Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with the eighth day (yom hashmini) of the inauguration ceremony for Aaron and his sons to begin officiating as kohanim (priests). In a dramatic appearance of Divine power, a fire streams forth to consume the offerings on the altar, and the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, comes to dwell in the Sanctuary. In their enthusiasm, Aaron’s two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu, rush forward to offer aysh zarah – “strange fire.” They are consumed by the fire and perish, yet Aaron remains silent in face of his tragedy. Moses and Aaron subsequently disagree about a point of law regarding the offerings, but Moses ultimately concedes that Aaron is in the right. The laws of kashrut are given, identifying the animal species permissible and forbidden for consumption: land animals may be eaten only if they have split hooves and also chew their cud; fish must have fins and scales; a list of non-kosher birds is given, and a list of the kosher insects, which include four different types of locusts.
Torah of Awakening
וַיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י קָרָ֣א מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָ֑יו וּלְזִקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. - Vayikra (Leviticus) 9:1 Parshat Shmini
In his early life, Rabbi Yehiel Mikhal of Zlotchov lived in great poverty, but not for an hour did happiness desert him. Someone once asked him: “Rabbi, how can you pray day after day: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ... שֶׁעָשָׂה לִי כָּל־צָרְכִּי Blessed are You… who provides for all my needs? For surely you lack everything that a person needs!” He replied, “Apparently, what I need is poverty, and that is what I have been supplied with.”
Rabbi Yehiel Mikhal’s response points to the deeper spiritual potential for how we may relate to our desires. Let’s look at what happens when we desire something, and then we receive the object of our desire. For example, food: we feel the pain of hunger, the desire to eat something, and then we eat and feel satisfaction. But there is something else going on that is easy to miss: that is, a different sense of incompleteness that is caused not by the hunger, but by the mental and emotional fixation on the object of desire. It is not just the incompleteness of hunger, but also a basic dis-ease with the present moment, a psychological “reaching” for a future moment when one imagines being satisfied. Then, along with the ordinary satisfaction of eating the food, not only is there a sense of completeness in satisfying the hunger, there is also (hopefully) a relaxing into present moment reality while one enjoys the food, and a dropping away of that dis-ease of wanting. That simple connection with the moment and the dropping away of dis-ease is itself satisfying – even more so, sometimes, than the food. This inner sense of inner Wholeness, available when we become present, is represented by the letter ג gimel. Although it is true that everyone experiences the ג gimel, the inner fullness of Presence, it is rare to discern between the two different levels of inner Wholeness and ordinary gratification. Instead, we are inclined to assume that all of our satisfaction comes from the food, or from whatever is the object of gratification. But in any receiving of satisfaction, the deeper pleasure comes not from the object, but from the temporary letting go of wanting and relaxing into connection with the present moment. That is ultimately the purpose of self-restricting practices like fasting, for example, or the giving up of bread on Passover. These practices work because, ordinarily, when we feel a craving for something, our heart tends to run after what we want and we lose our connection with Presence. But when we let ourselves feel the craving on purpose, returning attention to our present moment experience without getting carried away by our desire for gratification, then it is possible to re-awaken that sense of inner Wholeness, without needing to satisfy the external desire – this is the essence of meditation. With practice, we can become more and more rooted in this inner Wholeness, which opens the deeper dimension of the morning blessing: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽ–נוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה לִי כָּל־צָרְכִּי. Barukh Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh HaOlam, she’asa li kol tzorki! Blessed are You, Hashem, our Divinity, Sovereign of the Universe, who provides for all my needs! קָרָ֣א מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָ֑יו וּלְזִקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל – Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel… Moses is calling to the priests and elders in order to give them instructions regarding the offerings they must bring in order to have a vision of the Divine. It then goes on in great detail about the animals and grains and oils the are to burn on the altar, which results in the desired vision. וַיֵָא כְבוֹד־יי אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָֽם – …and the Divine Presence appeared to all the people…. Why were all those offerings necessary to bring about a Divine vision? When we experience the satisfaction of eating, we can elevate that experience through gratitude – through affirming that our food is a gift from God. This is the practical function of the various blessings said for different foods. But if we want to experience the ג gimel – the deeper Wholeness that is present even within our neediness, then we must learn to differentiate the pleasure that comes from Presence from the pleasure that comes from gratification. We can do this through sacrifice – through purposely giving something up; such self-restricting practices are represented by the sefirah of Gevurah. Then, just as the Divine Presence appeared to the Children of Israel, so too we can taste the deeper satisfaction of connecting with the moment as it is, beyond all the temporary and finite pleasures, wonderful and necessary as they are. And when we do that, a deeper gratitude can emerge – gratitude not only for the particular blessings we experience, but for the opportunity we have to practice connecting with the unconditional Wholeness of simply Being through meditation. וַיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י – And it was, on the eighth day… The first word, וַיְהִי vay’hi, is a form of the verb “to be,” which is the root of the Divine Name, hinting at this deeper meaning of the idea of God: God is an entity to be believed in, but relational word, signifying a prayerful attitude toward Being. The word בַּיּוֹם bayom means “on the day” but it can also mean “in today” meaning, in the Now. In other words, the Divinity of Being is not something to achieve or reach; it is Ever Present; it is always This Moment. The word הַשְּׁמִינִי hashmini means “the eighth.” In Kabbalah, the number seven signifies the natural world, as in the seven days of creation. The number eight, then, is beyond nature – Infinity. We also have this meaning in the shape of our Arabic number eight, which when turned on its side, is a symbol for Infinity. In other words, when we connect with the Divinity of Being by becoming present, there is an experiential sense of the Infinite, as we come to feel the boundlessness of the field of awareness that we are, within which all experience comes and goes, including the experience of want. In this week of Shabbat Sh’mini, the Sabbath of the Infinite, let us absorb the lessons of Gevurah – of delaying and sometimes surrendering gratification, thereby strengthening our connection with that deeper satisfaction of ג gimel, in Eternal Present.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with God instructing Moses to command (Tzav) Aaron and his sons regarding their duties and rights as kohanim (priests) who offer the korbanot (animal and meal offerings) in the Sanctuary. The fire on the altar must be kept constantly burning at all times. Upon the altar, the Olah (Ascending) offering is burned completely. Also burned are the veins of fat from the Shlamim (Peace offerings), the Hatat (Sin offering), the Asham (Guilt offering), and a handful of grain that is separated from the Minkhah (Meal offering). The kohanim eat the meat of the Sin and Guilt offerings, and the remainder of the Meal offering. The Peace offering is eaten by the one who brought it, except for specified portions given to the kohen. Aaron and his sons remain within the Sanctuary compound for seven days, during which Moses initiates them into the priesthood.
Torah of Awakening
צַ֤ו אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הָעֹלָ֑ה הִ֣וא הָעֹלָ֡ה עַל֩ מוֹקְדָ֨הֿ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ כׇּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר וְאֵ֥שׁ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ תּ֥וּקַד בּֽוֹ׃ Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the torah of the Olah (Ascending) offering: The Olah offering shall remain upon the pyre upon the altar all night until morning, and the altar’s fire shall be kept burning upon it… - Vayikra (Leviticus) 6:2 Parshat Tzav
In the days of the Baal Shem Tov, it once happened at the conclusion of Yom Kippur that the sky was particularly cloudy. The moon was completely obscured, preventing the Baal Shem from making the Kiddush Levana – the Sanctification of the Moon that is said after Yom Kippur. He sensed that the welfare of his people somehow depended on his making the blessing that night. Determined, he stood beneath the night sky, concentrating his mind to cause the clouds to disperse, but with no success. He eventually accepted his failure as what needed to be, and retired to his room. His disciples, however, knew nothing of his sadness and had begun to dance around the house in ecstatic celebration. Eventually their revelry burst through the door into the Baal Shem Tov’s room, and in their mad ecstasy, they took him by the hand and drew him into the dance. As they danced, the Baal Shem noticed – the sky had cleared and the waxing moon beamed brightly! The Baal Shem made the brakha (blessing) and wept in gratitude that the danger had been averted.
