The Days of Sefira – a time of spiritual growth
Passover – Sefira – Shavuot
In the Torah (Leviticus 23:15) it says that we have a mitzvah to count the 49 days between Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. Since we are celebrating the receiving of the Torah on Shavuot, it is an expression of our anticipation to count those days. From a mystical point of view we will actually receive the Torah again this year and every year. In other words there is a potential experience of divine inspiration on the day of Shavuot every year. Therefore we count every year the days leading up to that holiday.
In fact, getting the Torah is even more monumental than freedom from Egypt. When we got out of Egypt we weren’t that much different than any other nation. The Torah, its values, and religious philosophy forever branded us as a unique group of people with a mission to spread that “light”. It’s a bit ironic that more Jews celebrate Passover when Shavuot has much more power and spiritual ramification.
A mitzvah of growth
While there is a debate over whether or not the mitzvah to count the days is still Biblical considering the fact that the Holy Temple does not exist at the moment or it is a Rabbinic commandment. Nonetheless, it is a holy time period with a potential for spiritual growth.
Indicated by counting each day, it is a time period for slow incremental growth. Each day is an opportunity to make some small contribution to your spiritual health, an opportunity to get one small step closer to oneness with God.
The mystics say we have “encrustations of evil” that can be eliminated at this time. Each is a different challenge for a different subtlety of our personality, our soul. Keep your eye out for a subtle challenge each day from a different area of life.
Seven weeks of seven days
According to the Zohar, the pattern of seven weeks is similar to the seven days of “spiritual cleanliness” that a woman experiences after her period before she and her husband can resume intimacy. A spiritual barrier must be overcome. The Meam Loez writes that since there were seven types of barriers in Egypt we had to wait a week for each barrier, or type of spiritual impurity. Seven times seven.
Pesach is backward
Most of the time Judaism places high importance on cleansing oneself before elevating oneself. As it says in Psalm 34 “Turn from evil and do good”. First we must remove our bad habits before we can properly adopt good habits. If you party all night, your morning prayer service will lack depth and importance. The Cohen in Temple times would first wash before doing any service in the Temple. Yet on Passover it seems to be the opposite. The first two of the fifteen words of the Passover seder are Kadesh. Urchatz. (Sanctify. Wash) This indicates that on Passover the order is different. We can elevate to sanctity even before we “wash” away our transgressions. That’s the symbol of Pesach, that even though we weren’t worthy of coming out of Egypt, we were down to the 49th level of spiritual impurity, God took us out anyway. Now after Pesach we begin doing the work of being “worthy” for the influx of wisdom on Shavuot.
It’s a pleasure
Some of us avoid spiritual growth because it is uncomfortable to introspect and seems like work, a four-letter word. I went to the gym at the JCC recently and saw so many people paying to work out! Huffing and shvitzing to lose weight or keep healthy. They don’t mind the work because they’re focused on the benefits. During Sefira the work is not only free, but you actually get paid to do it. You gain from the spiritual growth by being a better person, receiving a reward in the next world, and being worthy of more divine inspiration on Shavuot. When you think about it, that’s a pretty awesome payback for a little bit of inner effort. Minimal effort = infinite benefits.
So take pleasure and joy in any effort you put in at this time.
Remember your fellow man
Our sages tell us that out of all the work that we could focus on during this time period to become worthy of divine inspiration, one area of spiritual growth stands out in primary importance – treating your fellow man with respect. If you’re not sure what to work on during this time period, take the time to review “Love your fellow man.” Think about how you could give your fellow human beings a little bit more kindness, patience, and respect. Think about how you could save someone a little bit of embarrassment. Figure out what might be troubling your friend or family member.
And then when it comes time for Shavuot, get ready for a flood of insight.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Teves – a month of unity
According to the Book of Creation, (an ancient kabbalistic book written by the patriarch, Abraham) every month has a Hebrew letter associated with it. Teves is associated with the letter “ayin,” the sixteenth letter of the alef-bet, which has a numerical value of seventy. What is the meaning of the number seventy?
Ayin = 70
Those who read a weekly Torah portion in the synagogue find that Genesis chapter 46 is always read around the month of Teves, and includes the verse which mentions that seventy “souls” went down to Egypt. These souls were the children and grandchildren of Jacob. It is not merely coincidence that this group was seventy; as with many numbers in Judaism, the number seventy has a special significance.
Earlier in Genesis, at the incident with the Tower of Babel in Chapter 10 the Torah lists seventy nations who were the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Noah. In Jewish writings, these are known throughout history as the Seventy Nations of the world, indicating that they were stamped into creation at the time of the Tower, and something of those original seventy mindsets and personalities are the roots of all the nations of the world for all time. Even their spiritual significance is carried on throughout the ages. Seventy, therefore, symbolizes the entire spectrum of human perspective.
We are all different yet unified
In this light, the seventy souls who descended to Egypt represented the entirety of the Jewish nation, and the experience in Egypt would be engraved on the national consciousness for all time. What they experienced still lives inside the souls of Israel today. Similarly, the sages say that there are seventy facets to the Torah, seventy ways to interpret each point.
