Pesach Plagues - A Response to Sow More Seeds

I am so taken with the blog post of "Sow More Seeds" that I reblogged it recently.  I wanted to comment - to respond - to elaborate - and so have taken some time to understand my thoughts, and to post here from a place of knowing - a place of being those thoughts.

I am sure I have many more than ten personal plagues - but I want to try to keep this list to the top ten.  These then are the Plagues that are of my own creation that I see as the Pharaoh of my own life and yet still have not been persuaded to change...

The Plague of

Binding my children on the alter of my vision and dreams for their lives,
Depression,
Wanting more,
Having too much,
Not asking for help,
Talking too much,
Allowing myself to be unhappy,
Hating myself,
Not believing in myself, and
Allowing myself to be stalled by my own inertia.


And then there are those global Plagues; those Plagues that constrict the world; those Plagues that keep us as a people, as a society, as a global community from enjoying peace, eliminating poverty, respecting each other, and from making primary those things such as connections, love, and blessings for our fellow beings.

So the Plagues that I see that feel Global to me...

The Plague of

Religion as a big stick rather than a big tent,
Terrorism,
That abuse against women occurs at all - and in some cases is even sanctioned,
That abuse against women is not considered terrorism,
Discrimination for any reason,
That gender identity and partner preference is illegal, even punishable, anyplace,
Politicians play politics, rather than actually support the weakest and the voiceless,
Praise and extraordinary salaries for athletes and CEOs, and teachers, daycare workers, and pre school faculty might be on poverty wages,
War and violence as a choice or a solution to anything,
That anyone goes hungry or without medical care anywhere in the world.

Now to address some of the rest of that blog post.  What has me thinking is the paragraph about Pharaoh, and how he was part of a climate and economy built on slavery, and that changing that was bigger than just making a decision, it would have a global impact on his empire. I quote from the blog post "A Place to Sow More Seeds...:

"You have, in Egypt, an economy and social order built on slavery. Pharaoh, the guy in charge, did not create this system, though he certainly benefits from its privileges. Still, it is not his fault that he inherited such a system, and even less so that certain overseers are needlessly cruel to slaves, right? So when some dude, even if it's an adopted son, comes in and says, "Hey, you should free these people, and oh, if you don't, our God is going to make bad things happen to you," he's not really in a position to agree. Granted, he's the only person in a position to make that decision carte blanche, but it would be political suicide. The situation is so much bigger than him. He, and his entire society, would have to change their essential nature. That is not an easy decision or change to make. No wonder it took ten plagues. Egyptian society was better equipped to deal with frogs and flies than total economic upheaval. It took the slaying of the first-born, a loss that caused direct injury to the patriarchal economy and must have torn many hearts to pieces in the process, for the Pharaoh to make the otherwise politically catastrophic decision to free the Hebrew slaves."

In the world of conflict resolution, mediation and mindfulness practice I have been fortunate to work on programs and trainings with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, the UN, courts, families, synagogues, and Fortune 500 companies.  In those worlds the idea of building 'Golden Bridges' and helping others 'Save Face' is a key to building relationships and getting to peace, "Getting to YES" as my mentor and colleague, the late Harvard Professor Roger Fisher wrote.

When I see President Obama working towards relations in Iran and in Cuba, I see a man in leadership and his advisers that understand that building bridges is more effective than violence.  Unfortunately, as a global community we think that violence and escalated violence is the only solution to violence.  And you want proof of escalation - look at this story from the Korean DMZ back in 1976 - over a Poplar tree! http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/northkorea/1976.html

We don't want to be the last one that was attacked...what would that say about us at home? We turn quickly towards an eye for an eye. What does that do to our elect-ability or re-elect-ability? No, none of this is easy, and none of it gets our politicians first prize if that prize is getting elected or reelected.  Perhaps we need a different measurement of success?  Peace all!

A Place to Sow More Seeds...: The Ten Plagues, Change, and Creative Adaptation

I am really taken by this blog post so I am reblogging - look for my commentary and thoughts on my own blog posts upcoming...





A Place to Sow More Seeds...: The Ten Plagues, Change, and Creative Adaptation: One thing I have come to love about Passover is the creative variety. Although the celebration is liturgical and involves telling a particul...

My Journey into the Amidah - Part 1

I am feeling very fortunate.  I love my family, I love playing music, I have been blessed with relationships and colleagues and experiences that have connected me to some amazingly talented, spiritual and insightful people.

Now I am on a journey; A Jewish and spiritual journey. Right now I am using two words to describe the journey.  I am interested to see if the way I am headed merges or further separates the two...

I was fortunate, more than a year ago, to become accepted in the two-year Davennen Leadership Training Program (DLTI) at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. This is an Aleph (Renewal) program and is also a follow up to receiving s'micha as a Drummer of the Holy Temple two years ago now from Akiva Wharton (Akiva the Believer) through Reb Zalman. There are now three of us who have been so honored.

As part of the DLTI curriculum I am now in a focused period of study of the Amidah ('standing') prayer.  I have been reading it and reciting it daily, and am engaged in research of Talmudic, biblical, creative, interpretive understandings of this 18/19 part prayer of our daily services. I have also committed to wearing tefillin every day to learn that skill and get a sense of that ritual as well.  As a Reform Jew, I am not as used to ritual's of this type.  Which is odd considering my insight of maybe 17 years ago was that the only reason I know anything about Jewish ritual is because of what I was trained with in my pre Bar Mitzvah, Reform days or 'rote' prayer....signpost number one on my journey....

