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Shema Yisrael

by Tziona Achishena

"Hear, Yisrael, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One."

1.Roots of the Shema
There are two Midrashic sources for the historical roots of the Shema. One is the story of Yakov's death, when he asked his children if they had any complaints about Hashem. They responded by declaring, "Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokanyu, Hashem Echad!" (Devarim Rabbah 2:35) This was deeply healing to Yakov, as he realized that he had taught his children so well that they totally embodied his teachings, and had fully integrated Hashem's Oneness into their consciousness. Yakov realized that they would be able to lead the Jewish people with the strength of their emuna shelema (total faith), and thus he experienced a great healing of the suffering of his life, and was able to die peacefully, having achieved a level of spiritual development equal to the angels.

The second Midrashic source for the Shema is the revelation at Sinai, where it is said that as each of the 10 commandments was given to the Jewish people, they responded with lines of the Shema as a sign of their total acceptance of Hashem's will, and integration of His Oneness, as a people, on the highest soul level, Yechida (Devarim Rabbah 2:36)

Both of these stories begin our understanding of the power and importance of the Shema for every Jew. The spiritual heights attained by the Jews at the time of the revelation, and by Yakov and his children in the merit of their mothers and fathers, are contained as potential within the very syllables of the Shema. It is like a seed that contains the entire Torah, an alchemical formula directly to G-d. It is a verbal mikva, pouring into every level of our souls and aligning us to the truth of Hashem's Oneness, purifying doubt and the temptation to believe that there is anything in the world that is separate from Hashem. This is absolutely the highest spiritual work of every human being, and the special responsibility that is both the blessing and the curse of every Jew: sanctifying The Name as One, in a world of separation and confusion.
The Shema is a spiritual headlamp through this confusion, a brilliant light for the path of every person seeking to connect with absolute truth. Every mitzvah exists for the purpose of aiding us in this task; they are Hashem's kindness, smoothing and beautifying the path of the Jewish people, the path that is revealed in the supernal light of the shema.

Memories of the both the revelation at Sinai and the deathbed healing of Yakov are encoded in the Neshamot (souls) of Jews on the highest soul level, Yechida. In this way, there is an affinity and readiness to receive the depth of the Shema's truth in the soul of every Jew, similar to the in utero teachings of Torah that create a readiness to re-receive these teachings again in life. There is a spiritual pilot light, or Pintele Yid, in every Jew that simply cannot be extinguished, and the Shema is a spark that causes that hidden light to grow and strengthen. Every time we say the Shema, then, that light that is within us grows stronger, purifying us with the truth, connecting us to a wellspring of emuna (faith) that is a blessing of our birthright. Conversely, every Jew not connected to this truth will suffer, without understanding why--always feeling the presence of that pilot light being obscured by layers of worldly impurity that comes with exile, true exile: the distance from knowing Hashem, from feeling that constant loving and teaching Presence in one's life. Distance comes from our inability to integrate both suffering and joy as the ways that Hashem will never give up on us, always trying to
reach out to us, to draw us closer.

Israel, the name used in the Shema, means to struggle with, or encounter G-d. The Shema, then, addresses that part of every human soul that longs to connect with the spiritual, to align herself with her true purpose. (Aryeh Kaplan) In this way, the Shema's message is totally universal, addressing every person's highest self and potential, and urging it to hear the truth, to wake up! With the dispersion of the 10 tribes and the fall of the Beyt HaMikdash (The Temple), Jewish identity is in a state of confusion and obscurity. Who is a Jew, and who is not, is no longer clear--there are many Jewish souls who are totally unaware of their identity. However, they will always maintain the potential to receive the teachings of G-d's Oneness in the deepest way, and the Shema contains the power to draw them back to their Soul's purpose: loving G-d, and sanctifying the Name as One, thus enabling the total healing of the world.

