Twin Hassidic Qualities to Cultivate

Twin Hassidic Qualities to Cultivate appreciationto '1@66i'BurtJaco6son. which is deeper than the silence which preceded the niggun. Mesirut and Devekut Surrender and Attachment Yira'a Tata'ah/ Ahava Tata'ah Lower Fear and Lower love. Devekut (attachment) means intimacy with Elohut, the Divine. The opposite of this is Pirud, Reb Burt Jacobson who inspired many of the ideas on this page suggests that the lower fear of God is actually the same as our normal existential fears of our mortality, loss, and catastrophe. These fears make us humble (Shiflut) and open our vessel to true vulnerability in which God can enter. Lower love may emerge from neediness but its outcome is gratitude which is the doorstep towards a deepening in the soul. separation or detachment from Godliness leading to alienation and dissolution. Sometimes one finds the used as a synonym for an word attachment obsessive-compulsive holding-on which is possiblyas a masking of deeper fears. Such "attachment" is considered immature or characteristic of fears and is cancelled by letting go. Here, however, Devekut is positive. It means a closeness with the Essence. One is engaged with the deeper purpose behind each event. Mesirut (Surrender) means giving over of one's self for God. It is often found in the tradition as a metaphor for self-sacrifice. In the context used here, Mesirut means giving oneself over to what is wanted and needed right now. The opposite would be a holding back from the situation out of Gai-utArrogance. Surrender and attachment go hand in hand: as one lets go and surrenders one's anxious restlessness, one grows in intimacy and closeness to the transformative energies which shape our lives for the better. As Barry Barkan says, about Devekut, "I just try to keep the name going. Sometimes the name is Shabbos Menukha or Barukh Hashem or Praise God. When I get the name going, it develops its own momentum which saves the situation." Ahava Ila'ah and Yira'a Ila'ah Higher Fear and Higher love. Higher love is characterized as being focused on the transformation resulting from giving. It centers on the outpouring of generosity coming from a sense of the universe as a place of superabundant continuous fountainings of riches without end. It leads to inner states of deep reliance and trust states. Higher fear is characterized as states of awe wherein one is amazed, silenced, and dumbfounded when experiencing the innate creativity which is much greater and more potent than one has ever imagined in one's wildest hopes. Kavvana and Makhshavot Zarot Intentionality and Stray Thoughts Devekut and Hit'lahavut Intimacy and Passion Compared to the flame (lahav=flame) of Hit'lahavut, Devekut looks cool. Hit'lahavut is fiery, Makhshavot Zarot (stray thoughts) arise from conflicting intentions and dynamics of temptation which interrupt one's conscious Kavvana. As one develops one's intentionality, one gets clearer and stray thoughts lessen. Becoming conscious as to the nature of one's typical stray thoughts and the dynamics of conflict which underlie them is a step in the process of resolution of inner disharmonies. This comes from disciplined self-observation of one's consistently held images which, along with the modality of focused relaxation (related to Mesirut and Devekut)helps one to transform. sparky, ardor and flaring in love. Devekut is cool but steady; it runs deep and the commitment is consistent. Both together create a full bonding and merging of boundaries. Niggun and Shtika Melody and Silence Each informs the other so that the silence births the melody which is a non-verbal expression of one's gut-feelings. In tum, the melody leads into a silence