Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah begins with the Children of Israel encamped in the wilderness of Paran, and Moses sends out twelve spies to the land of Canaan. After forty days, they return with great reports, carrying some of the land’s bounty: an enormous cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig. But, ten of the spies warn that the inhabitants of the land are giants and warriors; only Caleb and Joshua insist that the land can be conquered. The people side with the ten naysayers and complain that they would rather return to Egypt. In response, Hashem decrees that the entire present generation of the Children of Israel will wander in the desert for forty years until they all perish, and only their offspring will enter the Promised Land. When they hear this news, a group of them storms a mountain on the border, but they are swiftly defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites. Hashem then gives mitzvot about the offerings of grain, wine and oil that their descendants should bring when they enter the land, as well as the mitzvah to consecrate a portion of dough when making bread, which is the origin of challah. Finally, a man is found gathering sticks on Shabbat. In response, the mitzvah of tzitzit, which are special fringes worn on the four corners of garments, is given as a bodily reminder of the mitzvot.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
שְׁלַח־לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֙רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָד֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד לְמַטֵּ֤ה אֲבֹתָיו֙ תִּשְׁלָ֔חוּ כֹּ֖ל נָשִׂ֥יא בָהֶֽם׃ Send for yourself people to spy out the land of Canaan that I am giving to the Children of Israel, one person from each of their ancestral tribes you shall send, each one a leader among them... - Bamidbar (Numbers) 13:2, Parshat Bamidbar
Once, Reb Zushia commented on the saying of the sages:
יְהוּדָה בֶן תֵּימָא אוֹמֵר... עַז פָּנִים לְגֵיהִנֹּם, וּבֹשֶׁת פָּנִים לְגַן עֵדֶן. – Yehudah son of Teimah said, “The bold-faced will go to hell, and the shame-faced will go to the Garden of Eden.” - Pirkei Avot 5:20 “The bold-faced will go to hell,” said Reb Zushia, “This means that if you are bold in holiness, you don’t have to fear descending into hell. You can engage in all kinds of worldly things, and you will bring forth the light hidden within them. But if you are shame-faced in your holiness, you’d better stick to the “paradise” of learning and prayer, and stay away from worldly things.” This remarkable teaching of Reb Zushia reverses the meaning of the mishna, which is simply saying that arrogance leads to suffering, whereas humility leads to spiritual pleasure. Without contradicting this basic truth, Zushia adds another nuance: to be עַז פָּנִים az panim doesn’t necessarily mean arrogant – it can also mean courageous, that is, having the courage to willingly to descend into “hell” for the sake of the “light” – meaning, being willing to weather the presence of reactivity and impulsivity for the sake of becoming more conscious. Being a steady beacon of consciousness in the face of adversity requires that you not be seduced by the energies before you, that you remain עַז az, “strong” in פָּנִים panim, “Presence” (lit., “face”). If you are not able to do that, teaches Reb Zushia, it is better to be protected from the forces of unconsciousness by remaining in a spiritually conducive environment. And yet, if we understand the context of Hasidism in which the Baal Shem Tov actively sought to bring many of his rabbi disciples out of their reclusiveness and into the world of ministering to the uneducated masses, this teaching is not merely advice, but implies an admonition. One should be עַז פָּנִים az panim; it is not good to shut oneself up in paradise, but one should be courageous in the face of spiritual obstacles, unlike the “spies” in the parshah: שְׁלַח לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֨רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן – “Send for yourselves people who will spy out the land...” The spies return with a wonderful report, except that there are “giants” in the land; they are afraid to confront the giants! They are being בֹשֶׁת פָּנִים voshet panim – “shame-faced,” lacking courage and confidence. But what’s wrong with being cautious? Isn’t it a good thing to be aware of our limitations in confronting obstacles? There are times when we must withdraw from the world and from people, in order to heal, recover, and