2. The Shema as Healer
The Shema is structured into three paragraphs. The first line (Shema Yisrael) is part of the first paragraph. There are also special brachot that are said before saying the Shema, both in the morning and in the evening. The source of the two paragraphs is Deuteronomy (6:4-9, and11:13-21), channeled through Moshe from Hashem just after the giving of the 10 commandments. The third paragraph is from Numbers (15:37-41). All of these paragraphs, plus the first three words of the next prayer "Hashem Elokaykhem Emet", add up to 248 words, which is equal to both the number of positive mitzvot, and the number of limbs (or major organs) in the human body.
From this we can see that there is a connection between the physical body and the recitation of the Shema, and that it contains infinite potential for the healing and rectification of both the physical and spiritual bodies. Also we can see that the Shema contains within it the power of all 248 mitzvot, and can provide opportunities for the tikkun (healing) of mitzvot that are not even possible to fulfill today. There is an ancient tradition not to pause within the recitation of the Shema, in order to be able to declare as Jerimiahu did (10:10), "G-d, your G-d, is true." When not praying with a minyan, we recite the three word formula, "KEl Melech Ne'eman" in order to bring the total words to 248.

The first paragraph of the Shema is known as the "Veahavta", and its basic theme is the integration of our ability to love G-d completely, and to bring this awareness into every aspect of our lives. This includes "all your hearts" meaning the yetzer tov and yetzer hara, and "all your souls", meaning all five levels of the soul. We have to make the love of G-d our primary purpose of existence, which means that we must be willing to sacrifice our lives for the sanctification of Hashem's Oneness, if necessary. The Ramchal teaches that the meditation on being prepared to die for Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of The Name), if done with proper Kavannah (intention), is of the same merit as actually doing it. This introduces the idea of the Shema as a death preparation meditation, which will be discussed further below.

Judaism recognizes that feeling distant from Hashem is a very common and normal occurrence, thus the commandment to put the words of Torah "upon your hearts" so that they will be there and ready to "fall in" when the moment of spiritual receptivity comes to us. (Lisa Aiken) The commandments of tefillin and mezuzot extend the process of binding ourselves to Hashem and provide us with the tools to channel a constant awareness of our true purpose of existence.

The second paragraph is about accepting the path of mitzvot, the root of which is "tzav", (attachment) showings that mitzvot are a path to attaching ourselves to Hashem's will. We are never alone when we connect with the infinite and beautiful song that Hashem is singing through us. The first paragraph contains language and instruction in the singular, the second moves into the plural, and stresses the need to teach these principles to our children. There is a reciprocal relationship described in this paragraph, in that cleaving to mitzvot and loving G-d will produce beneficial results, both in this world, and the next. The Land of Israel is a model of the special relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. We have to pray for rain for it to come, and if we don't stay connected, we will suffer. As Jews, we feethe blerelationship all the time, which explains how so many of us are able to do Tsuvah (to return to an understanding of our souls) against all odds. The fact is that Jews must stay connected to G-d in order to avoid suffering, because not being connected to the true purpose of life is the greatest suffering of the Jewish soul. Why do the righteous suffer? Every Jew is part of the organism of the whole of the Jewish people: to be a Jew means accepting the Karma of all Jews, and even of the entire world. This means that sometimes the righteous suffer for weaknesses in the whole, like a chain. To be Jewish is to benefit from an infinite collective potential, but also to be vulnerable in the physical world if Jews as a whole aren't doing their spiritual work. The results of staying connected are perceivable on every level; physical, emotional and spiritual. The descriptions of the rewards of this connection are based in the physical, but on the highest level are metaphorical and apply to our spiritual growth and experiences in Olam Haba (the World to Come). This is the deep message of this passage: see this world as a path to a higher place, and stay connected to that hidden reality. (Ramchal)

The third paragraph contains the commandment to wear Tzitzit, and to remember the Exodus from Eygpt. This shows the power of the shema to awaken the deepest level of memory; memory of the depth of pain that can come from disconnection to Hashem, and of the heights of enlightenment that come from being totally connected with Hashem's will. The effect of slavery in Egypt was a total brokenness of the Jewish people, and an entrance into one of the deepest levels of negativity, the 49th level of spiritual descent. By taking us so fully into darkness, Hashem created within us the potential for a level of light that was equal, and even higher: Revelation at Sinai, the 50th and highest spiritual attainment, Shavuot, the 50th day from Pesach, from physical liberation to the revelation of the Shekhinah. That is why the gematria of the letter Nun (? ) is 50, to symbolize this connection between falling (it's the lowest letter) and rising (50 is the number of total spiritual completeness and connection).

