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I struggle to make them accessible in Hebrew, as well. I quickly run out of words like “reverence,” “care,” “numinous” – that convey ideas central to the discourse that I’m bringing. This is exactly why writing this is important, because our language makes it difficult to even talk about the way I, and many others, see the world.

I didn’t know how to start, so I consulted Charuvi, the Carob tree we planted from a seed a quarter century ago, and she reminded me how our society makes it difficult or even forbids us to really see, to know, or to live with an open heart. One way to put it is that society focuses us on the three lower chakras: on matter, on desires (cravings), on status. Whereas what I want to summon is the possibility of opening the heart, of direct communication and understanding, of those three words I mentioned above. Not just to present my perspective, but to recognize these principles as a plausible and necessary basis of social agreement.

The Irish poet and writer, John O’Donaghue, wrote:

What you encounter, recognize, or discover depends to a large degree on the quality of your approach. Many of the ancient cultures practiced careful rituals of approach. An encounter of depth and spirit was preceded by careful preparation.

When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us.

All the difficulties translating this into Hebrew are here. I translated the word care as “careful” or “meticulous”, but the quality I want to order is more attentive and caring. Also, reverence – the Hebrew translation is “respect”, or “awe”, but the word reverence does not have the distance that characterizes respect or the fear associated with awe. It is about respect from inside, recognition of value. The goal is to approach, as much as we can, with a desire for communication in the Buberian sense. To approach with sympathy, with an open heart and seeing eyes. To express with love our hearts’ longing for closeness and mutual growth.

Such an approach invites the numinous – arousing wonder, instilling a sense of holiness or divine presence.

My aim in writing is to invite us to listen – to ourselves, to each other, and to much more. And also to share what I have encountered in the many years since I had a website and posted regularly. And also to continue refining these abilities myself. 

I had planned (and still intend) to write about completely different topics, like society, economics, and the current crises, but when I listened to what needed to be said at the beginning, something completely different came out. I hope to introduce unusual concepts and ideas, because with the familiar paradigm, we will not succeed in the huge transition – the huge opportunity – that is already with us. I invite you to approach big things with me.