On the surface, this story is about joy and the power of community to lift our burdens of sorrow. But on a deeper level, the Baal Shem Tov’s response to his failure in controlling his situation demonstrates a wise and practical path for dealing with life’s challenges. This path consists of three phases, which we could call: acceptance, surrender, and affirmation. The words “acceptance” and “surrender” are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct. Acceptance is a choice: when our situation is unacceptable, we can step back from the cycle of emotional resistance by simply deciding, “this is what is happening, I must accept it.” Acceptance doesn’t mean approval and it doesn’t mean the absence of sadness or anger; it only means that our intellect has come into harmony with reality, that we have stopped struggling intellectually against the truth of the moment. The practice of acceptance is represented by the letter ו vav, which means “and” – we say “yes and” to whatever is, because it is. In the story, acceptance the first phase of the Baal Shem Tov’s response, when he acknowledges his inability to move the clouds with his mind and retires to his room. “Surrender,” on the other hand, happens by Grace; it is when our clinging to things being other than the way they are drops away, and a new joy can sprout. Surrender is represented by the letter מ mem, which means “water,” hinting at the way water simply takes the shape of the vessel that holds it. We cannot force ourselves to surrender, but we can open ourselves to its possibility through acceptance. In the story, surrender is represented by the disciples bursting into his room and drawing him into the dance. The disciples come to the Baal Shem Tov of their own accord, but he is susceptible to them because he has ceased his struggling with the clouds. Acceptance was his choice; surrender came by Grace. From this perspective, the miracle of the clouds finally parting, allowing for the blessing on the moon, points not to the supernatural, but to the power of how we perceive what happens. After all, we can notice: the clouds were bound to clear eventually. The significance of this moment is how the event was received by the Baal Shem: in the wake of his surrender and letting go, the very thing that eluded him came on its own; this was the fruit of letting go – the transformation from lack to fulfillment, from loss to gratitude… הָעֹלָ֡ה עַל֩ מוֹקְדָ֨הֿ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ כׇּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר – The elevation offering itself shall stay on the flame upon the altar all night until morning… If we want to “elevate” our relationship with disappointment and failure, we must become aware of our tendency to resist during the “night time” of our challenges; we must make the decision to accept, and to then remain alert – to keep the “flame” of our awareness burning so that we do not revert to our unconsciousness, all through the “night” until the “morning” – that is, until surrender comes to us. This is the first stage. הוֹצִ֤יא אֶת־הַדֶּ֙שֶׁן֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה…הַכֹּהֵ֜ן – The priest… shall carry the ashes outside the camp… Then, after we have accepted and “burned” through any negativity by being present with it, we must let go of the ashes. We cannot force ourselves to surrender, but in being present with our resistance, it transforms. At this point, we must remain present so as to not resurrect the negativity; don’t keep it alive by creating more mental stories; remove it from your space. This is the second stage. וּבִעֵ֨ר עָלֶ֧יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן עֵצִ֖ים בַּבֹּ֣קֶר בַּבֹּ֑קֶר – and the priest shall feed wood to (the burning flame), from morning to morning… But then, when the “morning” comes in the wake of surrender, we’ve got to continue burning the fire of Presence, rather than practice only when things are challenging; this is daily meditation. It is not difficult, but it takes an initial commitment to break through the inertia and establish it as a habit. אֵ֗שׁ תָּמִ֛יד תּוּקַ֥ד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לֹ֥א תִכְבֶּֽה׃ – a perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar; it should never be extinguished… This is the point of meditation: that through persistence over time, through the cycles of acceptance, surrender and affirmation, we can develop an אֵשׁ תָּמִיד aysh tamid, a perpetual Presence that burns brightly through both the day times and the night times of life. This is the letter ש shin, the practice of moment to moment attentiveness. In this week of Shabbat Tzav, the Sabbath of Connection, may we connect these three phases – accepting challenge and failure when it happens, letting go of negativity so that we may be drawn back into the Dance of Life, and coming to bless the holiness of each moment, regardless of whether our fortune is “waxing” or “waning.”
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with God calling to Moses (וַיִּקְרָא vayikra) from the Ohel Mo’ed, the Tent of Meeting, and proceeding to instruct him in the laws of the korbanot, the animal and meal offerings. These include: the “Elevation Offering” (Olah) that is burned completely in fire atop the altar; the different types of “Meal Offering” (Minkhah) prepared with fine flour, olive oil and frankincense; the “Peace Offering” (Shlamim), whose meat was eaten by the one bringing it, after some parts are burned on the altar and others are given to the kohanim (priests); the different types of “Sin Offering” (Hatat) brought to atone for transgressions committed by the high priest, the entire community, the king or the ordinary community member; and the “Guilt Offering” (Asham) brought by one who has misappropriated property of the Mishkan, (the Sanctuary), who is in doubt as to whether they transgressed some prohibition, or who has committed a “betrayal” by swearing falsely to defraud a fellow human being.
Torah of Awakening
אִם־עֹלָ֤ה קׇרְבָּנוֹ֙ מִן־הַבָּקָ֔ר זָכָ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יַקְרִיבֶ֑נּוּ אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יי׃ If their offering is an Elevation Offering from the herd, an unblemished pure male they shall bring. To the entrance of the Tent of Meeting they shall bring it close, for favor before the Divine. - Vayikra (Leviticus) 1:3 Parshat Vayikra
Rabbi Hayyim Meir Yehiel, the grandson of the Maggid of Koznitz, told this story: “When I was a boy of eleven, my grandfather summoned me and said, ‘Come to me at dawn and I shall teach you Kabbalah.’ I did not do as he said, but from that time on, I studied alone at dawn and did my avodah alone, for I did not want anything I couldn’t get by my own efforts. After a time my grandfather again summoned me and said, ‘At first I thought you did not like getting up early. But now I have found that you are up early, but nevertheless you do not come to me.’
“But he grasped the fact that I wanted to study on my own, for he went on to say: ‘Well, just make a point of being there every morning when I pray, and I shall see to it that you receive holy illumination.’ But I did not even want to get any illumination without working for it myself, and so I came only to the beginning and end of his prayers. Time passed, and then one night I had a vision. My deceased teacher, the Rabbi of Apt, zikhrono livrakha, appeared to me and brought me tefillin from paradise. When I had bound the shel rosh to my forehead, illumination came to me…” While being of service is an indispensable cornerstone of the spiritual path, we must be aware of its shadow side: the tendency to project onto others what we think they need, so that we may feel as though we are helping, or be seen as helpers by others. For example, my friend Josh is blind. When he walks around in public, it is not uncommon for someone to grab his arm aggressively and say, “Here let me help you!” and try to force him in a certain direction. Their intentions may be good, but they are unaware of their own motivation, of their psychological need to help others. And consequently, their “help” is not really help – it is simply food for their self-image, for ego. It is like the old Sesame Street episode, where Grover is straining to carry a really heavy brick. The brick has the word “HELP” carved into it. As he moans and groans trying not to drop the brick, he keeps yelling, “Help! Help!” The great trickster Ernie walks up and says, “Oh, Grover, you need some help? I’ve got some help for you, hold on just a minute.” He bends down and picks up another big heavy brick, also with the word “HELP” carved into it, and piles it on top of the first brick, increasing Grover’s burden. “HELP! HELP!” Grover yells even louder. “Oh, you want even more help??” says Ernie. Ernie then picks up yet another big heavy “HELP” brick and piles it on top of the two that Grover is already holding. This goes on a few more times – Grover yelling “Help!” and Ernie just making it worse and worse by piling on more and more HELP bricks. Finally, Grover screams and falls backwards, all the bricks falling on top of him. Have you ever felt a strong desire in yourself be the helper, to be the one who “knows” or is “needed?” The presence of these kinds of strong feelings (or any strong feelings for that matter) are a sign that we need to be aware of ourselves, and ask ourselves: are we really seeing clearly what is needed, or are we unconsciously trying to satisfy our own need to play a certain role, or to be seen a certain way? The root of the problem, of course, is not the desire to be of service; it is identifying with what we are doing. It’s seeing our “self” as the “doer.” It is like a small child who wants to “help” you cook in the kitchen. You might let them “help” by holding your wrist while you stir something in a hot pan, or hold your arm while you lift something much too heavy and dangerous for them. They feel like they are helping, but they are not really the doer. That is