The main function of the Shema, according to the Ramchal, is the annihilation evil and negativity. Eygpt was a teaching for us, that we had to embody that negativity in order to do the work of fighting it, but that Hashem would never let us fall to the lowest level before raising us up again. A match lit in the sun will be almost unnoticed, a match lit in a dark room "pushes away so much darkness". (Rav Shlomo Carlebach) Hashem prepared us for the revelation by shattering us to make room for His Presence, by bringing us into such darkness that we could fully perceive the glory and give thanks for the light.
He chose us, not because we were great or spiritually high, but because we were the smallest, the most broken, the lowest, the most desperate to receive. This is the lesson of the Shema; to see everything in this world as part of G-d's plan for us, to integrate suffering and tragedy and joy and love as part of an intricate plan to elevate all souls to a level of G-d consciousness and unity, so high and fulfilled that Hashem, in love, will do anything to draw us out of darkness into that light. Therefore the paradox the Shema contains is that in order to end suffering, we must accept it with emuna (faith). Ultimately, this is the tikkun (fixing) for the Tree of Knowledge: the end of the separation of Good and Bad, the challenge of the path of Oneness. Today, so many Jews are so wounded by the suffering of our past, we think that by ignoring our Jewishness we can avoid suffering. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Only by connecting with the blessings of the truth of the Shema can we hope to find true safety and an end to suffering.

The tzitzit are tools for keeping this wider perspective on the events of our lives. They remind us to do mitzvot, symbolize the transcendence of the soul over the body, and help us to see the body as the merkava (chariot) for the Neshama, and strengthen our resolve to treat it as respectfully as we would treat Her, knowing that She is a direct part of G-d. The message is not to focus on the body and its needs as ends in themselves, but steps to the perfection of all levels of the soul, and that our actions in this world prepare our spiritual garments in the next. Thus, we are less attached to our bodies and more attached to Hashem, another way of thinking about preparing for death and the journey into the next world. Tzitzit, then, carry the power of purifying and sancifying the body's needs, and Chassidic belief specifically connects them to sexual purity.

Women are not obligated to do mitzvot that are bound by time, so traditionally women do not wear Tzitzit or put on Tefillin. A deeper reason, however, is that the functions of both of these mitzvot are carried out naturally in women's bodies. The mitzvah of Niddah (family purity, menstruation, and monthly immersion in the mikva ((ritual bath)), provide infinite opportunities for purifying and transcending the physical, and especially for the sanctification of sexuality. The mitzvah of tefillin, in which we bind our mind and heart in the service of loving Hashem, is for women like nursing our children: binding our bodies in service of loving Hashem, by nurturing and raising children that will love and sanctify His name, the greatest affirmation of faith in the hope for the healing of the world.

3. The Shema, Birth, and Death
The morning and evening recitations of the Shema can be likened to the morning and evening of our lives: birth and death. Jewish tradition tells us that the Shema should be the first thing that a newborn baby hears, and the last thing that a dying person hears. The Shema is their guide, we greet them and send them off with it. This is not a merely a custom, but an incredibly important gift we give those traveling between worlds; without it, their journey lacks focus and clarity. By greeting the new day with gratitude and recognizing Hashem in light, we are reconnecting with the blessings of birth. By saying the Shema in the evening, when the light is gone and faith is more challenging, we prepare for the ultimate challenge: death. The coming and going described in the first paragraph of the Shema can also be seen as a description of coming and going from our "home" in this world, our bodies. Newborn babies have their eyes closed, and dying people often lose their sight before they go; each can be reached by sound, which indicates that hearing is on a higher level than sight. Each of the three patriarchs is connected to a different prayer service. The morning Shema is connected to Avraham, who instituted Shacharit (the Morning Prayer service). Why didn't he choose to bring down Maariv, the evening prayer, when he is our first father, and it makes sense that he would start at the beginning? That is because the morning time is connected with Chesed (lovingkindness), Avraham's main attribute, and therefore was the time to which he was most connected. In the blessings before the morning Shema, we say "true and firm" in describing Hashem's relationship to creation, indicating that our faith is strong at this time of day, when light is returning to the world. Anyone who has been present at a successful birth is familiar with this feeling, a sense of a huge downpouring of Divine Light, and an exhilarating faith in Hashem's Prescence in this world. Before the morning Shema, we affirm that Hashem, nurtures and directs all of creation, and we build a bridge that ensures that Hashem will keep the world going. (Aiken) Likewise, the birth process is a huge flow of Chesed--even those who are quite disconnected from a conscious awareness of Hashem, are connected with awe and the miraculous nature of the universe in the deepest way by having children. This is why we are commanded to be fruitful and multiply: to bring us to a deeper awareness of the awe of Hashem, and to teach us how to love.

