Vayetzei – Genesis 28:10-32:3

Nov 22 to 28, 2020 | 12 Kislev 5781

Photograph by Glenn Sackett

The Traveler: Bringing Spirit into Physicality

The first word of this parsha and it’s name, Vayetzei, means “And he left.” Telling the story of Yaakov’s travel and sojourn to Harran, this parsha explores the struggle between chaos and order. It reveals the outcome of Yaakov having received Yitzhak’s two blessings as material master and Avrahamic lineage holder.

In Bereshit, Torah tells of the separation of the spiritual and physical worlds. In the Garden, after Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the spiritual and physical worlds were divided. It is through the actions of Yaakov that the spiritual again enters the physical.

Reflection: Before we delve into the telling of the saga of Yaakov and Esav in this parsha, pause for a moment to take stock of how the physical and spiritual worlds intertwine within you. How do you live your life? What is primary? What choices do you make? In what ways does the spiritual world enter into your being? How does it direct your pursuit and use of the physical world?

Let’s return for a moment to the first two lines of Torah:

“At the beginning of G’d creating the heavens and the earth,
when the earth was wild and waste…”

 – Gen 1:1-2

“When the earth was wild and waste” describes the chaos that existed before G’d brought order to heaven and earth. The Hebrew for “wild and waste” is tohu va-vohu. This primordial world is named Tohu. It is a world of much light and scant vessels. You may have heard of this as the “shattering of the vessels”.

The opposite of Tohu, a world of scant light and many vessels is our world of Tikun. It is the orderly world of duality and embodiment: sun and moon, night and day, land and sea, and all the plants and animals we see today – an orderliness and embodiment that Tohu could not sustain.

The many vessels of this world, the world of creation, of Tikun, can contain the light, thus repairing the shattered world of Tohu. The more we strengthen our vessels with mitzvot, the more light this material world can contain.

Realization vs. Transcendence

The worlds of Tohu (Realization) and Tikun (Transcendence) are neither good nor bad; it’s the application that matters. Tohu is the world of passion, ideas and creative energy. Consider Mozart and Mussolini. It’s the application that matters. Similarly, the orderliness of Tikun can be used to heal or to harm. The vessel of technology is a good example, which heals or harms depending on how it is applied.

In the Yaakov / Esav saga, Esav represents Tohu and Yaakov embodies Tikun. Hairy Esav was a “wild ass of a man who loved the hunt and the field.” Because Esav is undisciplined and willful, the Tohu of Esav gets expressed in ways that are destructive. In contrast, mild mannered, smooth skinned Yaakov spends his time in the tents – in study. Yaakov had the discipline to study, to sublimate the immediate needs of the self and act with wisdom and harmony. This is Tikun.

Reflection: And you? How much order have you brought to your wild self? A person is considered to be mature when they live responsibly and consider the impact of their actions on others. First, think of a recent example where you acted kindly. And now an example where your instinct for self over others took hold.

And yet, wildness – passion, creativity, innovation – is not a negative. Where does your light shine through? As adults, we must build our vessels through repetition, study and practice in order to express our innate Tohu in positive ways. Of what is your vessel comprised? What actions do you take regularly to strenthen your innate abilities and passions?

Repairing the World

In the previous parsha, we witness Yaakov receiving both the material and spiritual blessings from his father. Because Yaakov receives the material blessing, he is able to uplift the material world, to repair it with mitzot. Without the blessing of the first born (material wealth and mastery over his brother) the world of Torah would have remained spiritual only. It would not have had the power to enter the physical world.

Established in the Garden as a consequence of human beings awakening to Good and Bad, the separation of the physical and the spiritual would have remained. Had Esav received the blessing of the first born, the physical would have maintained primacy over the spiritual, creating chaos, continually shattering the vessels meant to contain light.

To Harran and Back

With that foundation, let’s review the story of Yaakov and Esav. When Esav realized his brother has stolen not only his birthright, but also his father’s blessing of material dominion, Rivka knows that Yaakov’s life is in danger. Before sending him to the land of Harran to choose a wife, Yitzhak gives Yaakov the blessing as holder of the covenant to carry on the legacy of Avraham.

From this we can see that Yitzhak always intended this blessing for the spiritual, G’d awakened Yaakov. Yaakov leaves for Harran, where he meets and falls in love with Rachel, the daughter of his father’s brother, Lavan.

