Rocky Mountain Hai

Berasheet and the Mateh

2010-10-15T11:08:00.002-06:00

I am sharing my story for the first time. And it is about time. I have been here since the beginning, even before the beginning. What does that mean, you ask? It means that I am not some descendant of ancient race; I am the antecedent of an ancient race. I am the Mateh מטה, I was taken from the original tree in the original garden. I was there before any of the 4 leggeds and before the 2

New location for Reb Bahir's blog

2010-03-31T10:03:00.000-06:00

Hi friends, family and fans! We have moved Reb Bahir's blog to reside ON his website at RockyMountainHai.com We would really love to have you come visit us over there and subscribe, if you feel like it! Thank you so much for your continued support of Rocky Mountain Hai! -- Talia & Reb Bahir

From Where I Sit - Purim

2010-02-25T17:25:00.002-07:00

From Where I Sit My Dear Friends Many may argue the facts behind the fable. Some will tell you that its origins are rooted within the mists of mythology; god and goddess. Marduk and Ishtar joining in ascendancy and certainly there are elements of that. Traditionalists will tell you that the story is exactly accurate as written. The story is the word of G in which we see the hidden hand of G.

Ode To A Scrap Of Paper

2010-01-06T11:24:00.003-07:00

ODE TO A SCRAP OF PAPER I was once a Tree Not the lined, scribbled upon scrap you see now I was tall and strong and beautiful root to leaf, bough to bough Now I am flat with printed lines, ordinary in every way. But I was once a tree Not a folded, ripped and stained messenger of words I was a pillar reaching to the very heavens and a haven for birds Now I am the lowly receptacle of a spilled

The Menorah and The Hanukiah

2009-12-01T15:10:00.002-07:00

The Menorah and the Hanukiah They sat side by side, almost twins. But their emotions were as dissimilar as their shape was similar. “I am so excited!” chortled the Hanukiah. “It is almost that time of year. Soon the house will be filled with the smell of Latkes and the warmth of my favorite holiday.” “I wonder what that could be!?!?” grumbled the Menorah, standing tarnished and forlorn

Sukkot

2009-10-02T07:41:00.002-06:00

FROM WHERE I SITMy Dear FriendsThere is something about building a Sukkah that opens the door to who we are. Our Sukkah building reveals the blueprints to our mind, our heart and our soul. Some people spend a great deal of money buying pre-fab Sukkot. They look at the directions and fit piece A into slot B. They put up the pre-painted fabric walls. Lastly they roll out the pre-fab Schach סכך

Sukkkot in Kabbalah

2009-10-02T07:34:00.001-06:00

IN THE BEGINNNINGDuring the month of Elul, we seek to rebalance through forgiveness from others. On Rosh HaShanah, we stand before G in awe and awareness. On Yom Kippur, we bow the head and humble the heart seeking, in our souls, forgiveness from G.Four days later, with the fullness of the moon, we exit our own homes and to enter into the Sukkah, that tiny Mishkan, G’s temporary home. G’s home

An Open Box: The moving non-movement!

2009-09-26T10:18:00.002-06:00

My Dear FriendsOn Erev Rosh HaShanah I began a trilogy of sermons that I called "The path less travelled." On that night I spoke of the origins of our people, our tribal path. On Rosh HaShanah day I continued with the tests and lessons of movement. As a people we have moved through time and space carrying our faith in our hearts and our heads and our hands. Movements were built as boxes to

Tests and Lessons on the Path Less Travelled

2009-09-17T07:51:00.004-06:00

My Dear Friends:Last night I spoke to you of the warrior's path, the path less travelled. Today I speak to you of what has informed and formed our path less travelled. They are the tests and lessons.I was once asked to give a graduation speech for an Episcopal parochial school. Faced with this daunting task I faced the kids and suggested to them that they were very fortunate to be in a school

The path less travelled

2009-09-17T07:46:00.004-06:00

My Dear FriendsIt has been a custom in my family for over 60 years on the High Holydays to give a trilogy of sermons wrapped around a single theme. I am happy and honored to continue this tradition for these High and Holy Days in our new and renewed congregation, the Bleeker Street Synagogue. The theme this year to come is the Path Less travelled. It is taken from a Poem by Robert Frost that

