Vayeshev – Genesis 37:1-40:23

Dec 6 – 12, 2020 | 26 Kislev 5781

Photo by Basir Ted Yasi 

Two Driving Forces: Learning and Action

Rabbi Tarfon and the sages were assembled in Lod, when the query came before them: Which is greater, learning or action?

Said Rabbi Tarfon: “Action is greater.”

Said Rabbi Akiva: “Learning is greater.”

Concluded all: “Learning is greater, because learning brings to action.”

– Talmud, Kudushin

Channel for the Kingdom of David

This week we continue our exploration of two directions of spiritual purpose – Tzadikim and Teshuva. Learning and Action. Saint and Sage. Righteousness (Divine Presence) and repairing the world. Born of Rachel and Yaakov, Yosef is the Tzadik. His dominance in Egypt brought his family there — until the Exodus.

While Rachel and her sons embody the Tzadik – the righteous ones, it is Lea and her sons who express Tikun – the capacity to repair the world. Although learning precedes action, it is action that completes thought. In Jewish history long after the Exodus, with the rise of King David, the descendants of Rachel must accept the transition of leadership to the descendants of Lea.

A brief recap of the parsha Vayeshev, “And He Lived” –

In this beloved story, Yaakov’s favoritism toward Rachel’s firstborn, Yosef, causes his brothers to be jealous of him. When Yosef tells them his dreams of dominance, jealousy turns to hatred. Scheming to kill him, they throw him in a dry well. Although Reuben intends to save him, Yehuda sells him as a slave to a caravan of Ishmaelites.

Now what will they tell their father, Yaakov? History repeats. Just as Yaakov deceived his father by placing hairy goat skins on his arms to receive the blessing of the first born, the brothers slaughter a “hairy goat” and dip Yosef’s ornamented coat into the blood. Presenting it to their father, they said:

We found this;

pray recognize whether it is your son’s coat or not!

– Gen 37:42

After rising to trusted status in Egypt in the service of the Potifar, Yosef is thrown in the dungeon on the false accusations of the Potifar’s rebuffed wife. This parsha ends with Yosef in prison, having correctly understood the dreams of the Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker.

Hidden Meaning

The underlying meaning of the Yosef saga has far greater significance to the unfolding of the Jewish people than what meets the eye. Let’s dive right in. It’s often said that Judaism is Torah, the Priesthood (religion), and the Kingship (nation-state). Yosef represents Torah – G’d Consciousness. His half-brother, Levi born of Lea becomes the priestly lineage. And Yehudah (Judah) also born of Lea, holds the Kingship.

However, in this saga Yosef holds power over all his family members. This is a temporary power. Historically, it is the house of David who gains the Kingship. There’s a side story that never gets discussed in Sunday school – The story of Yehuda and Tamar. This union provides the lineage for the future King David. (See Gen 38:6-30.)

And why does this matter to you and me in our daily lives?

Destiny AND Free Will

We can awaken to the deep river of purpose, perfection and destiny, while maintaining free will. How? Not every detail is predetermined. For instance, Esav remained reckless and lost his birthright, blessing and his intended wife, Lea. He fathered the lineage of the Edomites, rather than being in the lineage of the Covenant as was his twin.

What helps me to understand how destiny and free will can live under the same roof is to think of the smoke of a stick of burning incense. It rises up and takes a familiar pattern. However, the specific action of each molecule of smoke is indeterminate and unpredictable: Variation within Pattern. Choice within Destiny.

We are all part of a larger plan and intention that continuously unfolds.  Check out this Kabbalah 99 Podcast episode with Kimba Arem: The Dance Between Destiny and Choice who discloses her near-death experience that revealed to her this truth: Destiny and Free Will co-exist right down to the very foundation of our lives.

Blessing or Curse?

Reflection: By being sold into slavery, was Yosef cursed or blessed When something apparently bad happens, good can come out of it.

Storytime: Have you heard of the story of the runaway horse? A man’s fine mare ran away. Such bad luck! She returns with a fine stallion – such good luck! The son who rode the stallion fell off, breaking his leg. More bad luck! The king’s men came through and took all the able-bodied males to fight in a war…. What appears to be a blessing may be a curse. What appears to be a curse, may be a blessing.

