Anava
On Chol Hamoed sukkos, 18 Tishrei, I was in the Old City, in Yerushalayim and zoche to be sitting with Sarah Yehudis Schneider in her Sukka. I asked her what she thought about the rise of the feminine in our times as it is one of the main themes in her book, “Kabbalistic Writings on the Nature of Feminine and Masculine”. I wanted to know more about the line vs. circle concept, the core of transitioning from a competitive linear world to the geuladik circular world, where we are all radiating the light from the Shechina. I wanted to delve more into the process of our individual neshamos shining and while simultaneously harmonizing into a collective movement and orchestra of Oneness.
She responded by saying. “We say it everyday!”
Really! We do? Where?
She proceeded to open a siddur to the page of Brochos prior to Shema.
This is it, my dear soul sisters … Anava!
Then they all accept upon themselves
the yoke of heavenly sovereignty
from one another,
and grant permission
to one another
to sanctify the One Who formed them,
with tranquility,
with clear articulation,
and with sweetness.
All of them as one
proclaim His holiness
and say with awe:
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh…
I read it as if with new vision. I never experienced these words with clarity. We articulate this everyday. With are SPEECH we have the ability to activate this soul ratzon to be One with our self, HKB”H and each other. But we need to ask PERMISSION to one another. We need to lower our self and be in a complete state of Anava, (see below Tomer Devora, Chapter 2, Month 13)
These are 8 midos tovos / good qualities, all of which come under the banner of humility. They all correspond [Above] to the Supernal ‘Limbs’of keser. (Keter bAivarim haElyonim) These are:
1. Humilty & Tolerance
2. Thoughts (Machashevet haKeter)
3. Forehead (Metzach haRatzon)
4. Ears (haAzana haElyona)
5. Eyes (ha Ayin HaElyona)
6. Nose (Arichut Af)
7. Face (BSever Panim Yafos)
8. Mouth (HaPeh HaElyon
Thus, when a person desires to draw near to the Supernal Worlds and emulate Him (G-d), in order to open His sources to those below, he must be fully perfected in these 8 Midos Tovos plus the 13 Attributes of H-shem described in Chapter 1.
In our struggles and pain, when we are feeling our natural instict and pattern, teva rishon… in our moments of seething waters, fire, Anger, feeling of lack, lonliness, desertedness, vacuity, tohu, confusion, darkness, emptiness, void, abandonment, betrayal, disrespect, lowliness, murkiness…
1. L’M-kom:
May we turn H-shem and Ratzo vshav
2. L’Atzmo:
Turn to recongnize our nefesh Elokus, our holy sparks. Reacknowlege and create our Teva Sheini to our True self. (Emes has the same gematria as Teva Sheini Emes = Teva Sheini –see quote by Rav Yitzchok Ginsburg)
3. L’Chaveiro:
May we turn to each other for love and support and in our state of VULNERABILITY, GRANT PERMISSION FOR ONE ANOTHER to RISE IN THE MOMENT, WEAR OUR KETER, and have confidence and humility to make a Kiddush H-shem as we accept with awe “ol malkut shamayim zeh mizeh v’notnim rishoot leh lzeh”
May we be zoche to
tranquility / nachat ruach
clear articulation / safa berurah
and with sweetness / ne’imah
All of us as one / kedusha kulam k-echad
We continue daily:
In His goodness He renews daily, perpetually, the work of Creation. As it is said: “[Give thanks] to Him Who makes the great luminaries, for His kindness endures forever. "
May You shine a new light on Zion, and may we all speedily merit its light. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who fashions the luminaries.
May we shine the new light, B’ezrat H-shem.
Note: Why do we rise up when we say this 3 times (when hearing this with a minyan). Because we are eletrified with Kedusha (infused with chash-mal). We simply can’t stand still in our exhiliration!!! We are simply vibrating from the pure light and emes in the revelation of H-shem’s glory (see shiur by Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky on the Maharal’s Geula Dance).
SHACHARIS / SHEMA & ITS BLESSINGS
May You be blessed, our Rock, our King and our Redeemer, Creator of holy ones; may Your Name be praised forever, our King, O Fashioner of ministen'ng angels; all of Whose ministering angels stand at the summit of the universe and proclaim — with awe, together, loudly — the words of the living H-shem and King of the universe. They are all beloved; they are all flawless; they are all mighty; they all do the will of their Maker with dread and reverence.
— And they all open their mouth in holiness and purity, in song and hymn
and bless, praise, glorify, revere, sanctify, and declare the kingship of
The Name of H-shem, the great, mighty, and awesome King; holy is He.
— Then they all accept upon themselves the yoke of heavenly sovereignty from one another, and grant permission to one another to sanctify the One Who formed them, with tranquility, with clear articulation, and with sweetness. All of them as one proclaim His holiness and say with awe:
“Holy, holy, holy is HASHEM, Master of Legions, the whole world is filled with His glory.”
— Then the Ofanim and the holy Chayos, with great noise, raise themselves toward the Seraphim. Facing them they give praise saying: Congregation recites aloud:
“Blessed is the glory of HASHEM from His place. "
To the blessed H-shem they shall offer sweet melodies; to the King,the living and enduring H-shem, they shall sing hymns and proclaim praises. For He alone effects mighty deeds, makes new things, is Master of wars, sows kindnesses, makes salvations flourish, creates cures, is too awesome for praise, is Lord of wonders. In His goodness He renews daily, perpetually, the work of Creation. As it is said: “[Give thanks] to Him Who makes the great luminaries, for His kindness endures forever. "
— May You shine a new light on Zion, and may we all speedily merit its light. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who fashions the luminaries.
Tomer Devorah / 13th of MONTH
However, we know that it is not always possible to conduct oneself in accordance with these qualities, since there are other qualities one must master, which are from the lower strict judgments, as we will explain. Nevertheless, on certain days, these strict judgments are inactive, and man does not need to make use of them - for [the Supernal attribute of] keser reigns, or [because] these are times that [the Supernal attribute of] kesser is sought. At these times. one must use all the qualities we have mentioned [above]. But other attributes [pertaining to strict judgment] — even though they are required in Divine service at their proper time — should not be exercised in these times, for the light of keser nullifies them.
SHABBOS: Opening the Heavenly Source of Blessing / Lifoach haMekorot haElyonim
For example, one should not make use of these harsh attributes on Shabbos, when the world is perfected with the essence of delight and [therefore] there is no judgment on Shabbos.
On this day, one should utilize all of these qualities [13 Midos & 8 Midos Tovos] in order to open the Heavenly sources [of blessing]. For if one concentrates on the lights of keser ( Orot haKeser) in his prayers, yet he behaves contrary to them with his actions, how can he open the sources of keser while he literally repels them with his deeds?
Is it not all the more so, that if keser does not reside when the Supernal sefiros intensify sacred strict judgment and sacred anger, then keser and its light will surely not rest upon a person who allows the external anger to prevail, even though he does so for the sake of Heaven. This is particularly true since he intends to arouse it (the external anger) over the Supernal attributes, (haMidos HaElyonos) and they will then say, “How much audacity does he have! The light of keser is not revealed in us, because of our judgments that are holy and pure, yet this person desires to reveal it, [when he is] filled with anger and despicable, superficial actions!”
Thus, on festivals, Shabbos, and Yom Kippur, and at times of prayer and Torah study — which are not times of strict judgment, but, rather on the contrary, are times when the Supernal Will is revealed — man should direct his mind to all these qualities. …