renew our connection; this is the purpose of meditation. But we cannot remain there; even if we’re not going into the unconsciousness of the world on purpose, as was the mission of the Hasidic rebbes, the unconsciousness of the world comes to us. We must not shrink away from our mission to bring light to whatever adversity arises, but rather we must be עַז פָּנִים az panim; this is the Path of כ Kaf, the middah of courage. But once we muster the inner strength to confront the obstacles, how do transform the darkness into light? This is where the Thirty-Two Paths can be helpful; there are many entry points to consciousness, depending on the situation. Sometimes there might be something we need to learn – this is the Path of ל Lamed. Other times the task might be to love and serve others – this is the Path of Hesed. Or, the task might just be to surrender more deeply, as in the Path of מ Mem. But before we engage any of these paths, we first must trust that we can do it; we must trust that we have come to this moment, this situation, for this reason. אַל־תִּֽירְאוּ֙ ...יהֹוָ֥ה אִתָּ֖נוּ אַל־תִּירָאֻֽם׃ – “Do not fear… the Divine is with us; do not fear them!” These words of excortation from Joshua and Caleb teach: to be “bold” doesn’t actually negate humility; it doesn’t require “self” confidence. It’s true, the spies in the story lacked self-confidence, but the remedy was to bolster their Divine-confidence. Similarly, we shouldn’t worry about having self-confidence; it is better not to be “self” confident: הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר... וְאַל תַּאֲמִין בְּעַצְמְךָ עַד יוֹם מוֹתְךָ Hillel said… “Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death.” - Pirkei Avot 2:4 In other words, don’t trust your “self” – that is, identification with thought and feeling, but still trust: the unfolding of Reality has guided you to this moment – God “put” you here for a reason, so to speak, and that reason is now your task, in this moment – this is the “death” of ego, the death of resisting what is. When we can learn to embrace whatever beings and situations we encounter, moment to moment, without judgment and with receiving our task from God’s hands, then life itself becomes meditation; this is the Path of י Yud, the middah of Trust.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
Aaron is instructed to kindle the lamps of the menorah, and the tribe of Levi is initiated into their duties in the Mishkan (Sanctuary). Those who were unable to bring the Pesakh (Passover) offering on the festival, due to being tamei (ritually impure), approach Moses and petition him to be permitted to bring their offerings later. In response, a Pesakh Sheini, a “Second Passover,” is instituted. Israel’s journeys and encampments are then described – they would be guided by the ascending and descending movements of a cloud by day and fire by night over the mishkan.
Moses is instructed to make two silver trumpets through which the community would be signaled for journeying, for battle and for festivals. The people then begin moving in formation from Mt. Sinai, where they had been camped for nearly a year. Next, the people complain to Moses about their dissatisfaction with the man (“manna,” the “bread from heaven,”) with which they were miraculously fed in the wilderness, and they demand that Moses provide them with meat. In response, Moses appoints seventy elders to assist him in the burden of governing, and the people are all fed by numerous quail which descend upon the camp. Miriam speaks judgmentally to Aaron about Moses’ wife and questions his leadership. As a consequence, she contracts tzara’at, the skin affliction associated lashon hara (gossip, slander). Moses prays for her healing with the words, El na refa na la, and the entire community waits seven days for her recovery.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
דַּבֵּר֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֵלָ֑יו בְּהַעֲלֹֽתְךָ֙ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹ֔ת אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת׃ Speak to Aaron, and say to him: when you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the menorah shall the lamps cast light… - Bamidbar (Numbers) 8:2, Parshat Beha’alotkha
Rabbi Bunam said to his hasidim: “Any of you who is concerned with nothing but love is a philanderer; any of you who is nothing but devout is a thief; any of you who is nothing but clever has no faith. Only one who has all three of these gifts together can serve God as they should.”
