When You Mount
THE BIG IDEA
Ready or not, the Torah energies are shifting. As we move further and further away from the Night of Light (aka shavuot), be sure to take special note of any feelings of despair that might be emerging.
Is there something about forward spiritual movement that creates a negative reaction in your life?
This week’s Torah Omens warn of the consequences of distorted nostalgia for unrealized dreams of material reality, and the pain of (our internal) leadership that cries out with utter despair in the face of spiritual backsliding. Making this an excellent time to take an internal check of our toxic attachments.
This week is also a favorable time to resolve any sibling misunderstandings or lingering resentments. Even in a holy family in direct communication with God, as was the case with Moses, Aaron and Miriam, we see how one sibling speaking about the other can illicit severe consequences.
Use the energy summoned by Moses to heal his sister - to alleviate any wounding between our own sisters and brother, and sacred sisterhoods, and the feminine that runs through us all.
Connect Moses’ prayer for Miriam to strengthen your own.
God please, heal, please, her (the divine feminine within us all).
DEEPER DIVE
Can you eat too much angel food (aka. Manna)?
According to the Israelites in the desert the answer is ‘yes’.
Imagine, if you can, a nation of slaves, rescued by the Source Energy of the Universe from their oppression because of a pact made with their ancestors. This collective is freed via direct supernatural intervention and brought to the desert where they receive a code of spiritual laws designed to keep them in alignment with the unifying force of existence (that chose to reveal itself directly only to ensure their literal survival).
This collective, now touched by direct revelation at Mount Sinai, is getting ready to leave the holy mountain and begin the next part of their journey — human examples of embodied enlightenment moving to their divinely promised land.
This week, Baha’lotecha, meaning when you mount opens with some final holy preparations for this holy nation before moving forward. The menorah is to be lit in a certain way, the Levites (a specific tribe amongst the tribes designated for holy service) must stay in pure service and perform rituals of forgiveness, and gratitude. The first borns of the entire nation will join this holy service. The entire nation will commemorate Passover, and those that are unable at that time will celebrate it on another day.
A cloud and fire of direct divinity will lead the tribe as a commander that protects and guides their way. Silver horns are to be fashioned for intertribal communication during both times of war and celebration. Holy nation in holy formation.
They overcame the golden calf, they worked together to build the miskhan (god tent) and now thanks to Moses’s prayer, and their hard work, God was moving DIRECTLY amongst them. A sacred collective, moving through the desert, in holy alignment always with awareness of the divine.
Until it is time to move and it comes to a crashing end.
I recommend this Song about the parsha provides a delight filled overview. And this video for an insightful analysis.
Essentially, the people start complaining. They complain for real food, and the material reality in Egypt they actually never had achieved. This (understandably) enrages God and ultimately breaks Moses who doesn’t want to be their spiritual babysitter anymore, “kill me now….rather then seeing anymore of this wretchedness,” and we can rest assured God will listen to Moses. (perhaps it is in this moment that Moses secured his fate to die in the desert —- perhaps, along with his sister’s lesson to watch her words this week, we must learn to watch our words, because divinity listens (just in his own way. )
Either way the result is _-_-_-_ instructing Moses gather 70 elders and delivers the divine response to the complaints for more meat (aka. a harsh punishment). We also learn of 2 additional members of the encampment that receive the message, and Moses’ ultimate vision for this nation, that everyone be blessed to be prophetic meaning to hear the direct holy spirit and deliver it’s message.
Yet, in this moment, the story has taken a huge shift. The transition to holy nation doesn’t hold. The people are punished, the challenges to Moses’ seem to touch everyone including his sister and brother, with Miriam ultimately being the symptom bearer.
And so, if there is one thing we can learn from the journey of these people who are rescued from slavery and touched directly by light - is — when spiritual elevation is unearned it seems hard to maintain. The fantasy of material abundance and ease is hard to overcome. And yet, like it or not, once spiritual revelation has touched you, there is no way out of that responsibility. For everyone. Even Miriam, even Moses, even for God, even for us all.
INNER GUIDE
Just a few fun questions to sit with this week:
How comfortable are you with your spiritual growth?
Do you know your spiritual cracking point or what triggers it?
Does your sense of spiritual connection depend on material abundance…. or are you more like Moses that needs to see the spiritual growth of those around you?
How long can you stay in a state of purity and connection with the divine before you want material assurances?
And finally, for those that are interested in the meditation to heal the feminine spirit that runs through us all, consider Miriam’s recovery time for her offense. How must she have felt to speak about her brother and enrage God directly. She was set out of the camp for 7 days, which Torah commentators say was the time it would take to heal her shame.
How long does it take to you to recover from the shame of being publicly scolded for a misdeed?
Does the separation feel necessary or helpful?
That’s it for this week. much to think about.
Wishing all of us a successful and inspired internal investigation and restorative shabbat.
May we all soothe the hurting within ourselves, within our families, within our world.
May we all find a way to hold the unknowable mystery that gives us each different roles and tasks.
May our desire for equality, accept the conditions needed in order to learn.
with love,
HAVA