Elul the month of searching

2009-08-26T16:48:00.001-06:00

ElulElul is the sixth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar. In Aramaic, Elul means searching, which is what we do to find the deeper meaning of simple terms such as our months. Elul is also called “the month of repentance,” “the month of mercy,” and “the month of forgiveness” for it is the month of ‘Pre-pare,’ preparing to repair. We cannot repair the world alone. We need to be in

The month of Av

2009-08-06T14:48:00.000-06:00

The Hebrew month of Av is the fifth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.The name Av may have come from Aviv meaning spring. It may have come from the word for father אב or אבא. Since Hebrew is a root language words build out from the center and so the month of Av could also be derived from the root אבה which means "to be willing,” “to surround,” “to embrace.” This month exemplifies life

an end to strife regarding gender and sexual orientation in our society.

2009-06-30T14:00:00.002-06:00

I just attended an extraordinary event. Rocky Mountain Hai had a booth at Pride Fest in Denver. The event was quite exciting and illuminating. I have always thought of myself as an informed and open minded person. But I must tell you that Pride Fest was an eye-opening experience for me. As I watched the thousands of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender individuals pass by our booth and

Tamuzing in the Kabbalah

2009-06-30T13:25:00.006-06:00

The Month of TamuzAn interpretation influenced by the Kabbalistic teachings of Sefer YetzirahTamuz is the fourth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.Tamuz begins the summer season. The three months of this season, Tamuz, Av and Elul, correspond to the three tribes Reuben, Simeon and Gad who were situated on the south side of the Ohel Mo’ed (the Tent of Sacred Meeting).According to

Sivan, the magic seven, finding the path.

2009-06-01T15:28:00.002-06:00

The Month of SivanSivan is the third of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar. The month of the giving of the Torah to Israel.Letter: zayin.Sivan is the third month of the year. 3 is a powerful number. It is a number representing balance, for to make something stand we need 3 points on the ground (a tripod). G gave the tripod of Torah, Neviem, and Ketuvim to a tripod of tribes, Kohanim,

The Book of Ruth & The Yahrzeit / Yizkor Candle

2009-05-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

The Book of RuthThe book of Ruth is read at this time. Again, there are varying reasons given for this custom, and none seems to be definitive. Ruth is the story of a Moabite woman who converted to Judaism and who eventually married a judge of Israel, Boaz . Traditional Torah commentators offer two major theses to explain the custom: that Ruth was the model of Torah acceptance, and that without

Shavuot and the Ten Commandments

2009-05-02T20:06:00.000-06:00

Shavuot and the Ten CommandmentsShavuot is also known as Zeman Matan Toratenu, the Season of the Giving of Our Law, which commemorates the receiving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.After Moses and the Israelites fled the slavery of Egypt, they wandered the desert. G provided the travelers with food to eat (manna) and water to drink. After long months Moses brought his followers to the foot

Celebrating the Day of the First Fruits

2009-05-02T20:05:00.000-06:00

Celebrating the Day of the First FruitsThe farmers of Israel would begin their spring harvests with the barley crop at Passover. The harvest continued for seven weeks as the other crops and fruits began to ripen. As each fruit ripened, the first of each type would not be eaten but instead the farmer would tie a ribbon around the branch. This ribbon signified that these fruits were Bikkurim, or

The customs and meanings of Shavu'ot the Week of Weeks

2009-05-02T20:04:00.003-06:00

The Story of ShavuotShavuot, the Feast of the Weeks, the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). Shavuot’s agricultural origin is part of the Jewish celebration of the harvest season in Israel. Shavuot, which means "weeks", refers to the timing of the festival which is held exactly 7 weeks after Passover.

Winnie the Pooh's favorite mystical month 'Iyar!'