In Numbers 11:16 we find another example of this. God asked Moses to gather a group of seventy sages to be the High Court of Israel. With seventy judges on hand we expect their judgments to have included all the possible perspectives any court case in question. Amongst those seventy judges there was also a requirement for each of the seventy languages of the seventy nations to be understood by at least one of those sages. In other words, their judgment shouldn’t be based on a translator, but on a direct understanding of the litigants involved.
This High Court, known as the Sanhedrin, was seated at the Temple in Jerusalem, and was called the “eyes” of the people. With wisdom, a person can see the future. A wise person also thinks through the potential outcome of an act before proceeding, as it says in Ecclisiastes 2:14, “A wise man has eyes in his head.” To come full circle, the word “ayin” that we started with is not only the name of the sixteenth letter of the alef-bet but it also means “eye”.
Diversity and Unity
Tying this into the month, Teves focuses us on the Temple from two angles. First, the end of Chanukah celebrates of the return to the Temple. And secondly, the fast day on the 10th of the month marks the siege against Jerusalem. These are intense opposing reminders of our national unity, and the Temple in Jerusalem. In order to be a united people we have to appreciate all of the different perspectives we have amongst us. In order to have the benefit of the Torah we have to appreciate all of its facets. When we will appreciate every facet of the Torah we will be connected with the source of all power. When we will appreciate every personality found amongst our people, we will have God’s blessing to be at peace in our land with the holy Temple in Jerusalem. And when we appreciate the seventy nations of the world we will appreciate the love the Almighty has for all humanity.
This is the power that’s inherent in the month. Diversity and Unity.
According to the Book of Creation, (an ancient kabbalistic book written by the patriarch, Abraham) every month has a Hebrew letter associated with it. Teves is associated with the letter “ayin,” the sixteenth letter of the alef-bet, which has a numerical value of seventy. What is the meaning of the number seventy?
Ayin = 70
Those who read a weekly Torah portion in the synagogue find that Genesis chapter 46 is always read around the month of Teves, and includes the verse which mentions that seventy “souls” went down to Egypt. These souls were the children and grandchildren of Jacob. It is not merely coincidence that this group was seventy; as with many numbers in Judaism, the number seventy has a special significance.
Earlier in Genesis, at the incident with the Tower of Babel in Chapter 10 the Torah lists seventy nations who were the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Noah. In Jewish writings, these are known throughout history as the Seventy Nations of the world, indicating that they were stamped into creation at the time of the Tower, and something of those original seventy mindsets and personalities are the roots of all the nations of the world for all time. Even their spiritual significance is carried on throughout the ages. Seventy, therefore, symbolizes the entire spectrum of human perspective.
We are all different yet unified
In this light, the seventy souls who descended to Egypt represented the entirety of the Jewish nation, and the experience in Egypt would be engraved on the national consciousness for all time. What they experienced still lives inside the souls of Israel today. Similarly, the sages say that there are seventy facets to the Torah, seventy ways to interpret each point.
In Numbers 11:16 we find another example of this. God asked Moses to gather a group of seventy sages to be the High Court of Israel. With seventy judges on hand we expect their judgments to have included all the possible perspectives any court case in question. Amongst those seventy judges there was also a requirement for each of the seventy languages of the seventy nations to be understood by at least one of those sages. In other words, their judgment shouldn’t be based on a translator, but on a direct understanding of the litigants involved.
This High Court, known as the Sanhedrin, was seated at the Temple in Jerusalem, and was called the “eyes” of the people. With wisdom, a person can see the future. A wise person also thinks through the potential outcome of an act before proceeding, as it says in Ecclisiastes 2:14, “A wise man has eyes in his head.” To come full circle, the word “ayin” that we started with is not only the name of the sixteenth letter of the alef-bet but it also means “eye”.
Diversity and Unity
Tying this into the month, Teves focuses us on the Temple from two angles. First, the end of Chanukah celebrates of the return to the Temple. And secondly, the fast day on the 10th of the month marks the siege against Jerusalem. These are intense opposing reminders of our national unity, and the Temple in Jerusalem. In order to be a united people we have to appreciate all of the different perspectives we have amongst us. In order to have the benefit of the Torah we have to appreciate all of its facets. When we will appreciate every facet of the Torah we will be connected with the source of all power. When we will appreciate every personality found amongst our people, we will have God’s blessing to be at peace in our land with the holy Temple in Jerusalem. And when we appreciate the seventy nations of the world we will appreciate the love the Almighty has for all humanity.
This is the power that’s inherent in the month. Diversity and Unity.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Use Leverage for Spiritual Growth
Do a lot with a little
The zodiac symbol for the month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar is an archer, what Western astrology calls Sagittarius. An archer uses a bow, a simple tool that lets the archer send an arrow farther and faster than he could with his bare hands. He uses “leverage”, like the power inherent in the month. Pulling the string puts tension in the wood, when released moves to the string which sends the arrow flying. It does not take much strength to use a bow and arrow.
We are presently in the month of Kislev which includes the holiday of Chanukah towards the end. As a reminder, the Jewish/Kabbalah calendar follows the lunar cycle to define the start and finish of each of the twelve months. The full moon is the exact middle of each month, the time when the Biblical holidays tend to fall out. Chanukah falls towards the end of the lunar cycle when the moon is on its way out, so to speak.
