Sunrise

In the times of the holy Temple Jews brought animals in the sacrificial offering, karbanos, that had different purposes and were treated in a different manner.  The animal brought as a sin offering was brought as a means of attonement and had to be slaughtered and burnt on the altar completely, leaving only the ashes.  The animal brought as a voluntary peace offering was intended to bring its owner closer to God, it had to be slaughtered and divided into parts, and only fat and internal organs of the animal were burnt on the altar, while the actual meat was roasted and consumed by the ministering Kohanim, in the Holy of Holies. 

Allegorically the animal offerings were compared by the rabbis to the animal soul present inside each human being.  The allegory of the sin and peace offering teaches that atonement for sin burns the animal soul to complete destruction, while balancing the fragile peace preserves the goodness of the physical being burning off only the fat and impurities. I came to view the sports, especially running, as a form of peace offering, where a mind is free from its labor and at peace with the animal soul.

The overwhelming beauty of the sunrise,

Green buds adorning treetops in the haze,

The narcissistic pleasure of the running body,
Strange emptiness under the rib cage.

I brought my animal soul

To Your palace of glory,

As a peace offering, free from sin,

I burned all my fat on Your altar.

Free from fat and from blood,

From tyranny of the moon,

Uninterrupted purity -

On the other side.

Until the next time

When the heart stops,

And the tongue clings frozen to the palate

And the animal soul invades the dreams.

Lately I was surprised to find out that after a certain age the feminine nature follows the cycle of the sun rather than the moon, hybernating through the entire winter and resuming the fertility cycle in spring - the body/soul connection is mysterious and fascinating.

Shoes and Perfume

Sunday, March 11, 2012

International Womens Day

It is a brilliant Sunday morning, March 11th, I just came home from jogging and rushed to my laptop, to write. It is spring, the start of the jogging season, the morning is beautiful, awesome, outrageously gorgeous! The sky is hazy blue, shining through the still naked lace of branches, that are not black anymore, but have the subtle shades of pink, golden, green, the foretelling of coming flowers and leaves.

Last Thursday was March 8^th, the International Women’s Day and the day of Purim. I took a day off work and spent it in the most productive manner: writing blog in the morning, working out at noon, shopping in the afternoon. The purpose of shopping was to buy pretty bags and tissue paper for Mishloach Manot, but I also bought a present for myself - a pair of new running shoes and French perfume. I am planning to approach my Jubilee year fit and sexy!

  

The year is coming soon, sooner, maybe too soon – the year of the release of all debts and bonds, spiritual liberation. Life without hormones must be liberating - no dreams, no desires, only beautiful reality of the brilliant blue sky and pink tree tops, letting sun shine in your eyes without worry, not trying to please, no need for attention, no fear of displeasure, of abandonment.