actually our situation. We go through motions, thinking “I am doing such-and-such,” but actually the act is being done by Everything; we are only apparently doing it. When you turn on the car, it may seem like the key is turning it on. But is it the key? Is it the starter? Is it the spark plug? There is no single thing doing anything; everything is doing everything all the time. Yet we tend to think, “I am doing it.” In thinking of ourselves as doers, we take on the most profound burden of all. Like Grover, we strain and moan under the burden of life, yelling, “Help! Help!” But when it comes to the burden of being the doer, any “help” we get is ultimately like Ernie’s help. We don’t need that kind of help; what we really need to drop the burden. But, we can’t “try” to drop the burden; that is just more burden. The “me” that tries to drop the burden is itself the burden. So how do we drop the burden? אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יי – To the entrance of the Tent of Meeting they shall bring it close, willingly, before the Divine… The word for “bring close” – יַקְרִ֣יב yakriv – is the same root as קָרבָּן korban, a sacrificial offering. So the meaning of a sacrificial offering is not “sacrifice,” but rather “drawing close,” or “becoming intimate.” אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ – To the opening of the Tent of Meeting… The “Tent of Meeting” is the place we meet Reality. And where is that? It is always only where we already are! לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יי – willingly, before the Divine… But, just because we are always here now, doesn’t mean that we are close or intimate with the Here and Now, with Reality as It manifests Here and Now, that Divine Name which means “Being.” Rather, we need to want it; one needs to come לִרְצֹנוֹ litzono; to come willingly to this moment; this is meditation. אֶל־פֶּתַח – to the opening… Draw your attention willingly into the פֶּתַח petakh – into the openness of the present; that is the openness of consciousness within which this fullness of this moment is now arising. Don’t hold this moment as a burden that you need to change or control – offer yourself to it; that is the key. וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָעֹלָ֑ה – They shall lean their hand on the head of the Elevation Offering… “Leaning” is the exact opposite of “carrying.” To carry a burden, you have to put your hands under it. Here it says they lean their hand on the korban – it implies a restfulness in the “drawing near,” a surrender and trust in “being supported,” which we can see in the word for “lean,” itself: סָמַךְ samakh, which comes from the root that means “support.” Thus we might retranslate: “Come close in openness and rest upon the Divine support, present now as the fullness of this moment…” This is “letting go.” But as long as we don’t let go, we will experience life as somewhat antagonistic; the message we get from life’s challenges will continue to be experienced as difficulty. This message will come to us in the forms of whatever situations arise, over and over again: וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה – Called to Moses… This opening verse doesn’t say who called to Moses, it just says “called.” The last letter of וַיִּקְרָ֖א Vayikra is א alef, which has the numerical value of one, and is a symbol of Divine Oneness. On a Torah scroll, this particular א alef is written smaller than all the other letters, hinting that the “Oneness” is hidden within everything, calling to us from everything, nudging us to see – it is not you who acts. When we can see that it is not the “me” who acts, but the Divine Oneness that is acting through Everything, we can let go of our burden. Then, the help we offer will also not be a burden; it won’t demand anything in return, or push anybody around. It becomes a true gift, a Divine gift, with no strings attached. There’s a story of Rabbi Baruch of Mezbizh, that once he was saying the blessing after his meal. When he got to the following passage, he repeated it three times with great fervor: וְנָא אַל־תַּצְרִיכֵֽנוּ יי אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ לֺא לִידֵי מַתְּ֒נַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם וְלֺא לִידֵי הַלְוָאָתָם כִּי אִם לְיָדְ֒ךָ הַמְּלֵאָה הַפְּ֒תוּחָה הַקְּ֒דוֹשָׁה וְהָרְ֒חָבָה... Please let us not need the gifts of flesh and blood, nor their loans, but only your full, open, holy and generous hand… When he finished, his daughter asked: “Abba, why did you pray so hard that you should not need the gifts of people? Your only support comes to you from the gifts that people bring you!” “My daughter,” he replied, “You must know that there are three ways of supporting the tzaddik. The first way is when a person thinks, ‘I’m a generous person, so I’ll bring a gift.’ This way is referred to by the words, ‘let us not need the gifts of flesh and blood.’ The second way is when a person thinks, ‘I’ll give something now, and then I’ll get some reward in the future.’ Those people want heaven to pay them interest; that’s the ‘loan.’ But there are some who know: ‘God has put this money in my hand to give, and I’m just the messenger.’ These are the ‘full, open, holy and generous hand...’” In this week of Shabbat Vayikra, The Sabbath of Calling, may we hear the Divine Call from all things, urging us to drop the burden of separateness and accept the סֶמֶך semekh, the Divine support acting through everything to allow us to be, in this moment…
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
An accounting (pekudei) is made of the gold, silver and copper donated by the people for the making of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary. Betzalel, Aholiav and their assistants make the eight priestly garments—the apron, breastplate, cloak, crown, hat, tunic, sash and breeches—according to the specifications communicated to Moses in Parshat Tetzaveh. The Mishkan is completed and all its components are brought to Moses, who assembles it, anoints it with the holy anointing oil, and initiates Aaron and his four sons into the priesthood. A cloud appears over the Mishkan, signifying the Divine Presence that has come to dwell within it…
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה עֲבֹדַת֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ These are the records of the Sanctuary, the Sanctuary of Witnessing, which were recorded according to mouth of Moses—the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. - Shemot (Exodus) 38:21, Parshat Pekudei
Rabbi Yitzhak of Vorki told this story: “Once when I was traveling with David Lelov, of blessed memory, we arrived in the little town of Elkish about an hour past midnight. Rabbi David did not want to wake anyone, so we went to Rabbi Berish the baker, who we found standing at his oven. When we entered, I saw his face cloud over because we had found him doing his mundane livelihood work rather than praying or learning Torah.
“‘Oh,’ said Rabbi David, ‘If only Hashem let me earn my living by the work of my hands! The truth of the matter is that everyone in Israel has an inner urge of which they themselves are barely aware: what they want is to work for their fellow human beings. Everyone who plies a trade – the cobbler, the tailor, or the baker – takes money in return for their work only that they may live and continue working for their fellow humans.’ While Rabbi David was speaking, I saw the baker’s face clear and grow brighter and brighter.” There is an instinct of self-interest, a drive which compels us to earn a living and enjoy the fruits of our labors. We might call this instinct the drive of self-preservation or self-enhancement. In the language of Judaism it is known as the yetzer hara, the “evil inclination.” וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֙עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ… And from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, you must not eat of it… - Bereisheet (Genesis) 2:17 This “bad” yetzer becomes part of our makeup in our origin story – a result of “eating” from the “fruit” of duality – that is, the ability to comprehend the duality of time – of working to move from our present state of perceived lack to a future state in which we may “eat” from the “fruits” of our labors. But the other side of the equation, also awakened in our legend of origin, is the yetzer tov – the “good inclination.” This is the inner urge to which Rabbi David refers: the urge to be of service, to make a positive difference, to contribute. Both drives are essential; the yetzer hara is not really ra, not really a bad thing – it is necessary to insure that we take our next breath; it is the drive of survival. But the yetzer tov is what gives us a sense of purpose; it gives meaning to our survival. Thus, the yetzer hara is only ra when it separates from the yetzer tov and operates for its own sake, becoming ego – that dark self-sense emerging from our identification with the yetzer hara. But when it works together with the yetzer tov, then the mundane work of earning a living can become holy service; the actions of the body in time can become service of the Eternal. This yetzer tov, this impulse toward sacred service, toward meaning, toward serving our fellow beings, is not mysterious or inaccessible, though it can be easily eclipsed by its more obvious counterpart. The aim of spirituality is to overcome this tendency of the sacred to be concealed beneath the ego and reveal the sacred in the mundane. אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ – These are the remembrances of the Sanctuary… That is, remember to make your “self” into a Sanctuary. How do we do that? מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת – The Sanctuary of Witnessing… The moment we become witness to what is happening, simply seeing without judgment or resistance, our inner space becomes a Sanctuary of Presence; this is meditation. וְאִתּ֗וֹ אׇהֳלִיאָ֞ב בֶּן־אֲחִיסָמָ֛ךְ לְמַטֵּה־דָ֖ן חָרָ֣שׁ וְחֹשֵׁ֑ב וְרֹקֵ֗ם – and with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a carver, a weaver, and an embroiderer… חָרָ֣שׁ – a carver… To become a Mishkan HaEidut, a Sanctuary of Witnessing, we must first let our inner space be “carved” by the content of this moment. