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</style> <span style="font-size: large;"> <u><span style="color: black;"></span></u></span><br />
<div class="Section1"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="color: black;"></span></u><span style="color: black;">Torah can be seen as a conversation between God and us. Or between the Divine that is within us and the human that is within us. According to one tradition, the only sound that was heard by the people at Mount Sinai was that of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet....the <i>aleph</i>. The <i>aleph</i>, though thought of as silent, can be seen as the silent sound within us before we actually create speech. This evening we begin the celebration of the festival of <i>Shavuot</i> Meaning 'weeks' in Hebrew, <i>Shavuot</i> is the day after we counted 7 weeks from the 2nd day of Passover. It was originally an agricultural pilgrimage/harvest festival which came to be viewed as the celebration of the giving of Torah on Mt. Sinai, may we all quiet our minds so we can hear the sound of the silent <i>aleph</i> within each of us.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Chag Sameakh -</i> Happy Holiday -</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Steven</span></span></div><div class="Section1"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="color: black;">The Conversation Begins</span></u><span style="color: black; font-family: Geneva;"> <br />
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Geneva;"><br clear="ALL" style="page-break-before: auto;" /> </span></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Geneva;">We stand at the mountain<br />
Ground shakes quakes<br />
we see the thunder <br />
the voices <br />
of God<br />
not just hear but see<br />
God's voice <br />
reaches our soul<br />
becomes part of us<br />
reality shifts<br />
see the world <br />
differently<br />
see what <br />
before<br />
we could only hear<br />
see what<br />
before<br />
was beyond <br />
perception<br />
see <br />
within<br />
ourselves<br />
feel<br />
within<br />
our souls<br />
the Voice <br />
God<br />
<br />
what is <br />
the Voice<br />
I cannot tell<br />
I think <br />
I know<br />
it is me<br />
but you say<br />
it is you<br />
and you say<br />
it is <br />
child mother father friend<br />
comforting frightening challenging compassionate<br />
<br />
I am frozen<br />
fear terror joy<br />
standing<br />
on the boundary<br />
between<br />
God and humans<br />
liminal space<br />
<br />
I cannot <br />
move<br />
I cannot <br />
speak<br />
I can only<br />
hear<br />
<br />
I cannot tell<br />
what I am hearing<br />
<br />
There is<br />
a voice<br />
no voice<br />
a word<br />
no word<br />
only thunder and lightenting<br />
a deafening whisper<br />
imperceptible<br />
<br />
the Aleph<br />
no-sound sound<br />
the beginning<br />
of conversation<br />
I <br />
do not know<br />
the contents<br />
of the conversation<br />
I <br />
only know<br />
that<br />
it <br />
is<br />
real<br />
true<br />
more than<br />
anything <br />
<br />
Strange<br />
the deepest truth<br />
I cannot hear<br />
cannot know<br />
still<br />
I hear<br />
I know<br />
in my soul<br />
<br />
Sinai<br />
long ago<br />
this moment<br />
Hear<br />
the lightning <br />
Feel<br />
the earth<br />
my soul<br />
quake<br />
Listen<br />
for <br />
the Voice<br />
Trying<br />
to discern<br />
what it says<br />
<br />
That is <br />
our task<br />
holy work<br />
each and every day<br />
to decipher<br />
the aleph<br />
the no-sound sound<br />
the beginning<br />
with no end<br />
of the <br />
conversation<br />
with God<br />
ourselves<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Geneva;">Shavuot 5763<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Geneva;">6/6/93</span></span></div>
<br><br>--<br>
Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to <a href="http://mindfultorah.blogspot.com/2010/05/poem-for-festival-of-shavuot-weeks.html">Mindful Torah</a> at 5/18/2010 07:30:00 PM