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I wanted to alert those who read this newsgroup to an event which will, GD-willing, be given in Wheaten, IL, over the weekend of February 16-18. For those interested, here's the schedule of the course (specific times are still to be determined).
Course Summary - A Weekend of Jewish Mysticism
Friday Welcoming the Sabbath The weekend begins with a brief overview of the Sabbath, especially the concept of the Sabbath Bride, after which the Sabbath is welcomed with blessings over candles, bread, and wine.
The Shekhinah - the Feminine Aspect of the Divine An exploration of the Shekhinah, from her beginnings in the Torah as an aspect of Gad through her realization in later kabalistic philosophy as the Bride or consort of the Divine.
The Universal Universal Tree A discussion of tree symbology in a number of religions, followed by a guided meditation which focuses on self discovery, and which draws from three of the Trees of Life - the Bo tree, the kabalistic Tree of Life and the Norse world tree, Ygdrasil
Saturday Breakfast with the Rabbi Saturday begins with an optional 2-hour 'holy schmooze,' during which the weekly Torah portion will be discussed, along with any other questions about Torah or Judaism which may arise (the portion will not be required reading, but it would be advantageous to those who wish to attend to read it. The relevant Torah portion will be made known to attendees a few weeks before the intensive).
The Tree of Life The remainder of Saturday will be given over to a in-depth look at the kabalistic Tree of Life, beginning with an overview of its uses and then delving into the ten sefirot and the twenty-two paths which make up the tree.
Between the breakfast and the Tree of Life presentation, a number of possibilities will be offered as to what attendees wish to learn as the second presentation on Sunday. Choices will include information on golems, angels and demons, detail on one of four great mystics, and an overview of three pivotal kabalistic texts, among others.
Havdallah - A Ritual of Separation Just as Sabbath is welcomed on Friday evening, so it departs, on Saturday evening, with a ritual of wine, light, and spice. Havdallah denotes the point of separation, and moves us back from the spiritual realm to the mundane one.
Sunday Lives of Four Great Jewish Mystics In order to put kabbalah into an historic perspective, especially the 'Golden Age of Kabbalah,' which existed in the Holy Land after the expulsion from Spain, Sunday's programming begins with an overview of the lives and philosophies of four of the great mystics - Abraham Abulafia, Isaac of Acco, Moses Cordovero, and Isaac Luria.
Elective Session This slot will be filled with whichever program item attendees decided upon on Saturday. If, however, the group decides, after the first Sunday session, that they wish to learn more about one of the four mystics spoken of in the overview, that can be accommodated as well.
Meditation and Kabbalah The third, and last, session presents an overview of meditation and meditative techniques, culminating in a kabalistic pathworking to the sefirah Yesod.
The cost of the weekend is projected to be $150. Spaces are limited to 10 people, since this will be held at the home of a friend. Please write me off-list if you're interested in attending.
Thank you for listening.
Rabbi David M. Honigsberg
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