After the Void
The spiritual timing of this week’s atrocities and unspeakable horror, and the awe and fear it inspires is so great - I find myself unable to write - constantly retreating into silence and rushing into a desperate effort to physically help in any way I can- packing boxes, buying and donating emergency supplies for displaced families and soldiers, supporting students and friends, donating blood, I even baked cookies for families displaced by terrorists (*correction* I tried to bake cookies but used a cup of salt by mistake and ruined a big batch).
But mostly, at least in the first two days, I found myself fighting and overcoming the urge to turn away from God, from Torah, from prayer.
Since that initial state of shock I have been able to wake myself up, like this morning, and to lean in even more deeply into a Torah that is so overwhelmingly accurate, I keep needing to pause and catch my breath, and cry out from the deepest places in my soul.
We are all being asked, in the rawest of ways, to hold the ultimate paradox;
Everything comes from God, absolutely everything.
Plants, birds, animals, human.
And amongst everything else, the knowledge of Good and Evil.
And so, every time you scroll your newsfeed and click on a picture of a murdered baby or raped woman or burned family -you are reaching for the Tree of Knowing and digesting it. And, just as God warned, the consciousness of Evil kills us, at least on the inside.
With this horrific information we stand naked, like Adam and Hava, aware of our exposed vulnerability, wanting to hide from our knowing, to hide from Presence itself— unable to un-know what we now know.
Take note about what draws your attention.
The desire to know God consciousness (to Know Good and Evil) came into the world this week. The impulse will run strong in us all. Trust that the Creator of the Universe is as shocked, horrified and pained by the first murder, and every subsequent evil that followed — as we, the entire body of Israel, are right now(and hopefully the entire human world).
As a Kabbalist would say, the light (consciousness) coming into the world has shattered the vessel (the ability to hold that consciousness). It is safe to say that the consciousness of unmitigated Evil has completely shattered every Israeli and the entire Jewish people right now.
We were thrown into a state of total chaos and void (tohu v’hu) and are slowly recreating ourselves in the light of this new consciousness/reality.
To be clear - whatever your thoughts are on divinity at the moment — do not, for a single second, think that God is ambivalent towards Good and Evil —just because free choice is available in the world. To the contrary —- the Torah Omens this week leave off with God ready to destroy the entirety of creation because of human evil.
However, there was Noah.
Noah’s being - his faith in the good, in the ONE, in positive alignment - and ability to choose the Good was enough to prevent the complete destruction of the word.
And so, this weekend, as we meditate on the (re)creation of the world, and of our personal consciousnes, BE NOAH. Come through the knowing of Good and Evil and reach for the GOOD. For example: share the stories of rescues, and kindness, and escapes, where the Good is revealed in the world without any filter. (Good that wouldn’t be necessary if Evil wasn’t present). Affirm your faith in the unifying force of the universe.
It is essential when we rebuild ourselves, the vessel of our consciousness we rebuild is done in such a way that holds more and more and more positive light (consciousness). Imagine in a day where no one is drawn to evil. Where no one is tempted by visual terrorism, or terror based stimulation. Imagine a world entirely intolerant of evil and an example of a nation that is completely unified in their commitment to the light, to the good. Create space within yourself to;
Hold more faith.
Hold more support.
Hold more prayer.
Hold more tehillim.
Hold more hope.
Hope more positive energy.
Hold more compassion.
Hold more and more and more gentle presence and awakening.
Channel Noah. Prepare your arc. Take what you need. Pull up your shattered pieces and rebuild yourself.
Let’s recreate the world flooding it with Good consciousness, God consciousness, the consciousness of Oneness, the LOVE OF LIFE and celebration of life’s sacred nation and nature.
And let’s send that consciousness to anyone that needs to feel our love, our light, our positive, hopeful spirit, wherever they are.
WHAT TO DO NOW?
Along with creation, the idea of Shabbat came into the world this week. A lot of us will feel triggered and scarred, thinking back to last Shabbat and the horror that was unleashed on the most vulnerable southern border of our holy land.
Without going too deeply into the spiritual implications of our unified actions, I would ask, or rather, beg, that if you are in a safe place or country, and want to help do your part to strengthen the spiritual body of Israel, that you do your best to light Shabbat candles, and keep Shabbat.
That means stopping your relationship to the world of separation for 25 hours and stepping fully into holy time. Even if it is not your normal practice, I ask that you find the place within yourself to keep shabbat for someone that is unable to do it for themselves this week. Someone that is in captivity, someone that is no longer alive, someone that is fighting in a tank or on a border with our enemies, someone working in a hospital to keep people alive. Keep the spiritual flow moving. If ever there was a time to believe, we are in it now. Direct your spiritual energy toward the parts of us that cannot feel or are not physically able.
Our power is our prayer.
Our power is our light.
Our power is our unity.
Our only real hope is in our God, (whatever that unknowable word means to you) the Creator of it all.
Wake up and feel the truth of oneness and the energy that awakens when you tap into that undeniable truth. It is so strong in Israel right now you can’t help but feel one another.
Please, keep this ancient practice for someone that can’t do it now. I promise there is no end of need here to hold that spiritual space.
Please. Light your candles, make your blessings, and send that light out to anyone that needs it now.
If you need help or guidance on how to keep shabbat - don’t hesitate to call or email.
I send love to our entire nation, and this entire world, please God, help us all.