The Jewish mystics teach that each Hebrew month has a specific practice that unlocks the spiritual work of the season. For this month of Sivan, they prescribe the practice of walking. Not leaping, not escaping, not transcending the world, but moving through it with steadiness and purpose.
This is the month when the Israelites receive the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai and begin their forty years of walking through the desert. The Jewish mystics teach that this journey is as important as the destination; in fact, the five books of the Torah end with the Israelites never reaching the promised land. We begin reading the fourth book of the Torah this month, Bamidbar, “in the wilderness,” where we learn the potent practice of getting lost so we can find ourselves.
Sivan is also the month of the ancient pilgrimage festival of Shavuot, when our ancestors would walk from across the land to the Temple, bringing the first fruits of their spring harvest to share abundance and build community. The pilgrims would walk in circles around the Temple courtyard, witnessing the pain of those in mourning and those who have felt shunned from community. In fact, the word for holiday in Hebrew is “chag,” which means “to circle” (similar to the Arabic word for pilgrimage, “hajj”).
Come join Wilderness Torah / Adamah SF on Friday night May 22 at Chochmat HaLev in Berkeley as we revive and reimagine this ancient ritual as part of the Tikun Leil Shavuot tradition of staying up all night to prepare for Divine encounter.
You can choose your own adventure across immersive ritual theater, classes from some of the best teachers across the Bay, storytelling and magic around the sacred fire, plus music, art, dancing, song circles, delicious food, tea lounge, and more! You can join us for part or all of the night, but get your ticket soon since we sold out last year.
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This teaching was written by Rabbi Zvika Krieger, Adamah SF Advisory Council member and leader of Chochmat HaLev. You can read his full bio here.
Rabbi Zvika Krieger is the Spiritual Leader of Chochmat HaLev, a progressive spiritual community in Berkeley, CA for embodied prayer, heart-centered relationships, and mystical experiences. He co-leads radical Shabbat services for thousands of dusty seekers at Burning Man; is co-founder of Shevet: Jewish Mindfulness Collective and ThirdHouse: Sacred Leadership Lab; and has served in board and leadership positions for Wilderness Torah, Jewish Studio Project, DC Minyan, Temple of the Stranger, and other organizations dedicated to nourishing the mind, body, and soul. He is the author of the forthcoming books The God You Don’t Believe In: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living, Loving, and Letting Go (Penguin Random House, 2027) and Speak to the Bones: A Book of Jewish Spells (Ayin Press, 2026).