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? Don’t resist, let your inner space take the form of this moment, however it arises; this is the Path of מ Mem, of “merging.” חֹשֵׁ֑ב – a weaver… Then, let the fullness of everything in this moment be “woven” into a whole within the space of your awareness. Don’t tear the moment apart with judgments and resistance – it is already one whole tapestry, when you allow it to be as it is; this is the Path of י Yud, of “trusting.” Together, מ mem and י yud are מי mi – “who” – that is, the question we must pose to ourselves: who are we really, beneath this ego, beneath this obvious drive toward self-preservation? Mi? This brings us to… רֹקֵ֗ם – an embroiderer – From this state of Presence, we can live our purpose – serving the moment, “embroidering” the sacred into our thoughts, words and actions. This is the Path of ה Hei, of sacred “self-expression.” And when we are in the flow of our sacred purpose, the ego loses its seductive power… וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה לָבוֹא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֥ן עָלָ֖יו הֶעָנָ֑ן וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud dwelled upon it and the Divine Presence filled the Sanctuary… .” - 40:35 When your Presence completely fills this moment, there is no more room for that separate “me” of ego – there is just Presence, in alignment with and in service of Reality as it is unfolding now. This is the most basic and first mitzvah; it is the original “fruitfulness” of creativity, mentioned before the “fruit” of the ego, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and master/subdue it… - Bereisheet (Genesis) 1:28 פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ – Be fruitful and multiply… That is, be creative and express yourself, and to do that you must: וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ – fill the earth… That is, let your awareness “fill” the moment; don’t hold back or shrink away – alignment with Reality is the fertility of creativity. וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ – and master/subdue it… In some contexts, the root כבש kaf-bet-shin can have a militaristic connotation of ruling/subduing and even oppressing, but it can also mean “fermentation” – a כֶּבֶשׁ kevesh is a pickle! In other words, it is taking something that arises naturally in Reality, a cucumber for example, and acting upon it to create something new and delicious. This is the creative act – working with the gifts of creation to become co-creators, to become carvers, weavers, and embroiderers, to become cobblers, tailors, and bakers; this is the expression of purpose, work as sacred service; the Path of ה Hei.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with Moses assembling the Children of Israel (vayak’hel, “assembled”) and reviewing the mitzvah of Shabbat, followed by instructions for constructing the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Israelites bring the materials for its construction in abundance: gold, silver and copper; blue, purple, and red-dyed wool; goat hair, spun linen, animal skins, wood, olive oil, herbs and precious stones. They actually bring too much, and Moses has to tell them to stop.
A team of “wise-hearted” (chochmat lev) artisans then build the Mishkan and its furnishings: three layers of roof coverings; 48 gold-plated wall panels, and 100 silver foundation sockets; the parokhet (veil) that separates between the Sanctuary’s two chambers, and the masakh (screen) at the front; the ark, and its cover with the angelic statues of the keruvim (“cherubim”); the table and the lekhem hapanim, (“showbread”); the seven-branched menorah with its specially prepared oil; the golden altar and the incense burned upon it; the anointing oil; the outdoor altar for burnt offerings and all its implements; the hangings, posts and foundation sockets for the courtyard; and the basin with its pedestal, made out of copper mirrors.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ כׇּל־אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־נְשָׂא֣וֹ לִבּ֑וֹ וְכֹ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ נָדְבָ֨ה רוּח֜וֹ אֹת֗וֹ הֵ֠בִ֠יאוּ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֨ת יְהֹוָ֜ה לִמְלֶ֨אכֶת אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ וּלְכׇל־עֲבֹ֣דָת֔וֹ וּלְבִגְדֵ֖י הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ And everyone who’s hearts were elevated, and everyone whose spirit was moved came forth, bringing Divine offerings for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its ritual service, and for the sacral vestments… - Shemot (Exodus) 35:21, Parshat Vayak’hel
Once, while Rabbi Zev Wolf was sitting in his bedroom, he heard a strange noise. He cracked the door open slightly and peered out to see a thief filling his sack with valuables. Among the items he stole was a cup which had been used earlier in the evening by a guest who was sick. As the thief was about to leave, Reb Wolf leapt from his hiding spot and cried out: “Good sir! You can keep all the things you’ve taken, but beware! That last cup you took has the breath of a sick man within in it – I don’t want you to drink from it and become sick yourself!”
When we hear a story like this, we might be inclined to think of Reb Wolf as a super-human tzaddik, embodying an ideal out of reach for most of us, but this not so – we only need to know how to access our deeper spiritual potential. There is a hint in the collection of traditional prayers said before going to sleep: רִגְז֗וּ וְֽאַל־תֶּ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ אִמְר֣וּ בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם עַֽל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם וְדֹ֣מּוּ סֶֽלָה Tremble and sin no more, speak within your heart, upon your bed, and be silent, selah! - Psalm 4 The idea here is that, in the quiet moments before sleep, you bring yourself to a state of heightened reverence and resolve to turn from any negative behavior patterns. This is a simple but very powerful form of meditation – connecting with the silent depths of your being, and consciously intending to live from this depth in your daily life. Thus, within the prayers that would be said the next morning, we have the second half of the equation: לְמַ֤עַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד וְלֹ֣א יִדֹּ֑ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י לְעוֹלָ֥ם אוֹדֶֽךָּ! So that my inner being will sing to You and NOT be silent; Hashem, my Divinity, constantly I will thank You! - Psalm 30 Taking these two verses together, we have a complete practice: first, awaken your potential in meditation, so that you can then express that potential outwardly in the sometimes noisy and chaotic world. But how can we express our deepest spiritual potential when we find ourselves in situations that trigger powerful emotions like anger or fear, as in the story? Perhaps Rabbi Zev Wolf was beyond such emotions. אִמְר֣וּ בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם... וְדֹ֣מּוּ – speak within your heart… and be silent… But consider: since he was hiding and not confronting the thief immediately, there would have been some space to be aware of his reactive emotions as they arose. יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד וְלֹ֣א יִדֹּ֑ם – my inner being will sing to You and not be silent… Then, from the silent depths of that awareness that transcends all feelings and impulses, he was able to reflect and decide to do the opposite of those emotions, and express love rather than negativity – this is the power of meditation. There is a hint in this week’s reading: וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ כָּל־אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־נְשָׂא֣וֹ לִבּ֑וֹ – And everyone who’s hearts were elevated came forth… Gifts were brought to build the Sanctuary by those whose hearts were inspired, or elevated, to bring them. But the words נְשָׂא֣וֹ לִבּ֑וֹ nisa’o libo, can also mean hearts were tested; the root for elevated and tested are the same. Meaning: when our hearts are tested – when we peer from our safety to see the thief coming for our things and we become enflamed with fear and anger – it is in precisely those moments that we can become truly elevated by choosing our path consciously rather than be taken over by whatever impulses are arising. Through our meeting of these tests, our ability to express our spiritual potential is strengthened, if we can rise to challenge. How do we do this? הֵ֠בִ֠יאוּ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֨ת יְהֹוָ֜ה – bringing Divine offerings… Imagine that your words and actions are offerings to the Divine; what words and actions can you express that would reflect this intention? This type of contemplation is a simple, though not necessarily easy, way to transform every moment of life into spiritual practice. And when we fail, not to worry, there will be plenty more opportunities. As long as we are alive in these bodies, we can return, again and again, to the practice. May we strengthen our resolve to meet the tests that life gives us; may we draw upon our meditation to cultivate conscious and intentional self-expression amidst the noisiness of life – this is the Path of ה Hei, of conscious self-expression.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with Moses taking a census of the Children of Israel. Each person who is counted must contribute a makhazit hashekel – a half shekel of silver to the Sanctuary. Instructions are also given regarding the making of the Sanctuary’s water basin, anointing oil and incense. The “wise-hearted” artisans Betzalel and Aholiav are singled out as possessing hokhmat halev – “wisdom of the heart” – and are placed in charge of the Sanctuary’s construction.
