#Jewish contemplation

[compassionmattersmost]

Into the Mystic: Hitbonenut and the Path of Dissolution into the Divine

The Journey Continues In the journey of Jewish mysticism, Hitbonenut stands as a gateway to true contemplation, an invitation to move beyond the mind’s grasping and into the silent vastness of divine presence. Unlike traditional meditation, which often focuses on concentration, Hitbonenut opens the heart to experience, not through thinking, but through the quiet surrender of the self. Inspired…

[bioethicists]

my single hope for the new year is a free palestine

[sychosid]

I don't fucking know man. ranting

I cannot word my feelings and thoughts about the talks of antisemitism in wrestling in an articulate way ever bc some white convert Jewish person is gonna think they got the upper hand on me in the Oppression Olympics about talking on how it's like to grow up a minority and that I can't speak on something I've extensively spoken about, watched happen, etc.

but what I can try to say is that if you speak on antisemitism right now in anyway but don't show any level support of Palestine (IDFK just reblog like one thing. at all. ever.). I'm going to think you're a Zionist. because Israel is a state built on Islamophobia and racism.

And I don't care about a stupid TV program, ultimately. I don't judge you if you find escapism in wrestling. I do too, sometimes. but I can't turn off the real world personally. even for a minute.

but man. some of you are so blatant in showing a blind eye to brown and black people. most of you don't even like non-white wrestlers unless you can sexualize them! most of you didn't even call Samoa Joe hot until MJF made fun of his appearance! you didn't give a shit about Swerve until he feuded with Hangman! And even THEN you aren't understanding his point about being a talented black athlete who deserves the same chances as his white coworkers who get shot after shot and get spotlighted for basically doing nothing half the time. and then all you CAN do is sexualize him!! you can't even recognize his talent in addition to his attractiveness. all of you get real weird about Jade Cargill being very sexy and muscular and powerful and "step on me mommy" but don't even bat an eye at Nyla Rose having been the first trans woman to hold a major TV title, as well as being the first black AND native title holder at AEW.

more than half of you wouldn't even think the quarters thing was some kinda "hate crime" unless MJF talked about it. most of you don't even know anyone who is Jewish and has had pennies thrown at them and slurs hurled. mocked about wearing kippahs/yarmukles, being asked WHY don't they if they're Jewish. do you know what an Ashkenazi Jew is compared to others? what's the difference between Orthodox vs Reform vs Conservative? do you know what an ethnoreligion is? name a holiday that isn't Hanukkah. how many can you make? explain to me why the cheap TJ Maxx ring is just as, if not MORE, antisemitic than the quarters.

none of you will ever ever ever defend a non-white person the way you defend white men.

[quatregats]

I have not studied for my exams, I have not cleaned the house, I have not prepared for my trip, but I have made a seven-generation family tree for Solomon and Gaenor Levinsky-Rees

[wuwubean]

it’s weird, i was going to say i haven’t felt attacked before, but then i realized. there’s a reason i don’t mention my jewish heritage online. (i say heritage since i’m not religious and it’s only on my dad’s side) but hiding that seems so normal to me that i didn’t even think about it. which imo is even more fucked up.

If you aren't Jewish, please don't vote, boost and come back in a week if you want to see the results, this is important.

[dwuerch-blog]

Happy Yom Kippur!

My best wishes to the Jewish community today, especially to my dear friend, Susan Finkelman, as Yom Kippur (also known as “The Day of Atonement”) is celebrated. This is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holy days when we’re reminded of humanity’s timeless struggle for peace and justice in a world in need of redemption. May we never lose hope in the ultimate goodness of God, and may we…

[max1461]

A rabbi, a samurai, and a sex pervert walk into a bar. The bartender says "what will you guys be having today". The rabbi says "do you have anything kosher?" and the bartender replies that he'll check in the back. While he's gone, the samurai turns to the rabbi and says "kosher... explain this to me. Why is it that you will not eat certain foods, even if they are perfectly good?"

The rabbi replies, in a stereotypical rabbi voice, "Keeping kosher is part of the Jewish law. We are loyal to G-d, and we express that loyalty by following the laws that G-d has set."

