Rabbi Dantowitz January 21, 2016—11 Shevat 5776
Last week I attended the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s Clergy Retreat in Simi Valley, CA. Along with 55 rabbis and cantors we focused on the spiritual practices of text study, prayer, meditation, mindful eating, yoga, and talking to God (hitbodedut) with the majority of each day (after dinner until after lunch) in silence. It’s amazing how “noisy” it is even in silence as quieting one’s mind is no small task.
The theme was ‘Crossing the Red Sea,” matching the weekly Torah portion from the book of Exodus, Beshalach. Many themes were explored, including freedom (from slavery) which tied in powerfully with Martin Luther King, Jr. What was it like for the Israelites to move through a difficult spot (the Israelites were caught between the Egyptian Army and the Red Sea)?
It was an intense few days learning with a beloved teacher, Melila Hellner-Eshed (Zohar scholar from Jerusalem). At the end, she encouraged us to create modern Midrashim (expounding upon a word or text). There were so many threads of ideas to follow and I wrote late into the night before departing and again on the airplane home. Here are my reflections on my flight home, Thursday, January 21 (before Blizzard Jonas arrived).
Flight Home
Awake in the night
Dark not yet turning to light
Sounds of owls and birds
Stars’ light fading soon from view
Soon dawn will be here
Am I ready to move into a
new day
I remain quiet
Not yet ready to move
But the suitcase is almost
Packed
It’s time to go forward
God has birthed a new day
Remnants of red in the sky
Weather delays wreak havoc on
the journey
Will I be able to cross the sea
And cross the country
Anticipating departure in 5 hours
Already delayed 5 hours
Shall I remain silent and not cry out
against this challenge
I call the airline
Wait a while
Get disconnected
I call again
An angel, a malach
Of the airline
Someone to help me fly
Yes, I can change my flight
And the shuttle van should reach the airport
In time
Earlier flight is delayed
Next flights are booked
A seat is available on the 11:30 am flight
Window, not aisle, okay.
I arrive at the airport
With ease, no line for the kiosk
I print my ticket
27 B-only middle seats remain
On board to my left, a gentle looking
Man with a beard
To my right, a woman named Mickey
I meet her (she saw my Hebrew text)
And learn we have a mutual friend
It’s light outside
The journey is smooth
Yomam valaila (day and night)
It’s a busy day
Beginning in the dark
Full of white clouds and blue skies
From above
Looking forward to night across
The country
Grateful for a safe trip
Grateful to land a seat on this plane
27B.
Recent Comments