Dear Friends of the Moon,
Seems like only days ago, the moon disappeared. Days ago we looked outside and saw nothing but the blue-black night, no stars, no signs of anything out there. Then, the days and nights passed and soon, there was a milky-yellow eyelash of moon in the sky. A crescent of hope, a simultaneous reminder of the ephemeral yet enduring cycles of nature.
Now, the moon is full. Now, we are midway in the Hebrew month of Av. Av meaning father, parent or container. The tikkun, the healing opportunity, during Av is through our sense of hearing. Below is a powerful inquiry I heard. What do you hear?
When I shared the lion-photo below, a seeker wrote:
Shalom, Rabbi, I have a question. Why is it that when I experience true beauty, a mama lion serenely cradling her cub, a cub fully vulnerable and relaxed into her mama’s embrace, do I experience a pain in my heart? I immediately feel a pain and a fear that someone will harm either of them or that bad things will happen to them? What in me needs healing to let go of this fear and despair that beauty is under attack, that vulnerability and love will be destroyed?
This salty-torah vlog is my exploration. What do you hear in the inquiry above? What do these lions stir in you? Please join the discussion and post your comments below.
During this month of Av, may our fragility be our strength and our compassion be our guide.
Hearing you,
Rabbi Alyson Solomon