Journey of Redemption

“Only love gives us the taste of eternity.”

Hebrew proverbs 

  Dear friends:

While death is the end and birth is the beginning, our journey of redemption lies in between. If life feels like it’s falling apart, then you’re probable ready to rebuild. The fragments of yourself that seems shattered will find a new place, a new purpose, and a deeper meaning. Coming home to yourself will be a journey of loving intent and I’ve learned how to do this for myself a number of times in this life.

The Five Books of Moses are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

 

     The theme of the first book of Genesis is defined by G*d’s creation of our soul. In the book of Exodus, G*d tells Moses “I am that I am” and we designed the essence of its meaning by connecting metaphorically to “G*d”. In the Book of Leviticus, G*d forgives, gives instructions and teaches us to align our intentions to do our best with our struggles. The Book of Numbers illustrates G*d sharing peace and presence in the land of Canaan and we are led to refine our accomplishments and goals. And last but not least, in the context of the Book of Deuteronomy, we live divinely with our lesson and gift in loving G*d. All that being said, using The Roadmap while navigating the text of religious studies is a life long joy (and often struggle) for myself and my clients. Below you will read how I frame my past, present and future with Torah.

The Five Books of Melinda: defined, designed, aligned and refined to the divine.

FYI: red script is clickable images, blue is links.

Genesis / G*d’s creation story / Defined:

    My parents met on Miami Beach where they grew up. My childhood was typical; we were provided for in a safe and loving stable home. I am the only and youngest daughter of three children. I have two older brothers.  My father became a patrolman for the Miami Beach Police before I was born and a Lieutenant, head of narcotics and in charge of the vice squad when I was in grade school.  Mom volunteered for politicians over the years as well as for the Council for International Visitors, inviting dignitaries from all over the world into our home. We were a reform jewish family and I found the reform setting BORING! My two older brothers had Bar Mitzvah’s yet it was decided by my parents that I would not have a Bat Mitzvah. Instead, I went on a tour of Israel when I was fifteen years old, in the summer of 1973. It was right before the Yom Kippur war and planes were flying loud and proud everywhere we went. That experience was a defining moment in my life. From my dad I mostly learned that home was a safe sanctuary, yet the world outside was probably unsafe. From mom I learned that inviting cultural differences of the world were a heartening experience and would build bridges of faith and friendship.  One summer, I believe in my sixteenth year, I had rode my bicycle to Greynold’s Park in North Miami Beach on the weekends with friends. I remember seeing many “hippies” dancing freely to music, swooning in love and the smell of marijuana was drifting about. I kept my distance for fear of getting the smell on my clothing yet felt very interested in their swooning lifestyle. 

Exodus / God tells Moses I am That I am / Designed:

  The summer of my 19th year I had a brief yet beautiful first lovewith a bright and blond (not stupid) young man by the name of Jonathan Colby. His Hebrew name (Yonatan) means G*d has Given. G*d gave me a warm and wonderful reflection of pure and innocent love with this beautiful man. In the fall we went our separate ways, to different colleges. During the college years both of my brothers married non jewish women, had children and both transitioned from jobs to entrepreneurial successes in business. They created good fortune and prosperity in their lives. My eldest brother Jeff left the Miami Beach Police Department to become a well recognized and sought after for police test preparation as a  Leader in Public Safety. My middle brother left one of the Big Eight Accounting Firms to write comedy and began with the well known comedy hit “Ace Ventura Pet Detective. He also shared in the screenplay with Tom Shadyac and Jim Carey.”  

  Meanwhile I swooned my way through college at University of Florida,  managed to get average grades, graduated with a degree in finance and soon after college; met and swooned with my former spouse on the dance floor. The day after our wedding he began work at a new job and eventually built a “rare coin” business due to his love of history and precious metals.  Five years later we had two children; a boy and a girl. Life was “ok” until Hurricane Andrew blew our home  away. I knew the hurricane was G*d’s way of telling me something and months later we moved to an orthodox area. I was ready for a new phase of spiritual maturation and healing so the observance of Torah became my medicine for a dozen years. Meanwhile our business model expanded into precious diamonds, fine watches and other collectibles.  As I learned Hebrew in synagogue, I couldn’t feel loved as the crown jewel in my marriage. I wondered if this is all that HaShem designed for us and on May 5th, 2005 (555) I got my answer. My former spouse got into legal trouble and on that very night I held myself (and him) responsible and began to form boundaries. I hoped that he would hold himself responsible and would want to change so I gave him 90 days to do so. On the 91st day, I filed for divorce and by early 2006 I was free to grow into my journey of redemption.  At this time our two teenage children , went from Maimonides Day School to public school and I knew I needed to get very busy designing our Exodus; theirs for college and mine for wherever G*d would lead me. I knew from my father and brothers that my destiny would be unique. I just didn’t know that becoming a Rabbi (a teacher) was part of G*d’s plan.

To work with Melinda, begin by booking a 15 minute discovery session.