Lavan is a man of trickery and deceit. He presents Lea instead Rachel for the marriage ceremony. And 10 times he changes Yaakov’s wages. And yet Yaakov prevails. Examples abound of Yaakov’s ability to “raise the sparks” — to repair and uplift. For example, Yaakov protected and multiplied Lavan’s herd:

Lavan said to him:
Pray, if I have found favor in your eyes…
I have become wealthy,
And YHWY has blessed me on account of you.

– Gen 30:27-28

And Yaakov’s response:

You yourself know
How well I have served you,
And how it has gone with your livestock in my charge.
For you had but few before me,
And they have since burst out into a multitude.
Thus has YHWH blessed you at my every step!

– Gen 30:29-30

After 20 years of hard work and attentiveness, on G’d command Yaakov gathers all that is rightfully his and leaves Lavan’s land to return home. When Lavan pursues him, Yaakov speaks of his fruitful service to Lavan:

It is twenty years now that I have been under you:
Your ewes and your she-goats have never miscarried,
The rams from your flock I never have eaten,
None torn-by-beasts have I ever brought you…

– Gen 31:38

Stones Mark a New Reality

Other examples of Yaakov’s ability to bring the spiritual into the physical involve stones. Nearing Harran, when he saw the beautiful shepherdess Rachel, Yaakov alone rolled the stone from the well so her camels could drink, a feat that usually required the strength of several men. This has the visual of opening oneself to the deep well of love, and life-supporting water.

Two other events involve stones as a physical marker of spirit. On the night when Yaakov dreams of the ladder he put his head on a stone pillow. With messengers going up and down the ladder, he received the promise of the covenant of Avraham through his line. Awestruck, he marks the spot with his stone pillow as a standing-pillar, vowing to make this place a house of G’d:

… he took the stone that he had set at his head

and set it up as a standing-pillar

and poured oil on tip of it.

– Gen 28:18

This became the site of the First and Second Temples. The ladder itself symbolizes the connection of the physical and spiritual worlds.

After serving his uncle for 20 years, Yaakov leaves with his family. Lavan pursues him, filled with ill intent. G’d again intervenes through a dream, warning Lavan not to harm Yaakov, his family and his flock. Yaakov prevails against this foe, marking with stones the line of truce between Lavan the trickster and Yaakov – holder of the covenant of Avraham:

Yaakov took a stone and erected it as a standing-pillar.

– Gen 31:45

Having diverted trouble with Lavan, more dangers await Yaakov and his family. At the end of Vayetzei, to return home he must pass through Esav’s land. Just before he reaches the border, he again encounters messengers of G’d, a promising portent for what is to come:

As Yaakov went on his way,
messagers of G’d encountered him.

– Gen 32:2

Chaos and Order

For this week’s practices, we will seek to bring into the spiritual world of divine Light into our lives. To continue our progression from the external to the internal, and ultimately, to bring the two together, in the marriage of heaven and earth. This is how we can be in tune with the Infinite and the rhythm of life. This beautiful, chaotic, ever changing life. This life right now, as we seek to apply our personal will to a deeper calling, and by so doing, allow for divine grace to guide our life.

WEEKLY PRACTICES: Spirit into Physicality

With the Soul Manifestation Process, we listen for divine guidance before setting our intention toward fulfillment.  The door opens through breath, light and sound.

Suggestion: Do one practice a day, or do all 6 consecutively. Remember… have your Journal nearby to jot down any insights that may arise.

Audio Recording – Coming Soon

Breath:

Sitting comfortably with an upright spine, breathe in and out through your nose. Inhale deeply. Exhale completely, eliminating all of the spent air in your lungs. Inhale deeply and focus on your abdomen. Exhale completely. Inhale and focus on your chest, then exhale completely. Once more, inhale and focus on your crown, and then exhale completely.

Breathing comfortably, bring to mind a sorrow that you hold. It could be a loss or a frustration… something that holds sadness for you. Breath it in, as if you are breathing in gray smoke. Breath in this sorrow. Right now, it is yours to feel. On the exhale, breath out pure, clear light. You are transmuting this sorrow into light.

After a while, consider others you know who have felt this or similar sorrows. Inhale this sorrow as the part of the human experience. Inhale gray smoke, exhale clear light. When you no longer feel the weight of this sorrow, when it has been spun into pure light, inhale pure light, exhale pure light. Sit with this peace, breathing in and out pure light. When you are ready, open your eyes and move slowly to awaken to normal reality.