This short teaching of Rabbi Simha Bunam speaks to the tendency toward reductionism. When we get excited about something – whether it’s an art, a philosophy, a spiritual practice, a political movement, anything – there is the danger of reducing everything to that, and ignoring other things of vital importance. In the realm of spirituality, this is sometimes called spiritual bypass, but there is also political bypass, economic bypass, and many other bypasses. How can we avoid the reductionism of spiritual bypass, and be truly integral in our view? First, it is helpful is to understand why we might bypass. Why would we believe in something so strongly that we ignore other things that are also important? If you work in a kitchen, you have to wash both of your hands. No matter how clean your left hand becomes, you still have to wash your right hand; there is no point at which your left hand becomes SO clean that it is okay for your right hand to be dirty. Why would we think otherwise when it comes to other facets of life? There are two reasons this might happen. The first reason is that we may recognize some genuine core truth, but that truth gets exaggerated. In the case of spirituality, this isn’t hard to see: the more conscious we become, the more we are able to be in harmony with those around us. While our meditation practice may not seem to have any discernible effect on our political or economic realities, it can have a profound effect on the real people we interact with every day. This is no small thing – as we know, our daily interactions with others affect not only the tone of our own lives, but have an incalculable effect beyond our immediate experience on countless beings whom we may never meet. And, while some of us may sometimes have a discernible and occasionally profound effect at the political level, nearly all of us are constantly affecting and are being affected by others that we encounter daily. The quality of our interactions, especially with family and others we are close with, can sometimes make the difference between life and death, or between a healthy life and a life of alienation and misery. It is understandable, then, that in knowing the profoundly transformative and life-changing power of increasing consciousness, that one might “overstep” and assume that as long as we are being conscious, everything else will simply take care of itself. So, it is good to remember: meditation can have a profoundly positive effect, but that doesn’t mean that it will necessarily and automatically “trickle down” to solve all the world’s problems, or even other personal problems such as health or money issues. For those, we may certainly have to do something else. But still, whatever we may have to do, greater Presence can help us to clearly see the choices before us, rather than be mired in conditioning and reactivity. The second reason is the plain fact that we are not in control of what happens. Our larger political and social realities can be overwhelmingly distressing. Combine that with the fact that no matter what we do, we are not guaranteed any positive outcome, and we may be tempted to give up altogether. We can be tempted to focus instead solely on the immediate personal realm, where we may be more likely to have some positive effect. We know that we can’t control the world – so why should we drive ourselves crazy trying? Resignation is seductive, and to avoid the pain of despair, we may believe that we are really doing our best simply by meditating. לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה:. It is not upon you to finish the work, but neither are you free to withdraw from it. - Pirkei Avot 2:16 Rabbi Tarfon’s aphorism is an antidote for resignation – simple, clean, and radiating with truth: yes, we have no certainty, we have no control. It is not upon us to figure it all out; we can’t figure it all out. But we can act, we should act, from where we are and from what we see and with what is available to us, to participate in improving the situation. And that means, don’t reduce – the Divine needs to be realized מִתָּֽחַת בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל וְעַל הָאָֽרֶץ – in the heavens above and on the earth below, both. אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת: – Toward the face of the menorah should shine the seven lamps… It is a strange construction – how can the light of the “seven lamps” be made to shine back toward the menorah? These were not lasers, they were oil lamps; the light would simply shine out in all directions. But on a metaphorical level, the “seven lamps” are the many facets of human endeavor, such as politics, sciences, arts, relationships, and so on, and the menorah as a whole is a glyph that represents an integral vision. Each branch expresses a unique facet of life, and by bringing consciousness to them all, each of their “lights” can illuminate their “root” – that is, the unified human being, the one consciousness that we are beneath all our complexity, beneath all our multifaceted experience. How do we do that? By practicing being present in all our activities, not merely as a technique to bring about a certain effect such as less stress or more happiness, but to do our best to make all our endeavors conscious, so that we may shine from all “seven branches” – in all dimensions of our lives and at all levels of responsibility, without bypassing even one. This middah of bringing awareness to all facets of life and bringing them into balance and harmony is the Path of Tiferet on the Tree of Life.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah continues with the census taken at Sinai, and completes the counting of 8,580 Levite men between the ages of 30 and 50. The Levites have been separated out from the other tribes to do the work of transporting the Mishkan, and are therefore exempt from the military service required of the men from the other tribes. Moses is then given instructions for purifying the camp which requires certain individuals who have become tamai (ritually unfit) to temporarily leave the camp. Laws are then given for bringing offerings to atone for certain kinds of theft. Moses is then given the law of the sotah, the situation of a husband suspecting his wife of unfaithfulness. Next, he receives the laws of the Nazir – one who has taken on the temporary practice of renouncing wine, hair grooming and contact with the dead. Aaron and his descendants, the kohanim, are then instructed on how to bless the people with the formula known as the Birkat HaKohanim. The parshah then concludes with an elaborate ceremony for the inauguration of the altar in which leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel each bring a set of identical gifts, each on their own day.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אִ֣ישׁ אֽוֹ־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּ֤י יַפְלִא֙ לִנְדֹּר֙ נֶ֣דֶר נָזִ֔יר לְהַזִּ֖יר לַֽיהוָֽה׃ מִיַּ֤יִן וְשֵׁכָר֙ יַזִּ֔יר... Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: If anyone, man or woman, sets oneself apart by vowing the vow of the Nazir, to be a renunciate for the Divine, they shall renounce wine and intoxicants… - Bamidbar (Numbers) 6:2-3, Parshat Naso
If you look back in time through your family photos, you will eventually find pictures of people not smiling. It is an interesting thing – why didn’t people smile back then when posing for pictures? And why and when did people start smiling as we do now? Today a person could be grumpy, yet when someone comes along to take a photo, they seem to instantly become joyful. The old paradigm is certainly more honest; if we want to take a snapshot of life, the practice of always smiling gives a false impression – that life is constantly light and happy, when we know that is not.