Leviticus / God forgives and gives instructions / Aligned:

     My choice to love myself and bring shalom b’ahava (peace in my heart) to my children were in motion. I became a Kundalini Yoga teacher  while going through the divorce. That training offered me the awareness to merge the Lilith and Eve energies within. To further heal  I studied Buddhism, Taoism, Vedic Astrology, QiGong, Vibrational Medicine, Jewish Energy Healing, Kabbalah, Ho’oponopono, Paganism, Veganism and let reverence with God come into my soul.  To further assist, I had the great fortune of working at an integrative medical clinic and five elements spa . Sadly it closed and I was let go. I worked per diem to help a Law Firm I had worked for early in my marriage to solve their theft issue. When that job was complete, I started my first entrepreneur experience with a business card that said Yoga Solutions. I offered bookkeeping and balance to businesses and also taught Kundalini Yoga. Then I wanted to become a Life Coach and for my dissertation I wrote The Roadmap and called myself a Core Life Coach. With my love of dance I created and tried to lead groups of conscious dancers with what I called Freedom Dance but my hip told me to stop. By my 50th birthday I wrote “The Roadmap to a Purposeful and Prosperous Life” and gave it to my family as a gift. Unbeknownst to me, my brother told me that one paragraph would upset my mom so I re-wrote it and published it as Seven Steps To a Peaceful Heart After Divorce.  Writing the story helped me let go and writing yours can do the same. It was around that time that I met Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, MD He has been a teacher in healing arts and meeting him, I felt more aligned with G*d. Leviticus and his book “Torah as a Guide to Enlightenment” brought me closer to myself! Thank G*d!

To work with Melinda, begin by booking a 15 minute discovery session.

Numbers / God shares peace and presence in the land of Canaan / Refined:

     By early 2009 I was invited to partake in a Gaiadon Heart meditation weekend and because it included Kabbalah, I accepted. In that weekend the base of my skull opened with a vortex of warm spiritual energy during the Kabbalah meditation and my body was activated by the light of its teachings. Two months later, on May 14, 2009, in honor of Mothers Day and Israel Independence Day, I received my ordination after apprenticing with a local Rabbi Loring Frank whom I met at a new years day celebration on Miami Beach. I was offered this ordination, similar to the way rabbi’s became rabbi’s before there were schools. This felt like a perfect beginning to my redemption. Two months after my ordination I moved  out of the “family” home the same weekend the kids went to college. In the crash of the housing market, I lost my nest egg (in lieu of alimony). I am a Levite and Levites are wanderers, so I let go. At a Passover Seder led by Rabbi Frank, I met a man named Edward who offered to gift me a 52 page Business and Marketing Plan. Edward didn’t realize I had more work to do, which involved healing the feminine.  Edward passed away, sadly, in 2021. May his memory be a blessing.

Having received the plan,  I continued with my purpose showing up at first as a Holistic Rabbi. Soon after I taught The Sacred Flirt at a Singles Event in Boca Raton, FL. Watch the class .  I began to call myself a Tantric Rabbi because it resonated to my personal expression of energy. Around this time my daughter decided to leave college in Orlando and go to Bar Ilan University in Israel for one year. I wanted to see where she was going so I booked my flight to Israel and on that very same trip I spoke at the Jerusalem International Conference on Integrative Medicine. My subject was “Healing Sexual Energy with Advanced Kundalini”.  Watch the teaching here. My lofty goal was to help “her” (all of Israel) heal. On my last Shabbat in Israel I stayed at Moshav Modi’in which is known as the Carlebach Moshav. I met a unique nazarite, Essence Bishop by the name of Jah Levi.  His chosen name translates to God’s Heart and thus I felt the gift of a refinement in his presence. He invited me to visit him in Northern California and the following year I did so. I recognized him in myself. He was a perfect match for the times I was in. Through our union, I was and am still able to propel individuals towards a journey of inner truth, healthy sexuality as well as practical and continuous non-conforming growth.  On that first visit I also sought to meet Rabbi Leah Novick, known as the Matriarch of Jewish Renewal and immediately developed a strong kindred spiritual connection. I recognized her in myself.  I moved to Northern California in January 2012. My swooning in my own unique vibration brought about invitations to participate in a wide variety of spiritual and sexual communities, most of which was the expression of healing one way or another. Very thankful to my past for knowing what was destined for me and witnessed how sacred sexuality as well as the sex magic can rebuild and/or destroy lives.  

Just before Valentine’s day in 2014 I was invited and accepted a private invitation to partake in the medicine by way of a potent hallucinogenic and psychoactive substance from the venomous excretion of a bufo toad. Before this invite, I had been offered and turned down numerous invitations for other shamanic experiences, clear in my knowing what I didn’t want. I was told by the shaman that I received a double dose because I’d awakened prematurely to the first dose by kicking her. After receiving the double dose of venom, I spent three days alone processing the medicine, also known as 5-ME-DMT. It is called “the God molecule”. It helped excavate issues from childhood, marriage and family that I didn’t know existed. I also saw “The Burning Bush” and “The Burnt Book” that Rebbe Nachman of Breslov had put in the fire.  My explaining of these visions may become a book and my legacy. My refinement felt as complete as I could go, having become my own Bashert. 

Deuteronomy / Our lesson in loving G*d / Divine:

My father, of blessed memory, died December 5th, 2015. It was the night before Hanukkah. Six months later, on June 23, 2016 I performed my first wedding ceremony, thanks to my own efforts! Months later I had a dream that my father was bent over and “lost or drunk-like”. I was ready to remedy that and contacted my friend Taya Ma to assist me in jewish ancestral healing which took me two years (2017-2019) to complete.  Around the same time I organically added my middle name Bracha (blessing) to my expression. My full Hebrew name is Mindel Bracha, which translates to Peaceful Blessings. Since then, the divine within expands with an abundance of revelations shared with ancestors, angels, matriarchs and patriarchs as well as ongoing visits with past and future parts of myself! 

With blessings,     

Rabbi Melinda “Bracha” Bernstein

To get started with Melinda, begin by booking a 15 minute discovery session.

PS: I began this post from the grave site of my ancestors in June of 2023. It has been added to as I recalled events of the past after that message.  To read the original message, click here.

 

 

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