I'm going to turn off the recording now and for those who want to for those who want to stay in talk a little bit detour, or talk a little bit about whatever. I'm here for it. Have a great morning. You've been listening to contact high up production of Mishkan Chicago. If you were inspired or informed by this episode, please leave us a five star rating on Apple podcasts so that others can encounter our work. And if you appreciate what Mishkan is doing, I invite you to join as a builder or make a donation on our website at Mishcon chicago.org Shabbat shalom.