2009-05-02T19:54:00.002-06:00

The Month of Iyar"Iyar" is the second of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar. In the Bible, the month of Iyar is called the month of "Ziv" (radiance). Iyar comes from the word for light and in the Jastrow dictionary we find Ziv and Iyar snuggling together in meaning. Iyar can also float up as an acronym for "I am G your Healer" (Exodus 15:26). So this is a good time to take our annual

The merry, mystical month of Nisan

2009-03-29T19:43:00.003-06:00

The Month of Nisan as seen through the mystic eye Nisan is the first of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar. "This month [the month of Nisan] shall be for you the first of the months" (Exodus 12:2).The month of Nisan begins, the spring season. Traditionally the three months of Nisan, Iyar, and Sivan are considered the spring months. This is probably due to the fact that they include the 2

An open letter to my dear friend on Purim, slaughter and moderation

2009-03-10T10:30:00.001-06:00

My Dear FriendHow wonderful that you are sensitive to ‘the moral high ground’ that is part of our path. We, who read Torah with a modern eye and a sensitive heart, are disturbed by the practice of ‘Jihad’ that is, the destruction of the blood lineage of the enemy. Yes it was the practice of the time. Yes, Shaul is chastised (Shmuel 15) and loses all when he does not follow the ‘word of G’ and

Purim – the holiday of opposites – joy vs. grief, concealment vs. revealment, Mordechai vs. Haman, destruction vs. redemption

2009-02-28T19:36:00.003-07:00

From Where I SitMy Dear Friends Many may argue the facts behind the fable. Some will tell you that its origins are rooted within the mists of mythology; god and goddess. Marduk and Ishtar joining in ascendancy and certainly there are elements of that. Traditionalists will tell you that the story is exactly accurate as written. The story is the word of G in which we see the hidden hand of G.

Be Happy, its Adar

2009-02-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Month of AdarAccording to Sefer Yetzirah, each month of the Jewish year has attributes that correspond to • a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, • a zodiac sign, • one of the twelve tribes of Israel, • a sense, and • a part of the body that correspond to it.Adar is the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar.Adar is the month of good fortune. There is a saying: Mishenichnas Adar marbim besimcha. “

Tu B'Shvat Seder

2009-02-01T18:14:00.002-07:00

Wordsworth wrote: “My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky: So was it when my life began; So it is now I am a man: So be it when I shall grow old; Or let me die! The child is father of the man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety.”

The Meaning of the month of Shevat and the Mystery of Tu B'Shvat

2009-01-28T09:33:00.002-07:00

The Meaning behind the NameShvat is the eleventh of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar. We often refer to Tishrei as Rosh HaShanah, the head of the year, the New Year. However, it is not the first month on our calendar, as it is in other calendars. The first month in the Hebrew calendar is the spring month of Nisan, when Pesah appears.The fifteenth day of Shvat, Tu B'Shvat is called the

Hamas using civilian human shields as it attacks civilian human targets.

2009-01-07T12:48:00.004-07:00

Hamas and Islamic Jihad have fired thousands of rockets into southern Israel targeting civilian areas.The rockets are designed exclusively to maximize civilian deaths, and some have barely missed schoolyards, kindergartens, hospitals, and school buses. But others hit their targets, killing more than a dozen civilians since 2001, including in February 2008 a father of four who had been studying

Humanitarian Aid from Israel to Gaza

2009-01-07T12:37:00.001-07:00

There is a lot of misguided criticism that is raining down on Israel like Kassam rockets, regarding Humanitarian Aid. Here are a few facts to dispel some of the propaganda being spewed.Israel has allowed goods into Gaza regularly throughout the “siege and even sent food, medicine and heating oil into Gaza. I know of no time in history when a country has sent humanitarian aid to civilians in a

He started it by hitting me back: A look at the Israeli Hamas conflict

2009-01-07T12:16:00.002-07:00

A short factual background to the present conflict between Israel and Hamas.In 2005 Israel took unilateral action to withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip. We all saw the painful pictures of Israeli soldiers uprooting thousands of its own citizens from Gaza, a defacto recognition of the borders of Gaza. The Palestinians have no further territorial claims against Israel in Gaza. Hamas could,

