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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Parshah Summary – P’shat
The parshah opens with Pharaoh changing his mind about allowing the Children of Israel to leave Egypt, and chasing after them to force their return. The Israelites become terrified, finding themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s armies and the sea. God tells Moses to raise his staff over the water; the sea splits to allow the Israelites to pass through, and then closes over the pursuing Egyptians. Moses and the Children of Israel sing a song of praise and gratitude, while Miriam and others play drums.
In the desert the people suffer thirst and hunger, and repeatedly complain to Moses and Aaron. The bitter waters of Marah miraculously become sweet when Moses throws wood into it, and later Moses brings forth water from a rock by striking it with his staff. A miraculous kind of bread, “manna” (man) rains down from the heavens before dawn each morning, and quails appear in the Israelite camp each evening. The Children of Israel are instructed to gather a double portion of manna on Friday, as there will be none on Shabbat, the day of rest. Some go out on Shabbat to gather manna anyway, but find nothing. Aaron preserves a small quantity of manna in a jar, as a testimony for future generations. In Rephidim, the people are attacked by the Amalekites, who are defeated by Moses’ prayers and an army raised by Joshua…
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
עׇזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י אָבִ֖י וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ׃ The Divine is my strength and song; The Divine has become my salvation. This is my God and I will praise Him; The God of my father, and I will exalt Him… - Shemot (Exodus) 15:2, “Song of the Sea,” Parshat Bo
A schoolmaster from the town of Goray used to travel to visit Reb Yaakov Yitzhak, the Seer of Lublin. During one of his visits, the rebbe told him, “In your town there is a holy spark. Please try to locate it and bring it to me.
When the schoolmaster arrived back home, he considered the learned townspeople one by one, but wasn’t able to identify any of them as the “holy spark” his rebbe spoke of. So, he decided to hide himself at night in the beit midrash – the House of Study – because he thought if there were someone saintly in his town, he might find them there. In the dead of night he waited several hours, crouching in the corner. Suddenly, he heard a noise – an odd youth by the name of Mendel had snuck into the room by himself. Mendel was an unusual character who was known to gesticulate awkwardly and make strange noises. But this night, the schoolmaster saw Mendel open a volume of Talmud and enthusiastically study out loud, singing the words in his own unique melody, all the while standing on one foot As the schoolmaster watched in awe, he accidentally lost his balance and knocked over a tin tzeddaka box (for charity) which crashed to the floor, spilling its jangling coins. Startled, the youth closed his book at once, strode suddenly over to the stove, clapped his hands loudly and started making strange noises. The schoolmaster stood up, approached the youth and said, “I know full well that your outlandish behavior is intended only to delude people. But your acting can’t fool me, for the Seer of Lublin told me to bring you to him.” Mendel lost no time and set out for Lublin. When Mendel’s father, who was a misnaged (opponent of Hasidism), found out that his son was on his way to the court of a famous hasidic rebbe, he rode after him in hot pursuit. When he caught up with his son, he challenged him: “Why do you forsake the tradition of your fathers?” his father scolded. Mendel replied, “In the Song of the Sea, when the Israelites were liberated from their slave identity and finally had the freedom to celebrate their true identity as children of God, first it is written: זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ zeh Eli v’anvehu – ‘This is my God and I will glorify Him,’ And only later is it written: זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ zeh Eli v’anvehu ‘The God of my father, and I will exalt Him…’ Mendel’s father was taken aback and silenced, but later he understood: each person must find their own unique path, and not merely copy the patterns given to them by tradition. That youth became the famous rebbe, Menakhem Mendel of Kotsk, the Kotzker Rebbe. The patterns of religious tradition are vital necessities, just like the patterns of life. Without the repetitive predictability of our lives – our homes, our activities, the days of the week and months of the year, life would be chaotic and therefore unsupportive. Similarly, the tapestry of tradition provides a setting for meaningful movement on the path of the spirit. The patterns of life and tradition are like a circle, reliably repeating themselves again and again to provide a foundation of