To See/To Fear/To Awe
All week, as I drove up and down this holy land ,taking supplies to soldiers, visiting bereaved families, picking pomegranates, making art with children in hotels, supporting war refugees, attending funerals, supporting friends, and teaching… all I really wanted to do was sit down and write.
Of all the blessings that come with this tribal consciousness of light, (and there are countless), one of the most essential gifts is the ability to differentiate; between light and dark, heaven and earth, upper waters and lower waters, between the infinite creator and all of creation, and of course, between a government that kidnaps and holds men, women and children hostage and regular, civil nation states.
And so, as the world asks us all to ‘pick a side’ I encourage everyone to explore the spiritual roots of all ‘sides,’ and the consciousness the study and practice of Torah is here to awaken.
THE BIG IDEA
This week’s energy is contained in the word “Va’Yerah” that can mean “to see” and “to fear” and “to have awe,” which is exactly the strange mix of emotions that are moving through the holy land right now.
One might say that the entire conflict in the middle east is rooted in the familial dynamics between Yizchak (Isaac) and Ishmael, and the energies of their respective mothers Sarah and Hagar.
Throughout the biblical narrative we see Sarah draw powerful boundaries to protect herself, her son, and her household from the consciousness of bullying, mockery and hierarchical thinking that are carried first by Hagar (her maidservant) during her pregnancy with Ishmael, and then by Ishmael himself after his half brother Yizchak is born.
During this time, we must channel Sarah’s unwavering clarity, dignity and unapologetic strength in clearing her house of all poisonous threat and influence. Trust that even when her husband Abraham flinches at the thought of exiling his first born son Ishmael, Sarah is explicitly backed by divinity.
Hagar, on the other hand, both bullies Sarah and then plays the victim, leaving her son to die alone under a tree in the desert so she can wallow in the pain of her insult.
Of course these characters are archetypes, and the most essential household we need to protect is our own mind/heart/soul.
This weekend I invite us all to put on our spiritual warrior gear and fight the war within. Bravely crawl through the underground tunnels of your own mind and see where you are embodying Hagar and Ishmael consciousness. We are not here to mock or bully. We are born like Yizhak (Issac), to inherit and carry the consciousness of absolute unity - which paradoxically must be, as Sarah teaches, forcefully protected. A consciousness which feels, far too often, as if we are constantly being sacrificed for the sake of something we didn’t ask for.
Go in deep, find the places of false superiority and channel Sarah’s protective essence. This war is about protecting the most precious consciousness in the world, true unity.
Trust that this is a hard idea to do and hold, even for Abraham. After all, Abraham argued with God to save the most wretched place on earth (Sodom and Gemorrah) if only 10 righteous people were found (which they weren’t).
And so…don’t be so surprised this week when you see Jews are arguing to save Gaza — Abraham’s unconditional loving energy is strong (even though often misguided).
And don’t be surprised if you are feeling bullied — the energy of Ishmael is messing with Yizchak is in the air.
And don’t be surprised if you feel like you are being sacrificed…. this week Abraham takes his beloved son Yizchak almost to his death…. but then not. According to the Torah Omens it’s just that kind of week.
My best advice is for all of us to learn and channel the wisdom and consciousness and actions of Sarah; to believe in the truth of miracles, to respect the importance of strong boundaries, to trust in the essential need for a home and consciousness without bullies, and trust deeply in the knowing that we believe in a divine that wants us to offer our life AND to live.
And also… with everything you have…. pray. Pray that we awaken to better days.
Shabbat Shalom