Sunday May 7th – Week 5 – Hod
Questions for Reflection
This week we will look at the sephirah, hod. It is complex, and so we’ll spend some time in the introductory period trying to get a basic understanding and appreciation of it. Hod has a variety of features, including splendor, majesty, humility, and submission. The first inquiry will be into how an attribute can be both submissive and majestic, humble and of splendor.
Some, also, believe hod is associated with prayer. How might that affect our understanding?
We’ll continue to try to understand how these two legs (or feet), netzach and hod, work together.
We'll focus for a moment on how humility can go wrong if we’re out of balance
We’ll then proceed through the comparisons:
I. The lovingkindness of hod.
What is the love we hope to find in our hod or humility? How does love strengthen humility? What’s deficient about humility if love is missing?
II. The strength/discipline of hod.
If there isn’t strength in hod or humility, how can it go amiss? What’s the discipline we need in humility? Give examples of how strength and discipline keep humility “honest” and right?
III. The balance/compassion of hod.
What’s missing from hod or humility if it lacks compassion? If hod is out of balance, describe how it could play out in bad ways, both for the actor and the person on the receiving end?
IV. The endurance of hod.
What is the nature of humility that has little or no endurance? How might a person increase the endurance of hod? And what good results might come of it?
V. The hod of hod.
What are ways in which humility might be inauthentic? What is the core of authentic humility? How can the various elements of hod fit best together?
VI. The bonding of hod.
What is the value in humility if it fails to contribute to our bonding to God, others, and/or our better selves? What are the features of a humility that helps us get to such bonding? How can hod help create a strong foundation upon which we and others can build good things in life?
VII. The sovereignty/dignity of hod.
What is the dignity in true hod? How can hod contribute to our majesty, and that of others? What is the splendor in hod? How do modesty and humility increase human dignity?
Conclusion
{ Audio of Class Presentation and Discussion }