Deuteronomy 31:19 Therefore, write down this poem and teach it to the people of Israel; put it in their mouths, in order that this poem may be My witness -against the people of Israel
Torah is our song. It has always been our song. We read it over and over out loud. Each word and letter connects us with the greater Jewish community, the divine universe and Hashem. Sounds and vibrations are packed into Torah and we begin to hear them only when we are ready to listen, they have the power to expand our worlds.
The first selection of texts will take you on a sound journey through the creation story.
(א) בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹקִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹקִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃ (ד) וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹקִ֛ים אֶת־הָא֖וֹר כִּי־ט֑וֹב וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹקִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (ה) וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹקִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃
(1) When God began to create heaven and earth— (2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— (3) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (4) God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. (5) God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.
(א) בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם.
(1) With ten utterances the world was created.
1) How do we see sound and vibration in the the creation of the world and humans? Are there other senses illuminated as well? What sense is most focused on here and why?
(א) שָׁמַיִם אוֹמְרִים: הַשָּׁמַיִם מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד אֵל וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו מַגִּיד הָרָקִיעַ: (תהילים יט ב)
(ב) אֶרֶץ אוֹמֶרֶת. לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר לַה' הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָּה: (תהילים כד א)
(1) The Heavens are saying: “The heavens speak of El’s kavod, and the skies tell of his handiwork.”
(2) The Earth is saying: “The earth and every thing in it are YHVH’s; the inhabited area and all that dwell within it.”
(ב) וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, כָּל הָאִילָנוֹת כְּאִלּוּ מְשִׂיחִין אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ. כָּל הָאִילָנוֹת כְּאִלּוּ מְשִׂיחִין עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת. כָּל הָאִילָנוֹת לַהֲנָאָתָן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת נִבְרְאוּ. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁבָּצַר אֶת כַּרְמוֹ וְלָן בְּתוֹכוֹ וּבָאת הָרוּחַ וּפְגָעַתּוּ. כָּל שִׂיחָתָן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא עַל הָאָרֶץ, עָבְדַּת אַרְעָא, לָא עָבְדַּת. וְכָל תְּפִלָּתָן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא עַל הָאָרֶץ, מָרֵי תַּעֲבֵד אַרְעָא, מָרֵי תַּצְלִיחַ אַרְעָא. כָּל תְּפִלָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, מָרֵי יִתְבְּנֵי בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא, מָרֵי מָתַי יִתְבְּנֵי בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא.
(2) And every growth/si’ach of the field” [Gn 2:5]—All the trees as it were /k’ilu are conversing/m’sichin, these with these. All the trees as it were are conversing with the creatures / `im hab’riyot.All the trees were created to give pleasure to the creatures . . . All the conversations of the creatures are about nothing except the land . . . and all the prayers of the creatures are about nothing except the land . . . All the prayers of Israel are about nothing except the Temple/ beyt hamikdash.
And a rafter shall answer it from the woodwork.
2) The selection of texts above are from various sources and touch on how sound and communication with the natural world takes place. How can this help us better understand the natural world we live in?
Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl (1730-1787) ( student of Baal Shem Tov)
"There is no creation without a life force of "letters" (ie. sounds and vibrations) which animates it and gives it life. For this reason, everything within the universe has a "language" of its own, for example, the chirping of the birds or the rustling of trees...."
Rav Dovber Pinson
Everything in this world has a tune, a song, a way of expressing and being itself. The mountains and valleys, the trees and plants, the animals and grasses, all are singing their unique song. The ultimate song of Creation is the song of yearning to return to Hashem, the Source of All Life.
3) How does sound and vibration show up in your life as a messenger? Or a connector to something greater? Does it?
The Hebrew Letters - Rabbi Mel Gottlieb
"According to the ancient Jewish texts, Kabbalistic works, and the more recent Hasidic commentary there is a psycho-spiritual dimension within the Hebrew alphabet, a numinosity within each letter and each word. The various scholars reveal this subliminal reality through their imaginative focusing on the MEANING of the letters and words, the SHAPE of the letters, how the letters' NUMERICAL values are important, and by examining the SOUNDS of the letters while using them in a meditative systems. Their methodology seems to be very much akin to placing a depth psychological lens upon the letters."
Below are charts of the aleph-bet Hebrew alphabet. Move through the images and say the letters out loud and experience the shapes and sounds.
What letters speak to you through their sound, shape or meaning?
Stephen Pope MA Mystic
"Finding inner connection with the Hebrew Letters is an ancient practice of Kabbalah to open up our right-mind consciousness that profoundly feels the Unity of All."
Aleph – No-thing All, the abstract principle of the primal source of all that is and nothing that is anything.
Bet – dwelling place, every container supporting every possible formation.
Gimel – fluidity, every conduit carrying fluid movement, exchange between containers.
Dalet – resistance to dissolution, the female breast and nipple, every nourishing object: awakening of spiritual sensitivity in the body.
Hay – Breath, Life, opening possibilities. Together with Dalet, Hay plays the game of Life.
Vav – that which connects, the spine, the phallus in men, the clitoris in women: that which penetrates space, through the six directions of space.
Zayin – to take flight, to take wing, spear, arrow. Freedom: The opening up of the infinite potential of every impregnation.
Hhet – the unified field, the source of all undifferentiated Life, containing the potential of all energetic patterning. Unstructured Life-force that becomes substance.
Tet – The primal feminine, to protect life, holding a space, protective structuring.
Yod – Seeding seed of existence: to exist, unique seed of Aleph.
Kaph – Shaping palm of hand, cupped hand receiving, shaping through indwelling.
Lamed – Movement, the uplifting leg, the outstretched wing, the herders crook giving direction, will to move.
Mem – Blood waters, sea of formative powers, ocean of life, originator of Life in fluid spacious form.
Nun – Generative power of Life. Individual existences.
Samek – The feminine sexual energy, female fertility - circulatory momentum and movement.
Ayin – Eye, all seeing, non-conceptual knowing. Vision of Zayin 7, seeing possibilities.
Phay – Mouth, sequential patterns, speech and song.
Tzaddi – Womanhood, feminine structuring of Life.
Koph – Exalted Aleph fulfilled, the destroyer of all forms, destroyer of illusions.
Raysh – Cosmic dwelling, Cosmic container of all existence, shaping through indwelling, curvature of space-time.
Shin – The Divine Fire, spirit-breath of Elohim: Primal flaring forth of Life in essence carrying through into making.
Tav – Resistance to Aleph, Death into timeless renewal: Renewal of all life in formation and its making.
Kaph Final - exalted Cosmic shaping.
Mem Final – Mother Waters of all Life. Cosmic fruitfulness – Womb of spacious creativity.
Nun Final – Cosmic interplay of generative Life. Number
Phay Final – Cosmic patterning.
Tzaddi Final – Transfigured feminine: Woman who greets the Sun.
Illuminating Letters- Paintings and Essays on the Kabbalah by Elizabeth Fergus- Jean