Write about this experience in your journal. You are using the discipline of Tikun to repair the vessels broken by the chaotic power of Tohu. G’d bless you.

Contemplation:

Following your breath, mentally recite these contemplations drawn from the words of this week’s parsha and from the Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan:

Light:

With eyes closed, breathe in and out through the nose. Let your breath be gentle and refined. Imagine that you are standing in an open field at night. The night is perfectly dark. The moon and stars are not visible in this black landscape. Breath in and out this darkness. 

Begin to feel the pregnancy of the dark. Although you can’t see it, sense the manifested world all round you. Breath peacefully in this knowledge.

Now a sliver of light appears on the horzon. The earth has been turning toward the sun all the while. Dawn is breaking. Allow the morning light to fill the sky. When the sun peaks over the horzon, open your eyes. See with new awareness. What does your heart feel? What does the widsom of your heart say to you in this moment?

Sound:

Similar to mantra, to practice Wazifa is to repeat a Name (quality) of G’d. The meaning of the Name, which is encoded in the sound vibration, will be revealed to you through repetition and focus. This week’s Sufi practice with sound vibration will focus on bringing the spiritual world into the physical world around you: Ya Nur and Ya Munawwir. 

As a starting point, we can say that Ya Nur (yaa NOOR) is the essence of light, luminosity itself. Ya Munawwir (yaa mu-NOW-wir) is a form of the same root and means the one who illuminates.

Inhale: Ya Nur

Exhale: Ya Munawwir

As you rhythmically inhale and exhale, softly repeat each Name out loud, 33 times. Afterward, feel the effects of the sound vibration on your being.

Zikr:

Meaning “remembrance”, Zikr is the repetition of a sacred phrase with the intention of returning to the essence of Unity. Continuing from last week, we will repeat the central Jewish prayer known as the Sh’ma.

In Hebrew:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד

Shema Yisrael YHWH Eloheinu YHWH Echad

The Sh’ma can be translated as: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one”. LORD is the unpronounceable four letter word יְהוָה – YHWH, the Name of G’d that can’t be named. Instead, we’ll use the word “Adonai“, meaning Lord, or “HaShem“, meaning The Name.

When practicing Zikr, it’s best to use the original language in which the prayer was revealed. As you inhale and exhale, softly repeat out loud, 33 times. Afterward, feel the effects of the vibration on your being.

Nature:

Excellent! Now it’s time to return to the every day world, refreshed, renewed and reconnected. During the week pay attention to the play of light. How does light reveal color, shape and form in this ever-changing world?

Shabbat Shalom!

After 6 days of practice, when Shabbat arrives, observe how this week’s practices shape your Shabbat experience. Be sure to check in Sunday morning for next week’s parsha.

You are invited to comment on how the contemplations and practices for this week have shaped your experience of daily life… any big Ah-ha’s? Please share your thoughts and feelings below.

חַיִּים
L’Hayyim…. To Life!

Toldot – Genesis 25:19-28:9

Nov 15 to 21, 2020 | 5 Kislev 5781

Photograph by Basir Ted Yasi

Generations: Destiny and Free Will

Throughout Toldot, we witness two levels of reality: human and divine. To delve into this parsha, we must seek to understand human events in the context of divine will. In this parsha we are confronted with the play between fate and free will, destiny and choice — the same paradox each of us faces in our own lives.

The dynamic figure of the generation following Avraham and Sara is not Yitzhak (Isaac), but Rivka (Rebecca). It is she to whom G’d reveals the master plan for the future generations. And it is Rivka who devises the scheme to see that G’d’s will is carried out. Of the generations to follow, it is Yaakov (Heal-Holder) about whom many stories are told. And with the new name of Israel (G’d Fighter), it is his name that is given to the Jewish people.

Even in the womb, Yaakov and Esav wrestled, causing Rivka much discomfort. Inquiring as to the reason, YHWY reveals the master plan: 

YHWH said to her:

Two nations are in your body,

two tribes from your belly shall be divided:

tribe shall be mightier than tribe,

elder shall be servant to younger!

