Ritual

Every day millions of Jews around the world follow rituals considered strange by most people, but a closer look reveals practices that are aligned with the souls’ purpose spoken of earlier and practiced by people who cherish their religious and spiritual connection with G-d.

Ritual states of purity and holiness are actively sought by Jews each day. The deepest of these pursuits is woven into the fabric of their lives and through this projected to the world in order to bring holiness to it. By example, in every Jewish community, dating back 3500 years, there is a person or persons who practice being a Scribe. The job of the Scribe is to write the sacred documents that community members require in order for them to remain holy, to cleave to the commandments of G-d and to be protected from forces of Evil. The Scribe deals with several types of documents, however there are three primary places that require the Scribes meditative focus to commit on parchment the writings of the prayers and commandments that were handed to the Jewish people by G-d. Most importantly, the Scribe practices a ritual purification each day before he writes any of these parchments in order that G-dliness can be drawn down, through the holy letters committed to the document and the connection he makes with G-d in the process of his writing it.

Like many Jews, each day the Scribe goes to a place called the Mikvah, a fresh water spring (or modernized version of a spring) in which he in his naked state, submerges his head and body under water to be purified in readiness to write the holy names of G-d on the parchments. Others who attend the Mikvah do it for personal purification, which is required at prescribed times, some do it daily, but each and every one who attends the Mikvah in cities and towns around the world do so in order to remain sensitive and in touch with their righteousness and to bring holiness into the world.

Each day millions of Jewish people meditate, some engage in very deep meditation whilst others simply practice prayer. During the morning, except on Saturday (Sabbath and Holiday's), men meditate using an ancient and specially crafted holy adornment called Tefilin. A pair of Tefilin comprises two leather boxes that are tied with leather straps, to the forehead and on the upper left arm adjacent to the heart. In each of four compartments contained within the leather boxes of the Tefilin are the words written by the Scribe, onto parchment, reminding us of our obligation to remember G-d, His Commandments, His taking Israel out of bondage from Egypt, the obligation to teach traditions to our children, the words speaking of G-d’s unity, our mutual bond of love and man’s declaration of responsibility toward G-d. Each of these prayers are written on the parchment and placed in 4 separate compartments of the Tefilin whereby the Scribe connects the holiness of G-d in each universal realm through his work to the article. Tefilin are often considered by Jews to be their antenna to G-d and many Jews have Tefilin written and made especially for them where the Scribe concentrates his prayers during his writing on the person for whom the Tefilin are made. By Rabbinical decree, women are not required to wear Tefilin.

In addition to Tefilin, the Scribe regularly writes a holy document called a Mezuzah, which is attached to the right door post of all gates and external doors as well as doors leading to any room in a home or office that is permanently occupied by a Jewish person. The Mezuzah contains the prayer known as “Sh’mah” which is recited at the beginning and end of the day by righteous Jews. Many of the same precepts contained in the Tefilin are repeated. The Mezuzah contains the Holy names of G-d and as such provides an ever-present point at a gateway where the souls of Jewish people pass everyday. The Mezuzah is considered to provide a protective force against the side of evil.

Finally Scribes write and repair Torah scrolls regularly. For thousands of years, from the time of Moses, Scribes have painstakingly written each of the 304805 letters and their 300000 adornments into Torah scrolls beginning with the original document that was first transcribed by Moses when he wrote the first 68 chapters before receiving the ten commandments at the commencement of the 40 years the Israelites lived in the desert. Each time a Scribe takes on the responsibility for writing a Torah scroll he ensures his complete state of holiness and purification rising each day, he meditates toward his holiest state in order to bring G-d, through his actions and his writing, to the document that Jews rely upon as the centerpiece of their ongoing heritage.

Bringing holiness is a serious responsibility for the many Jews and righteous people of all religions around the world who participate in their various practices each day. The root practices of meditation and prayer in Judaism has been deeply buried in the texts of Kabbalah for thousands of years. The last recorded times that these were practiced in their ancient form, resembling some of the deepest and most intense meditations, were around the times of the first temple, some 2800 years ago. In the past 50 years there has been an attempt by many religious scholars to outline, document and re-assemble the details of these Jewish mediation mantra’s and the methodologies that were once the daily practice of some of the holiest souls our planet has ever had the privilege of accommodating.