support. This is why the letter ס samekh, which means “support,” has the shape of a circle. But there is a complementary, non-circular movement that is also necessary. Reality is not all repetition, but is rather a creative unfolding, ever changing. For our spiritual lives, as well as the whole of our lives, there is a creative uniqueness in each of us that must also be honored in order for the path to be alive, relevant and effective; the circle must at times be interrupted, disrupted, transformed. Why? Because while the circle is supportive, it is also deadening; its side-effects are complacency, taking-for-granted. To counter this, we need the remedy of disruption, of the unexpected… וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חוֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃ And the Children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left… Sometimes we discover that Reality doesn’t correspond to the map of reality we hold in our minds. It can be a shock: something of which we are certain turns out to be completely wrong. When “being wrong” means that things turn out far better than we thought they would, we call that a “miracle.” The Egyptian army is behind us and the sea is front of us – we are doomed. And then, the sea opens before us – a miracle! Or, we’re stranded out in the wilderness with no food or water – we are doomed for sure. But then: we wake up in the morning and a strange food covers the ground – manna from heaven! Another miracle! These fantastical examples highlight our capacity to realize the miraculous. But in truth, we don’t need fantastical events. As long as we are alive, we are being showered with miracles in each moment. In fact, you are the miracle – in this moment. But to realize this takes a turning of consciousness away from the circle of the expected, the reliable tapestry of conditioned mind, into the Mystery of the Present. The greatest of all miracles is constantly unfolding, and so it appears to be ordinary – until the mind that is present pierces the ordinary, straight through to the Divine miracle of Being. This is the meaning of Yisrael: seeing straight through (Yishar) to the Mystery that we call Divine (El). The conditioned patterns of life and tradition form a necessary support, but from this support we must spring into the unconditioned, into the unknown. How do we do it וַֽיהֹוָ֡ה הֹלֵךְ֩ לִפְנֵיהֶ֨ם יוֹמָ֜ם בְּעַמּ֤וּד עָנָן֙ לַנְחֹתָ֣ם הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ Hashem went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to guide them along the way… - Shemot (Exodus) 10:1, Parshat Bo The “pillar of cloud” means that which is beyond our perception; cloud is Mystery. Living through the conditioned mind, we rely on the support of things happening the way we expect. But as we move beyond the conditioned mind into the present, the “cloud” becomes visible; the truth is uncertainty. While uncertainty can tend to produce fear and anxiety, one of the fruits of meditation is the embrace of the unknown, which is foundation of creativity. Say “yes” to the Mystery; try something new, see what happens, surprise yourself. But what if you don’t have any new ideas? What if your creativity seems all dried up? וְלַ֛יְלָה בְּעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ לְהָאִ֣יר לָהֶ֑ם לָלֶ֖כֶת יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְל ׃ … and by night, in a pillar of fire to shine for them, for traveling both by day and night. The “pillar of fire” means being still, alert, and present in the darkness of “night” – that is, the state of “not-yet.” Creativity is a kind of revelation; we cannot control it, but we can prepare ourselves receive it. This is why meditation is so vital: while fear and anxiety block the creative flow, embrace of the unknown is the precondition for it. Be the עַמּוּד אֵשׁ amud aysh – the pillar of fire – a still, alert presence in the darkness of the not-yet. As the Israelites follow the pillars of cloud and fire and are led to freedom through the Sea of Reeds, they break into singing praises for the miracle of their liberation. This famous “Song of the Sea” tells their story – it expresses their unique identity. Similarly, when you learn to follow the pillars of cloud and fire in your own life, you’ll be led on your own unique path of destiny. Present and free from complacency and resistance, your inner flower will blossom, in a way that is unique to you. Then, your life becomes your song – this is the path of ה hei, of creative, unique self-expression. On this Shabbat Shira, the Sabbath of Song, may the fire and cloud lead each one of us toward the full and beautiful unfolding of who we really are, to sing our unique songs that the One can only sing through the many, through each one of us uniquely. May our practice plant the seeds of redemption in the world, that human life become a celebration of creativity, and the plagues of war and violence become relics of history...