Moses does not return when expected from Mount Sinai. The people lose faith, and make themselves a golden calf to worship. Hashem grows angry and proposes to destroy the errant nation, but Moses intercedes on their behalf. Moses descends from the mountain carrying the “tablets of the testimony” engraved with the Ten Commandments. But when he sees the people dancing about their idol, he breaks the tablets, and destroys the golden calf. He pleads with God: “If You will not forgive them, blot me out from the book that You have written.” Hashem forgives them, but says that the effect will be felt for many generations, and as they continue their journey, Hashem will not be with them; only an angel will accompany them. But, Moses pleads with Hashem to continue to accompanying them on their journey to the promised land. Moses prepares a new set of tablets himself (as opposed the first set which were inscribed by God). On the mountain, Moses is also granted a vision of the “Thirteen Attributes of Compassion.” When Moses returns, his face is so radiant that he must cover it with a veil, which he removes only to speak with Hashem and to teach Torah to the people.
Torah of Awakening
וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ כִּיּ֥וֹר נְחֹ֛שֶׁת וְכַנּ֥וֹ נְחֹ֖שֶׁת לְרׇחְצָ֑ה וְנָתַתָּ֣ אֹת֗וֹ בֵּֽין־אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וְנָתַתָּ֥ שָׁ֖מָּה מָֽיִם׃ “You shall make a basin of copper between the Tent of Meeting and the (outer) altar, and you shall put water there.” - Shemot (Exodus) 30:18, Parshat Ki Tisa
A hasid asked Rabbi Mikhal, “In Pirkei Avot (“Sayings of the Fathers” from the Mishna), we read:
אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי... Who is wise? One who learns from every person, as it is said: ‘From all my teachers have I gained understanding…’ (4:1) “Why does it not say ‘One who learns from every teacher?’” Rabbi Mikhal explained: “The master who pronounced these words is intent on making clear that we can learn not only from those whose occupation it is to teach, but from everyone and everything. Even from one who is ignorant, or wicked, you can gain understanding about how to conduct your life.” A friend of mine used to earn a living as a handy person, doing light plumbing, carpentry, and so on. For a while, the jobs were easy for her. But one day, she was asked to do a job that baffled her. Instead of revealing that she had no idea how to fix the whatever-it-was, she accepted the job, went home, watched instructional videos about it on YouTube, then went back the next day and did the job; but that was just the beginning. After that, she began taking on more and more complex jobs. Her work became her school. There’s an analogue here to meditation: Just as the basic point of work is to receive physical sustenance in the form of livelihood, so the basic point of meditation is to receive spiritual sustenance – the inner nourishment that flows from Presence; that is, the practice of freeing consciousness from its ordinary identification with form. The most direct way to gain maximum benefit from meditation is to remove all distractions and simplify your life as much as possible. Do what you need to do to eat and have basic necessities, then devote your time and energy to your avodah, your meditation practice. But that would be analogous to taking only the easy jobs you already know how to do. Just as you could get paid the maximum amount by focusing all of your energy on working, rather than learning new skills, so too you will gain the maximum depth by focusing solely on your Jewish meditation practice and not spending time and energy on other life pursuits. But if it’s not enough to merely to get the sustenance, but rather you want to learn and grow in your ability to stay connected to the dimension of Presence even in the midst of life’s complexities, then distractions are not really distractions anymore; they are what you need to train. They are not a waste of time, they are your helpers on the path of becoming spiritually masterful. People tend toward one side or the other. Some resist the Eternal dimension available through meditation, preferring to stay busy and accomplish things. Others tend toward the other direction, seeing the drama of life as a distraction and withdrawing into solitude. Both are perfectly valid expressions of different kinds of personalities. And yet, even though these two personal inclinations are opposed to one another, they’re actually two sides of one coin. The inner sustenance that flows from solitude wants to express Itself; it wants to connect with life and sanctify it, which means to live in the world with Presence, with wisdom and love. בֵּֽין־אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ – between the Tent of Meeting and the (outer) altar… The late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M Shneerson z’l, taught that the outer altar represents the transformation of ordinary life into a spiritual practice. The inner sanctuary represents your avodah – your meditation which is already a spiritual practice. How do we transform the ordinary into the sacred? We can do it by bringing any of the middot – any of the qualities of the Thirty-Two Paths of Presence to whatever we happen to be doing. And of all the Paths, the Path of ל Lamed, that is, the path of curiosity and learning from whatever the moment has to teach, is a wonderful place to begin (again and again), because with the Path of ל Lamed, we open ourselves to discover all the other paths which we might learn in any particular moment; the Path of ל Lamed can function as a “master path” in a sense. וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ כִּיּ֥וֹר... וְנָתַתָּ֥ שָׁ֖מָּה מָֽיִם׃ – You shall make a basin…and you shall put water there… This is why the kiyor – the water basin – is stationed between the inner and the outer. No matter whether we are engaged in meditation or in ordinary life, we need to inwardly “cleanse” our intentions so that the bright, egoless innocence of spontaneous curiosity can shine forth. How do we do that? כִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒ – When you count heads of the Children of Israel according to their numbers… Being “counted” means being part of community life, part of the chaotic push and pull of multiple agendas and intentions… וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃ – so that no plague may come upon them when they are counted… This life becomes a “plague” if your deepest being, that bright, egoless innocence of spontaneous curiosity, gets covered up and obscured. This can happen simply through the chaos of noise and stress, or it can happen through the domination of ego, that separate self that needs to be right, that needs to “already-know.” יִתְּנ֗וּ כׇּל־הָעֹבֵר֙ עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֔ים מַחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל זֶ֣ה – This is what everyone who is entered into the counting shall give: a half-shekel… Everyone, rich and poor alike, give the half-shekel. Why? Because our unique self (represented by the letter ה hei) which we bring to the task at hand is only “half” the equation. The other half, which we all can bring equally, is the openness – what we might call “beginners mind” – that is, innocent curiosity, the willingness to learn. Every time we sit down and meditate, we give up our expertise. In every meditation session, we start at the beginning, so to speak; we open ourselves to learn, again, how to meditate. In meditation, we all (again) become equal. When we bring this “beginners mind” to our daily tasks, together with our conditioned expertise and unique offerings (as represented in Parshat Terumah), the two halves come together; the moment becomes Whole, and our inner and outer lives become One…
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with the commandment (Tetzaveh, “you shall command”) that the Children of Israel should bring pure olive oil to kindle the Ner Tamid – the “everlasting flame” of the Menorah, which Aaron is to kindle each day, “from evening till morning.” The priestly garments, to be worn by the kohanim while serving in the Sanctuary, are then described: 1) the ketonet – linen tunic; 2) the mikhnasayim – linen breeches; 3) the mitznefet or migba’at – linen turban; and 4) the avnet – a long sash wound above the waist.
In addition, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) wore: 5) the efod—an apron-like garment made of blue, purple, and red-dyed wool, linen, and gold thread; 6) the hoshen—a breastplate containing twelve precious stones inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; 7) the me’il—a cloak of blue wool, with gold bells and decorative pomegranates on its hem; and 8) the tzitz—a golden plate worn on the forehead, bearing the inscription “Holy to Hashem.” The parshah also describes instructions for the seven-day initiation of Aaron and his four sons—Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar—into the priesthood, and for the making of the golden altar, on which the ketoret (incense) was burned
Torah of Awakening: Jewish Meditation Teaching
וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃ You shall command the Children of Israel to bring you oil of olives, pure, crushed for illumination, for kindling lamps continuously… - Shemot (Exodus) 27:20, Parshat Tetzaveh
Once, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak began greeting everyone after prayers as if they had just returned from a long journey:“Shalom Aleikhem! Shalom aleikhem!” exclaimed the rebbe to each and every congregant. When they gave him strange looks, he responded: “Why do you look surprised? While the hazan was leading the prayers, you weren’t here at all. This one was in the market place, this one was on a cargo ship, this one was relaxing at home. When the davening stopped, you all returned, so I greeted you: shalom aleikhem!”
