Jewish Meditation Online
  • Home
  • About
    • About
  • Offerings
    • EVENTS
    • Calendar
    • Monthly Community-Wide Meditation
    • Bring Brian Yosef to Your Community
    • Wisdom School Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program
  • Teachings
    • Weekly Torah and Holiday Index
    • Learn Integral Kabbalah Meditation
    • Instagram Posts
  • Donate
  • Contact

In The World, Not of the World- Parshat Veyeira

11/6/2014

7 Comments

 
There is an aphorism often heard in spiritual circles-

“Be in the world, but not of the world.”

What does this mean exactly?

There are at least two questions that come to mind about this phrase. First, what does it mean to “be in the world”? Aren’t we always already in the world? Second, what does it mean to not be “of the world”? Aren’t all of us of this world? What other world would be “of”?

To understand, let’s look at what our activities ordinarily consist of. Usually we spend our waking hours acting on the world or being acted on. We do things bring about some result. And yet, if our actions are to be sensitive and responsive to the beings around us, there needs to also be an element of just being with the world, not only acting upon it. There needs to be awareness and receptivity. This is the act of being in the world; it doesn’t mean merely existing, it means doing the activity of being with- of being present, aware, and open.

With this receptivity, however, there can be the fear of getting trapped by that which we are open to. Did you ever walk the longer route in order to avoid being seen by somebody? Often we will ignore or avoid people and situations because we fear some negative experience. But there is another way. You don’t have to shut down or hide; you can remain fully open to whatever comes, but also not cling to it. Let things come and let things go. Open yourself, let things come, and then return to openness- let things go. This is being “not of the world”, in the sense that you don’t let things in the world define who you are. You can become intimately involved with whatever comes along and then totally let go of it, let it pass on its way.

This week’s Parshat Vayera begins with a story of Avraham sitting at the opening of his tent in the heat of the day in the Plains of Mamre. Rather than shut himself up in the shade of his tent, he goes and sits at the entrance, looking to see who will come along. Three strangers appear, and he runs to them and bows before them. He invites them to come, rest, wash, eat- “v’sa’adu libkhem- and sustain your hearts”- and then “akhar ta’avoru- afterward, pass on”. He doesn’t only invite them in, he also invites them to leave.

The “tent” is like our sense of self, which can be closed off or open to what is now emerging in this moment. Even in the “heat”, meaning times of difficulty and suffering, you can welcome what this moment brings. Avraham’s tent sits in the vast “plains”- our little self sits in the vastness of this moment. Eternity is stretched out before us. There is infinite potential and infinite uncertainty. And yet, we need not fear what comes. We need not contract into our “tent”. We can be the supreme host like Sarah and Avraham, who epitomized hospitality, welcoming and offering our attention to whatever this moment brings. And then, let it pass on and return our attention to the vast openness. Things and beings and situations come and go, even our “tent” will eventually go, but the vastness remains.

This is the secret of the enigmatic first verse of the parshah- “Veyeira eilav Hashem b’eilonei Mamre- and the Divine appeared to him in the Plains of Mamre.” It says the Divine appears, but then Avraham looks up and sees three strangers approaching. What happened to the appearance of the Divine? But that’s the point: when we are open to the fullness of this moment, there can be the recognition that every appearance is an appearance of G-d. Everything emerges from the vastness and eventually returns there.

So welcome what is, right now. There is only one G-d, and This is It!

7 Comments
Bruce Joffe
11/7/2014 02:27:09 pm

Well, with inscrutable aphorisms there are innumerable interpretations. We are certainly IN the world, and we are made OF the stuff of the world, the atoms, the air, water, salt and energy. The stuff of the world might just as well include its animal and human cultures, from which derives the culture that comprises who each of us is, having been transmitted to us through the family that created and raised each one of us. We are in the world, AND we are of the world.

Of course, the phrase counsels that while we are engaged with the stuff and actions of the world, let us also remember that we are also connected and part of a deeper, brighter, more infinite reality as well.

During the Shabbat service, just after L'chol Dodi, a small child was crawling across the floor, calling "Mama, mama." His mother was scurrying up behind him, to pick him up, but as she came closer, the child crawled away faster, all the time calling "Mama, mama."

It got me to wonder, whether we, as we call out "Adonai, Adonai," might also be crawling away from the Light of our Soul, even as we yearn to come home.

Sometimes, we might find ourselves in the world, so deeply that we forget that we are of the world, of the world which itself is of the universe, and of the bright, infinite reality from which our lives have been created here on Earth.

But when that happens, when we see that we have engaged ourselves deeply IN the world, seeing oneself regains the awareness of who we really are, beyond the world in front of us. We can re-envision ourselves as part of the deeper, wider, infinite universe. In doing so, we have returned ourselves back to that path of consciousness awareness.

Reply
Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks link
11/12/2014 08:32:56 am

Beautiful Bruce- thanks for writing!

Reply
Michael Kaye
11/12/2014 01:14:39 pm

Inspiring! Thanks Brian!

Reply
brian yosef link
11/12/2014 04:30:40 pm

Hi Michael, thanks for reading and saying! love...

Reply
Test link
11/19/2014 05:55:48 am

test

Wayne Miyao
11/17/2014 09:05:07 am

I am always appreciative of the inspiration that is delivered; and gain from the commentaries of others. The particular aphorism, the need to be in the world, but not of it, brought up a recollection of what koans are to the Zen Buddhists. On a more worldly note, it brought up Winston Churchill, who was describing Russia when he said, "It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." To be "in the world" requires our engagement with that which is, while to be of the world, means to me, to become entrapped by our past; by our traditions; and are particular prejudices. And then we come to a truth that one path leads to limitation and restriction--the retreat to the tent, thinking that it is protecting us, rather than realizing that when we leave the shelter of judgment, we are entrapped by our lack of will to see the Divine, though it be a glimpse. We return to seeing strangers. But the teaching shows that by embracing and welcoming these strangers, we are strangers no longer. And then like all experience, we invite, and then, let them leave after receiving our hospitality. This connection is our glimpse of the Divine made real What this says to me is that which Taoists say: the one who speaks, does not know. These teachings are so great because we can let it soak in, and say, I don't know.

Reply
Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks link
11/19/2014 05:01:33 am

Beautiful Wayne, thanks for you comments!!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Free Guided Meditation Here.

    Daily Meditation on Zoom and Livestream –
    Experience our growing community
     Here

    Archives

    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    October 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012

    RSS Feed


Jewish Meditation Online Community

Jewish Meditation Music

Jewish Meditation Techniques

Jewish Meditation Guided
Torah of Awakening © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. 
  • Home
  • About
    • About
  • Offerings
    • EVENTS
    • Calendar
    • Monthly Community-Wide Meditation
    • Bring Brian Yosef to Your Community
    • Wisdom School Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program
  • Teachings
    • Weekly Torah and Holiday Index
    • Learn Integral Kabbalah Meditation
    • Instagram Posts
  • Donate
  • Contact