Why is Chanukah different? Because Chanukah is the symbol of the Israelites living in exile. It was instituted by Israel’s sages and has kept the hearts and minds of the Israelites focused on Divine assistance for centuries when the nation lacked the resources of a righteous king, sages and prophets to guide the people, etc. As the story goes, after pushing back the Greek army, a small amount of oil was found to light the holy menorah in the temple. This oil, enough for only one day, miraculously lasted for eight days, long enough for the priests to make more holy oil. The Almighty allowed them to do a lot with a little, similar to the action of a bow and arrow.
Look for leverage
Therefore, implanted in this month is a spiritual force that can and will do the same for us, allow us to do a lot with a little. When Inbev bought Anheuser-Busch, that was taking a lot and doing business, however, when Colonel Sanders took a chicken recipe and built it into a fast food empire called KFC, that was doing a lot with a little. Many people are able to accomplish great things with limited resources.
Most of us feel that there’s little we can do about child labor in third world countries. And if we were 12 years old we’d feel even less resourceful. But Canadian Craig Kielburger at the age of 12 was shaking up corporations and politicians with his social activism. Armed with not much more than the will to do, some pluck, and a well placed press conference, he spun his efforts into a massive campaign called Free the Children. Now 22, Craig continues in a role as public speaker and activist. But when he began, it was his desire, not his resources that allowed him to accomplish so much.
If you are looking for a sign or something to ignite your passion there is no lack of problems in the world to tackle and make planet earth a better place. There is no lack of charities to donate your time and energy to. In order to make a big impact, or attain a higher level of spiritual growth, look for leverage.
Common levers
There are many types of levers you can use to propel you farther or faster towards a spiritual goal. You can look for them to be at your feet in front of your doorstep on a daily basis. The Almighty will put them there. If you don’t merit that, for whatever reason, you will have to go farther to search for them. And if you really value them, you will. They are priceless. Our Torah has already indicated many levers that we can access if we so choose.
Here are four common levers that you can use for spirituality:
• a friend who shares your spiritual goals that you can dialog with and bounce things off
• a mentor or guide who has already accomplished what you want to accomplish
• a piece of wisdom that motivates you that you can repeat daily
• meditation/prayer on the goal you’re focused on
The big leverage
God is big, huge….infinite in fact. You don’t get bigger than that. And the Almighty is there for us. He loves us. He wants us to succeed. If you want to accomplish anything of importance in this world, He’s right there by your side. The only catch is you have to continually remind yourself that He’s there and He loves you and He’s helping you.
Do you want happiness? Do you think if the Almighty helped you, you could raise your level of happiness? Of course. All you have to do is keep these three things in mind. He’s there. He loves you. And He’s helping you.
Do a lot with a little
The zodiac symbol for the month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar is an archer, what Western astrology calls Sagittarius. An archer uses a bow, a simple tool that lets the archer send an arrow farther and faster than he could with his bare hands. He uses “leverage”, like the power inherent in the month. Pulling the string puts tension in the wood, when released moves to the string which sends the arrow flying. It does not take much strength to use a bow and arrow.
We are presently in the month of Kislev which includes the holiday of Chanukah towards the end. As a reminder, the Jewish/Kabbalah calendar follows the lunar cycle to define the start and finish of each of the twelve months. The full moon is the exact middle of each month, the time when the Biblical holidays tend to fall out. Chanukah falls towards the end of the lunar cycle when the moon is on its way out, so to speak.
Why is Chanukah different? Because Chanukah is the symbol of the Israelites living in exile. It was instituted by Israel’s sages and has kept the hearts and minds of the Israelites focused on Divine assistance for centuries when the nation lacked the resources of a righteous king, sages and prophets to guide the people, etc. As the story goes, after pushing back the Greek army, a small amount of oil was found to light the holy menorah in the temple. This oil, enough for only one day, miraculously lasted for eight days, long enough for the priests to make more holy oil. The Almighty allowed them to do a lot with a little, similar to the action of a bow and arrow.
Look for leverage
Therefore, implanted in this month is a spiritual force that can and will do the same for us, allow us to do a lot with a little. When Inbev bought Anheuser-Busch, that was taking a lot and doing business, however, when Colonel Sanders took a chicken recipe and built it into a fast food empire called KFC, that was doing a lot with a little. Many people are able to accomplish great things with limited resources.
Most of us feel that there’s little we can do about child labor in third world countries. And if we were 12 years old we’d feel even less resourceful. But Canadian Craig Kielburger at the age of 12 was shaking up corporations and politicians with his social activism. Armed with not much more than the will to do, some pluck, and a well placed press conference, he spun his efforts into a massive campaign called Free the Children. Now 22, Craig continues in a role as public speaker and activist. But when he began, it was his desire, not his resources that allowed him to accomplish so much.
If you are looking for a sign or something to ignite your passion there is no lack of problems in the world to tackle and make planet earth a better place. There is no lack of charities to donate your time and energy to. In order to make a big impact, or attain a higher level of spiritual growth, look for leverage.