Although we’re not likely to be sold into slavery to become the second most powerful person in the land, our ability to see the good in what we don’t want builds resilience and humility. And it just might be our destiny unfolding…

Balancing Opposites

This week’s practices will show us a way to balance polarities in our lives. Not “either or”, but BOTH. Living with paradox, what our analytical minds cannot join as one, our hearts can contain. We will continue to build our capacity to create harmony in daily life — to journey with this Caravan of Awakening Souls, and ultimately, to bring together the outer and inner worlds in the marriage of heaven and earth.

As above, so below. As below, so above.

Through Breath, Sound and Light, we will tune ourselves to the Infinite and live harmoniously within the rhythms of this life. This beautiful, chaotic, ever changing, all-pervading Life.

Watercolor by Nurullah Anya Godwin

WEEKLY PRACTICES: Balancing Opposites

With the Soul Manifestation Process, we build an internal geometry that draws forth and balances divine qualities within ourselves. We discover our capacity to 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:

This week I’d like to continue the Sufi practice of Qasab. This week, we will add color to our visualizations.

This breathing practice balances the breath on the right and left sides, harmonizing and quieting the mind, centering us in the heart. The Tree of Life reflects these polarities: Chesed (Loving-kindness) and Gevurah (Severity); Netzach (Will) and Hod (Receptivity).

Colors: Red on the left, green in the middle, white on the right. 

With your right hand, use your thumb to close the right nostril. You will use your ring finger to close your left nostril. Touch your middle finger to the Third Eye for its balancing effect. Begin by closing your right nostril with your thumb and breathe in through the left to the count of 4 heartbeats. (If you can’t feel your heartbeat, imagine that you are breathing in to the count of 4 heartbeats). As you inhale, visualize the color RED.

Close both nostrils, hold your breath, and count 4 heartbeats. As you hold, visualize the color GREEN.

Now release the thumb and exhale through the right nostril for 4 heartbeats. As you exhale visualize the color WHITE. Practice this breathing pattern 3 times.

Now, do the reverse: Again with the right hand, close your left nostril with your ringer finger and breathe in through the right to the count of 4 heartbeats. As you inhale, visualize the color WHITE. 

Close both nostrils and count 4 heartbeats. As you hold, visualize the color GREEN. Now release the ring finger and exhale through the left nostril for 4 heartbeats. As you exhale visualize the color RED. Repeat this breathing pattern 3 times.

Finally, breathe through both nostrils: With the right hand in the same position, keeping your middle finger on the third eye, release both nostrils and inhale to the count of 4 heartbeats. As you inhale, visualize the color GREEN.

Close both nostrils and count 4 heartbeats. As you hold, visualize the color GREEN. Now release both fingers and exhale through the both nostrils for 4 heartbeats. As you exhale visualize the color GREEN. Repeat 3 times.

Rest your hand in your lap or by your side if you’re standing. Feel the balancing effects of this breath. What are you experiencing?

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 gently through the nose. Balance your inhale with your exhale. Keep your body still. Breathe gently in and out through the nose. In this refined state, focus on the right side of your chest. Visualize white light filling the right side of your chest. Breathe in white light, exhale white light for 5 breaths.

Now focus on your physical heart. Visualize red light filling the left side of your chest. Breathe in red light, exhale red light for 5 breaths.

Now focus on the center of your chest. Visualize green light filling the center of your chest. Breathe in green light, exhale green light for 5 breaths.

When you are ready, open your eyes and breathe fully, deeply. What is your experience of this balancing practice?

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 engage us in a polarity that can give us a sense beyond time.

Ya Awwal (yaa OW-wal) can be translated “the first,” and ya Akhir (yaa AA-ḳḥir) can be rendered “the last.” This is a mystical paradox. If G’d is infinite, how could G’d be first or last?

From Physicians of the Heart: “G’d is a first without a before, and G’d is a last without an after. Anything that is understood by the rational mind has to be in time, because the rational mind is temporal.” By practicing Wazaif, a condition beyond mind can be uncovered.

Recite the following, turning your head from left to right.

Left – Inhale: Ya Awwal

Right – Exhale: Ya Akhir

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:

This week, notice your sense of time. Be aware of the time of day or night. What is the effect of light on color? Notice when time seems to speed up or slow down. Do you glimpse moments of timelessness?

Coming Soon: For a direct experience of Sufi wisdom and insight, please listen to the podcast with the co-author of the book Physicians of the Heart — Pir Shabda Kahn, spiritual director of the Sufi Ruhaniat International. This universal Sufi lineage traces from Hazrat Inayat Khan and Murshid Samuel Lewis.

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!