The evening Shema is connected witYakov, who emthe asof T, harm, b, and the connection between Chesed and Gevurah, lovingkindness and severity. Yakov taught us, through his dying process and death, about the tremendous opportunity for Tikkun in death itself. The Ramchal states that "Just before Yakov died, he became worthy of attaining a level of praise equal to the angels." That is why he was able to answer his children's affirmation of faith with "Baruch Shem K'vod Malkhuto L'Olam Va'ed" (Blessed be The Name of His Glorious Kingdom for all eternity), a prayer that the angels sing in Shamayim (Heaven). Just as Yakov suffered tremendously in his life, but maintained faith in the oneness of Hashem's plan, the evening Shema embodies the quality of Emuna needed to believe that, despite apparent darkness, light will come again. Of course this is connected to death, where we face a similar challenge of faith; leaving our bodies and loved ones and leaping into the unknown. This is truly terrifying, but ultimately leads us to greater spiritual heights: the vision to see through the realm of Tiferet; to experience the unified whole of our existence as a long, beautiful, complex song. Maimonides said, "The crown of Torah can only be earned by someone who studies Torah at night." The hidden message in this statement is that death is our ultimate teacher: the person who finds the light in darkness receives it the brightest. The person who approaches death as part of a quest for truth will find true wisdom in life. The Shema helps us do this, by aligning us to the ultimate truth, bridging the worlds with light, and providing us with a straight path to G-d. In the evening, we take it on faith that Hashem is nurturing and directing the world, even though we can't see it. When we say the Shema, we cover our eyes, showing that the true perception of the Shekhina (Feminine Divine Presence ) is not to be seen, but to be heard.

4.Listening as Prayer
The Shema commands us to hear, and the concept that sound is one of the most spiritual perceptive senses is supported in Judaism. Reb Nachman said that one of the highest things is song, and even higher than that is pure sound, wordless melody. Kol Isha (The recognition of the power of a woman's voice) is another example of Jewish awareness of the power of sound. There is a belief that hearing a woman's voice can confuse a man about who his soulmate is--showing the power of sound, and the voice, to affect us on the deepest soul level. There are 10 types of song connected to the 10 Sefirot, or emanations of Hashem. The gematria (numerical value) of the word for voice "Kol" (136) is the same gematria for the word "sulam" (ladder), showing that the voice is a ladder up to Hashem. "Col" (all), is also connected to "Kol", voice, showing that the voice contains everything: the lamed is the highest letter ?, and the Kuf is the lowest ?. The voice is connected to the 5th and highest level of the soul, the Yechida, and therefore is totally transcendent. Chazzanim are believed to be able to open the gates of heaven by the power of their voices. The way that sound is produced in the throat is connected to Hashem's name; the yud is the breath deep inside the body (diaphragm), the hey is 5, the five parts of the respiratory system, 2 lungs, 2 bronchial tubes, and wind pipe (trachea). The vav is the throat, the connector which must stay open and relaxed to produce sound and receive breath, and the final hay is the opening of the sound leaving the mouth. The Hebrew alphabet contains five of each of the five types of sound produced by humans; these are the guttural sounds (or vowels), the labial sounds made with the lips, the sibilant sounds made from air between the tongue and teeth, the palatal sounds made by the palate, and the dental sounds, made by the tongue on the palate. These are the sounds used to speak the world into being; the word Bereshit contains all of the five types of sound. (Glazerson)
That the world was, and is constantly created by sound shows its infinite power. Many Kabbalists believe that celestial bodies produce sounds in their orbit. The word Lezemer, to play music, is the same as the word for shear or shave, showing that music shaves away kleepot (shells) that conceal the spirit. The word Zemer has a large gematria of 248 (247+1), equal to the number of words in the Shema, showing that there is a special power in singing the Shema, because singing brings us to doing the mitzvot through making us aware of the soul. Song has always been connected to prophesy, because it was used to draw down Spirit and prophetic states. The gematria of shira (song), and the inner gematria of Tefila (prayer), are both 515. The sages say that there are certain worlds that can only be opened through music, and the Zohar states that the Palace of Music is connected to Tsuvah (return to G-d). Finally, the phrase uttered after the Shema, "Baruch Shem K'vod Malkhuto L'olam Va'ed" has its source in heaven. Avraham ascended and heard the angels singing this prayer, therefore we say it quietly because we are not on the level to sing it out, except on Yom Kippur. After death, though, we can sing with the angels.

