admin

“Let me see Your glory!” Davenen through the Four Worlds (Ki Tisa & Pesach)

Festivals /

D’var Torah on Ex. 33:12-23 At Pesach[1] we are called to go ‘up’, physically and metaphorically, to journey beyond our narrowness, and dare to live in our fullness. By the time of today’s reading[2], we’ve travelled into the desert, complained many times, received the Torah, ten commandments, and detailed instructions for building the mishkan, prayed […]

“Let me see Your glory!” Davenen through the Four Worlds (Ki Tisa & Pesach) Read More »

God hidden, whereabouts unknown – notes on the book by Miles-Yepez & Schachter-Shalomi

Notes on books, Spirituality /

These are my own gleanings from a book by Netanel Miles-Yepez & Zalman Shachter-Shalomi, God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: the Holy Ari and the ‘Contraction of God’ (2021, Albion-Andalus). I hope they encourage you to buy the book. I have paraphrased in order to clarify my own understanding, but there are also direct quotations from the

God hidden, whereabouts unknown – notes on the book by Miles-Yepez & Schachter-Shalomi Read More »

Fourth Turning of Hasidism – notes on the book by Miles-Yepez & Shachter-Shalomi

Notes on books, Spirituality /

These are my own gleanings from a book by Netanel Miles-Yepez & Zalman Shachter-Shalomi, Foundations of the Fourth Turning of Hasidism: a manifesto (2014, Albion-Andalus). I hope they encourage you to buy the book. I have paraphrased in order to clarify my own understanding, but there are also direct quotations from the book. The notes

Fourth Turning of Hasidism – notes on the book by Miles-Yepez & Shachter-Shalomi Read More »

A Merciful God – notes on the book by Shachter-Shalomi & Miles-Yepez

Notes on books, Spirituality /

These are my own gleanings from a book by Zalman Shachter-Shalomi & Netanel Miles-Yepez, A Merciful God: stories and teachings of the holy rebbe, Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev – translated and retold with commentary (2010, Albion-Andalus). I hope they encourage you to buy the book. I have paraphrased in order to clarify my own understanding,

A Merciful God – notes on the book by Shachter-Shalomi & Miles-Yepez Read More »

Neir Adonai No.1 (Candle of God)

Festivals, Interfaith, Psalms / Tehillim /

Music & audio © 2023 Alexander Massey – All Rights Reserved Download the free sheet music (voice & piano or guitar) נֵר יְהוָה, נִשְמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ, כָל-חַדְרֵי-בָטֶן אֱלהַי נְשָמָה שֶנָתַתָ בִי טְהורָה הִיא כִי-אַתָה, תָאִיר נֵרִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי, יַגִיהַ חָשְכִי Verse 1: The soul of a person is the candle of God, that searches the

Neir Adonai No.1 (Candle of God) Read More »

Parshot – Divrei Torah

Torah /

The annual cycle of Torah readings is traditionally split into 54 portions, as well as special readings for Festivals and Fasts. Here’s what I’ve written (and sometimes composed) in relation to some of those readings. 2 Noach – Moving beyond binaries 7 Vayeitzei Jacob’s ladder – dreaming awake (Jacob #1) Jacob and Lavan – learning

Parshot – Divrei Torah Read More »