Renewal For All

than a duty so overwhelming that it suffocates hope. IfearIsoundlikemyecstaticfriend.Actually,fromhereIamhappyformyfriend.Idon’t have a clue why there is so much suffering. All I know is that when I center deep inside, the still,smallvoicehasachancewithme. Suddenly, having an awakening experience doesn’t sound so separate, so “aren’t you special ?,” so exclusive. It is “awakening” experience, not “completely awake forever” experience. It’s available inside every body, part of the human equipment. Rest assured, for those of us who need a dose of shadow with our ecstasy, it rarely lasts all day. In fact, just writing this bringsapowerfulrushofself-doubtthatthreatenstoparalyzeme.WhoamItohaveanything tosayaboutGod?Whataboutthosechildrenwhoarestillsuffering? Andsothecyclebeginsagain:Godiseverything;IamnotseparatefromGod.Thesefeelings are part of God: sit with the suffering, fall down into the heart, wait for the connection withthestillsmallvoice,watchtherightactionariseoutofthefieldoflove,andtakeit. So here are the great awarenesses of my recent life: God is everything.We have to choose becauseitisrightaction.Choosingfromaheartofcompassionseemstomakemorecompassionate things happen. It does not guarantee the end to suffering. Awakening means more awake,notalwaysawake.Enlightenmentmeansfeelinglighter,nottheabsenceofdark. NowIthinkIwillgoaboutmyday.ThewashingmachinehasstoppedandIamwonderinghowlongitwilltaketheclothestodryinthefog .I DeborahAllenisacounselor,teacher,andfree-lancewriter. SheliveswithherfamilyinSoquel,Californiaandcanbefoundonthewebatwww .healersforum.com. M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 8 W W W. T I K K U N . O R G T I K K U N 53 S ome time ago I was asked what I affirm about my religion. My response wasthatIadheretoempiricalreligionoftheJewishtradition.Thequestionerchallenged me, saying that this was heresy because I did not state divine revelation as the basis for my commitment. What my challenger could not recognize from his perspectiveisthatDivineRevelationisalsoempirical. I had a conversation with his Holiness the Dalai Lama about his characterization of the wayinwhichweneedtoliveourethicsassecular.ItriedtosaythatIwouldmuchrathercall itanempiricalethics.Mysenseofthelawofkarmaisthatitisanempiricallawthatisdiscovered by being observed rather than legislated. As an observer of Jewish halachah, I feel the sameabouttheword“observance”—thatithasthemeaningofwatching,discerning,observingwhatworks . This is really what Jewish Renewal is about: what works. No wonder many people have abandoned “religion” that did not work for them. People are not interested in being subjectedtoboringaestheticsandvapidsermons ,spendingtimemerelyspinningtheirwheels. PeopleoftensaythattheylikespiritualityoverreligionandItakethattomeansomething thatworksforthem.Peoplewouldnotcontinuetopracticeyoga,taichiandvariousformsof meditationiftheydidnotderivesomebenefitfromit. Lifeisdifficulttoday.Fromthetasksthatgointomakingaliving,keepingafamilytogether , or dealing with the cloud of depression that derives from an anxiety-producing political andsocialenvironment,peoplewouldlovetofindsomethingthattheycouldactuallydothat wouldconnectthemwiththeresourcesthatweusuallyterm“spiritual.” Thiscommonsenseapproachconcernedwithtikkunolam,socialequity,lucidawareness, emotionalequanimity,andmostofallwithmaintenanceofkindnessandrelatingtoselfand Renewal For All by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi WWW.RZLP.ORG 7.Religion_5.qxd:Politics rev. 2/10/08 3:54 PM Page 53 others,isverymuchrootedinJewishRenewal. When those of us in the Renewal Movement are in conversation with people who come from other religious or creedal backgrounds we often find that they experience an affinity with our grounded ethics and family values. Those we talk with are not necessarily interested in following our specifically Jewish rituals,prayinginHebrew,orcelebratingourholydaysbut,andthisisdecisive, theyareinterestedinwhatIcallourweekdayJudaism—thatempiricalreligion thattheyobserveustoliveandmayparticipateinwheninvitedtoahomeorlife cycleritualwithaJewishfamily. Withoutfullyandrituallyconverting,manysuchpeoplewouldliketohave a social bond with us Renewal Jews. When they attend our worship services they often find welcome and inspiration. Experiencing satisfaction makes themwonderifthereisawayfortheirinformalaffiliationtobecomemoreexplicit . Itturnsoutthatthisisnotanewphenomenon.Waybackinthetimeofour prophets when the Syrian general came to the Jews for healing from his leprosy , he was ready to embrace the worship of God as Jews worshiped God. TherewerepeopleinRomewhoconsideredthemselvesGodfearers. Thereare clearreferencesinthePsalmstoJewsinvitingthosewhofeartheLordtocelebrateandworshipalongsidethehouseofAaron (Psalm115;11).Theirsacrifices wereofferedonthealtarinJerusalem.Isaiahwouldtellus(Isaiah67:18tothe end)thattheywouldalsobeinvitedtoministeraspriestsandacolytesinthehouseofprayer forallpeoples. The rabbis of the Talmud recognized such a category under the name the children of Noah, called the Seven Noachide Laws. There are several websites dedicated to these laws, whichtheylistas: 1. WorshipGod:donotworshipanythingexceptGod. 2. RespectGodAndPraiseGod:donotcurseGodoranyoneinGod’sname. 3. RespectHumanLife:donotcommitmurder,suicide,orabortion. 4. RespectTheFamily:donotparticipateinsexualimmorality. 5. RespectOthers’RightsAndProperty:donotsteal,cheat,orkidnap. 6. RespectAllCreatures:donoteatthefleshofanyanimalwhileitis stillalive. 7. PursueJustice:establishcourtsoflawtoenforcetheSevenNoachidelaws. There are people who, as a result of their Bible reading, turn to the organizations of Noachides and are happy to receive guidance from Orthodox rabbis who interpret those seven laws according to the halachic traditions of the old paradigm. In Jewish Renewal, thesesevenrulesserveinawaythatisillustrative,notnormative.Wedon’tdemandthatthe relationshiptothehigherpowernecessarilybecouchedintheparametersofrulesoneand twoabove.Asregardsrulefour,werecognizeandrespectfamiliesofsamegenderedpeople who would like to sacramentalize their shared life. In our tradition, we expand rule six to include how we view ecology and health. We also do not demand that the courts of law enforce the seven Noachide laws to make people obedient as if it were a Shariya court; we accept legitimate legal judicial forms based on shared consent. The way in which the Talmud dealt with Noah’s children, and the form of affiliation they had with Judaism and the Jewish people, was to...