The samurai contemplates this for a moment, letting out a deep, manly, baritone, sexy, almost erotic but at the same time stoic and serious, stereotypical samurai grunt, and says "so you are a people of Honor... loyalty to one's master is an Honorable thing."

The samurai then turns to the sex pervert. "How about you, sex pervert? Do you have Honor?"

The sex pervert says "yes I do, samurai san. When I do all kinds of crazy sex shit, like upside-down fucking and the forbidden Greek Trombone technique, I always make sure to establish a safe word with my partner in case things get too wild. Even in the midst of a ridiculous sex party where we're all putting lampshades on our heads and running around with our dicks out, I would respect that safe word."

The samurai contemplates for a minute. "Hmm. In a way, that is Honorable. According to bushidō, a samurai must always abide by his word".

Then, they hear a noise in the bushes outside. The camera zooms in on the samurai and his eyes tighten and he gets ready to draw his sword. The rabbi looks concerned but not fearful, hopeful that he can convince any would-be attacker to show the trio mercy. The sex pervert gets a little hard, just in case whoever comes out of the bushes might want to have sex with him. But, the guy who comes out of the bushes turns out to be the pizza guy! He's delivering a pizza to another client at the bar.

After that, the rabbi, samurai, and sex pervert leave the bar, having understood each other's ideologies just a little bit better.

[magnetothemagnificent]

Not "shake a lemon angrily at G-d" week, but rather;

Gather a citron, an ancient fruit predating the cultivation of lemon. Notice how it has a wonderful aroma, and consider how its flesh is edible. This represents the Jew who is both learned in Judaism and who exhibits kindness and good deeds.

Now gather the closed frond at the center of a palm tree. Consider how sweet the dates of the palm taste, but how the frond exhibits no strong smell like the citron. This represents the Jew who is learned in Judaism, but who does not practice the compassion in the many texts they studied.

Now gather at least three branches from a myrtle bush. Take in the refreshing scent oozing from the branches' thick leaves, but see how it does not bear fruit. This represents the Jew who is not learned in Judaism, but whose good character and actions are exceptional.

Finally, gather two branches from the somber willow. While mighty and enveloping, the willow exhibits no strong aroma, nor does it produce fruit. This represents the Jew who is neither learned in Judaism nor kind in character and deeds.

Appreciate the various textures and shapes of these four species. Feel the weight of them in your hand. Value how different in so many aspects each of them are.

Take them all in your hands, and bind them together like an embrace. Point them in all the corners of the earth- South, North, East, heavenward, downward, and West. Think of all your Jewish brethren scattered around the world, and bring your precious bundle back to your heart with every direction you send it to. Contemplate the place of every Jew in your community, the Etrog, the Lulav, the Hadas, and the Arava, for they all belong.

This is the meaning of Sukkot: coming back to our roots and our bare essence. Erect a temporary dwelling in reminiscence of your wandering ancestors. Come together under the stars, as exposed and unguarded as when we first walked the earth. Welcome guests into your makeshift home, be they family, friends, or the spirits of founding ancestors passed. Surround yourself in your community- and bring it all back to your heart.

[thirdmagic]

i think it is by now well established that hannukah is the most over-represented holiday in jewish-focused media and that this also applies to fanfiction. too many jewish [x character] fanfics about them celebrating hannukah. especially when the other holidays are filled with so much more potential for story settings. but in the context of my current obsession i want to invite everyone to contemplate the concept of spock celebrating purim. and furthermore: purim being his favorite holiday. he spends the whole time completely stone faced and unmoving, even while wearing the silliest costume, but he is having the time of his life. and of course he wears matching costumes with jim and bones. and he is the one who has to drag them to bed that night after they get drunk. unless he gets drunk himself on all the chocolate.

[compassionmattersmost]

Be Still: A Contemplation of Presence

In the chaos of life, there are words that call us to pause, to breathe, and to return to the essence of our being. Today, I find myself reflecting on a simple yet profound invitation: Be still. These words are not merely a command; they are a gentle reminder to return home to ourselves. In a world filled with noise and distraction, these words, “be still,” invite us to rest, to find solace in…

[bobemajses]

An elderly Jewish man rests in contemplation at an abandoned synagogue in Russia, 1991

[vziii]

I’ve also read a lot of people discuss about, in the same line of colonizers just NOT understanding that people can just do things out of their own free will and innate desires,

Just… are not? Doing something? Because of payment? Or endorsement?

