This website is created to provide a resource base for an online group of Jewish Sufis who seek to study and renew the contemplative practice of the Mediaeval Egyptian Pietists. The group is known as Tariqa Eliyahu HaNabi (The Path of Elijah the Prophet) and its private Facebook page is HERE.
Membership of this group is currently highly restricted but some of its activity will be available to the general public here on this website.
The group is a private group for religious Jews who are also (practising or aspiring) Jewish-Sufis in the tradition of Bahya Ibn Paquda, and (most especially) the Egyptian Pietists of the Maimuni dynasty.
We have an Orthodox ethos (adab) but membership is open to members of all Jewish denominations who agree to respect the predominantly Orthodox and religious character of the group in what they say or post here in the group. Their personal levels on the spectrum of halachic observance are to be respected.
We are inspired by the writings of R' Avraham ben Ha Rambam, R'Obadyah Maimuni, and R' David ben Joshua Maimuni who each insisted that, for Jewish aspirants, the loving observance of Halacha is an essential pre-requisite to the station of attainment/arrival.
Therefore, we aim to follow and develop their "Special Path" (suluk al-khass) of Jewish-Sufi contemplative practice combined with the observance of the Halacha.
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There are several online groups related to Judaism and Sufism. These groups are often focussed on forging positive interfaith links between Jews and Moslems, or on sharing & discussing matters relevant to Islamic Sufism, Universalist Sufism or Secular Sufism. We respect all those approaches and may well be involved in such channels of activity as individuals, but here in this special group, we are uniquely focussed on developing our own Jewish-Sufi religious knowledge and practice.
Our prime goal is the development of deveykut : an intimate relationship with G-d.
Our own models and spiritual forebears, in an exclusively Jewish silsila, are Moshe Rabbeinu and the Prophets of Israel. In a sense we aim to be the "sons of the Sons of the Prophets" and we hope to prepare for the return of prophecy as "children of the Prophet Elijah".
There are many Jewish-Sufis whose focus is on the Islamic origins or Islamic literature of Sufism and there are many groups which focus on Jewish/Moslem interfaith study and dialogue-- but, as you will now realise, this group's focus is on contemplation and spiritual activity within a Jewish context.
Think of it as a specifically Jewish Khanqah....a private online "convent" for like minded salikun (seekers) to develop as an online Pietist community of Jewish "perushim and mitbodedim" (ascetics and meditators/solitaries).
We practise and promote a respectful friendship and encourage a compassionate coexistence with all the Children of Abraham, and with all of humanity..... and we seek to advance that Universalist process by walking alongside Sufis of other traditions whilst maintaining our own specifically Jewish task as a "People set apart" and a "Light to the Nations".
Those who would like to join the Tariqa Eliyahu HaNabi Jewish Sufi group on Facebook are invited to apply via this LINK.
You are also welcome to contact us via the form on the right hand margin taskbar here on this website.