 – Gen 25:23

Of course we all know the deception that happens. Rivka plots with Yaakov to trick Yitzhak into believing that he is giving the blessing of the first born (material inheritance) to Esav. Ruminating on this, if Yitzhak trusted his hearing, he would not have been deceived. Not only was Yaakov unable to disguise his voice, he deferred to G’d in a way that would have been uncharacteristic for Esav:

Yitzhak said to his son:

How did you find it [hunted game] so hastily, my son?

He said: Indeed, YHWH your G’d made it happen for me.

– Gen 27:20

Blind Yitzhak trusted his senses of touch and smell, rather than his hearing. This reveals something of Yitzhak’s character, a man who admired the hunt and the field. However, in Torah G’d reveals Presence primarily through sound. And G-d’s voice (vibration / sound) is the first emanation in Bereshit: “G’d said, ‘Let there be light’.”  

Yaakov the Lineage Holder

May G’d Shaddai bless you,

may he make you bear fruit and make you many,

so that you become a host of peoples.

– Gen 28:3

Before Yaakov fled from his brother’s wrath, his father gave him the instructions to choose a wife from the daughters of his mother’s brother Laban, who lived far away in Aram. This blessing acknowledges Yaakov as the rightful lineage holder of the Covenant.

From Kabbalah, we learn that Rivka correctly perceived that being the lineage holder also requires Yaakov to be the inheritor of the rights of the firstborn (material wealth), not Esav as Yitzhak had intended. If we fail to put G’d first, before the material, then we will fall short of our destiny as Bestowers. For a more detailed discussion of the role of Ego and Bestowal, please visit the Kabbalah Blog.

Reflection: Where are YOU in the balance of your focus between the inner world and the material world? How do you live your life today? Which comes first? When we give material concerns primacy over the inner life, this can be called idolatry. Pause and reflect. Where in you is there room for growth?

Yaakov as Bestower

Esav was born first, just as the desire for self gratification, Ego, awakens before our ability matures to consider the other. Yaakov embodies the kindness and consideration of his mother. This is why Esav was the first born, and why the birthright needed to pass to Yaakov. This is the way we as human beings mature through life.

Refletion: What will it take for humanity to develop the maturity to consider the whole impact of our actions? When we collectively awaken to the other as oneself, the world’s problems can be solved.

Mirror of the Past

Another fascinating aspect of this parsha which is relevant to our lives is the repetition of the storyline. Going back to the Garden of Eden, we have eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad. When Kayne kills Havel, we witness the first murder. Later, human beings stray so far from how we were intended to live, that G’d was sorry for having created us. Thus, the Flood.

And so on through to this parsha, with the Esav / Yaakov dynamic. Another reocurring theme is G’ds preference for the shephard, the gentle soul seeking connection with G’d (Havel, Yaakov) over the man of the fields (Kayne, Esav).

Reflection: So I ask myself, in what ways does my present mirror my past? What themes repeat in my life, time and time again? And in your life?

“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation and when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Listening for Guidance

For this week’s practices, we will seek to open the door to divine guidance. To continue our progression from the external to the internal, and ultimately, to bring the two together, in the marriage of heaven and earth. This is how we can be in tune with the Infinite and the rhythm of life. This beautiful, chaotic, ever changing life. This life right now, as we seek to apply our personal will to a deeper calling, and by so doing, allow for divine grace to guide our life.

WEEKLY PRACTICES: Destiny and Free Will

The secret of inner guidance: On whatever the desire of the soul is fixed, to that the way is cleared and all hindrances are swept aside. If you unswervingly desire anything or to become anything, that you will become. … Whatever the self desires, that is its destiny.

– Hazrat Inayat Khan

With the Soul Manifestation Process, we listen for divine guidance before setting our intention toward fulfillment.  The door opens through breath, light and sound.

Suggestion: Do one practice a day, or do all 6 consecutively. Remember… have your Journal nearby to jot down any insights that may arise.

Audio Recording – Coming Soon

Breath:

Sitting comfortably with an upright spine, breathe in and out through your nose. Inhale deeply. Exhale completely, eliminating all of the spent air in your lungs. Inhale deeply and focus on your abdomen. Exhale completely. Inhale and focus on your chest, then exhale completely. Once more, inhale and focus on your crown, and then exhale completely.