Common levers
There are many types of levers you can use to propel you farther or faster towards a spiritual goal. You can look for them to be at your feet in front of your doorstep on a daily basis. The Almighty will put them there. If you don’t merit that, for whatever reason, you will have to go farther to search for them. And if you really value them, you will. They are priceless. Our Torah has already indicated many levers that we can access if we so choose.
Here are four common levers that you can use for spirituality:
• a friend who shares your spiritual goals that you can dialog with and bounce things off
• a mentor or guide who has already accomplished what you want to accomplish
• a piece of wisdom that motivates you that you can repeat daily
• meditation/prayer on the goal you’re focused on
The big leverage
God is big, huge….infinite in fact. You don’t get bigger than that. And the Almighty is there for us. He loves us. He wants us to succeed. If you want to accomplish anything of importance in this world, He’s right there by your side. The only catch is you have to continually remind yourself that He’s there and He loves you and He’s helping you.
Do you want happiness? Do you think if the Almighty helped you, you could raise your level of happiness? Of course. All you have to do is keep these three things in mind. He’s there. He loves you. And He’s helping you.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Post Election Stress Syndrome
(Happiness is yours for the taking.)
As we’ve mentioned before, your happiness cannot be dependent on anything external or else you are completely dependent. Happiness must be generated from inside. Whether or not the candidate you voted for won, and whether or not the President lives up to your expectations cannot define your happiness. You must be above it all.
When the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series many people went out into the streets to celebrate. You can be happy the team you associate yourself with wins, but the truth is that you aren’t the team. You didn’t play the game. Most of the teammates aren’t even from Philadelphia or even Pennsylvania. For many the joy comes from the alcohol and the party atmosphere, not from the actual game. A game. It doesn’t even mean anything. Some grown men dress up, hit a ball, and run around. It doesn’t help the crime rate, the unemployment rate, or the educational system. Its fun recreation, but it does not help in any of the areas of society’s major ills. Not only that but some of the “celebrants” actually did criminal activities are reckless acts in their celebration. Revelers overturned and torched cars, fights broke out, and riot police had to restore order.
Not to be negative, but…external things will always let you down
Happiness that is dependent on external factors is illusory. It can make you feel like you really are happy, or it can make you feel like you ought to be happy. Either way, the reality sets in and sometimes you actually feel worse. Some people go to a party on New Year’s Eve, drink, laugh, and tell jokes with their friends, and then go home depressed. The expectation of joy can be depressing when you don’t really have anything specific to be joyful about. So you bought a new calendar. Big deal.
Physicality by its very nature is limited and temporary. So any emotions attached to it will be that way also. Our soul, the inner part of us, is connected to the Infinite and therefore brings us longer lasting joy, and true joy. Happiness must, has to, is imperative that it comes from the inside out, not from the outside in. “Happiness depends upon ourselves” as Aristotle once said.
It’s yours for the taking.
Ask yourself what you are thankful for. Notice the things in life that give you pleasure. Become a connoisseur of inner pleasure like a wine connoisseur is about wine. Every thing you need for happiness is already on the inside. Appreciation. Almost everything in your environment is giving you some kind of pleasure. All you need to do is focus your attention on it. It is human nature to focus on what we do not have. It takes a tiny bit of effort to focus on what we do have, which is a lot. Imagine you want to be a musician but can’t afford an instrument. Here’s a guy that can play his own beard…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGaaxlvP-BA&feature=related which didn’t cost him a dime.
But seriously folks the Almighty really is providing you with many pleasures that go unnoticed every day like running water, electricity, indoor plumbing, friends, family, work etc. When you take the time to notice your pleasure, it will put you in a better mood.
Deeply imbedded in our psyche is the desire to cling to the Infinite. All the pleasures of this world, from a warm bath to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, are a tiny glimpse of the infinite pleasure that is on the other side of this life. By taking the time to focus our attention on it here, we are opening ourselves up to an infinite source of an infinite variety of pleasure.
It’s your inner appreciation that shows you how everything and everywhere are a source of some kind of pleasure. You’re not relying on what is outside, but what is inside.
While most people are waiting and hoping for happiness, you can access it right here and right now. No need to wait, no need to hesitate no more. It’s yours.
(Happiness is yours for the taking.)
As we’ve mentioned before, your happiness cannot be dependent on anything external or else you are completely dependent. Happiness must be generated from inside. Whether or not the candidate you voted for won, and whether or not the President lives up to your expectations cannot define your happiness. You must be above it all.
When the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series many people went out into the streets to celebrate. You can be happy the team you associate yourself with wins, but the truth is that you aren’t the team. You didn’t play the game. Most of the teammates aren’t even from Philadelphia or even Pennsylvania. For many the joy comes from the alcohol and the party atmosphere, not from the actual game. A game. It doesn’t even mean anything. Some grown men dress up, hit a ball, and run around. It doesn’t help the crime rate, the unemployment rate, or the educational system. Its fun recreation, but it does not help in any of the areas of society’s major ills. Not only that but some of the “celebrants” actually did criminal activities are reckless acts in their celebration. Revelers overturned and torched cars, fights broke out, and riot police had to restore order.
