Threading a Life
The inner workings of a woman’s heart are complex. It is
constantly evaluating, analyzing, and loving among the other innumerable tasks a
woman places upon this muscle—a flexor of life force that never ceases to amaze.
If one were able to delve down deep into this spiritual stronghold, one would
find a beginning that is muted and surrounded by darkness. It is in this humble
moment where I find myself reflecting on the archaic sagacity of Woman.
A woman
is like the beautiful lotus blossom that sits atop a glistening pond sharing
its radiance, its glory, and gift with others. Few are aware of its dark and arduous
beginnings and far less are aware of the fortitude needed to push through to
survive a turbulent stage of awakening. Even more astonishing is the wisdom of
each petal—unique in how and when it opens, unveiling its brilliance only when
it feels ready.
Each
woman is an artist who weaves the tapestry of a lifetime guided by heart and
nurtured by soul. The Jewish woman has brought herself through a bitter dawn,
evolved into a pillar of strength for her community, and weaved her legacy in
the Textile of Time. We can see the Jewish Woman’s tapestry come to life when
we pause, breathe and reflect.
The earliest woven threads come
from Sarah, our first matriarch. Her unwavering belief in prayer, sage-like
wisdom, and vision of change demonstrates that faith and patience are powerful
tools in times of uncertainty. The complexity of our tapestry continues with Rachel,
whose untimely death symbolizes the first selfless act of unconditional love a
mother willingly gives for her children. The weaving shifts phenomenally with
the entrance of the Rebitzen, Malkah of Belz. Her spiritual wisdom and
courageous work as a prophetess became the steppingstones for modern women to
turn quelled silence into passionate oration. And the threads continue through
the loom, in current day Israel, with the twenty-five year struggle for
religious pluralism with the “Women of the Wall.”
One question remains: how will
you weave your threads into our collective Jewish tapestry?
DNKG. Threading a Life -Adapted from my article published in the Kehillah Magazine - May edition 2014 ©