Breathing comfortably, imagine pure white Light entering through your forehead. On the next breath, imagine this clear light filling your head. On the next breath, filling your upper body. And then your torso to your legs and toes, and down your arms to your fingertips. And now, breathe in the clear light of guidance and exhale light all around you. As you continue to breath comfortably, feel this light of guidance as it enters through your forehead, fills your body, and radiates outward in all directions.

With eyes closed and mouth relaxed and open, breathe in and out through your mouth.  This is the purification breath of Air. Sense the spaciousness in your body. As you exhale, imagine all of your molecules being scattered far and wide. As you inhale, recollect yourself through your Heart center in a more loving, harmonious, beautiful formation. Your inhale is the same length as your exhale, rhythmic and gentle. You are spreading yourself throughout the cosmos as you exhale, reforming yourself in Divine Light as you inhale.

Contemplation:

Following your breath, mentally recite these contemplations drawn from the words of this week’s parsha and from the Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan:

Light:

With eyes closed, breathe in and out through the nose. Let your breath be gentle and refined. Allow your breath to become shallow. Keep your body still. Breathe gently in and out through the nose. This is the subtle breath of ether. In this refined state, imagine Light entering through the top of your head, your crown center. Breathe in Light through your crown, exhale Light through the palm of your hands. Allow yourself to receive any shift in awareness that happens. No effort; simply receive in stillness. When you are ready, open your eyes and breathe fully, deeply. Feel a sense of gratitude for the experience of stillness filled with Light.

Sound:

Similar to mantra, to practice Wazifa is to repeat a Name (quality) of G’d. The meaning of the Name, which is encoded in the sound vibration, will be revealed to you through repetition and focus. This week’s Sufi practice with sound vibration will focus on receiving inner guidance: Ya Rashid and Ya Hadi. 

As a starting point, we can say that Ya Hadi (yaa haa-DEE) calls on the source of all guidance for the whole of humanity. Ya Rashid (yaa ra-SHEED) brings an established and clear consciousness that balances inner experience and worldly life.

Inhale: Ya Rashid

Exhale: Ya Hadi

As you rhythmically inhale and exhale, softly repeat each Name out loud, 33 times. Afterward, feel the effects of the sound vibration on your being.

Zikr:

Meaning “remembrance”, Zikr is the repetition of a sacred phrase with the intention of returning to the essence of Unity. Continuing from last week, we will repeat the central Jewish prayer known as the Sh’ma.

In Hebrew:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד

Shema Yisrael YHWH Eloheinu YHWH Echad

The Sh’ma can be translated as: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one”. LORD is the unpronounceable four letter word יְהוָה – YHWH, the Name of G’d that can’t be named. Instead, we’ll use the word “Adonai“, meaning Lord, or “HaShem“, meaning The Name.

When practicing Zikr, it’s best to use the original language in which the prayer was revealed. As you inhale and exhale, softly repeat out loud, 33 times. Afterward, feel the effects of the vibration on your being.

Nature:

Excellent! Now it’s time to return to the every day world, refreshed, renewed and reconnected.

When you wake up in the morning, recall this week’s practice. Take a moment each day to quietly inhale ya Rashid, exhale, ya Hadi. What does this practice awaken in you?

Shabbat Shalom!

After 6 days of practice, when Shabbat arrives, observe how this week’s practices shape your Shabbat experience. Be sure to check in Sunday morning for next week’s parsha.

You are invited to comment on how the contemplations and practices for this week have shaped your experience of daily life… any big Ah-ha’s? Please share your thoughts and feelings below.

חַיִּים
L’Hayyim…. To Life!

Hayei Sara – Genesis 23:1-25:18

Nov 8 to 14, 2020 | 27 Heshvan 5781

Watercolor by Nurullah Anya Godwin

Life of Sara: As Above, So Below

This parsha begins with the death of Sara, as it is told, because she knew of the apparent sacrifice of her beloved son, Isaac. Then why is the parsha named “The LIFE of Sara”?

As above, so below. Sara’s life, legacy and lineage continue with the spared life of Isaac. Her name Sara, “Princess,” reflects her refined status. Her purity and wisdom continue right through to the present. Life does not end in death of the body.

And where was she buried? In the Cave of Mahpelah – the cave of multiplying. As her bones lay deep in the ground, Heaven holds her spirit, multiplying her station throughout the ages. The story of Isaac taking Rivka (Rebecca) into his mother’s tent where he loved her is one more echo of this continuance.