Not to be negative, but…external things will always let you down
Happiness that is dependent on external factors is illusory. It can make you feel like you really are happy, or it can make you feel like you ought to be happy. Either way, the reality sets in and sometimes you actually feel worse. Some people go to a party on New Year’s Eve, drink, laugh, and tell jokes with their friends, and then go home depressed. The expectation of joy can be depressing when you don’t really have anything specific to be joyful about. So you bought a new calendar. Big deal.
Physicality by its very nature is limited and temporary. So any emotions attached to it will be that way also. Our soul, the inner part of us, is connected to the Infinite and therefore brings us longer lasting joy, and true joy. Happiness must, has to, is imperative that it comes from the inside out, not from the outside in. “Happiness depends upon ourselves” as Aristotle once said.
It’s yours for the taking.
Ask yourself what you are thankful for. Notice the things in life that give you pleasure. Become a connoisseur of inner pleasure like a wine connoisseur is about wine. Every thing you need for happiness is already on the inside. Appreciation. Almost everything in your environment is giving you some kind of pleasure. All you need to do is focus your attention on it. It is human nature to focus on what we do not have. It takes a tiny bit of effort to focus on what we do have, which is a lot. Imagine you want to be a musician but can’t afford an instrument. Here’s a guy that can play his own beard…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGaaxlvP-BA&feature=related which didn’t cost him a dime.
But seriously folks the Almighty really is providing you with many pleasures that go unnoticed every day like running water, electricity, indoor plumbing, friends, family, work etc. When you take the time to notice your pleasure, it will put you in a better mood.
Deeply imbedded in our psyche is the desire to cling to the Infinite. All the pleasures of this world, from a warm bath to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, are a tiny glimpse of the infinite pleasure that is on the other side of this life. By taking the time to focus our attention on it here, we are opening ourselves up to an infinite source of an infinite variety of pleasure.
It’s your inner appreciation that shows you how everything and everywhere are a source of some kind of pleasure. You’re not relying on what is outside, but what is inside.
While most people are waiting and hoping for happiness, you can access it right here and right now. No need to wait, no need to hesitate no more. It’s yours.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sympathy for the Devil
One of the top ten common misconceptions about religion and spirituality is the concept of the Devil. Who is Satan and what is his purpose? Where does the concept come from?
We all sense a craving towards spirituality and meaning, and at the same time we share a desire to do the wrong thing, kill and steal, to insult and eat fatty foods. We intuitively know there is a dichotomy in the world and in ourselves. Did you ever feel like smacking someone even though you knew in your heart it was wrong? (Those of you with teenage children need not even answer that one.)
Flip Wilson used to say “The Devil made me do it.” Of course the Devil can’t make you do something but he can sure tempt you. Life’s circumstances can be tempting from the outside, and we can have desires on the inside. Is that the Devil or your own bad self?
In kabbalah the forces of desire, evil inclination, temptations to stray from morality and spirituality all seem to be one. The three main entities that we find in the texts are Satan, the “evil inclination”, and the Angel of Death, and all represent the same united force.
The Meaning of Life
If you understand well the meaning of life, you have no problem understanding Satan and the “evil inclination”, known as the “yaitzer hara”. We are put on this earth at this time to struggle to connect to the Infinite Being. In order to have an arena of challenge, we must have a desire to go away from God to fight against.
The Satan and yaitzer hara provide the challenge. This force is designed by God and follows strict rules He placed into the spiritual realm. Satan cannot go against God’s will, as an angel or spiritual force, he operates like a puppet of the Almighty, providing the exact spiritual challenges that we need at any given moment in time.
In fact, each and every person is judged based on their own set of circumstances external and internal, which makes it impossible to judge your fellow man because you don’t know their history or internal make-up. Maybe they are naturally a born murderer and hot-head and they have worked hard to control themselves and become just an average rude person. You may think this guy is a big jerk but in reality they are extremely righteous given their challenges. Another person much more pleasant to be with my have been born with a gentle demeanor and has never struggled to make him/herself any better.
To put it a different way, you are put here to make spiritual touchdowns and the Satan is like a linebacker paid to block your path. But the linebacker is purposely designed in a way that you always have the ability to make your way past him. You might not be able to bowl him over; you might have to outsmart him, tell him his shoes untied, fake to the left and go to the right, or some other maneuver. If he stops you, then your job is to review the tape and see how you can avoid him the next time. (The verb “leSatan” means to block and is used in Numbers 22:22 this way. An angel blocks the path of Bilaam when he goes to meet with Balak to curse the nation of Israel.)
The Big Mistake
So the existence of Satan is real and part of daily life. The mistake then is that people think Satan has a separate existence, power, and purpose than God. Many think Satan is somehow avoiding God’s domain and tempting people to sin when God’s not looking. This is not only wrong, but philosophically impossible. Nothing can happen without God’s will accepting it on some level. God wants Satan to tempt us and He wants us to withstand the temptation. He designs the challenges according to our spiritual level and need for growth. If we need to develop patience, God sends Satan to test our patience.
