River of Light

River of Light 

Painted Path

by Joy Krauthammer © 

Torah, a path to follow, 

sometimes through a dense forest, 

with Light guiding the way, 

and painted with the colors of the rainbow. 

Path may be curvy or straight, 

short or long, 

narrow or wide, 

deep or shallow. 

Is the path rapid or slow, 

high or level? 

Familiar or new? 

Easy to follow or not? 

Filled with delights or difficulties?


Torah gives place to pause.

(as do stones in a stream)

Breathe deeply, reflect, and listen.  

From flowing waters, 

varied sounds are heard 

as many voices are heard in Torah. 

The ear of the heart

can flow to the heart of G*d 

in silence or sound. 

Quiet the mind. 

Shema / listen

What do you hear?

What is my path, 
my purpose toward the Divine One?

Do rocks, challenges, become obstacles (to a well), 

or provide places to step higher on the path?

Shema. 

Can you hear the sounds of water 

tinkle, splash, rush

falling, passing over the stones? 

Is the heart awakened?


In the quiet shade of trees, 

high, by a cliff,
Big Sur

overlooking the ocean, 

I have sat 

on raised stones 

in a gentle mountain spring, 

and played my Tibetan singing bowl.  

I sing Shalom / peace. I am grateful.  I am at Onement. 

-  Joy Krauthammer

~

G*d is Love

We are created B'Tzelem Elokim / in the image of G*d.

River of Light 
of our illuminated heart 
lives in the path of the Tree of Life.

Beginning with Chesed / Loving-Kindness 
to Malchut / Shekhina's Presence of full Light, 

49 Gates of our emotions and actions

 flow through the heart

from the Source.

-  Joy

Genesis 2:10  A river watering the garden flowed from Eden;

Psalm 46:4  There is a River whose streams make glad the City of G*d. 

Psalm 23:2  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.


Water as a metaphor for Torah. 

There is no water except Torah.  Bava Kama 17A

"O, all who are thirsty, come for water."  Isaiah 55:1

http://count-the-omer.blogspot.com/ 

~ ~ ~

Molalla River

Canby, Oregon

© Joy Krauthammer  July 2014

~ ~ ~

FLIGHT OF THE SEPHIROT

FLIGHT OF THE SEPHIROT

- Joy Krauthammer

I never look to write a poem; they just come...

like butterflies of my mind

You ask if for Shabbat I could "do a poem?"

on the holy Omer Counting "Sephirot of the day"

Tiferet sh b'Yesod

...so I guess not, of course not

or maybe

in my mind

I took flight and

I just did create one.)

Imagine if I go outside

to look for a flower of Creation

the Yesod of the Divine One

it just beckons to me

smiles at me

and I see G*d

the nasturtium

growing at the edge of the earth, low

do I pick one? bright wine toned

and eat one in my organic salad?

as we do at Esalen

high above the cliffs

the edge of Big Sur

place of majesty

where Tiferet reigns.

In exaltation and surprise

in my garden today

I see white Wood Irises

with purple petal interiors

dozens blossomed overnight

tall, appearing

as shadow puppets, a host of

winged butterflies in flight.

One spring

butterflies passed through my garden

a channel for their journey of life

millions for fourteen days

alighting upon my citrus trees

in connection, bonding with me.

Continuing their mission

over my roof, finally

left me on Erev Shabbat

Swarms of pretty Painted Ladies

embracing me

Gracing me

when I needed G*d

They gave me delight

I was in ecstasy, in awe

I couldn't ask for more

all I could do was

stand in centered stillness,

as golden delights brushed past my cheeks

my beating heart

bonded in belief

my desire granted

by the Compassionate One.

Silently, I had wished, yearned

my heart dreaming

to see the migrating butterflies

thousands of miles away

they came to me

a miracle revealed

Caregiving, I could not leave

my paralyzed husband

of blessed memory.

Tiferet sh b'Yesod

is his birthday.

Balance of beauty, Truth

we are gifted by the Creator of Life.

Harmony to begin this 38th day

lead the way

in Tiferet and Yesod

Compassion as our Foundation

join all other Sephirot

within the Etz Chayim, the Tree of Life.

~ ~ ~

Note: The counting of the Omer takes place between Passover and Shavuot, and each day is associated with a specific Kabbalistic combination pair of Sephirot.  For a greater explanation and understanding of this theme, see Rabbi Simon Jacobson's "A Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer," which may be found on http://www.chabad.org/ or http://www.meaningfullife.com/

.

"Flight of the Sephirot" is a psalm of my soul about G*d totally hearing me and my desire during my time of service as caregiver for G*d. I took care of ONE of G*d's children, z'l.

G*d listened to me and heard my yearning to be with the butterflies and BROUGHT THEM TO ME.

I had no idea that this could happen. Giving me the butterflies in my garden is a pure one time gift of MIRACLE from the Compassionate One.

The Painted Ladies could have had the world as their passage way, their Kriat Yahm Suf, as they left from one home on their survival journey, and they travelled through my opening. I stood outside and welcomed each of them greeting me.

(It was not easy to give up my public life of sharing, to be Caregiver Angel Warrior. I came to the realization that serving ONE was just as important as being present for greater community.)

Talmud says, "And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."

- Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:8 (37a)

Many times, as a vessel for Hashem, I saved the life of Marcel, z'l, my husband, during his 18 years of metastatic brain cancer. (My intention was to get Marcel to Aviva's wedding, and I did. Marcel went on life-support only three weeks later, following our daughter's honeymoon.)

- Joy Krauthammer

               ~