In this way, the new level of human compassion, generosity and purity of heart of both Sara and Avraham is preserved. Now as then, their lives crystalize the capacity for us to awaken in knowledge of the One G’d.  Even after her death, the intention she brought to earth continues to multiply. As above, so below.

Sacred Oath

In Torah, an unexpected word reveals volumes. Here’s a riddle: Why did Avraham tell his servant, Eliezer, to put his hand under his thigh to take the sacred oath of finding the right wife for Isaac?

Reading from the Kabbalah masters, because of the mitzvah of circumcision, Avraham’s body was the most sacred physical object in his tent on which to make the vow. And what does that say about ourselves? That our body is sacred.

In Sufism we have a practice that reminds us and deepens our awareness of our sacred selves. On the breath we repeat the phrase – “This is not my body, this is the temple of G’d.” We will include this in our practices for the week.

Wellspring of the Heart

Self-denial is not renouncing things, it is denying the self. And the first lesson of self-denial is humility. Rivka’s actions at the well highlights her humility. When I teach Hebrew school to 4th and 5th graders, we delight in the story of Rivka. It is the perfect segue to discuss humility, generosity and loving kindness. Elementary age children brighten in the exploration of these Midot — qualities of the soul.

This entire parsha can be read as the rising above self-interest to serve. Our modern paradigm of self-development, self-confidence, self- is a mental construct that serves us well as children and teens. But as adults, it is time our to shift away from a hyper-focus on “personal growth” to one that blends in concern for community and connection.

You are invited to listen to a delightful podcast on how we can grow through service. Starting Tuesday, please listen to this inspiring conversation with Marilyn Saltzman: Cultivating Soul Qualities in the Service of Others.

More Subtle Clues

Another small detail that speaks volumes is the way that Rebecca offers water to the servant and then to the camels. Again from the Kabbalah masters – Rebecca lowered the pitcher so that when the servant drank, his face was not close to hers, which would have been immodest.

And now, the pitcher had become impure by a stranger drinking from it. But to spill the water on the ground could have been insulting. Pouring the water in the trough for the camels graciously handles that situation, benefiting all, including the thirsty camels.

Reflect on a time when you have shown the same gracious thoughtfulness, and perhaps one time when you could have chosen a more balanced way to interact.

Balance Creates Beauty

Avraham’s servant traveled with many camels laden with gifts. Pulling water from a well is hard, heavy labor. Why did Eliezer watch rather than help Rebecca? At first it seems unkind. However, since this was the key to finding the right wife for Isaac, the mother who was to continue the seed of a new people, the test had to be severe.

In the Tree of Life, Hesed balanced with its polarity, Gevurah, unifies in Netzah. Meaning Loving Kindness balanced with Discernment creates Beauty.

How does this inform us today? To find a mate to balance Isaac, and thus continue the covenant, Rivka has the humility and service that would continue Sara’s legacy to this very day. And she would be the mother of Jacob, seeing that his gentle qualities would benefit the lineage of the Jewish people. But that’s the next story.

For this week’s practices, we will seek to open the door to divine guidance. To continue our progression from the external to the internal, and ultimately, to bring the two together, in the marriage of heaven and earth. This is how we can be in tune with the Infinite and the rhythm of life. This beautiful, chaotic, ever changing life. This life right now, right in the heart of all the uncertainty and fear. And yes, joy and laughter. As we listen deeply to the sound of silence, we come to know humanity as one body united in the One Being.

From Hazrat Inayat Khan:

Man mistakes when he begins to cultivate the heart by wanting to sow the seed himself instead of leaving the sowing to G’d.

Self stands as a wall between man and G’d.

In man’s search of truth, the first lesson and the last is love. There must be no separation. No ‘I am, and thou art not.’ Until man has arrived at that selfless cosciousness, he cannot know life and truth.

WEEKLY PRACTICES: As Above, So Below

Mastery does not lie in merely stilling the mind, but in pointing it toward whatever we desire. – Hazrat Inayat Khan

With the Soul Manifestation Process, we tap into stillness before setting our intention toward the qualities we desire. Let’s bring “Heaven on Earth” with our practice this week through our breath, light and sound.

Suggestion: Do one practice a day, or do all 6 consecutively. Remember… have your Journal nearby to jot down any insights that may arise.