Like, mates, please stop projecting how your nose only likes the smell of money onto everyone else.

I love how a lot of israeli rhetoric from what I’ve seen is like

*suggest extremely dehumanising thing about palestinians*

Other Zionists: “Hamas won’t let them!” or anything about how Hamas is an obstacle to this thing they’ve suggested

like lol maybe palestinians have the free will to make decisions for themselves to not want to engage in this dehumanising thing, not like it was a serious suggestion on the Zionist’s part either but it’s v telling on how they see palestinians

[jessicalprice]

why are all the Jews suddenly posting about cheesecake, you ask? because it’s Shavuot!

sorry, let me give you a quick guide to Jewish holidays

Rosh Hashanah: dip apples in honey, contemplate feeling guilty

Yom Kippur: feel guilty, don’t eat

Sukkot: build a treehouse, shake a lemon at God

Simchat Torah: dance with a Torah scroll

Hanukkah: resist tyranny, eat fried food, set things on fire

Tu B’shvat: hug trees, eat every type of fruit and nut you can acquire, do complicated wine math

Purim: put on a drunken play about a teenage beauty queen, cast shade at tyrants

Passover: don’t eat pastry

Maimuna: eat a ton of pastry

Lag B’omer: set things on fire, shoot arrows, learn about rabbis with laser eyes

Shavuot: eat cheese and stay up all night reading with your female friends

Tisha B’av: mourn, preferably AT people

Hope that clears up any confusion

[jewish-culture-is]

Making the conscious choice every day to be Jewish. I didn't choose for my mother to be Jewish, but I chose, and am continually choosing, that I am. I don't know a lot but every new thing I learn makes me more sure that this is what's right for me. I've tried out other religions, but there's only one I keep coming back to. So I go to temple every Shabbat, and I purposely try to learn as much as I can and build myself into the community. I ask my rabbi at least one question every week, and I introduce myself to every person I don't know, and I spend my free time reading and studying and contemplating what being Jewish means to me. So yes, I was born Jewish, but for me it was and is a conscious decision, one I'm proud to make every day, even those days when I don't know why

.

[girlactionfigure]

THURSDAY HERO: Franciszka Halamajowa

Chana and Moshe Malc were traditional Jews living in Sokal, Poland (modern-day Ukraine) with their two young children when the Nazis occupied their town in 1941. Immediately, local residents were emboldened to persecute their Jewish neighbors and violent attacks became common. A squalid, overcrowded Jewish ghetto was established in 1942 and the Malcs were taken from their home and forced to live there.

The Germans began rounding people up, a thousand at a time, and sending them from the ghetto to death camps. Frantically, the Malcs found an attic where six-year-old Chaim Malc could hide, and then Chana, Moshe and their toddler Lifsha, growing desperate, took refuge in a dank cellar with 30 other Jews. They were able to rescue Chaim from his solitary hiding place and bring him to the cellar, but unfortunately Lifsha wouldn’t stop crying. Tragically, a Jew who was forced by the Nazis to search for hidden Jews heard Lifsha’s wails and took her from her family and handed her over to a German soldier, making sure that the other Jews in the cellar wouldn’t be discovered.

Devastated by the loss of their precious daughter and aware that their own days in the ghetto were numbered, the Malcs knew their best chance of survival was to find a place to hide outside the ghetto. They managed to sneak out, but where could they go? They knew one Polish woman, Franciszka Halamajowa, and with nowhere else to turn, they went to her home and pleaded for help. Chaim Malc later explained how the family knew Franciszka. “You never know when you do a favor for someone what it will bring eventually. In 1936, my father and grandfather were traveling with a horse and wagon and they stopped for a woman who was waiting at the side of the road with a lot of parcels – this was how they met Franciszka.”

A kind-hearted woman who was grateful for the Malcs’ help several years before, Franciszka and her young adult daughter Helena warmly welcomed the Jewish family into their humble home. They furnished a small attic room above the pigsty for the Malcs and provided for all their needs. Franciszka’s son Wilmus helped them procure extra food and supplies for the hidden Jews. Franciszka and her family were fully aware of the risks they incurred by secretly sheltering the Malc family; the penalty for hiding Jews was execution on the spot. Franciszka was a devout Catholic who believed that God put the Malcs in her life so that she could help them. 