מִֽי־יִ֝שְׁכֹּ֗ן בְּהַ֣ר קָדְשֶֽׁךָ...דֹבֵ֥ר אֱ֝מֶ֗ת בִּלְבָבֽוֹ – Who can dwell on Your holy mountain?... One who speaks Truth from their heart… - Psalm 15 Truth is a basic middah (spiritual quality), necessary for “dwelling” on the “holy mountain” – meaning, transcending the ordinary self-sense which tends to be identified with thought and feeling, and awakening into the spaciousness of pure consciousness. This is because attachment to falsehood involves creating an inner separation between perception and assertion; it is a state of denial, which keeps one trapped in the self-apparatus that has a stake in the falsehood, that is, the “ego.” And yet, the deliberate self-generation of joy is also a middah: שַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר...וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת – Shamai says, receive every person with a cheerful face. - Pirkei Avot 1:15 And further on we read: הֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּשִׂמְחָה רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר... – Rabbi Yishmael said, Receive every person with joy! - 3:16 So, which is it? Is it best to be honest about our feelings, or should we “put on a happy face?” A disciple once asked the Hassidic master, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev, which is the true path – the path of sorrow or the path of joy. He answered that there are two kinds of sorrow, and two kinds of joy. The wrong kind of sorrow is when you become negative, think of yourself as a victim and complain about your life. The right kind of sorrow is when you simply feel your suffering and the suffering of others in an honest way, without embellishment, without getting caught by the negativity. The wrong kind of joy is when you only become happy about things you like, when things are going your way, when you get what you want. The right kind of joy, on the other hand, is like when a person’s house burns down, and as they rebuild their destroyed home, they rejoice over each and every brick. It’s a remarkable image – the right kind of joy is like when your house burns down! The genius of this teaching is that the right kind of joy and the right kind of sorrow are really the same thing; they are merged in the truth of our experience, that everything we love and enjoy will eventually burn down. If our happiness is based on gratification alone, then we are slaves to our experience. But there is a deeper joy that arises from the depths of who we are, beneath our temporary experience, beneath the fragile “house” of our thoughts and feelings. That is the simple joy of being, which becomes available when we let the “house” of ego “burn down” and intentionally open ourselves to the truth of our experience without resistance – even, paradoxically, the experience of pain and suffering – this is meditation, particularly meditation on the Path of נ Nun. And in that openness, we begin this moment anew, rejoicing over each and every “brick” – over every word and action offered in service of building a home for the Divine during this brief life we are given. This deep openness of consciousness to whatever arises is very simple, but it is not easy, because the complexities of life can easily distract. That is the function of spiritual practice – to help us remember our intention in the midst of life. כִּ֤י יַפְלִא֙ לִנְדֹּר֙ נֶ֣דֶר נָזִ֔יר לְהַזִּ֖יר לַֽיהוָֽה׃ מִיַּ֤יִן וְשֵׁכָר֙ יַזִּ֔יר... – If anyone sets oneself apart by vowing the vow of the Nazir, to be a renunciate for the Divine, they shall renounce wine and intoxicants… The Nazir is someone who feels they have become disconnected from Hashem, wishes to return, and they do by abstaining from alcohol and haircuts. Why? Alcohol is a way of altering our inner state, while grooming our hair is a way of altering our outer state. In other words, they are examples of manipulating our experience toward our liking. By abstaining from both, one can get in touch with that deeper level of awareness that simply receives the moment as it is, that “lets the house burn down,” so to speak. This level of awareness experientially knows the Oneness of the Divine as the basic condition of Reality, prior to the impulse to do something about it. Through this practice, the Nazir could find their way back to Wholeness, back to their deepest nature, and then return to ordinary life from this higher place. On the festival of Shavuot, the Book of Ruth is chanted. The story begins with Naomi’s house “burning down” as tragedy befalls her: first, her husband dies, and then both of her sons die. She tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their families, but Ruth swears allegiance to Naomi, and they return to Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem, penniless. Someone says, “Could this be Naomi?” but she says that Naomi