Satan does nothing without God’s approval. He’s a servant of God. This is clear from the beginning of the Book of Job that starts with God and Satan having a conversation where God says Job’s a great guy, and Satan says Job is only righteous because he hasn’t been tested with suffering. Let him suffer and he’ll turn against the Lord. God says, ok then go and test him. While this type of conversation may be more metaphor than reality, it shows the basic relationship between God and Satan. The Almighty designed a spiritual universe with angels that help and angels that test. There are prosecuting attorneys, so to speak, and defending attorneys. Satan is the primary prosecuting angel.
We don’t hate Satan, and he doesn’t hate us. He was created to test us, which is our greatest opportunity to accomplish spiritual greatness and closeness to God.
One of the top ten common misconceptions about religion and spirituality is the concept of the Devil. Who is Satan and what is his purpose? Where does the concept come from?
We all sense a craving towards spirituality and meaning, and at the same time we share a desire to do the wrong thing, kill and steal, to insult and eat fatty foods. We intuitively know there is a dichotomy in the world and in ourselves. Did you ever feel like smacking someone even though you knew in your heart it was wrong? (Those of you with teenage children need not even answer that one.)
Flip Wilson used to say “The Devil made me do it.” Of course the Devil can’t make you do something but he can sure tempt you. Life’s circumstances can be tempting from the outside, and we can have desires on the inside. Is that the Devil or your own bad self?
In kabbalah the forces of desire, evil inclination, temptations to stray from morality and spirituality all seem to be one. The three main entities that we find in the texts are Satan, the “evil inclination”, and the Angel of Death, and all represent the same united force.
The Meaning of Life
If you understand well the meaning of life, you have no problem understanding Satan and the “evil inclination”, known as the “yaitzer hara”. We are put on this earth at this time to struggle to connect to the Infinite Being. In order to have an arena of challenge, we must have a desire to go away from God to fight against.
The Satan and yaitzer hara provide the challenge. This force is designed by God and follows strict rules He placed into the spiritual realm. Satan cannot go against God’s will, as an angel or spiritual force, he operates like a puppet of the Almighty, providing the exact spiritual challenges that we need at any given moment in time.
In fact, each and every person is judged based on their own set of circumstances external and internal, which makes it impossible to judge your fellow man because you don’t know their history or internal make-up. Maybe they are naturally a born murderer and hot-head and they have worked hard to control themselves and become just an average rude person. You may think this guy is a big jerk but in reality they are extremely righteous given their challenges. Another person much more pleasant to be with my have been born with a gentle demeanor and has never struggled to make him/herself any better.
To put it a different way, you are put here to make spiritual touchdowns and the Satan is like a linebacker paid to block your path. But the linebacker is purposely designed in a way that you always have the ability to make your way past him. You might not be able to bowl him over; you might have to outsmart him, tell him his shoes untied, fake to the left and go to the right, or some other maneuver. If he stops you, then your job is to review the tape and see how you can avoid him the next time. (The verb “leSatan” means to block and is used in Numbers 22:22 this way. An angel blocks the path of Bilaam when he goes to meet with Balak to curse the nation of Israel.)
The Big Mistake
So the existence of Satan is real and part of daily life. The mistake then is that people think Satan has a separate existence, power, and purpose than God. Many think Satan is somehow avoiding God’s domain and tempting people to sin when God’s not looking. This is not only wrong, but philosophically impossible. Nothing can happen without God’s will accepting it on some level. God wants Satan to tempt us and He wants us to withstand the temptation. He designs the challenges according to our spiritual level and need for growth. If we need to develop patience, God sends Satan to test our patience.
Satan does nothing without God’s approval. He’s a servant of God. This is clear from the beginning of the Book of Job that starts with God and Satan having a conversation where God says Job’s a great guy, and Satan says Job is only righteous because he hasn’t been tested with suffering. Let him suffer and he’ll turn against the Lord. God says, ok then go and test him. While this type of conversation may be more metaphor than reality, it shows the basic relationship between God and Satan. The Almighty designed a spiritual universe with angels that help and angels that test. There are prosecuting attorneys, so to speak, and defending attorneys. Satan is the primary prosecuting angel.
We don’t hate Satan, and he doesn’t hate us. He was created to test us, which is our greatest opportunity to accomplish spiritual greatness and closeness to God.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Are you feeling it?
Imagine you bought a new car and after six months it starts to get very sluggish. You take it to the mechanic and he recommends a good wash and wax. “What? Are you crazy? There’s an internal problem,” you say. “Okay,” he says, “how about putting on some of those fancy rims?”
Believe it or not, this is what we do with something even more precious than a new car. When people are feeling negative, sad, or unresourceful, they often opt for an easy superficial solution that is more of a distraction than a cure. Go to a movie, have a drink, eat some ice cream. Sleep. These bandaids don’t address the core issue. The reason why we opt for them is because we really aren’t used to delving into our insides. If you are able to get in touch with what’s on the inside, it’s a very useful thing to do.
One of the elusive things in life is surprisingly very close to your beating heart. It’s called intuition and for most people it has a life of its own. Do you want to have more of a handle on it?
Actually, your mind and heart are in cahoots to form an inner sense called intuition. This elusive part of us can be a powerful tool, if we understand it. Since you’re more familiar with your mind, let’s start with that.
