How Does One Begin a Blog Like This?

I suppose very simply: with the story of its conception.

It's been long in the works.  I would trace it back to around eight years ago when I was still a dreamy high school student who first started experiencing and acknowledging remazim.  (I called them "signs".)  I thought then of writing a collection of beautiful stories of Divine serendipity, but my own experiences were just not grand enough for a book.  How can you really make a reader understand the significance of a gentle breeze fingering one's hair, or the sunflower painting in the emergency room's radiology office?  It was a little embarrassing to even talk about.  I'm not sure why.  Was I worried that my experiences were too personal?  Was I afraid that people would judge me as being falsely spiritual, or just fanciful, reading too much into mundane occurrences?  Or even sinful, simplifying Divinity and almost putting words in God's mouth?  Even in the religious world from which I came, speaking about God as a close personal friend was... kind of weird.  Awkward.

Unfortunately I felt I have lost that simple connection, and I am now dealing with finding the joy and connection in a more mature and complex relationship with the Almighty.  This blog will hopefully be part of that journey.

Yesterday I visited the Museum of Psalms for the first time.  It's a little exhibit tucked in the alleyways of downtown Jerusalem, technically part of the Rabbi Kook House.  On display are many of the 150 paintings by Moshe Zvi Berger that depict the 150 chapters of Psalms.  I was deeply inspired by his work, especially after having read his explanations of his use of symbolism: the different Hebrew letters, the seven colors representing the Divine Attributes, and the various motifs and shapes.  I decided that my favorite painting was this one:

It depicts Psalm 107, and specifically verses 8-9:  "Let them thank the Lord for His lovingkindness, for the wonders He does for man.  For He has quenched the thirsty soul, and filled the hungry soul with goodness."

Above the birds, you can see the four letters of the Tetragrammaton, the name of God, arranged in a reflection of the bird nourishing her young ones.  The Vav is the arm, symbolizing connection between God and man; the first Heh is the Divine hand, giving the Yud, the ultimate and infinite essence of Divinity, to the receiving Heh, which is the hand of man.  Below the letters are the birds in the nest, the mother bird feeding the Yud to her hungry young, who are cradled in a nest of mercy (blue), beauty (green) and purple (wisdom).

So simple.  So beautiful.  So meaningful.

The painting reminded me of remazim and made me feel like expressing and sharing them.

So here we are.  I hope this blog will help me increase my own awareness and draw me closer to the Romez (the Hinter); and maybe, on the way... you as well.