There is an unconscious tendency to retreat into our minds, preferring thoughts about reality over actual Reality. It is like going to a concert, but instead of listening to the musicians play, you put on headphones and listen to a recording of a performance recorded some time in the past. At best, our inclination toward inattention causes us to lack depth and Presence in our lives; at worst, it can cause depression and various forms of insanity, as we lose connection with the truth of what is happening in our immediate experience and become swallowed up by the virtual reality of thought. It seems to be the nature of the mind to constantly move; how can we overcome this tendency and become a beacon of Presence in an insane world? לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד – for kindling the eternal flame… There is an aspect of awareness that is constant – whether we’re asleep or awake, whether we’re angry or openhearted, there is always this basic level of awareness; we don’t have to create it – it is already תָּמִֽיד tamid – constant. לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת – for kindling… But, since the tendency is for awareness to be repeatedly drawn in by the dramas of the mind and heart, we have to “kindle it” so to speak. Just as when you are asleep, you are a little bit aware, otherwise no one would be able to wake you up; but once someone does wake you up, your awareness greatly increases. So too, there is a wayלְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד l’ha’alot ner tamid – to wake up even more. And how do we do that? וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת – they shall bring you oil of olives… Olives have a hard, inedible pit within them. Similarly, there is ordinarily a hard, seemingly impenetrable pit at the core of who we are. From the moment we wake up in the morning until we fall asleep at night, there is that sense that “I” have woken up, “I” am going to sleep. When we feel angry at someone, there is a sense that “I” am angry. And even if we let go of the anger and we feel expansive and forgiving, there is still the sense that “I” am expansive and forgiving. That is the pit – the pit is the “I.” And, just like you can’t eat the pit, so it seems that the “I” is irreducible; no matter what the experience, it is always “I” that am having it. זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר – pure, crushed for illumination… But, just as the olive pit is crushed along with the fruit to make olive oil, so too that hard sense of “me” known as ego can be “crushed” into oil, and that oil becomes fuel for consciousness – fuel for enlightenment. How do we get the “oil” from the “pit” of self and burn it in the light of awareness? The essential thing is not to try to control your mind, not to try to be non-judgmental or to think less, but rather to simply to notice what is present in this moment; that “just noticing” is non-judgmental; that “just noticing” is the mind becoming still. You have thoughts and feelings? Just notice that there are thoughts and feelings. Let your awareness rest in the actual truth of your experience in this moment – being present with your feelings as they arise and fall, being present with your body and the rise and fall of your breathing, being the perceiving Presence behind your thoughts. In this way, we naturally let go of the urge to retreat into our minds, which is what creates the sense of “me,” the hard pit of ego, and instead feel ourselves as the Luminous Presence within which the Mystery of this moment is unfolding. בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵד֩ – In the tent of the time of meeting… The word מוֹעֵד mo’ed means both “special time” and “meeting.” It can also be read asוְעֵד מmem v’ed – “merging and witnessing.” The letter מ mem is מַיִם mayim, “water” which represents “fluidity,” “merging.” The word עֵד ed is “witness.” Thus, we can understand מוֹעֵד mo’ed as the special time of merging through the witnessing awareness that meets the moment; in other words, meditation – the practice of sustained Presence. מִח֨וּץ לַפָּרֹ֜כֶת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָעֵדֻ֗ת – on the outside of the concealing curtain which is over the tablets… The word הָעֵדֻת ha’eidut, indicating the tablets upon which are written the Aseret Hadibrot, the “Ten Commandments,” doesn’t actually mean tablets at all; that would be לוחות lukhot. Rather, עֵדֻת eidut is again the plural of עֵד ed, “witness.” This “witness” is behind the פָּרֹכֶת parokhet – behind the curtain – you can’t see the “witness.” This is exactly the nature of consciousness. Consciousness sees everything else, but just like the eyeball, it cannot see itself. It is a mystery to itself, indicating that the fruit of spiritual awakening is not any new piece of information or expanded knowledge, but rather the awareness of the Nothing – the is-ness beyond all understanding that is forever behind the “curtain,” so to speak. And yet, you are the witness – you are behind the curtain. You can’t understand consciousness, but you can be conscious – you can be present – and in doing so, you can awaken out of the “dream” of the mind. זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית – pure, crushed… But to do this in a way that is truly זָ֛ךְ zakh, “pure,” the olive pits have to be כָּתִ֖ית katit – “crushed.” This means that when suffering comes our way, when things go wrong, when we suffer loss, when we experience anger or worry or fear, we must bring awareness into our feelings. Let the feelings be there, without elaborating upon them too much in thought, without blaming or trying to figure out how to avoid them in the future. לַמָּא֑וֹר –for illumination… Instead, let their energy crush the pit of ego, the pit of taking-for-granted, the pit of resistance to what is, and return to humble receptivity. The feeling of pain is not necessarily pleasant, but it is temporary, and it is the suffering that leads to greater מָּא֑וֹר ma’or, greater illumination. This Presence-in-Suffering, for the sake of illumination, is the Path of נ Nun. In this week of Shabbat Tetzaveh, the Sabbath of Command, may we receive this mitzvah – this commandment – to ignite the eternal flame of awareness with the oil that is pressed from us through the suffering comes our way. And as our light increases, so too may we transform our actions and “crush” any stuck patterns that create more negativity in ourselves and in our relationships. May the blessing of this consciousness feed the movement of evolution speedily in this broken world, bringing forth our yet-unrealized potential for lasting peace…
Read past teachings on Tetzaveh HERE.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with Hashem calling upon the Children of Israel to contribute thirteen materials toward the building of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary — gold, silver and copper; blue, purple and red-dyed wool; flax, goat hair, animal skins, wood, olive oil, spices and gems. On Mount Sinai, Moses is given detailed instructions on how to construct this Sanctuary so that it could be readily dismantled, transported and reassembled as the people journeyed through the desert. Within the Mishkan’s innermost chamber, behind a woven curtain, the ark containing the tablets of the testimony engraved with the Aseret Hadibrot (the Ten Commandments) would be housed. Upon the ark’s cover would be two winged keruvim (cherubim) hammered out of pure gold.
In the outer chamber would be the seven-branched menorah, and the table upon which the Leḥem haPanim, the “showbread” (literally the “Bread of the Faces”) was arranged. These sacramental loaves were to always be present, and thus might more accurately be translated as “Presence Bread.” The Sanctuary’s three walls would be fitted together from 48 upright wooden boards, each of which was overlaid with gold and held up by a pair of silver foundation sockets. The roof would be formed of three layers of coverings: tapestries of multicolored wool and linen; a covering made of goat hair; and a covering of ram and “takhash” skins. Across the front of the Sanctuary would be an embroidered screen held up by five posts. Surrounding the Sanctuary and the copper-plated altar in front of it would be an enclosure of linen hangings, supported by 60 wooden posts with silver hooks and trimmings, and reinforced by copper stakes.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃ וְזֹאת֙ הַתְּרוּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּקְח֖וּ מֵאִתָּ֑ם זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ Take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart moves them, you shall accept gifts for Me. And these are the gifts that you shall accept from them: gold, silver, and copper… -Shemot (Exodus) 25:2, Parshat Terumah
There is a story of Reb Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev, that whenever he would celebrate the Passover Seder and come to the passage about the Four Children, he would stop at the child who doesn’t know how to ask. “That’s me, Levi Yitzhak – I am the child who doesn’t know how to ask! I don’t know how to ask what this is all about, why we are here, and what the purpose is of all this suffering. And even if I did, how could I bear the answer? I do not want to know why I suffer as I do; I want to know for sure that my suffering is for You. And just as it says in the hagaddah, ‘you shall answer your child…’ so You, my Father, must answer!”