Mental Intuition
In Hebrew the word Binah sometimes refers to intuition, and is one of the main spiritual connections to the Almighty, as explained in Kabbalah. Binah can mean knowledge that comes to a person without an intellectual process. A flash of insight or an uncomfortable feeling about a person or situation can come to us for a variety of reasons. But usually we think of this as intuition.
Technically, binah is a word that grammatically implies making connections between two different things. (Similarly the word “bein” means – between.) Sometimes it refers to the type of analysis that takes an idea and compares and contrasts it to everything else we know to be true. We can do this naturally, or we can do this intentionally. If I say “I’m not really 47 but I’m actually 35,” you will automatically, not necessarily intentionally, start matching that statement with internal knowledge in a split second. Does he look 47 or 35? Why would he have said he was 47 if he isn’t? Does he have an expression on his face that shows he’s joking?
On the other hand, a process of comparing a statement with everything else you know to be true can also be done intentionally. The Torah states God said to love your fellow man. Here are some analytical questions: Can I choose to love? What if my fellow man is a moron and a jerk that leaves his garbage cans in front of my driveway every week? Why isn’t it enough for me to merely like my fellow man? Can I just love my fellow man in my heart or is God asking me to try to stop famine and war in the world also?
You can develop, with practice, an analytical intellect that naturally breaks information down, clarifies, defines, and then compares and contrasts. The ancient Talmud trains people to do this, and learning this process is a large portion or any “traditional” scholar’s training.
Premonition
Have you ever had a premonition? Have you ever felt like something was going to happen before it did? The heart knows when something is about to happen. We all have intuitive feelings all the time, but we ignore them because they are distractions. We have no idea, usually, what information these feelings carry. Is it heartburn? A headache? Or an inkling that something is about to happen. Job, the quintessential sufferer of the Bible, had three friends that sensed something was wrong and all showed up at his door on the
There is a spiritual world all around us that is complex. There are thousands of spiritual beings on your left and on your right. And there’s a good reason why we are unaware of the spiritual world. It’s too much for us to handle. But many generations held onto sensitivity to spirituality and didn’t leave it completely. For the past one hundred years people have gone away from the unseen and the mystical. They wanted facts and science, not religion and superstition. But they threw the baby out with the bathwater.
The truth is that you are not required to get in touch with your intuition. But if you do, it can be an extremely powerful tool.
Intuition
Graphology is the study of handwriting and is used by psychologists, criminologists, and job application analysts. A good graphologist can tell you many things about your personality. They can describe your relationship with your parents; they can assess your general level of honesty, tell if you’re happy or depressed. But it takes time to learn this skill, and you have to have an intuitive ability also. They studied children’s ability to assess handwriting based purely on intuition. It turns out the children were extremely accurate until they reached puberty. After that, as pre-teens they began to rely more on intellect or visual factors and less on their intuition. Children are naturally intuitive. If you want to relearn your intuition, you need to get in touch with your “inner child.” You have to choose a time and a place to feel childlike. Not immature, but more like going with the flow, having unstructured fun. Sometimes spending time with a child and letting the child dictate the flow of activities and conversation can help. Sometimes being around other people who are intuitive like artists and musicians can help too. When was the last time you sat on the floor with a child and played?
Feelings
People tend to think of “feelings” as emotions like anger or jealousy, but there are various feelings that aren’t emotions. You can feel tired, hungry or thirsty. You can feel “funny”. You can feel out of sorts, awkward, uncomfortable, upbeat, or “on your game”. You can feel like something isn’t quite right. Feelings can be synonymous with intuition. Feelings come and go all day long. An exercise you can do to get control of the power inside you is to write down on a piece of paper numbers one to ten. Carry the paper with you and every once in a while write down exactly how you are feeling. It may not be easy, but with effort you can articulate what you are feeling. This act puts your internal barometer more in the palm of your hand.
Inside
Kabbalists describe the internal workings of the human being. We all recognize that we are not our body. The physical masks the spiritual. Our body is our “mortal coil” that we are enclothed with while in this physical world. Some of us are also aware that we are not our thoughts and feelings. If you can say, “I can’t control my thoughts.” then you are not your thoughts. If you can say, “I can’t stop feeling this way.” then you are not your feelings.
But the act of getting in touch with your thoughts, feelings, and intuition gets you one giant step closer to understanding your true self. Some people say “ignorance is bliss”, but I believe true happiness comes from understanding yourself, God, and spirituality. The tool described here, of getting in touch with your inner self, is a powerful means to greater happiness.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Fifty Ways to Meet Your Lover (Sefirat HaOmer)
Mystical writings make this time period analogous to a woman preparing for union with her lover. She purifies herself for seven days. Seven is also the number of types of impurity that must be eliminated, and in our case linked to seven weeks, the time period between Passover and the Biblical holiday of Shavuot, forty-nine days called Sefirat HaOmer, “Counting the Omer”. God reveals all wisdom that there is to know on the fiftieth day, Shavuot, symbolized by the consummation of a marriage. In other words, to learn wisdom is to become one with the Infinite.
Therefore “spiritual purification” is a theme of these fifty days. Each day is designated for us to pray for and work towards a small piece of spirituality.
