Parashat Va-Yak’hel-Pikudei  (Exodus 35:1-40:38)

Middah for the Month of Adar:  Simhah- Joy

Birkat ha-Hodesh: blessing the month of Nissan

Just 4 short weeks ago, we welcomed the month of Adar. Adar’s gift to us is increased joy, experienced, not only because of Purim, but in the witnessing of the rebirth of the earth’s growth cycle.   In parallel, during this month of Torah readings, we have re-built the Tabernacle and re-dedicated holy space in our midst. All of the parts of the Sanctuary have finally been linked together and we have all given our obligatory and generosity offerings. “Vayehi ha-mishkan ehad - and the the Tabernacle became one” (36:13); “u’khvod YHVH malei et ha-mishkan – and the Divine Presence fills the Tabernacle”(40:34).

The Oneness of our unity in community and the Oneness of our connection with the All create the space for making Divinity manifest in this world, bringing us the deepest experience of simhah.

As we bless each other with continuing strength - hazak, hazak, v’nithazeik - upon finishing the reading of Exodus this year, I invite us to re-visit all the aspects of joy we have explored in our weekly studies: true happiness is being fully aware of the unfolding of Life in the present moment.  Bliss is the depth of experience when light and dark are both held.  Delight is living a life of honor.  Joyfulness is feeling grounded and supported by relationship with the Infinite.  Simhah is knowing that we are participating in the creation of a heavenly home and place of unity here – in this community and in our larger world.

With blessing for experiencing all of this, always in its measure,

Rabbi SaraLeya

23 Adar 5770

10 am - 1 pm: 3/14, 5/9
$45 members/$55 nonmembers (includes food to take home to feed your family)
Discount packages:
$10 off if you register for 2 classes

Cooking workshops, each leading to a Communal Feast!

Learn to cook spiritually with meditation, Hebrew phrases, chants and songs, healthy nutrition guidelines, hands-on creative cooking, blessing and gratitude rituals, and introduction to Thriving in Challenging Times.

We use sustainable, seasonal, local, and organic (eco-kosher) ingredients as much as possible.

The Haggadah is our rabbinic guide to the Passover Seder. By spending time studying the traditional structure and text of the Haggadah, along with some Kabbalistic and Hassidic explanations, the intention of this class is to bring a new level of familiarity and understanding to a ritual that, while fun, can also mark a profound spiritual journey.

Cost: 18/12 individual class; 24/18 both classes when paid in advance.

Our mystical tradition teaches us that on the hidden level of Torah, the story of our people’s liberation from Egypt is the story of our souls’ liberation from bondage.

In this workshop, we will enter into this timeless river of soul journeying, preparing ourselves to more fully experience the celebration of Passover. We will identify where we are constricted, how to answer the Source’s question’ “Where are you?” what it may be like to make ourselves into a vehicle for the Shechina, and claim our soul’s arrival in the land of freedom. Each phase of this journey will be experienced through a period of chanting, meditation, expressive arts and sharing.

Sunday, March 21, 10 am to 1 pm
$40 members/$50 non-members
please call 510.704.9687 to pre-register.

The period of 49 days between the second night of Passover and Shavuot, the time of Sefirat haOmer, Counting the Omer, is a time infused by mystical intention. Each of the 7 weeks, and each day of the week, is infused with the essence of one of the permutations of the lower 7 Sefirot. Thus, this period is uniquely suited for the study of Kabbalah. This class is offered in response to a desire expressed by many in our community to deepen our understanding of Kabbalah and so that we can have a common language with which to discuss mystical concepts. This class will be suitable for beginning and more advanced students.

Dates: April 8,15, 22, 29, May 6,13. Time: 7-8:45PM

Fee: 18 non-members /12 members per session (includes MP3’s); if series is paid-in-full by the second class, pay for 5 sessions instead of 6.