Dear
friends,
The 7th day of Pesach [ which begins Sunday night ] is a time of trust in the ONE ABOVE ----a trust so deep, that you are ready to leap into the sea ---a sea of a whole new way of being---to be born anew--- to actualize your trust in Hashem---- a trust that empowers you to overcome and do and become anything good that you set your heart on…..
IMPOSSIBLE COPE
Shalom and Blessings
1. 'And Hashem said to Moshe, “Why are you screaming [ie...praying
very intensely to Me]? Speak to the children of Israel and tell
them to proceed [ie...jump into the Red Sea]''’. Most of the
commentaries wonder why shouldn't the children of Israel be
desperately screaming in prayer? After all, they find themselves in
desperate straits. Every way they turn is immanently
dangerous----wild animals, an attacking blood-thirsty Egyptian army
and the ominous sea. Surely their shouts would be in order at this point. Isn't this the strategy that worked for them to set into
motion the whole process of redemption from the Egyptian exile?
2. The Holy Zohar teaches us that the danger of this situation was
beyond that of the Egyptian exile---both in the plain sense and in
the spiritual sense. What was demanded of the children of Israel in
the face of impossible odds, was a response of supernatural
proportions. As we've discussed a few times, Divine providence
reflects our behavior. Here the impossible challenge demanded of us
to react with an impossible response and thereby draw down in turn a
miraculous Divine display, the likes of which, have yet to be
experienced by mankind. In human terms, this would be expressed as
unleashing from deep within yourself a power only displayed by the
rarest of people in the rarest of situations. The Zohar's mystical
term for this phenomenon is 'ATIK.' The word ATIK means to remove
oneself...ie..to remove oneself from one's normal natural state and
thereby draw down the supernatural. ATIK is accessed by demonstrating
an Emuna [faith] that is proved by doing a corresponding extreme
action.
3. Esther's personal 'ATIK' story featured her risking her life at
the hands of the Persian King in order to save her people from a
holocaust. The Chanukah ATIK story depicts one brave Jewish family
willing to take on an entire Greek empire to uproot a spiritual
holocaust. People in all facets of everyday life are pushed into
situations demanding them to display these types of powers:
A recent story I heard, describes a mother who witnessed her young
child about to get hit by a huge truck [G-d Forbid]. With
supernatural speed and power she jumps into the street and with one
hand scoops up her shocked child and with the other hand
single-handedly stops the truck in its tracks. Superwoman?
No--she's just like you and me, but she unleashes ATIK! I'm sure if
we would jog our memories, we'd recall similar episodes involving
ourselves or others we may know......And what's the inevitable
Divine response----only the greatest and most supernatural miracles.
Now we understand a little better what G-d demanded of the
Israelites at the banks of the Red Sea. In order to respond with the
most awesome & miraculous spectacle known to mankind, the splitting
of the Red Sea, G-d demanded measure for measure the most awesome of reactions demanded of an entire nation who numbered in the
millions----'Everyone jump into the sea NOW!'
4. The tool---'An impossible response to an impossible
situation'----will by necessity vary from person to person and
situation to situation, but the essential elements remain the same:
a. After determining that you're in an impossible situation, where
even screaming and praying isn't enough [in order to clearly make
such an assessment, I suggest IF POSSIBLE, to take counsel with the
wisest people that are accessible to you----also it would be helpful
to scan your life history and find a similar situation that you can
compare to your present one and try to analyze what will work best.
b. Now comes the Emuna-filled'Leap' that your dire
straits-situation demands of you. Then with serene and crystal
clarity---- Leap my friend! And then be certain that G-d will
'follow suit' [so to speak].
[ ***note***This entire dynamic can be simulated even when there is
no urgency or danger---you can still take the LEAP to make an
'about-face' transformation in your life---more to come about
this....
Shabbat Shalom
Yitzchak
TRANSCENDING THE IMPOSSIBLE Healing
Exodus Chapter 14/15
The 7th day of Pesach [ which begins Sunday night ] is a time of trust in the ONE ABOVE ----a trust so deep, that you are ready to leap into the sea ---a sea of a whole new way of being---to be born anew--- to actualize your trust in Hashem---- a trust that empowers you to overcome and do and become anything good that you set your heart on…..
IMPOSSIBLE COPE
Shalom and Blessings
1. 'And Hashem said to Moshe, “Why are you screaming [ie...praying
very intensely to Me]? Speak to the children of Israel and tell
them to proceed [ie...jump into the Red Sea]''’. Most of the
commentaries wonder why shouldn't the children of Israel be
desperately screaming in prayer? After all, they find themselves in
desperate straits. Every way they turn is immanently
dangerous----wild animals, an attacking blood-thirsty Egyptian army
and the ominous sea. Surely their shouts would be in order at this point. Isn't this the strategy that worked for them to set into
motion the whole process of redemption from the Egyptian exile?