is no longer her name: וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ן אַל־תִּקְרֶ֥אנָה לִ֖י נָעֳמִ֑י קְרֶ֤אןָ לִי֙ מָרָ֔א כִּי־הֵמַ֥ר שַׁדַּ֛י לִ֖י מְאֹֽד׃ – Do not call me Naomi (pleasantness),” she replied. “Call me Mara (bitterness), for Shaddai has made my lot very bitter.” But after that, their luck begins to change. Ruth serendipitously meets the wealthy Boaz, a relative of Naomi, marries him, and they have a son who turns out to be an ancestor of King David – who, according to tradition, will be the progenitor of Moshiakh, the future salvation of all humanity. Meaning: their salvation begins to sprout when Naomi expresses her bitterness: “Call me Mara (bitterness) for Shaddai has made my lot very bitter…” She is not complaining about her lot, she is receiving it from the hands of the Divine. She is speaking Truth from the heart – her experience isn’t pleasant, it is bitter – but from that honesty, her fortune begins to change and will lead to ultimately to world salvation. In other words, it is from the openness to the bitter that a deeper, transcendent sweetness can arise. And so it is for us; may we open to the truth of our experience with simplicity and without resistance, receiving everything from the Divine, and may we merit to feel the deeper joy that arises from that openness. And may we learn to share that joy with everyone we encounter: וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּשִׂמְחָה – Receive every person with joy… May true peace and salvation sprout for this world, speedily in our day!
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens in the Sinai Desert encampment, with the Children of Israel receiving instructions to conduct a census of men suitable for battle from the twelve tribes, between 20 to 60 years of age. The tribe of Levi is excluded, but included are the two sons of Yosef, keeping the number of tribes twelve. The tribe of Levi, who is to serve as the spiritual leadership, is counted separately. These Levi’im (Levites) are given responsibility for the Mishkan (Sanctuary), and all of its vessels and sacrificial equipment.
Whenever the Children of Israel would break down the camp to travel, the three Levite clans would dismantle and transport the Mishkan, and then reassemble it at the center of the next encampment. They then erected their own tents around it. The Kohathites, who carried the Sanctuary’s ritual objects (such as the Ark and menorah) on their shoulders, camped to its south; the Gershonites, in charge of its tapestries and roof coverings, to its west; and the families of Merari, who transported its wall panels and pillars, to its north. Before the Sanctuary’s entranceway, to its east, were the tents of Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons, who served as the kohanim, the priests. Beyond the Levite circle, the twelve tribes camped in four groups of three tribes each. To the east were Yehudah, Yissakhar, and Zevulun; to the south, Reuvein, Shimon and Gad; to the west, Ephraim, Manasheh, and Binyamin; and to the north, Dan, Asher and Naphtali. This formation was kept also while traveling. Each tribe had its own nassi (prince or leader), and its own flag with its tribal color and emblem.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר יְהֹ–וָ֧ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֛ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד בְּאֶחָד֩ לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְצֵאתָ֛ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃ שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ כׇּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כׇּל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃ Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year from the Exodus from the land of Egypt, saying: “Lift the head (take a census) of the whole (battle ready) assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according to their ancestral houses, listing the names, every (battle ready) male, according to their count.” - BaMidbar (Numbers) 1:1,2; Parshat Bamidbar
Rabbi Naftali of Roptchtiz told the following incident: “During the siege of Sebastopol, Czar Nicholas was once riding along one of the walls when an enemy archer took aim at him. A Russian soldier who observed this from afar screamed and startled the emperor’s horse so that it swerved to the side and the arrow missed its target. The Czar wished to reward the soldier who had saved his life, and told him to ask for any favor he pleased. ‘Our sergeant is so brutal,’ the soldier faltered. ‘He is always beating me. If only I could serve under another sergeant!’ ‘Fool,’ cried Nicholas, ‘why don’t you ask to be a sergeant yourself?!’” Rabbi Naftali continued: “And so that is what we are like: we are concerned with the petty wants of the moment and lack awareness of our deeper need.”