Audio Recording – Coming Soon

Breath:

Sitting comfortably with an upright spine, breathe in and out through your nose. Inhale deeply. Exhale completely, eliminating all of the spent air in your lungs. Inhale deeply and focus on your abdomen. Exhale completely. Inhale and focus on your chest, then exhale completely. Once more, inhale and focus on your crown, and then exhale completely.

Breathing comfortably, imagine pure white Light entering through your forehead. On the next breath, imagine this clear light filling your head. On the next breath, filling your upper body. And then your torso to your legs and toes, and down your arms to your fingertips. And now, breathe in the clear light of guidance and exhale light all around you. As you continue to breath comfortably, feel this light of guidance as it enters through your forehead, fills your body, and radiates outward in all directions.

With eyes closed and mouth relaxed and open, breathe in and out through your mouth.  This is the purification breath of Air. Sense the spaciousness in your body. As you exhale, imagine all of your molecules being scattered far and wide. As you inhale, recollect yourself through your Heart center in a more loving, harmonious, beautiful formation. Your inhale is the same length as your exhale, rhythmic and gentle. You are spreading yourself throughout the cosmos as you exhale, reforming yourself in Divine Light as you inhale.

Contemplation:

Following your breath, mentally recite these contemplations drawn from the words of this week’s parsha and from the Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Light:

With eyes closed, breathe in and out through the nose. Let your breath be gently and refined. Allow your breath to become shallow. Keep your body still. Breathe gently in and out through the nose.  This is the subtle breath of ether. In this refined state, imagine Light entering through the top of your head, your crown center. Breathe in Light through your crown, exhale Light through the palm of your hands. Allow yourself to receive any shift in awareness that happens. No effort; simply receive in stillness. When you are ready, open your eyes and breathe fully, deeply. Feel a sense of gratitude for the experience of stillness filled with Light.

Sound:

Similar to mantra, to practice Wazifa is to repeat a Name (quality) of G’d. The meaning of the Name, which is encoded in the sound vibration, will be revealed to you through repetition and focus. This week’s Sufi practice with sound vibration will focus on connection heaven and earth: Ya ‘Azim and Ya Jabbar. 

As a starting point, we can say that Ya ‘Azim (yaa ‘a-ḌḤEEM) means to experience the divine presence right in the midst of life – down to your bones. Ya Jabbar (yaa jab-BAAR) is an expression of divine power and healing strength that allows you to act in the world.

Inhale: Ya Jabbar

Exhale: Ya ‘Azim

As you inhale, hold and exhale, softly repeat each Name out loud, 33 times. If you are practicing daily, see the suggestion in the table below. Afterward, feel the effects of the sound vibration on your being.

Zikr:

Meaning “remembrance”, Zikr is the repetition of a sacred phrase with the intention of returning to the essence of Unity. Continuing from last week, we will repeat the central Jewish prayer known as the Sh’ma.

In Hebrew:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד

Shema Yisrael YHWH Eloheinu YHWH Echad

The Sh’ma can be translated as: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one”. LORD is the unpronounceable four letter word יְהוָה – YHWH, the Name of G’d that can’t be named. Instead, we’ll use the word “Adonai“, meaning Lord, or “HaShem“, meaning The Name.

When practicing Zikr, it’s best to use the original language in which the prayer was revealed. As you inhale and exhale, softly repeat out loud, 33 times. Afterward, feel the effects of the vibration on your being.

Nature:

Excellent! Now it’s time to return to the every day world, refreshed, renewed and reconnected.

When you wake up in the morning, recall this week’s practice. When do you feel most connected? When does self-grasping arise? The next time you feel you are in need of connection and renewal, practice the air purification breath. Breathe in and out through the the mouth, feeling the spaciousness of your breath. What affect does that have on your emotions?

Take a moment each day to quietly inhale ya Sami’, exhale, ya Basir. We are in the labyrinth of life, with the ability to see and hear in ways more subtle than the material world. What does your seeing, hearing heart tell you?

Shabbat Shalom!
After 6 days of practice, when Shabbat arrives, observe how this week’s practices shape your Shabbat experience. Be sure to check in Sunday morning for next week’s parsha.

You are invited to comment on how the contemplations and practices for this week have shaped your experience of daily life… any big Ah-ha’s? Please share your thoughts and feelings below.

חַיִּים
L’Hayyim…. To Life!