Legal Argument for Israel's actions in Gaza

2009-01-04T20:10:00.004-07:00

This is a very well thought out and expressed legal view of the present activities in the Gaza Strip. I hope it is informative and of use when discussing the situation there. From the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs by Abraham BellPublished January 2008Vol. 7, No. 29 28 January 2008 International Law and Gaza: The Assault on Israel's Right to Self-DefenseAbraham Bell * International

The simple and the secret light of Hanukah

2008-12-21T09:35:00.004-07:00

The Pardes of Hanukah1. Pshat-MCAFACT SHEETDate: Kislev 25-Name: Hanukkah=RededicationThe Story:In the 4th Century, BCE Alexander the Great conquered the entire Middle East. After his death the empire was split and factions fought over Israel. The winner was The Selucid empire which was centered in what is now Syria. In 167 BCE Antiochus (who called himself Epiphanes = God has made manifest)

The Menorah and the Hanukiah

2008-12-21T09:19:00.003-07:00

The Menorah and the HanukiahThey sat side by side, almost twins. But their emotions were as dissimilar as their shape was similar. “I am so excited!” chortled the Hanukiah. “It is almost that time of year. Soon the house will be filled with the smell of Latkes and the warmth of my favorite holiday.”“I wonder what that could be!?!?” grumbled the Menorah, standing tarnished and forlorn by her

The Great Hanukiah and Christmas Tree debate

2008-12-21T09:15:00.004-07:00

A strange and wondrous debate was about to begin. The room was filling quickly. The Om of the Hindu faith, the Khanda of the Sikhs, the wheel of the Buddha, Bahai’s nine pointed star, Yin&Yangs of various styles, all vying for good seats. The room was lit by colorful, kwanza candles and Crescent moons hugging stars. The Mateh, that first staff, carved from the Tree of Life itself was to be

The meaning of the month of Kislev

2008-12-03T18:11:00.003-07:00

The Month of Kislev(References include Sefer Yetzirah, Torah, Talmud and the teachings of our Rabbis and my own interpretations.)Kislev is the ninth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.Kislev is the month of Hanukah, called the festival of lights.The name Kislev derives from the Hebrew word for "security" and "trust." Both are found in the month of Kislev. Kislev is the Yin and Yang, the

Mumbai, Kislev and Hanukah

2008-12-03T18:00:00.003-07:00

Kislev is a dark month. The days get shorter the nights longer. In Israel it is cold and wet. And yet Kislev is the month of hope. Within Kislev, at the end of Kislev, falls the holiday unique not only in Judaism but in history. We call it the festival of light. Some think that is because of the Hanukiah the 8 branch Menorah with the bright little Shamash in the middle. But the Hanukiah

Mateh of Light: The meeting of Avimelech, the heat and Yitzhak, the light

2008-11-25T14:26:00.002-07:00

The Mateh leaned against the wall of the tent to witness this momentous meeting. For though it was indeed, a branch from the Tree of Life/Knowledge, it was not to be the center of this council. If wood could chuckle, laughter would have burst from the Mateh at the thought. For in the center of the tent, the center of the meeting, there was wood, bursting in flame, as it was being transferred

Blessings and challenges: Jacob and Esau

2008-11-25T14:19:00.001-07:00

Sometimes parents are blind. We can be blind to the blessings and failings our children. We want the best for them and, of course, we KNOW what is best for them. Sometimes, when one parent does not see, the other sees clearly. That is our story this week. Yitzhak is blind to the strengths and weaknesses of his two sons. He sees his strong, outgoing, warrior son Esav as the wise choice to

Toldot: A powerful point along the line.

2008-11-25T11:57:00.003-07:00

What a word of wonder is the name of our potion this week; ‘Toldot!’ One might simply translate it as ‘The annals’ but that meaning is pale and thin compared to the wondrous, thick, multi-colored, multi-dimensional meaning of Toldot. For Toldot speaks of past and future. Inside that word we find child bearing and childhood. Inside that word we find the opportunity to peruse the pages of the

Mateh of the Midrash: Transcending realms

2008-11-19T07:31:00.003-07:00

There is a fourth statement that floats in our potion like a lily pod floating in a tranquil pond. It gently attracts our attention. It is worth our while to sit by the pond and ponder the power and worth of words and tales and tellings. Our spirits are calmed as we hearken back to journals and journeys allowing them to guide our lives and our souls.“I am a stranger among you (23:4).” The

