All who wound God's works, wound God's image. ‑Zohar

In the time that the Holy One created the first human,
he took him to all the trees of Gan Eden and said to him,
"See my works, how lovely and praiseworthy they are,
and all that I created, for your sake I created it.
Put your mind [to this], so you won’t ruin or destroy my world, for if you do ruin,
there are none who will repair after you.”  — Kohelet Rabbah on Eccl. 7:13


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27th of Iyyar

How should we celebrate the 27th of Iyar, when the animals, along with Noah's family, left the ark, and the rainbow appeared as a sign of covenant?

This coming year the anniversary of the rainbow falls on June 1. According to the Torah, the flood began 10 days earlier, on the 17th of Iyar, this year May 22.

The 17th of Iyar also happens to be the day before Lag B'Omer, with all of Lag B'Omer's connection to fire and Kabbalah. So the two dates are pregnant with ritual possibilities related to the elements and the equinox, to global warming, and to all the meanings related to the journey from freedom to revelation. One could even connect growing our commitment to right action to growing the wheat crop in the fields over the seven weeks of the Omer.

The rainbow signified a new covenant between God and the land. It's time for us to imagine a new covenant between humanity and the land, one that we start to live by more and more, through steady change in our lifestyles and habits. And maybe it's time to celebrate that new covenant as it takes shape.

Use the feedback form below the navigation bar to record your reflections on how we can use the 27th of Iyyar, the date when the rainbow covenant was made, to further consciousness, commitment and action for sustainability. Your comments will appear here as soon as they've been reviewed.

The 27th of Iyar seems like a day waiting for a ritual. This year's date of June 1 is easy to remember and that should make it easier to focus on creating something. Neohasid.org is discussing liturgies with the Shalom Center. I hope we can present liturgy you've helped to create, along with plans for action, to the wider community.


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I'll think about this... it's during the 'omer, right? The day before Yom Yerushalayim, eg. 42 days, eg. Malkhut beYesod... I'll be back with more soon!

Posted by: Simcha Daniel Burstyn at November 26, 2007 2:55 AM

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