Read past teachings on Beshalakh HERE.
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Parshah Summary – P’shat
The parshah begins with last three of the Ten Plagues: a swarm of locusts devours all the crops and greenery; a thick darkness envelops the land; and on the 15th of the month of Nissan at midnight, all the firstborn of Egypt die. The first specifically Jewish mitzvah is then given to the Children of Israel: to establish a calendar based on the monthly rebirth of the moon. The Israelites are also instructed to bring a “Passover offering” – a lamb or goat is to be slaughtered, and its blood sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel of every Israelite home, so that God should “pass over” (pesakh) those homes when the plague of the firstborn takes place. The roasted meat of the offering is to be eaten that night together with matzah and bitter herbs.
The death of the firstborn finally breaks Pharaoh’s resistance, and he drives the Children of Israel from his land. So hastily do they depart that there is no time for their dough to rise, hence the practice of eating matzah in commemoration of the Exodus. Before they go, they ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold, silver and garments—fulfilling the promise made to Abraham that his descendants would leave Egypt with great wealth. The Children of Israel are instructed to consecrate all firstborn, and to observe the anniversary of the Exodus each year by removing all leaven from their possession for seven days, eating matzah, and telling the story of their redemption to their children. They are also instructed to wear tefillin on the arm and head as a reminder of the Exodus and their commitment to God as the Power of Liberation.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כִּֽי־אֲנִ֞י הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ֙ וְאֶת־לֵ֣ב עֲבָדָ֔יו לְמַ֗עַן שִׁתִ֛י אֹתֹתַ֥י אֵ֖לֶּה בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ Hashem said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, so that I may place my signs within him…” - Shemot (Exodus) 10:1, Parshat Bo
There was a funny sketch from an old Electric Company episode. A man dressed in what looks like a navel uniform sits in a restaurant and orders from a waitress with puffy orange hair. “I’ll have a cup of coffee and a sweet roll,” says the man. “We are out of sweet rolls,” says the waitress. “A glass of milk and a sweet roll.” “We- are- out- of- sweet- rolls,” the waitress repeats a little bit more slowly. “Ice tea and a sweet roll.” “We are out of sweet rolls!” The redness of her hair starts migrating into her face, leaving her hair white. “Orange juice and a sweet roll?” She is about to explode: “WE ARE OUT OF SWEET ROLLS!!!” “Okay, then, I’ll just have a sweet roll.” “AAARRRRGH!!!!” She screams and runs out the door.
How many times have you gotten some message over and over again in your life, but you didn’t listen? Or perhaps you couldn’t listen? וַיְחַזֵּ֥ק יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ But Hashem strengthened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go… Moses and Aaron present plague after plague to Pharaoh in order to persuade him to let go of the Israelites. During each plague Pharaoh relents, but after each one subsides, he contracts into his old position – what does he think he’s accomplishing? Why not do the thing that will be of obvious benefit? But that’s exactly what the ego does: it brings suffering upon itself over and over again, rather than learning the all-important lesson: Let go! Why is it often so difficult to let go? וַ֠יֵּהָפֵ֠ךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעׇבְדֵֽנוּ׃ Pharaoh and his courtiers had a change of heart about the people and said, “What is this we have done, releasing Israel from our service?” One common reason is the fear that if you were to let go, it would be irresponsible of you and everything would fall apart. There tends to be an unconscious belief that worrying is necessary. Actually, the opposite is true. When we lose our wellbeing because we’re struggling with our problems, we now have two problems: both the difficult situation and the inner tension and negativity generated by our struggling and worrying. And with all that inner tension, how are we going to improve things? But when we