All of this helps us to understand why the most central prayer in Judaism commands us to hear. We can perceive Hashem's Holiness in His world, if we just create space to relearn how to listen--the whole
World is Hashem's ongoing song of Tiferet (beauty).

5. The Vowels and the Sefirot
Kabbalah associates each of the vowel marks in Hebrew with a different Sefira of Divine Emanation. (Glazerson: Music and Kabbalah) The first phrase of the Shema contains all of these Sefirot. Saying the Shema, then, connects us with every aspect of Hashem in drawing down Divine Light.
* The first syllable is SHE, which is two dots, one on top of another representing Gevurah, or strength and power.
* The second is MA, a straight line, and symbol of Chokhmah, wisdom.
* Next is YIS, a single dot, which stands for Netzach, Eternity.
* RA, two intersecting lines, is Keter, the Crown and Source of light.
* EL, two dots side by side, is Binah, Understanding.
* Hashem's name is the absence of vowels, which is connected with Malkhut, the Kingdom.
* EL, three dots in a triangle with two stacked dots next to it, represents both Chesed (Lovingkindness), and Gevurah (power, strength) together.
* OH, a vav with a dot on top, is Tiferet, beauty harmony, and balance.* HAY, two dots side by side, is Binah, Understanding.* NU, a vav with a middle dot, is Yesod, foundation.* Hashem's name is Malkhut.* EH is three dots triangularly, Chesed, or lovingkindness.
* KHAD is two intersecting lines, Keter, the Source.

The only Sefira missing from this prayer is Hod, glory, also connected to Hodu, giving thanks. The line following is "Baruch Shem K'vod....", which contains within it the recognition and praise of Hashem's glorious kingdom, transmitting the Sefira of Hod.
6. A Moving Meditation
We can more fully integrate an understanding of these vowel sounds by bringing them into our body in a moving meditation.
* Begin by standing with your feet together, arms hanging straight down.* Inhale in, bringing the hands to the hipbones in strong fists. Focus on the syllable "Shh" the attribute of Gevurah, or Divine power and strength. Visualize breaking through the barriers to receiving Divine Light.* Take a step out to the side with the right foot, placing it on the ground, a shoulder width from the left foot, exhaling and bringing both hands 1 to 2 inches away from the temples. Now you are connected with Chokhmah, the "Ma" sound, divine wisdom. Picture it flowing down into your head from above.* Extend the arms straight in front of you and spread them to the sides, experiencing the expansiveness of Netzach, eternity, the sound of "Yis"
* From there, raise the arms straight above the head, on the syllable "Ra", receiving the flow of light from Keter, the crown, the Source.
* Slowly bring the arms down in front of the heart, drawing the light of Keter into the heart, center of Binah, understanding, on the syllable "El".* Keeping the elbows close to the side of your body, extend the forearms to eithside of you, withe palms r. This moencompasses Hashem's name, and the syllable "Eh", which corresponds to both Chesed (lovingkindness) and Gevurah (severity). This position embodies the goal and paradox of the Shema: to experience that both judgement and mercy are from G-d, and to see G-d as a perfect balance and harmony between the two. The raised palms help us to accept Hashem's Kingship over all of creation.* Bring the hands to the center of the body, one on top of the other, as if you were holding a small ball against your navel. This is Tiferet, syllable "Lo", beauty and harmony, bringing the integration of Gevurah and Chesed, the masculine and feminine attributes of Hashem into a balanced oneness.* On the "Hay" sound, bring the hands up again, in front of the heart, Binah (understanding).
* Ground this understanding deep into your foundation, Yesod, by exhaling and lowering the arms to hip level, pushing down slightly (palms facing down), and bending the knees on the sound "Nu".
* Spread the arms to the sides as you meditate on Hashem's name, connecting with Malkhut, the Kingdom, the Shekhinah's manifestation in the world, and experiencing the energy of the Earth that flows up into your feet, unifying The Holy One and the Shekhinah within your body.
* On the syllable "Eh", bring the right foot back in to the left, keeping the knees slightly bent, and placing the hands one on top of the other on the center of the chest, receiving Chesed, lovingkindness, from Hashem.* The last syllable is "Khad", Keter, the crown and source of Divine Light and energy. Keep the hands on the heart, slowly straightening the legs as you inhale, taking in the emanation of Hashem's flowing love energy, making yourself a vessel to receive it.* Be still for a few moments, and let yourself experience Hod, glory and gratitude for the blessings of life. Repeat.

