Tribes and Journeys.

THE BIG PICTURE

Be alert to the seeds of brotherly hatred. 

As we approach Saturday’s Dark Av Moon, and the 9 Days marking the light that receded from the world ( a result of hatred, and spiritual disregard), you might find yourself a little more prickly or easily triggered than usual. As uncomfortable as it might be, this  is a favorable time to allow your less happy places to surface for the sake of seeing them and bringing more light (of awareness) to the crabbiness that dwells within. 

This week’s Torah Omens direct us to begin our inner investigation by considering the power of our words. Does it reassure you that the vows you made are as binding as God’s? Have you suffered the consequences of speaking without following through? 

The Omens encourage us to review each step of our spiritual growth as if taking a 42 stop journey across the desert to the promised land. Where do you get stuck? Where did you complain? Where did you feel punished?

What do you need to master to secure your sense of belonging? 

Just as the movement from slavery to freedom is to be understood  both literally and metaphysically, this is a favorable time to deepen your inner work and earn your place for all time. 

DEEPER DIVE

Imagine if you never again had to worry about a place to live, not you, not your children, not your children’s children, for all time. Would you just take what you were given? Or would you feel entitled to negotiate like Reuven and Gad for the specific land you wanted? 

This week’s meditation, Tribes and Journeys (Matot and Masai) found in the last chapters of Bamidbar (In the Desert aka. Deuteronomy), include a series of negotiations and spiritual considerations that were taken into account before the final distribution of the land.

Try to holding the paradox that the promised land is both a physical place and a state of consciousness.

The whole project of spiritually motivated conquest of occupied lands brings up all kinds of questions for the modern and culturally sensitive reader. What might be the spiritual purpose of leading a group of people, designated for the eternal service of the light -  to conquer, kill, banish or offer the option to completely assimilate to people currently occupying the land?

The Israelites are not commanded to be pacifists. They must go to war and fight for to the land intended for them. In fact, this week’s narrative starts off with the people scolded for sparing the Moabite women (who tried to lure the men away from God), and are given strict laws of purification for the spoils of war.

It would seem to understand the purpose of this people and the vision for the Torah in general, you must accept that spiritual awakening has an element of ruthlessness to it’s path.

Once the land is conquered, no trace of idolatry is to be tolerated - either in objects, or people that carry the consciousness of idolatry. The people must arrange themselves in a predetermined way with each land allocated by Joshua, the man chosen to lead them people in battle. Circular cities are to be designated for Levites that will be allocated amongst each tribe’s lands, six Cities of Refuge will be created for accidental murders (while intentional murder will be punished by death), and finally, the laws that protect single women without a father(like the daughters of Tzlafchad) will also protect the tribe from the potential loss of the land if those women were to marry outside their clan.

This is a profoundly spiritually regulated people. The land is not a regular land, and the people are not promised a regular life. You don’t just conquer and do what you want. This is a spiritually selected people groomed to live a model spiritual life.

And when they don’t, as we know through history they didn’t - they are directly punished, and banished, and left to the fate of becoming ‘wandering jews.’

Just something to think.

INNER WORK GUIDE

Part 1: Inner Lands

What battles of personal growth have you had to fight and win in order to find your place of belonging in this world? Would you feel entitled to your inner lands if you hadn’t faced confrontation and won?

Does physical security enable spiritual growth, or is it secure spiritual status that makes physical security a possibility? 

Part 2: A woman’s vow

As a woman I am always alerted to the parts of the bible that treat the genders differently. In the case of making a vow there are some curious differences between a woman and man’s vow. Both a woman and a man’s vows have equally binding power, however a woman’s vow can be annulled by her father or husband if they overhear it.

What might the Torah - the essential and timeless teaching of a spiritual path to oneness be wanting to illuminate about girls and women and their relationship to their vows and the dominant man in their life?

Is it possible that a woman is more likely to take on something to please the man in her life and the Torah helps prevent that?

While I have come to no definitive conclusions, I invite an open investigation (beyond the triggers of patriarchy - or perhaps in spite of them) about what might be communicated — after all, if her vow is not interrupted she is just as accountable as any man.

 That is it for this week.

Wishing everyone a shabbat shalom, happy new Moon, and meaningful process.

with love,

Hava