Holiday Readers
We’ve created a series of companions and ritual guides to deepen your Jewish experiences, throughout the year.
Return to One - A Shefa High Holiday Companion
Teshuvah. The central spiritual work of the High Holiday season, this Hebrew term is most commonly translated as “repentance.” It figures prominently in the seasonal liturgy: “Teshuvah, Prayer and Charity will overturn the evil decree!” Even the very time period from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur is called the Ten Days of Teshuvah. But in the mystical tradition, teshuvah is linked to something much deeper than repentance, and derives from the primordial roots of existence itself.
Through a unique blend of traditional and contemporary voices to awaken our slumbering consciousnesses and gentle, meditative techniques and guided reflections to put word into action, we hope this year's High Holidays, supported by our teshuvah companion, will birth us anew into a life of hearing the eternal call of the Divine.
Higher Light - A Shefa Hanukkah Companion
The Talmudic Sages refer to the original light of creation as the ohr ha’ganuz, the “hidden” or “concealed” light. This points to an underlying animating energy that is present beneath the visible, perceptible elements of reality and that cannot be perceived through our normative consciousness. But there are moments when we may experience its presence, and there are pathways that can grant us entry into its field. According to the Jewish mystical teachings, Hanukkah is a unique time for encountering this hidden light. The practice of lighting candles during the darkest time of the year is not merely intended to increase physical light in a time when it is absent, but it is an invitation to experience this quality of light that is hidden from our eyes, yet is present and accessible to us if we attune our hearts, bodies and minds to it.
This Hanukkah candle ritual companion, designed with our friends at Ayin Press, is meant to accompany you as you wade into your own experience of lighting candles and support you in making contact with the spiritual vibrancy that is at the core of this holiday. With prompts for guided meditation, song, and attuned gazing, we hope this resource will reenchant your spiritual practice during this time of light and dark. .
The Four Cups of Consciousness: A Shefa Haggadah Companion
When we think about the sights, tastes and smells of the Seder, we think of the matzah, the Seder plate, and the four cups of wine. But the funny thing is, unlike the matzah or the marror (the bitter herb), the four cups are not mentioned in the Torah but were instituted later by the Rabbis of the Talmud in order to enhance our experience of freedom on Passover night. In the Kabbalistic and Hasidic traditions, the four cups of wine are understood as a gateway to a higher consciousness. We invite you to explore the layers of meaning embedded within each of these cups, and experiment with wine as a catalyst for more truth, light, and faith this Pesach.