7. A Simple Breathing Meditation (Aryeh Kaplan)

The word Shema is made up of three letters, Shin (?), Mem (?), and Ayin (?). In the Sefer Yetzirah, the Shin and Mem are described as two of the three "Mother Letters". The Shin has the sound "shhh" which is closest to white noise, or the presence of all sounds. Its opposite is pure harmonic sound, "mmm", the sound of Mem. Thus the Shin represents chaos and fire, and the Mem, harmony and water. Shema breaks through our everyday level of consciousness (Shin), and raises us to tranquility and inner peace (Mem). Try alternating between the shhh and mmm sounds, drawing an easy breath between the two. Inhale silently, and exhale shh
Then inhale again silently, and exhale mmm
Repeat this process, allowing it to draw you deeper and deeper into the mmm sound.

Inhalation =Aleph (?), silence, the third Mother Letter

8.More about the Shema
* From the Ramchal: "All creation is given optimum brilliance and sanctity by the saying of the Shema."* Midrash says that when soldiers said the Shema with proper kavanah during battle, they were insured victory.* From Reb Nachman, "The Shema draws joy into all of our 248 limbs."* In the Torah scroll, the Ayin of Shema, and the Dalet of Echad are enlarged. Combined one way, they spell Ayd, or witness. This shows that Jews are to be witnesses of the truth of Hashem's Oneness in the world, even before the final redemption. When Moshiach (the Messiah) comes, the whole world will say the Shema. Spelled the other way, Ayd becomes Da, to know.* "The Shema transmits blessings to the world, by causing G-d to show Himself in His world and enfeebling evil. The basis of the annihilation and removal of evil, as well as the perpetuation of good in all creatures, is the revelation of Hashem's unity. The ultimate rectification of all creation depends on this." Ramchal* "The Shema is addressing the 'Israel' in each one of us. This is the part of us that yearns to transcend the boundaries of the physical and seek out the spiritual. The Shema tells this 'Israel' to listen--to quiet down the mind completely and open it to a universal message of G-d's unity." Aryeh Kaplan* The Besht (Baal Shem Tov) teaches that whatever reality we accustom ourselves to in this world will guide our experience in the next world, therefore if we cleave to the Shema in life, it will guide us in death.* "The Shema is about being silent." Nechama Leah* "If G-d is One, then His purposes must also be One. If a person has a deep realization of this, then the forces of evil have no power over him." Aryeh Kaplan* We are taught by the sages to focus on G-d's eminence over the 4 corners of the earth, the 6 directions, and the 7 heavens while saying the Shema.* "Declaring Hashem's unity and uniqueness in the Shema ties all forces to Him and testifies that negativity has no real force of its own. Since negativity comes from Hashem, He can help us transform it. Believing that Hashem is One, and that all forces in the world are under His control, is our ultimate unification of Him." Ramchal* "Saying the Shema helps us fight the urge to hide from G-d every morning." Lisa Aiken

A musical tape or CD accompanies this booklet. The music, composed and sung by author, is the first line of the Shema, set to seven different melodies corresponding to the Seven lower Sefirot. It was specifically created for those entering and leaving this world through birth or death. The repetition of the Shema ensures that it will be the first thing that newborn babies hear, and the last thing that dying people hear, if played when birth or death seems immanent. In this way we give those Souls traveling through worlds the greatest gift: a light and a path to Hashem, the ultimate truth. The music is both powerful and meditative, and can also be used for prayer, dance, meditation, rest and healing therapies; however, because the music is prayer and contains the name of Hashem, it should be used mindfully. If a copy of the music finds you, please care for it, knowing that it contains many repetitions of The Name, and choose to listen to it at a time and place when you can commit to receiving it. All the blessings...

Tziona Achishena is a singer and cellist, blending improvisation and composition. She has played with Charles Gayle, Gino Robair and LaDonna Smith. Her last CD "The Future" was favorably reviewed in Option magazine last year. She has studied dance and music in Indonesia, and Persian classical music as well as having worked as a chaplain in a San Francisco hospital.

You can contact her at zenahava@hotmail.com or 04-698 0871or visit her website: www.koltziona.com