bring our awareness to our resistance and see it clearly for what it is, there is a higher wisdom that can flow into our lives – this is the fruit of meditation. New possibilities can appear that were previously hidden. That’s because awareness is much bigger than our limited, conditioned point of view. The ego/personality is “Pharaoh” – king of Mitzrayim – of narrowness, of limitedness, mindlessly repeating the same old patterns over and over again. But our awareness is Divine – meaning, it is beyond the individual personality. It is Reality looking through our eyes – courageous, creative, present and free. Mottel of Kashlin was a businessman who had extensive dealings in Warsaw and spoke Polish fluently. One day Reb Yitzhak of Vorki called for him with a request. The Polish government had issued a decree to burn all extant copies of the Shulkhan Arukh, Hoshen Mishpat – The Code of Jewish Law that deals with civil and criminal matters. The goal was to force Jews to take their litigation to the Polish courts rather than the rabbinical courts. No books had been burned yet, and Reb Yitzhak wanted Mottel to approach a certain powerful Polish minister and convince him to retract the decree… “But that minister has a raging temper!” Mottel protested. “He threatens to shoot anyone who comes with requests like that!” The tzaddik replied, “When Hashem sent Moses to save his people, he didn’t tell him to go to Pharaoh. He said: ‘Bo el Paro בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה – Come to Pharaoh…’ Moses was afraid, so Hashem reassured him that the Divine Presence would be with him.” So Mottel set out to confront the minister, calm and unafraid. When he arrived, he spoke eloquently and convincingly. The powerful man was awestruck by the presence of the brave yet calm and joyful hasid who stood before him, and granted his request. This Presence-quality of courage to fully step into this moment is the Path of כ Kaf. In this week of Shabbat Bo, the Sabbath to Come, may the wisdom to not be caught by fear and worry come into our lives through this supreme gift of awareness. May this awareness come to transform all the manifestations of Pharaoh that are given to each of one of us. May our practice add to the forces of evolution and may our world be swiftly freed from the plagues of violence and narrowness that continue to cause unimaginable suffering.
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Parshah Summary – P’shat
The parshah opens with Hashem telling Moses, “Va’era – I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” and promising to bring the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. Moses and Aaron repeatedly come before Pharaoh to demand, “Let My people go,” but Pharaoh refuses. In response, Aaron’s staff turns into a snake and swallows the staves of the Egyptian sorcerers which had also turned into snakes, but Pharaoh remains obstinate. A series of plagues then begin to descend upon the Egyptians: The waters of the Nile turn to blood; swarms of frogs overrun the land; lice infest human and beast alike; wild animals invade the cities; a pestilence kills the domestic animals; and painful boils afflict the Egyptians. For the seventh plague, fire and ice combine to descend from the skies as a devastating hail. Still, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the Children of Israel go…
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Divine. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai, but My name “Being” I did not make known to them… - Shemot (Exodus) 6:2, 3; Parshat Vaeira
A student once wrote me that he often feels like his mind is a train station and his thoughts are the trains, constantly taking off every few seconds. He said that he wants to just “let the trains go” and stay in the “train station,” but he feels compelled to hop on every “train” that leaves, compulsively journeying with every thought that arises. “When will I learn to relax and just stay in the train station?” he wondered. In seeking in inner freedom, we can become frustrated with our lack of control over our minds. We might even feel that meditation is making it worse, forcing us to sit in the chaos of our own thoughts, just as Moses felt when his initial efforts were met with Pharaoh actually increasing the suffering of his brethren.