How do we become aware our deeper need? On one hand, awareness of our true situation can be stifled by our mental conditioning. Like a chicken in a cage which fails to escape when the door is opened for it, our patterns of incessant thought can obscure the doorway to our inner freedom. This is the message of meditation: learn to still the mind, think less, and you will begin to see clearly. And yet, in more common circles of wisdom, we hear the message that we should think more, that we can understand more deeply if we contemplate our situation, thoroughly thinking it through. So which is it– think more or think less? שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ – S’u et rosh – lift the head… This is an idiom for taking a census, which was instructed to prepare the Israelites for battle. But the deeper implication is that before going out to “do battle” with the challenges of life, we must “lift our head” – that is, elevate our perspective to see our situation as clearly as we can, which means transcending our thoughts and feelings. This is thinking less – the practice of meditation. From this elevated place, we can begin to act consciously and intentionally. How כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל – all the assembly of the Children of Israel… Yisrael means sarita El, “wrestling” or “striving for the Divine.” It is within the linguistic DNA of our collective identity to “assemble” our thoughts and actions according a higher intention. Meaning: if we want to get clarity on the right path to take, we need to clarify within ourselves: “What is my purpose in doing such-and-such? What am I trying to accomplish?” Without this self-inquiry, we may act out of conditioned impulses that we haven’t “thought through.” Self-inquiry cuts through that unconsciousness and brings us face to face with our power of decision. It doesn’t guarantee that we will succeed, but if we don’t question ourselves, we are almost certain to fail. Once we get clear on what motivates us, we might simply drop whatever we were considering if we find that our intention isn’t good. But, if the intention is good, then we can move onto the next question: לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם – by their families… “Family” consists of those close to us, those we for whom we are responsible and those who are responsible for us, reminding us to inquire: “How will this action affect others?” For example, when considering looking at the news or social media, our intention might be good – we want to be informed. But in asking ourselves how this could affect others, we might realize that, in a given moment, our concern with the horrors of world events could sabotage our ability to be present for our immediate responsibility toward those around us. This brings us to the final question: בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כָּל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם – by the number of names, every male, head by head… Once we are able to “name” our both our intention behind a decision and what the likely effect of this decision will be, we have to “number” it – we must ask, “Is it worth it?” In other words, if our intention is good but the consequences may be dire, we need to ask which “counts” more; we need to evaluate and decide. Again, this is no guarantee that we will make the right choice, but if we don’t evaluate and decide, it is likely we will make the wrong choice. And if, after careful thinking the situation through, we do happen to make the wrong choice, this too has goodness to it, because we will learn from it. This two-part process of “lifting the head,” that is, the stripping away of thought through meditation, followed by the “numbering of names,” that is, careful evaluation of purpose and consequence, is represented in Kabbalah by the dual sefirot on the Tree of Life of Hokhmah, “Wisdom” – awareness, insight; and Binah, “Understanding” – that is, focused thinking. In this way, there is no contradiction in the advice to “think more” and the advice to “think less” – they are two parts of one process for awakening wisdom: the oscillation between relaxing the thinking mind in meditation, and the deep focusing of the thinking mind in contemplation.
Read past teachings on BaMidbar HERE
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