Don’t get me wrong, anyone who wants God’s wisdom can have it. He loves everyone and wants to give to them. But the more we are equipped to deal with it the more useful it will be.
There’s an old story of a person who seeks to speak with a wise Zen master.
As the proposed disciple sits before the master, the disciple begins to expound on his own knowledge to impress the master. The master stays quiet and begins to pour tea into a cup for the visitor. After the cup is full the master continues to pour until the tea is pouring over the sides causing the disciple to jump up and yell “Stop, the cup is full and can hold no more!”
The wise Zen master replies, “And what about you? Are you full of wisdom? If so, there is no more room for me to teach you anything.”
Wisdom is being poured out from above, but we have to be ready to receive it. Are we humble enough to know how little we know about marriage, parenting, happiness, and meaning? If so we will hit the jackpot.
Step by Step
We are commanded to count each and every day between Passover and Shavuot. This implies that spiritual growth is best achieved step by step, one day at a time. Our soul wants to soar straight to the Infinite. Our body also wants to become holy overnight so it doesn’t have to work. The real path, though, is to fire up a burning desire for purity every single day, working step by step to make progress on the ladder to the Heavens.
Seven Shepherds
One path the sages recommend to grab this opportunity is to emulate the Seven Shepherds. Each week is designated for a different holy one to try to be like.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David each represents a different character trait. The first week is dedicated to Abraham, the second to Isaac, and so on. There are seven kabbalistic terms in Hebrew that do not lend themselves to an English translation so I will describe an aspect of them instead.
1st Week:
Abraham exemplifies the quality of Chesed, a trait evidenced in his extreme love of mankind. This first week, in order to purify yourself and tap into the flow of Divine assistance, we can look for the positive things in others that bring to the surface that natural love in our hearts for all humanity. If the Almighty can love all His children, so can we.
2nd Week:
Isaac exemplifies Gevura, a trait of discipline and inner strength. He never wavered from whatever he deemed the will of God. To imitate him we can focus our attention on things we are doing that we know are not God’s will and eradicate them.
3rd Week:
Jacob is Tiferet, the ability to be in harmony with all forces. Sometimes he fought, sometimes he bowed. He knew how to handle every single person that came his way. He even had two names which showed his flexibility. He blessed each of his children, showing that he spent time considering the nature of each child, trying to give each one what he needed, encouragement, rebuke, insight, etc. We can do this too by thinking deeply about each of our close family and friends and think about what each person needs.
4th Week:
Moses is Netzach, the Torah’s eternal conduit. We can emulate him by studying the insights of the Torah and try to remove any of our own personal influence on the insights, looking for the pure unadulterated truth.
5th Week:
Aaron is Hod, a trait which made him beloved by all who knew him. He loved peace and did everything he could to bring peace into the world at every opportunity. We all want people to get along, but how many of us are doing anything about it? This fifth week we can emulate Aaron by doing something practical and specific that brings more peace in the world.
6th Week:
Joseph is Yesod, similar to Jacob’s ability to relate to all people, Joseph’s ability was to be able to bond with, join, and become a part of each and every person he met. He easily and successfully became a trusted assistant wherever he went, whether with Jacob, Potiphar (an Egyptian official), the jailer of the dungeon, or to Pharaoh himself. He was immediately trusted because he truly felt the pain of each person he met. We can imitate him by trying to become one with the people we know and their challenges to the point they truly trust us.
7th Week:
David is Malchut, a trait that allowed him to connect his own royal power and tie it to the Almighty. Power corrupts unless you constantly remind yourself that your power is only the Divine putting you in a position like a
If you try to emulate each character trait for one week of the seven week period you will experience a new type of enlightenment at the end. This is a simple straightforward approach to the Sefirah period. A more complicated approach uses all seven traits each week. Because each trait is incomplete without all the other six. You can’t have real love like Abraham if you don’t include Isaac’s awe of God. Otherwise you’ll transgress God’s laws to fulfill your love. You’ll spoil your children and become a doormat to your spouse. Each trait properly includes all the others. So a complicated approach to the 50 days has a different combination of two traits each day.
Our tradition says that the Israelites accomplished this when they left
Riding the Escalator of Life
Sometimes we get a special gift. When you work on spirituality in a consistent way the Almighty opens up a gate for you that you might not have imagined. If you look for reminders of what you are working on you will also notice on a daily basis how the Almighty is guiding and directing your efforts at self-growth. This daily testament to His role in our daily life is comforting and keeps us connected. But when we get that special gift, sometimes a whole new world opens up.
Rabbi Yosef Karo, the author of the Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch) had an
Kind of like that way someone gets “discovered” after plugging away for many years at something. Kimya Dawson was a relatively unknown recording a performing artist for years until one day an actress in a movie called “Juno” recommended her recording with the Moldy Peaches for the soundtrack which became a chartbuster. Now Kimya Dawson is “suddenly” a recognized star. Suddenly….after years of continuous effort. In the spiritual world it happens too.
Whatever area of growth we want to grab a hold of, consistency and continuity will be helpful, and sometimes they will be the cause of a major leap that propels us into a higher level. Our small path of steps just might be turn into a springboard. Now is the time to take the first step.
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