In this story, while suffering is certainly not the meaning of existence, it is the thing that causes us to ask the meaning of existence. And further: it is not the philosophical question of why that is of ultimate concern, but for Whom. In other words, it is a question not of the mind, but of the heart. This points to a central truth: the question of meaning is fulfilled only through the heart. That is the only reason to endure the suffering of life, because love is the ultimate meaning – shining even and especially at the very depths of our suffering. The mind searches for the question of meaning, but it can never really be satisfied with any conceptual answer, no matter how convincing. Trying to find meaning through the mind is like trying to taste food with your hands; no matter how much food you smear on your hands, you will never be satisfied. Only actual eating can satisfy hunger; only actual love can satisfy the hunger for meaning. וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ – Take for Me an offering from every person whose heart moves them… Through the movement of the heart, life can become a sacred offering – a life in which, since the heart desires to give for the sake of love, giving is actually a form of receiving. And, since everything we receive is taken as an expression of Divine love for us, receiving is also a form of giving: זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת – gold, silver and copper… See – there are three levels of experience, which we can discern right now in our own awareness: thought, feeling and sensory perception. The feeling level determines the quality of experience – its mood – attraction and revulsion, adoration and anger, curiosity and boredom. This is the level of the heart from which love arises, and hence from which the meaning of existence is fulfilled. We might think, then, that the heart is the level of זָהָב zahav – “gold” – but it is not. Why? Notice: our feelings, as primary as they are, are ultimately determined by our thoughts – by how we interpret our experience. Think good, feel good; think bad, feel bad. Often, people will assume the opposite: we start to feel bad, and so we start thinking in a negative way. But wake up out of the seductiveness of your feelings by being present with them and accepting them, and realize: You can actually decide which thoughts to nurture and which thoughts to dismiss. That decision is itself a thought, arising from a deep wisdom beyond the gravity of feeling and the seductiveness of the mind. That wisdom is awareness itself – hokhmah – beyond both thought and feeling. That is why the mind, though it cannot ultimately bring us any real fulfillment by itself, is primary and the heart secondary: the mind rules the heart. Thus, the mind is זָהָב zahav, gold, and the heart is כֶּסֶף kesef, silver. The word for “money” in general is also כֶּסֶף kesef, hinting: it is ultimately the heart from which true value arises. The third level is sensory experience, corresponding to action. Action is an expression of the heart, which is in turn ruled by the mind. We don’t act unless we are motivated to act; we have to first want on the level of heart, and that determines our action. Thus, action is the third level of נְחוֹשֶׁת nekhoshet, copper. Interestingly, the word for copper, נְחוֹשֶׁת nekhoshet, is related to נִחוּשׁnikhush, “guess,” hinting at this basic quality of action: our deeds are often “guesses,” approximations of the heart, not perfect expressions. For example, after discerning the true desire of our heart, we make take a job which seems to give us the opportunity to express that desire. But after some time, we may realize that the job isn’t right for us; we learn through doing, and we refine our actions through “guessing” what to do, doing it, and seeing what happens, As it said in last week’s Parshat Mishpatim, נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע na’aseh v’nishmah – “We will do and (then) we will hear!” This is also instructive in understanding that the essence of Torah is its principles, not its specific prescribed actions. The Torah says, tzedek tzedek tirdof – “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” Some of the mitzvot are good expressions of justice today, but some are not, such as the legality of slavery. This debatable nature of action is not a new idea, but is in the Torah itself; debate is, of course, the most Jewish thing: when God tells Abraham that Sodom and Gemorah must be destroyed for their sins, Abraham argues with God that total destruction would not be a good expression of justice. In Parshat Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law Yitro (Jethro) suggests appointing wise leaders to make decisions of law and action, and Moses does so, further reinforcing: the Torah does not contain perfect prescriptions for action, but principles from which we must continue to “guess” which action is the right path, seeing the result, and then making the next decision. How do we do that וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה – Take for Me an offering… We guess and discern again and again with the mind; this is the level of זָהָב zahav, “gold” because it is source of intention. With thought, we can decide to frame our action in the world as an offering, guess what our offering should be, and then discern whether our guess was accurate. If not, we can then guess a new path of action, until we get it right. But how do we frame our actions as offerings? מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ – from every person… The key is to dedicate our actions to the benefit of people – both to the of benefit others, and to the benefit of ourselves: רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כֹּל שֶׁהִיא תִפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ וְתִפְאֶרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָם. Rabbi said: which is the straight path that a person should choose for oneself? One which is an adornment to oneself, and also which earns adoration from others. - Pirkei Avot 2:1 But, there are an infinite number of paths that our minds might guess will be of benefit to oneself and others; how can we possibly choose? אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ – whose heart moves them… Again, the heart is the key; meaning, we must listen to the truth of what we truly love. But to do this, we must be alert and not be fooled by the sometimes overpowering and unconscious impulses of the heart; what we truly love is often not the same as what feels comfortable, what we think will protect us from that which we fear, and so on. To be motivated by the heart in a true way means to transcend the heart, to know that we are transcendent of the heart, and transcendent of the body and the mind as well; we transcend all three levels, because we are the awareness within which they arise; this is the fruit of meditation. Without this knowledge of what we really are, beneath our thoughts, feelings and sensory experience, our thoughts are sometimes ruled by the unconscious impulses of our hearts, leading ultimately to unconscious and reactive actions – in other words, bad guesses! But being aware that we are the awareness behind all experience, we can choose our thoughts, and thus guide our hearts to our true and wholesome desires, and then guess our course of action from that place of radiant love, shining through all of it. Then, Life can become a Sanctuary of Presence for That which dwells within us, as us. This is the Path of ק Koof – the sanctification of all of Life, moment to moment…
Read past teachings on Terumah HERE.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah continues with the giving of mitzvot at Sinai, this time focusing on civil laws, including the laws of the Hebrew slave (or indentured servant), the penalties for murder, kidnapping, assault and theft, redress of damages, the granting of loans, the responsibilities of the “Four Guardians” (unpaid guardian, paid guardian, renter and borrower), the rules governing the conduct of justice by courts, and laws warning against mistreatment of the ger, the stranger – “for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Also included are other ritual laws: the observance of the seasonal festivals, the agricultural gifts that are to be brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem; the prohibition against cooking meat with milk, and the mitzvah of prayer. The parshah also contains the special words that the Children of Israel proclaim at Sinai: נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָֽע na’aseh v’nishmah – “We will do and we will hear.” It concludes with Moses ascending the mountain and remaining there for forty days and forty nights to receive the rest of the Torah...
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּשִׂ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ כִּ֤י תִקְנֶה֙ עֶ֣בֶד עִבְרִ֔י שֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים יַעֲבֹ֑ד וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת יֵצֵ֥א לַֽחׇפְשִׁ֖י חִנָּֽם׃ These are the judgements that you shall set before them: When you acquire a Hebrew slave, six years they shall serve-- and in the seventh year they shall go free, without payment… - Shemot (Exodus) 21:1-2, Parshat Mishpatim
Rabbi Yaakov Yitzhak of Peshischa didn’t have the happiest of marriages; his wife would frequently grow extremely angry at him and scold him at length. Normally, he would say nothing, and simply endure her words in silence, unaffected. But one time, he snapped at her. Taken aback, she stopped her abuse and left the room. A disciple witnessed the whole thing asked the rebbe: “Master, you always endure her anger in silence. Why did you snap back this time? Did you lose your equanimity – your kabbalat isurim – and become angry?”
“Not at all,” the Rebbe replied, “I could see that she was growing more and more angry that I wasn’t reacting, so I pretended to get angry to help her feel better.”
גְּדוֹלָה תוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מִן הַכְּהֻנָּה וּמִן הַמַּלְכוּת...
וְהַתּוֹרָה נִקְנֵית בְּאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמֹנָה דְבָרִים... קַבָּלַת הַיִּסּוּרִין... Greater is learning Torah than both the priesthood and royalty… Torah is acquired by forty-eight things…(and one of them is) acceptance of suffering… - Pirkei Avot 6:6
There are two common images that are often used to describe the state of equanimity brought forth through meditation; that is, the ability to be present with one’s own negative emotions without being caught by them. The first is the image of dwelling within the center of your own being. When you are at the center, reactivity may arise – anger, fear, jealousy, anxiety, and so on, but you are not “caught” by any of that because the emotions are simply bubbling up around you, while you remain in the “eye of the hurricane” so to speak. In this image, the chaos is external, and you are the calm center that sees the chaos, unmoved by it. The second is the image of being a vast space within which the reactivity arises. In this image, the chaos is within you, but you are so much more vast and spacious than whatever feelings are bubbling up, that they powerless to compel you in any way.