Listen, Speak and Act: The quiet power of the hidden Torah

2008-11-19T07:29:00.002-07:00

There is so much of import, so much power in our potion. Great tales and deeds leap out at us from the parchment. And yet there are 3 quiet lines in this potion unrelated and unpretentious. They do not but leap from the parchment at us demanding our attention. They float gently on the surface with roots of meaning deep below the surface. And if we sit by the pond and gaze deeply into it

HAYEI SARAH: Sarah lived

2008-11-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

The name of our potion is Hayei Sarah, usually translated as “The Life of Sarah!” Strangely enough, the potion begins with the story of her death. If we look at this name of the potion as a beginning, it seems very strange that it discusses the end. On the other hand if we view the name of this potion as the end, then it is a remarkable beginning. As the beginning of the potion the words “

Barak Obama, a gleam in the gloom.

2008-11-13T06:42:00.007-07:00

Eight years ago our President spoke of shock and awe. Now we stumble in shock and dismay through an ever-weakening economy. We have moved from having the largest surplus in American history to the largest shortfall in American history. We have seen our growing economy shrink in stagnation. As jobs have left our shores, we have become the country from which Emma Lazarus imagined us emigrating.

What is in a name: VaYera (Genesis 18:1-22:24)

2008-11-09T14:02:00.001-07:00

Sitting outside his tent, Avraham sees three strangers. Maybe this was unusual for him, living in a lonely wilderness. But we see people passing by everyday and though we may see them, they are not apparent to us. They do not register in our minds. People pass into and out of our lives without our inner sight ever registering them as sacred guests in the hotel of our soul.The name of our

Shock and Awe: Not the answer. Filled with Awe is awful, some awe is awesome

2008-11-09T14:00:00.001-07:00

Over the past eight years terms have crept into our vocabulary, such as “homeland security,” and “weapons of mass destruction.” Words have meaning and words have power. They have power to harm and power to heal. One phrase that bubbles up in my consciousness when I look back over these eight years and when I read this week’s potion is “Shock and Awe!” Shock can fill us with awe and that idea

Misrash of the Mateh: Tests and Lessons

2008-11-09T13:55:00.002-07:00

Surely this is the tested people thought the Mateh, resting in it’s usually place by the entrance of the tent. What a time this has been. First G emanates to this two legged to “. . .get going.” That in itself is such a test. This two-legged and his wife and family walked south out of Syria and into a new country to settle. Then came the visit. It’s an honor to be visited, but to be visited

Our Constitutional Process

2008-11-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Thus begins a covenant made by the leaders of that new experiment

Midrash of the Mateh: A new leader for a new time

2008-11-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

You ask the tough questions. That is good but it is not easy. So let us begin with PaRDeS, the four levels of understanding. I do this because there is no one simple answer to any question other than: Does G exist. To that the answer is an unequivocal, resounding, full-faithed YES!!! But that is because G is unique. To all other questions

The Journal of the Journey

2008-03-26T07:29:00.002-06:00

The journal of the journeyJournalers are different than journalists. Journalers are those of us who travel through life making a journal of our lives. Some people write journals, some journal through music or painting. Yet others journal with their ears and eyes and mouths. We see something, we hear something and our minds journal it in our souls. We later share our

"Journaling the Journey": The Soul Reason for Keeping Kosher

2008-03-26T06:27:00.004-06:00

The Torah portion Shemini spends a great deal of time, an entire chapter, describing the ‘whats’ and the ‘hows’ of Kashrut. Glaringly lacking is the ‘why’. In its silence, the Torah screams for us to insert ourselves into the process of ‘whying’ Kashrut. Why did these rules come into being, for what purpose, to what end. Many have offered up rationales and reasons as sacrifices to modernity. I

Welcome to Rocky Mountain Hai!

2008-03-25T11:19:00.003-06:00

Stay tuned! We are getting ourselves all web-up-to-date. Check out our myspace at www.myspace.com/rockymountainhai or our facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=620069797&hiq=rocky!