Rabbi Shefa Gold teaches: "In this [meditation] practice I find and express my strength, my will, my effort and desire when I chant “Ozi.” When I chant “v’zimrat Yah,” I open and surrender to the God-song and let it be sung through me. Then in the last phrase, “Vayahi li lishuah,” I balance those two aspects of my practice."
Week 2 of the Omer (which began Saturday night) suggests an exploration of discipline and structure. This isn't punishment-type discipline; it's the kind of discipline that helps people set boundaries in attitude and behavior. In spiritual terms, discipline means aligning what I want with what God wants (assuming I can figure out what that is).
The lesson that I take from Rabbi Gold is this: Healthy discipline aligns my will with God's will. Figuring out what God's will is takes time, although sometimes it's as simple as just asking. But when I take that time and when I get out of my own way and use discipline as a tool for spiritual health (not punishment), God's song - God's will for me - becomes crystal clear, and my life takes all sorts of wonderful forms.
You can hear Rabbi Gold's meditation on Ozi v'zimrat Yah here; I recommend it.
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