I have met many Jews in many kinds of shuls who wear a Tallit which was designed by Reb Zalman in the 1950’s. When I pointed this out, most of them didn’t know its background and history and so, I’ve decided to share it here. Much of what I wrote below is taken directly from an interview of Reb Zalman by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom from around forty years ago. Gabbai Seth Fishman
The B’nai Or Tallit Design
This is Reb Zalman, a’h, speaking at Naropa University on April 9th, 2014, just before his passing, sharing thoughts on updating of traditions. Whether Jewish, Buddhist, or JUBU, his words are very powerful. The “Town Hall conversation” video can be watched here on Naropa’s Youtube page. [Transcribed and Edited by Gabbai Seth Fishman]
The Fourth Turning
Table of Contents:
Welcome!
Making a Space
Remembering Rinpoche
A Fourth Turning of Buddhism
Re-Programming Tradition
Words/Experience
The Four Noble Truths
Source of Compassion
Awakening Awareness
Organismic Reality Map
Collaboration
World-Enchantment
Art, Music, Celebration
L-Chayyim!
From a Conversation with Reggie Ray
Inner Part
Imagine!
Innovate!
Tune In Subtle Vibrations
Body Types
Stories
Patience
Hothousing Spirituality
Blessings
Reb Zalman sends this mamash / amazing Wort / talk he had with Boulder Chabad‘s Rabbi Yisroel and Rochel Rosencrantz in which he speaks beyond just them to all of us. [Edited by Gabbai Seth Fishman]
Zalman:
I want to say that all this is done l’shem yichud kud’sha brich hu ush’chintey / with an intention of uniting the Holy One Blessed be He and His Sh’khinnah. We really want to help the Sh’khinnah to be connected with Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and the world needs to heal. So that’s the motivation. I’m glad to do this for you because in some ways there’s a kind of Tzava’ah, a last will and testament to say something about what I think things are about for me.
I believe that our task is to look at reality and see it most clearly from a perspective of being a Jewish cell in the body of the world. If we can do that, that’s what I call taking on ‘ol malchut shamayim / a yoke of obedience to heaven’s kingship, [a committed practitioner of Yiddishkeit], in a sense — that whatever the Ribbono shel Olam / Master of worlds has implanted in me when I stood there and they were making me swear: t’hei tzadik v’al t’hei rasha‘ / ‘Be righteous and be not wicked’ .
[NOTE: “It has been taught (Niddah, 30b): An oath is administered to him [before birth warning him]: ‘Be righteous and be not wicked'” (beginning of Sefer Tanya, Chapter 1)]
When I heard, et mi eshlach umi yelech lanu / “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”, I said hineni, I’m here. At that point the Ribbono shel ‘Olam burnt an EPROM in me.
[NOTE: Computer memory chip. Reb Zalman is saying that he was then given his marching orders on how to be the Zalman God wanted him to be in this incarnation.]
Every time I have to go and get to a place and ask, mah Hashem Elokecha sho‘el me‘imach / what does Hashem Your God ask of you, I have to do a reset on my whole system because it picks up a lot of shmutz. (This is computer language.)
Click here for text in Hebrew.
It’s been a long journey getting to the Land. On the way, we received the Torah and along with it, lots of laws and rules. But were those rules and the guidance they provided really sufficient for all our future needs? Was it given complete to Moses for all time with us now simply using it as our guide for every situation going forward?
The following texts will give us clues for some answers:
ספר מפתחי חכמת האמת
Keys to the Wisdom of Truth
Rabbi Saul Baumann
Introduction and Commentaries by Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
Editor: Rabbi Shaya Isenberg
http://www.alephcanada.ca/store/#!/Reb-Zalman-Writings/c/5437258/offset=0&sort=normal
This book contains Reb Zalman’s lectures on a small Sefer written by a twenty-three year old genius named Saul Baumann.
Baumann was a Chabad Chossid who lived in Warsaw, Poland and was killed in the Holocaust. He was educated at both Chabad and Slobodka (a mitnagdishe Yeshivah). Through the lens of Kabbalah, Baumann brings harmony to the opposing traditions of the two communities in which he was trained, i.e. the spiritual heirs to the Vilna Gaon and Reb Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
In his lectures, Reb Zalman shares his thoughts on Paradigm Shift and required updates for spiritual connection to remain alive and relevant within the context of traditional Judaism. Kabbalah is a framework we can build upon to take us into a renewed Judaism.
Zalman shows us how the tradition can help us to reach to the places of discovering Judaism’s path into the future and how we can integrate from those places of shifted paradigms. The updates can connect us in new ways to traditional understandings of Jewish Mysticism.
Gabbai Seth
Reb Zalman has come up with an idea for a Judeo-Arabic emulation software program and in conjunction with the program, a Web Site to host Judeo-Arabic documents. This vision might Im Yirtz Hashem / God willing one day help to reduce friction between Jew and Arab.
The content will consist of texts originally written in Judeo-Arabic to be presented in a transliterated format using the Arabic letters.
Muslims who will find this site will be able to read Jewish texts originally written in Judeo-Arabic after it has been transliterated to their vernacular. E.g., the phrase שער היחוד / Shaar Ha-Yichud / the gate to oneness will come out as باب الـ توحيد / Bab al-Tawhid.
In this way, it will help to emphasize the common ground that exists between our religions.
Reb Zalman was already been in touch with some Arabic scholars about this idea and he can get them in touch with us to look at what we do as we progress.
The hope is to assemble a team to accomplish the task. If you feel you could assist on this project, please contact me at rebzgabbai@verizon.net