The Trip
THE BIG IDEA
42 weeks have passed since the massacre of Simchat Torah, the exact number of stops (42) the Israelites made in the desert before crossing into the promised land.
Closing the book of Bamidbar is an excellent time to review all the emotional and spiritual growth you have made throughout this year’s torah cycle, that literally began on Oct. 7th.
According to the Torah Energy this is a week of vengeance, battle and victory over the nation that attacked the Israelites and those that seduced them to sin.
Close your eyes, run your thoughts across the boundaries of the spiritually promised land, and visualize the protective forcefield that hovers above the Nation of Israel and the entire land.
Help strengthen the integrity of this protective forcefield through focused prayer, giving charity, and performing acts of loving kindness (like visiting the sick, elderly, being nice to your parents.…) Get clear on your ancestral claim to the land of Israel. And most of all, reaffirm your trust in the goodness of God protecting and guiding us to the era of Growth through Joy - even when we can’t see it, even in the face of fear and loss, even when it hurts.
It took an extra 40 years to cross the desert and enter the land, and an extra 3500 + to get back to the promised land… but the ancient Israelites made it into the land, and so did we.
Trust the process, and the absolute good that protects us from harm.
We can’t go back to Egypt - (seriously - we aren’t welcome there… or anywhere)
We are home, we are divinely protected, and we are here to stay.
A TORAH P.S.A.
This week’s torah energy teaches us to honor the time that is needed to recover from war.
After the final battle with Moav, all the soldiers returning from battle were required to go through a mandatory seven day cleansing process that concluded in a ritual cleansing of their bodies, clothes and any items taken from their enemies’ possession.
The risks and reality of picking up bad energy - (something we moderns would call “trauma”) was understood even then. We are a nation that has literally been commanded to practice mental and spiritual hygiene in all things — including battles.
Take time to honor the unique mental space needed by those that go to war to protect our people. When we neglect the spiritual advice to help them “purify” their thoughts and energy (as was done in almost all wars in Israel before now) the PTSD and long term psychological effects risk tainting entire generations and the nation as a whole.
Programs like this one - run by the IDF and Thank Israeli Soldiers help offer the support for soldiers to transition from the battle back into society in a torah aligned way.
I encourage everyone that wants to show practical support for those that are risking their lives to protect our people and country to donate - to help them keep this mitzvah and return healthy, and purified to our holy nation.