On-Going Events

I wanted to post some ongoing programs that I am involved in.  You can often find me playing as lead drummer for the local Hebrew Kirtan ensemble Kol Libeinu in and around the Boston and Brookline area. And here are some upcoming music, chant, and teaching activities.

Sunday, March 22 - 10am Sunday Mass at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Harvard, MA - performing the Rutter Requiem

Tuesday, March 31 - 7:30 PM - Monthly chant circle with Kol Zimra alumna Eva Friedner, Congregation B'nai Shalom, 117 E. Main Street, Westborough, MA (Last Tuesday every month)
[April 28, May 26, June 30]

I teach sacred hand drumming in private lessons to rabbinic and cantorial students at Hebrew College, Newton, MA on Wednesdays.  Interested in learning? Contact me at at mitch(dot)gordon09(at)gmail.com.

Saturday shacharit services at the Hineini Healing Community (http://hineini.us/) - I am often one of the drummers helping to lead the services...10:30am twice per month...in Weston, MA  Visit the Hineini website for calendar information. (I will be there on these upcoming dates: April 4, April 17, May 2).

The Stance of Gratitude

At the Hineini Chavurah led by my friend and colleague and mentor Daniel Sheff, we maintain a Stance of Gratitude.  And I love that image - it sounds active. It sounds intentional. It sounds powerful. And in reality Gratitude is a powerful stance indeed.

Modeh/modah ani lefanecha - Grateful am I before you.
Ani lefanecha - I am before you

Whether chanted or sung or spoken - repeated over and over or only stated one time - these words ought to evoke a sense of gratitude.  Yet to do that the speaker/chanter needs to come to these words in an intentional stance of Gratitude, with a vision or a thought of what they are grateful for...family, friends, health, life itself perhaps, the sunshine, spring, children, parents...so many things deserving of gratitude.

Yet visioning it, knowing it, is not enough. In our Stance of Gratitude we must hold the object the thought in our mind's eye while we chant/sing/recite.  To some this sounds easy, to others it will prove quite difficult.  In that though is the true nature of our Stance...To sing or chant or recite it while holding onto the object of our Gratitude; To bring it to life in our mind to see it vividly as if it were dancing around us. Gratitude, like so many nouns, (according to Rabbi Marcia Prager) are just verbs moving slowly...

There is something quite quantum physical about this elusive thing called Gratitude. When we sing or chant or talk about it, it is quite clear to us what Gratitude is. Yet, once we identify the specific object or subject of our Gratitude it is as difficult to hold onto while we chant as the water of a stream or the breeze blowing by  us.

It was not until I really grasped this Stance of Gratitude that I finally understood what Zen masters have talked about - that the Tao is not able to be described in words - that words cannot fully capture what the Tao is - one needs to understand it rather than explain it. So too, the Stance of Gratitude is one that is better understood through doing rather than understood through action.

With that said, I hope I have helped to create a container in which you can feel safe enough to find your Gratitude, hold your Gratitude, and live in the world in a Stance of Gratitude...

Namaste! Amen! B'shalom...

Yom Kippur and Mindfulness and Reflection

At 2pm tomorrow, Yom Kippur, I will be one of three people 'leading' a reflection and contemplation session at Congregation B'nai Shalom. Rabbi Sharon Sobel asked me to gather writings, poems, and other reflections and read them as a way to hold a space for reflection and contemplation...no guided meditation, no instructions, no rules...just a safe place for congregants to be alone together.

A remarkable idea and I am honored to be part of it.  Yom Kippur, I must admit, is a very sad and melancholy time for me. I take this reflection and contemplation and forgiveness stuff seriously and well - I hope I do come out the other end okay. 

Once the first notes of Kol Nidre sound, tears and emotions well up in me. It is hard work to ask forgiveness from all those whom I have sinned against.  Yom Kippur is not the time for that.  Asking God's forgiveness for those times that I have transgressed against God, is the purpose of Yom Kippur.

I think though, that in some part they are one in the same.  I know that when I hurt another I am sinning in front of God.  Frankly, nobody can beat me up emotionally as well as I can to myself...Yet from Kol Nidre to N'hilah, the 24 hours pass and I feel emotionally spent, bathed in the presence of God and wrapped in a blanket of contemplation and forgiveness.

Maybe that's why we don't bath on Yom Kippur...we don't want to wash away God's presence....

Mmmmm....

So at 2pm we will sit and I will read, the Hyde Brothers will play cello and piano... and many or few congregants will share a space together, in their own thoughts...safe, contemplative...an escape perhaps from the lure of food...and getting ready for Yitzkor and breaking the fast...yet in the that moment we can all be present with each other, for each other...and just be...

Yom Kippur is about Being Present...and that is a gift!

Thursday April 14 with Rabbi Shefa Gold - 'The Exodus Process'

Short of studying with Shefa Gold at her four week intensive in New Mexico, a weekend with her is an extraordinary experience. Hebrew Chant Boston produced a series a of programs, workshops and Shabbat services along with several local congregations from April 14-17. Maybe it was a little risky to bring in such a specialized program the weekend prior to pesach (Passover).  In any case, the sessions and services were well attended and the meditation and chanting was powerful.