Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Lech Lecha

Last week s Torah energy was "Noah" Self awareness / inner growth through detachment and being oblivious to the complexity of our surroundings . We Chose inner peace ,serenity and a quick retreat back into the comforting" ark high holiday space". Perhaps the sudden transition into our (Bereshit ) routine was too quick. Suddenly we yearn for "Avinu Malkaynu " closeness again !!!! So we jump back last Shabbat into a mini Yom Kippur closed off experience . This week , G-d gently kicks us off the ark and reminds us We have important "Lech Lecha work to do in the world ! He also reminds us that disembarking from the ark ,like Yom Kippur doesn t mean good bye. We can board the ark daily ,for a prayer service ,a class ,or just to walk in to meditate ,a mini High holiday burst of energy on a daily basis if you will .

Mystical Talmud

For me, the satisfaction that I get after wrestling with the complexities of a page of Talmud is twofold. First is engaging, and wrestling with the complex text on a purely legalistic, Halacha level. Then comes the opportunity to imagine these ideas in their original Meta physical forms, allowing them to take on a spiritual and existential dimension as well. The Talmud in tractate Shabbat that I vet been studying, discusses the prohibition to carry (Did I hear anyone say ERUV?????) between a public domain and a private domain on Shabbat. On a Chassidic mystical level, we can define the private realm and the public realm in spiritual terms. So the private realm the reshut hayachid is a manifestation of the realm of g-d , who IS TRULY, YACHID ,ONENESS. The public domain , referred to in the Talmud as reshut harabim , is the realm of the world , and man . Hence the Hebrew name, RABIM which connotes the realm of "many “ i.e. our physical existence. On a certain level on these two realms are separated and distinct. For the Jew on Shabbat, there is only g-d consciousness (reshut Hayachid -domain of g-d) and we are not allowed to "carry in to the public Domain (Reshut harabim) I.E. worldly /human consciousness. The Jewish festivals are unique in the way that certain laws that we have on Shabbat for example, we don’t have on Chagim. Of course the example I’m thinking of is carrying!! We are allowed to carry on holidays like Shemini Atseret and Simchat Torah. What this means on spiritual terms, is that on these holidays, particularly the one beginning tonight, there are no distinct realms, there is no us versus g_d , no reshut harabim versus the reshut hayachid. On these days there is a magnificent fusion of the upper worlds and the lower worlds, higher consciousness and lower consciousness come together. This is perhaps one of the reasons the holiday has a special emphasis on joy, a joy that comes from moments where we recognize that we are inherently one with G-d!