Both of these images actually point to two different meditation practices for transcending reactivity and realizing freedom it: being present with your body, on one hand, and knowing yourself as the vast space of awareness both within and infinitely beyond your body, on the other. In our Jewish meditation practice, these two images are different stages of the same practice, based on a verse from our parshah which describes the Children of Israel standing together at Sinai, while the mountain smokes and quakes, engulfed in cloud and fire: וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע – And the people said, “Everything that the Divine speaks, na’aseh v’nishmah, we will do and we will hear.” - Exodus, 24:7 The ordering of the words in this verse, נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָֽע na’aseh v’nishma, is strange. You would think that the words should be the opposite – first you would hear, and then you would do. But the fact that the words are reversed – “we will do” and then “we will hear,” teaches a key insight: If you want to experience the vastness of your own being as the borderless space of awareness within which all experience arises (v’nishma) – you must first bring your awareness deep into your own body (na’aseh). In connecting with your body, with your heart and with your breathing, your consciousness is drawn out from its ordinary activity of incessant thinking, and into its own nature as open space. There is another hint of this unity between the center of your being and the vastness of your being earlier in the parshah, where it discusses how a Hebrew slave must be set free: וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת יֵצֵ֥א לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י חִנָּֽם – And in the seventh (year), he shall go out free, without charge. וּבַשְּׁבִעִת – And in the seventh… In the image of the Star of David, the six rays represent the six directions in space and the six days of the week, while seven is represented by the center of the star. This is Shabbat – the “eye of the hurricane” in time, essentially a day of meditation. Seven, then, is the inner sanctum, the holy center – the drawing of awareness into the temple of the body. יֵצֵא לַֽחָפְשִׁי – he shall go out free… And yet, through connecting with the center, yeitzei – there is a “going out” to freedom. This is the felt sense that the awareness dwelling within your body is not confined to your body. Rather, it is a vast field within which everything you perceive arises; the air around you as well as the stars in the sky are all equally arising within the one vast field that you are. חִנָּֽם – gratis, free of charge, an act of grace – This freedom is not something you have to work for or somehow create; it is what you already are. How do you access it? Pay close attention to your actual experience in this moment and see – you are the freedom of awareness, right now. Whatever experience is arising within you, be it positive or negative, is arising within the spaciousness of consciousness; this is meditation. Experiences are unstable; they change moment to moment, revealing a basic lack which leads to one to movement. But on the level of consciousness, this space within which experience arises is inherently whole and complete, abundant in its openness and stillness; this fundamental sufficiency at the root of our being is represented by the Path of ג Gimel.
Read past teachings on Mishpatim HERE.
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Parshah Summary – P’shat
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (Yitro), hears of the great miracles which God performed for the Children of Israel, and comes from Midian to the Israelite camp, bringing with him Moses’ wife and two sons. Jethro advises Moses to appoint a hierarchy of magistrates and judges to assist him in the task of governing and administering justice to the people.
The Children of Israel camp opposite Mount Sinai, where they are told that God has chosen them to be a “kingdom of priests” and “holy nation.” The people respond by proclaiming, “All that God has spoken, we shall do.” On the sixth day of the third month (Sivan), seven weeks after the Exodus, the entire nation of Israel assembles at the foot of Mount Sinai for the Giving of the Torah. The Presence of God descends on the mountain amidst thunder, lightning, billows of smoke and the blast of the shofar, and Moses is summoned. God proclaims the Ten Commandments, instructing the people of Israel to be aware of God, not to worship idols or take the Name in vain, to keep Shabbat, honor their parents, not to murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to bear false witness or covet another’s property. The people cry out to Moses that the revelation is too intense for them to bear, begging him to receive the Torah from God and convey it to them instead…
Torah of Awakening: Jewish Meditation Teaching
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֵ֛ת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹֽר׃ אָֽנֹכִ֖י֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣֥ית עֲבָדִ֑ים׃ God spoke all these words, saying: I am Hashem your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage… - Shemot (Exodus) 20:1, 2 Parshat Yitro
Once, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz of Peshischa (known as “the Yehudi”) was asked to examine the thirteen-year-old Hanokh in the Talmud. (Hanokh later became the rabbi of Alexander). It took the boy an hour to think over the passage which had been assigned to him before he could expound it. Once he had done so, the tzaddik cupped his hand around Hanokh’s cheek and said: “When I was thirteen I plumbed passages more difficult than this in no time at all, and when I was eighteen, I had the reputation of being a great Torah scholar. But one day it dawned on me that a person cannot attain to perfection through learning alone. I understood what is told of our father Abraham: that he explored the sun, the moon, and the stars, and he did not find God, yet in this very not-finding, the Presence of God was revealed to him. For three months I mulled over this realization. Then I explored until I too reached the truth of not-finding.”
The function of the mind is too “find” – to navigate through time by creating an inner context through which we can conceptualize who and where we are, what we are doing, and why; this is essential. But, this creates the side effect of seeing reality through the screen of that map. The mind sees the surface of things – a collection of related but separate parts, and the mind also feels itself to be separate from what it sees. וַיְהִי֙ ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר הוֹלֵ֖ךְ וְחָזֵ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד מֹשֶׁ֣ה יְדַבֵּ֔ר וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יַעֲנֶ֥נּוּ בְקֽוֹל׃ And it was that as the voice of the shofar louder and louder, Moses spoke, God answered him in that voice… But there comes a time when that inner map breaks down, and we are confronted by the naked present, in all its Mystery. When we are shaken from the continuity of mind-created context, and the “familiar” disappears, we step out of the Mitzrayim of the known, out of our conditioned mental patterns of separateness. This “wilderness” can be terrifying. And yet, in the unknown there is the possibility of receiving Reality in a very direct way, a way that knows Being as a Whole, as a Oneness; this is meditation. אָֽנֹכִי יי – I am Hashem… According to our tradition, this Divine declaration of identity is the first of the Aseret Hadibrot, the “Ten Sayings,” otherwise known as the “Ten Commandments.” But what exactly is the commandment? According to Maimonides (b. 1135- d.1204 CE), in his work Sefer HaMitzvot, this first commandment is simply to believe in God. אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם – who brought you out of the land of Egypt… But if we look at the second part of the verse, there is a deeper message that is not about mere belief, not about events of the past, but rather it is about this moment within which we now find ourselves, this moment through which we too may be brought out of Mitzrayim. אָֽנֹכִי יי – I am Hashem means that the Anokhi – the “I” – is actually Hashem – Divine. Meaning, our own inner identity, and in fact the inner identity of all things, is the Ultimate, Living Presence of Existence; that is what the Divine Name actually means. חָבִיב אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ט) כִּי בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם. Beloved are human beings, for they were created as images for the Divine. But they are extra beloved that it is made known to them that they are created as images for the Divine, as it is said: “for in the image of the Divine humans were made.” - Pirkei Avot, 3:18 The Israelites are shaken by the terrible awesomeness of the natural world around them, and in that heightened state, the inner identity of nature reveals Itself as their own inner identity. It is not about believing in the idea of a divine entity; it is not about adding another concept to the mind’s ideas about reality. It is about subtracting the conditioned sense of the ordinary imposed by our minds, and recognizing Existence Itself – recognizing That which the mind cannot map. This “knowing” through not finding, that is, not mapping with the mind, is itself liberation – liberation from the burden of time and conditioned identity. וְכׇל־הָעָם֩ רֹאִ֨ים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹ֜ת – and all the people saw the voices… It does say they heard the voices, but saw! In other words, they perceived everything in a completely new way. It is a kind of awakening. Physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about how we can imagine our “cosmic address.” The first step is to notice we are on planet Earth. Next, we can expand our perspective to see that Earth is part of our Solar System. Then, we expand further to see that our sun is one of hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Even further, we can see the family of galaxies to which the Milky Way belongs, called the Local Group. Then, even further, we expand to see the Local Group as part of a larger cluster of galaxy families, called the Virgo Supercluster. And even further, the Virgo Supercluster is one of the many clusters that make up the Observable Universe. But what comes after that? We have come to limits of our map, beyond which is simply Mystery. Perhaps, says Tyson, our whole universe is merely a single bubble in an infinite ocean of bubbles, each one a complete universe. Now consider: where would that “ocean” of universes be? The imagination reaches out toward infinity and comes to stillness. כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה. וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הוּא הָעִקָּר, אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה דְבָרִים, מֵבִיא חֵטְא: All my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the point, but practice; whoever indulges in too many words brings about great error. - Pirkei Avot, 1:17 Ultimately, we don’t and can’t know where or what or why any of this is. And yet we do know: Hinei! Here it is! This practice of finding the limits of thought, beyond which is the simple Mystery of Being, is the Path of ר Reish, of Awe, of Wonder. May our efforts in this Path add momentum to the awakening of our species from the mind-created madness that gives rise to our present plagues of violence and suffering.
Read past teachings on Yitro HERE.
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