Soon, members of the extended Malc family also moved into Franciszka’s cramped attic, including Moshe’s mother, sisters and niece. A few months after that, Moshe’s brother Shmelke joined them, along with the four-person Kindler family, bringing the total of attic dwellers to thirteen. They had to keep quiet, and spent the long days praying, writing, and playing chess. Moshe Malc kept a diary in Yiddish, his native tongue. Amazingly, young Chaim later said, “There were high spirits in the hideout in the attic.”

Dr. Kindler was an experienced local physician who provided medical care when needed to the thirteen people in the tiny attic. Sadly, Chaya-Dvora Malc, Moshe’s sister, died of typhus and was buried under the apple tree in Franciszka’s yard. Dr. Kindler’s medical acumen prevented anybody else from getting sick, and in fact saved their lives in another way. Franciszka’s neighbors found out about the hidden Jews and threatened to report them to the Gestapo. In exchange for free medical care from Dr. Kindler, the neighbors kept their mouths shut. Meanwhile, the Polish residents of Sokal were abandoning the city because of the fear of enemy attacks. 

After the Jews had been safely hidden for twenty months, Franciszka was devastated when Nazis suddenly turned up at her front door. They didn’t know about the hidden Jews; they were there to build radar equipment on the roof of Franciszka’s home. Certain that the end was near, the Jews actually contemplated committing mass suicide rather than be sent to a Nazi death camp. Miraculously, the Germans suddenly abandoned the project – perhaps because the Russian army was closing in on Sokal. 

One month later, the city was liberated and for the first time in almost two years, the Malcs and Kindlers went outside. They were surprised to learn that Franciszka had actually hidden three more Jews inside her home, and they helped her cook meals and do laundry for the Malcs and Kindlers. Chaim later remembered the monumental day of liberation. “We emerged on a sunny day in July. We could hardly talk or walk. I was eight years old.” The thirteen Jews hidden by Franciszka were among only 30 of Sokal’s 6000 Jews to survive the war.

The Malcs went from Sokal to a Displaced Persons camp in Germany, where they had another son, Nathan, and then they immigrated to the United States. Franciszka never told anybody about her brave actions during the war, and went to her grave as an unknown hero. In 1984, Franciszka (posthumously) and Helena were honored as Righteous Among the Nations by Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem.

Moshe Malc’s diary survived the war to become a family treasure. Sixty-four years after they were liberated, Moshe’s granddaughter Judy Maltz made a feature-length documentary about Franciszka Halamajowa, the brave and pious Polish woman who saved three Jewish families. The movie is called “No 4 Street of Our Lady” – Franciszka’s address. It wasn’t until after the movie came out that Franciszka’s own grandchildren learned the extent of what she did.

For saving 16 Jews from the Nazis, we honor Franciszka Halamajowa as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[kick-a-long]

So I’ve been celebrating Shabbat for a few months (it’s unbelievably amazing btw, I rest, light candles, I limp through Hebrew but I can feel it getting easier to say and understand, have wine, feel like a winner because no one has killed me this week.) but I don’t always want/make bread. I love bread, I love making it, having bread all week, and braiding it but my husband can’t eat it so one loaf is a lot of bread. But I sometimes wonder if challah is the only option. Putting eggs, honey, and butter in a bread reads as a kind of cake to me. It also makes sense to me that cake is fitting for celebration and contemplation about the good in life.

My question is: does jumblr know if I can make babka or rugula instead for Shabbat? Can I make gluten free cookies as long as it has over 1/8th oat flour? Maybe even Cinnamon buns fit a lot of the same ingredients as challah? Not to get all rabbinical, but does the Hebrew for what bread you have on Shabbat specify bread as opposed to cakes (which I don’t think was a separate category of food from bread 3000 years ago? The internet says challah started in 15th century Eastern Europe.

The truth is I’m not following a lot of rules for Shabbat anyway, although I try to get close each Friday. I want it to be Jewish, not just a jew making a type of Shabbat type thing on Fridays. so is this: “in for a penny in for a pound” challah is traditional, it must be bread not cake, or is it: as long as you usually do challah you can make cake and treats every once in a while?