Transcendental Judaism–Hearing the “Still Small Voice”
Hosted By: Valley Beit Midrash
This class is about Jewish spirituality…making a palpable connection with God. Judaism teaches that we connect with God by performing the commandments, the mitzvot. Our tradition also teaches that we interpret Torah and the mitzvot at multiple levels. The focus of this class is on the mystical level called sod. Connecting at this level may be more accessible to a wide range of Jews who might view themselves as “spiritual, but not religious.” Many of us look outside our religion for spirituality. In fact, spirituality can be found right in our own back yard.
Over the millennia, there has been an evolution in how Jews connect with God. In an era we call biblical Judaism, we felt a deep connection with God through the practice of animal sacrifices. Now, in the era we call rabbinic Judaism, we make connections through prayer, acts of charity, repentance, and study.
The next era may become characterized as transcendental Judaism. Through the meditative quieting of the mind, we can directly experience the “still small voice” that Elijah sensed on that mountaintop. This is not mindfulness. It’s an expansive experience of complete calm, oneness, and sense of connection with everything around us. Many of us have fallen into that transcendental experience: while watching a sunset or holding a newborn baby. What if we were able to enter into that transcendental experience at will? This class describes how those repeated experiences heal us and influence our actions towards repairing the world.
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