Most of us are familiar with a car’s GPS system, which can guide us from A to B without a map. My English family calls this the “Sat-Nav”, which is short for “Satellite Navigation System,” a name that actually reminds one that the directions we’re receiving are coming from a satellite, as it watches our every move from way up there in space.

But I want to turn you on to another App, which basically does the same thing, even to the point of “recalculating” your moves if you take a wrong turn. Luckily for us, this doesn’t cost any money, but it could be expensive in other ways if you don’t listen carefully to its guidance.

I want to introduce you to the Divinity App, which is something every one of us already has in our possession. Unfortunately, not enough people know that it’s there, and even when they do, they resist paying attention to it.

One excuse for ignoring it could be that it’s invisible—if you can’t see it, you might forget that it’s there. Another reason could be that it’s too much trouble to figure out, so by avoiding its persistent “recalculating” signals, you can simply accept life at its surface value. And then there’s denial: you know it’s there, you’ve seen how it’s helped you before, but maybe this time, just this once, you’ll pretend that it doesn’t exist.

Most of the time, this App is non-intrusive. It knows when to leave things up to you. But occasionally, it could save you from the heartache you seem determined to take on, even when you know that you’re not making a wise move. Then it will give you that nagging feeling of “don’t do that!” which, if ignored, will only be remembered when you say later on, “I knew I shouldn’t have done that!”

My late Rebbe, of very blessed memory, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, obviously knew where it was. He used to keep reminding us that we needed to reach into the “inside of the inside” into the deepest part of our heart to find it. I’ve been using this App for years with very positive results. This amazing ancient technology can work well for you, too. You should try it!

© Myra Estelle, author of Awakening Love: A Spiritual Quest Into Judaism, www.myraestelle.com.

As we come to the parting of the sea on Pesach, we’re all being taken on a journey to develop more awareness about the spirituality that’s hidden within Life itself. The Counting of the Omer, which begins on Tuesday evening, was designed to give us more insight about ourselves.

How do we reach the inner core of who we really are, and discover where we are in our understanding of life?

Simply being a good person is an important beginning, but there’s a need to peel away the layers of hurt and maybe fear, to uncover the true vulnerability of every mortal human being. As each layer is released it leaves a sting on the heart. Every sense of letting go creates a vacuum of uncertainty: If I give up my cherished possessions—either material objects or my adamant beliefs—will I still be me in the way I’ve always been, or will I become less than my true self? Can I trust this inner process of searching for meaning, or am I simply losing my mind?

This is when we need to know the teachings of the sages: those who’ve gone before us and carved out the way to follow. Their words are in our prayers, our psalms, our proverbs, and in so many ancient stories where people are on their quest to reach the highest understanding—to search for hidden treasure, concealed within the soul, or to reach the King, who can unravel the mysteries of life.

But it’s not enough for us to simply say their words. If we don’t know where we are, or why we’re doing what we’re doing in our Judaic culture, or why so many people have gradually left the fold, we won’t be able to develop a deeper understanding of why we remain committed to it.

As soon as we’re ready to gradually allow the restrictive layers in the shadows of our mind to be explored and integrated, we’ll start to notice the gentle easing of our concerns and fears as they fall away, and we’ll be able to experience the promised inner peace of trust that can nourish our soul and take us home.

Please join us as we study teachings from the Jewish sages on the counting of the omer. Then we’ll follow with a short meditation on the Shema.

Date: Saturday, April 12th
Time: 5.25 pm. (Before Mincha)
Location: Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, Beit Midrash (downstairs)