How to Encounter the Omer, Week 4 – Netzach (The New Militia)

How to Encounter the Omer, Week 4 – Netzach (The New Militia) April 26, 2010

With all of the talk regarding 2nd amendment rights and the militias on the right, I began to feel, as a political lefty, left out. I spoke with my friend Mary about my conundrum. She responded that I should not feel dismay, this May, because she had created a militia for lefties. It is called, appropriately enough, Left’s American Militia. For short it is L.A.M. I was so pleased to discover that Mary had a little LAM, that I immediately wanted to join. She responded that before I could become a member, I had to understand how LAM worked. I sat in rapt attention as she explained.

She said that LAM is a Netzah organization. Netzah is the Sefirah of action and Mary’s little LAM was all about action. She said that members of LAM were concerned with nuzzle velocity, fun control and acquiring our unconcealed joy permit. But that the action/Netzah of LAM had to be filled with the power of the 7 lower Sefirot.

Hesed of Netzah:

Hesed is all about compassion, unconditional love, care without judgment. Therefore, Mary told me, every member of LAM is encouraged to arm themselves with dollar bills. In this way, any time one sees someone in need on the streets, one is ready to help. That is a personal approach of compassion, Hesed to the Netzah action of our Militia.

Gevurah of Netzah:

Every member of Mary’s little LAM is expected to become a contributing member of charitable organizations. Groups working for Global health, the greening of the planet and the help of all inhabitants thereof, offer us the chance to use our judgment and add discipline to our outreach. All members of LAM are expected to work for peace on earth rather than pissing on the earth or pissing off the earth. I was getting excited from what Mary was telling me. Joining a group that encouraged its members to use judgment and internal discipline and courage was a challenge. And I was moved by the courageous requirement to join and support such unpopular causes as world peace and ecology.

Tiferet of Netzah:

Of course, Mary told me that we must find that beautiful balance between personal Tzedaka and group giving. Giving groups such as Trees Water and People are powerful and disciplined ways to defend the rights of our planet. But we always need to balance that, Mary explained to me, with personal and private, individual contact. That balance is the essence of the beauty within LAM.

Netzah of Netzah:

The action of action is an integral part of getting our message out, Mary assured me. The Tea party can’t have all the fun. We get to attend demonstrations and make outrageous placards too. Netzah of Netzah gets us out in public as we march and shout and listen only to people who agree with us. We, of course need a cause that somehow relates to the Constitution like all the other demonstrations have. Mary told me the first and second amendments were already taken. But she had found a solution. The 9th amendment has no movement to support it. The 9th amendment says “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” What a wonderful amendment. Gay equality, Medical marijuana, the right to bare arms, the right not to be carded in Arizona, indeed the right to be left and not left out; all of these are covered, Mary told me, by the premise of promise which is the 9th Amendment.

Hod of Netzah:

If we are going to be such an active organization we must be sure that we are fully present in our actions. This will require us to renew, recharge and refresh. Therefore, the militia will hold regular meetings in which we sit back and reflect on the power of our positions. This is a time to share what we have learned in our Gevurah of Netzah, that is, the other organizations of aid which we have joined. And we will also take time to review and reflect on our mission together as we plan for more activities.

Yesod of Netzah:

All of our Netzah actions reach out into the world. But we must find a balance between the actions and our time of being, of internal sharings. Therefore, Mary has wisely set up a secret militia camp. But instead of running around the forest with guns and grenades we will gather for group and private meditation and musing, drumming and davening. This is our inreach. It is how we will unload and refill our internal framework pac (political action committee) as we prepare to march out into the world at large.

Malchut of Netzah:

And finally, Mary explained to me that, after our special time at the secret militia encampment, we will return with renewed commitment to our compassionate causes. We are ready now to go out and publicly espouse our causes with marches and wild placards and posters. We are armed with knowledge, self-discipline and compassion for our planet and all dwell here.

Now all we need are some cool uniforms.

Click here to see Encountering the Omer, week 3 – Tiferet

Click here to see Encountering the Omer, week 2 – Gevurah

Click here to see Encountering the Omer, week 1 – Hesed

(Originally posted at Rocky Mountain HAI)


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