וַיָּ֧שָׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י לָמָ֤ה הֲרֵעֹ֙תָה֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה שְׁלַחְתָּֽנִי׃ Then Moses returned to the Divine and said, “My Lord, why did You bring harm upon this people? Why did You send me? Moses is on his Divine-given mission to free the Israelites, but he’s feeling like a failure. Similarly, when we commit to getting free from our own minds, we may feel like failures as well. Those trains can be so tempting! Part of the problem is expressed in the metaphor of “staying in the train station.” That doesn’t sound very enticing, does it? Going on many different journeys, on the other hand, that’s enticing! And this is why we get carried away so easily with our thoughts: they promise adventure. They promise understanding. They promise new ideas, new plans, cherished memories and fantasies of possibility. No wonder we get carried away so easily by those trains. If we want to get free from our own minds, we need to be seduced by something more powerful, more compelling than our own thoughts. This is the hidden message of the Divine response to Moses: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַתָּ֣ה תִרְאֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה לְפַרְעֹ֑ה כִּ֣י בְיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ יְשַׁלְּחֵ֔ם וּבְיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה יְגָרְשֵׁ֖ם מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ Then Hashem said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: he shall let them go because of a mighty hand; indeed, because of a mighty hand he shall drive them from his land.” Pharaoh, the symbol of ego and enslavement to the mind, will let them go free because of a “mighty hand.” What is this mighty hand? What could be greater than the enticingly seductive power of thought? וָאֵרָ֗א – I appeared… For one who seeks to develop their spiritual potential, there comes a time when God “appears.” This is not primarily a matter of belief, or of being convinced of the truth of spiritual ideas; it is the awakening of a dimension of experience. This awakening can manifest in three ways: אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב – to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob… In Kabbalah, the patriarchs represent the three primary sefirot, or Divine qualities, on the Tree of Life: Hesed, Gevurah and Tiferet, which in turn hint at three different ways that awakening manifests. Hesed is the heart; this the feeling of a fundamental love and benevolence toward all beings. Gevurah is a restraint of mental movement, the relaxing of the ordinary tendency to be constantly thinking, and this comes about through a shift of emphasis from navigation in time to Presence-In-The-Moment; this is achieved through resting awareness in the body and the senses. Tiferet is Wisdom-In-Action, and harmonizes the two: movement in time, motivated by love, while living in the present. בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י – as El Shaddai… The Divine Name Shaddai שַׁדָּי comes from שדיים Shaddaim, which means “breasts” – perhaps deriving from an ancient goddess image. El Shaddai would then mean “Breasted God,” expressing the Divine as the Source of nourishment and nurturance. This is the aspect of spirituality we can understand, the tangible benefits we can get from meditating regularly: an open heart, a quiet mind, and an ability to be in harmony with the flow of life. וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ – but My name “Being” I did not make Myself known to them… We can understand the effects of Presence, of being with Being; we can understand El Shaddai. But, Being Itself remains always a Mystery. For many, as long as there is identification with the mind and thought, the unknowability of God will be deeply disturbing; ordinary responses to this deep frustration might be to stuff the mind full of religious beliefs or to ignore the issue altogether. But there is another way… אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָה֒ וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵעֲבֹדָתָ֑ם... I am Being, Existence Itself; I will free you from the suffering of Egypt and deliver you from their bondage… Meaning: the אֲנִי ani, the “I” is not separate from Existence, not separate from God. We cannot grasp It, but we are It. Furthermore, since every experience, every perception, every thought and every feeling are inseparable from this awareness that we are, the main thing we need do is stop resisting what happens, thereby ceasing resistance to our own being, and consequently, to God – this is freedom from the suffering of Egypt, from Mitzrayim, which literally means “resistance,” or “constriction” – this is meditation. How do we accomplish this? The key is: don’t try to control your mind! Don’t try to discipline yourself to “stay in the train station” while your thoughts tempt you with all kinds of things. Instead, accept the moment with simplicity; be the awareness that has no dimension or form – this is the path of the letter י yud, which means “hand” – the יָד חֲזָקָה yad hazakah, the “mighty hand” of God. Know that your awareness is not just a train station, not just the place from which the “trains” of thought arise, but is rather an Ocean of Mystery, complete, whole and ever-creative, ever-renewing. Consciousness is the true adventure. Let yourself be seduced by That. Let yourself fall in love with That, and don’t worry about the trains. Thoughts can be enticing, but the awareness that you are is infinitely more vast and powerful – the יָד חֲזָקָה yad hazakah, the “mighty hand” of freedom – if you let yourself be seduced by this simplicity…
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