2. The Holy Zohar teaches us that the danger of this situation was
beyond that of the Egyptian exile---both in the plain sense and in
the spiritual sense. What was demanded of the children of Israel in
the face of impossible odds, was a response of supernatural
proportions. As we've discussed a few times, Divine providence
reflects our behavior. Here the impossible challenge demanded of us
to react with an impossible response and thereby draw down in turn a
miraculous Divine display, the likes of which, have yet to be
experienced by mankind. In human terms, this would be expressed as
unleashing from deep within yourself a power only displayed by the
rarest of people in the rarest of situations. The Zohar's mystical
term for this phenomenon is 'ATIK.' The word ATIK means to remove
oneself...ie..to remove oneself from one's normal natural state and
thereby draw down the supernatural. ATIK is accessed by demonstrating
an Emuna [faith] that is proved by doing a corresponding extreme
action.
3. Esther's personal 'ATIK' story featured her risking her life at
the hands of the Persian King in order to save her people from a
holocaust. The Chanukah ATIK story depicts one brave Jewish family
willing to take on an entire Greek empire to uproot a spiritual
holocaust. People in all facets of everyday life are pushed into
situations demanding them to display these types of powers:
A recent story I heard, describes a mother who witnessed her young
child about to get hit by a huge truck [G-d Forbid]. With
supernatural speed and power she jumps into the street and with one
hand scoops up her shocked child and with the other hand
single-handedly stops the truck in its tracks. Superwoman?
No--she's just like you and me, but she unleashes ATIK! I'm sure if
we would jog our memories, we'd recall similar episodes involving
ourselves or others we may know......And what's the inevitable
Divine response----only the greatest and most supernatural miracles.
Now we understand a little better what G-d demanded of the
Israelites at the banks of the Red Sea. In order to respond with the
most awesome & miraculous spectacle known to mankind, the splitting
of the Red Sea, G-d demanded measure for measure the most awesome of reactions demanded of an entire nation who numbered in the
millions----'Everyone jump into the sea NOW!'
4. The tool---'An impossible response to an impossible
situation'----will by necessity vary from person to person and
situation to situation, but the essential elements remain the same:
a. After determining that you're in an impossible situation, where
even screaming and praying isn't enough [in order to clearly make
such an assessment, I suggest IF POSSIBLE, to take counsel with the
wisest people that are accessible to you----also it would be helpful
to scan your life history and find a similar situation that you can
compare to your present one and try to analyze what will work best.
b. Now comes the Emuna-filled'Leap' that your dire
straits-situation demands of you. Then with serene and crystal
clarity---- Leap my friend! And then be certain that G-d will
'follow suit' [so to speak].
[ ***note***This entire dynamic can be simulated even when there is
no urgency or danger---you can still take the LEAP to make an
'about-face' transformation in your life---more to come about
this....
Shabbat Shalom
Yitzchak
TRANSCENDING THE IMPOSSIBLE Healing
Exodus Chapter 14/15
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, מַה-תִּצְעַק אֵלָי; דַּבֵּר
אֶל-בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִסָּעוּ
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
Just as the Holy Zohar teaches, that in order for the Israelites to be saved in this impossible situation, they needed to connect to a higher level of Divine Providence referred to as ‘Atika’ –which is expressed in their situation as acting with supernatural active trust by jumping into the Reed Sea and causing it to part for them and save them [this active sacrificial Bitachon /Divine trust reaches an even higher Heavenly level than screams and prayers do, and acts measure for measure, to draw down supernatural Divine Providence—in this case, of parting the Reed sea ]--------------------------so too by you-----------------whenever you find yourself in an impossible situation, emulate the reaction of our ancestors , by displaying extraordinary trust in Hashem in an active way, and thereby draw down extraordinary miraculous Divine salvation…what you do exactly, will depend on the situation at hand, but with Hashem’s guidance [and that of spiritual masters as well], you will be able to draw down miraculous salvation and transcend the impossible
THE CIRCLE DANCE Healing
Exodus Chapter 15/20
וַתִּקַּח מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה אֲחוֹת אַהֲרֹן, אֶת-הַתֹּף—
בְּיָדָהּ; וַתֵּצֶאןָ כָל-הַנָּשִׁים אַחֲרֶיהָ, בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלֹת
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Just as Miriam and the women of Yisrael were and are able to tap into a higher future world consciousness in the here and now more so than the men, who only projected a future world supernatural singing stance as a one time thing following the Reed sea miracle—as it says by the men, THEN Moshe and the children of Israel will sing their future world song—THEN , NOT NOW at any time they wish, and this future world consciousness, bespeaks a time when everyone will be complete in their state of consciousness and all will dance in a global cosmic circle—everyone with their own unique and independent and complete perspective--------------------------so too by you--------------- seek out the opportunities in life to tap into your own and other people’s enlightened states of consciousness, when you are not lacking anything---when all you need to do in order to express your spirituality is to simply be here and now…..the more you tap into these opportunities at the appropriate times, the more adept you will become—the faster you will become a complete and ‘here and now’ type of person
TRUST IN HASHEM BY DEMONSTRATING EXTRAORDINARY INITIATIVE
[‘And Hashem said to Moshe, “Why are you screaming at me, speak to the children of Israel [and tell them to] go forward [into the sea]” ’ ]
(Shmot 14/15)
KNOW that upon arriving at the Red Sea, Hashem demanded of the children of Israel , the highest level of Bitachon/Trust in Hashem…..they were in a extremely dangerous, almost impossible situation—they were threatened on one side with an army of Pharaoh and the Egyptians in pursuit, on another side with wild animals and on the other side with the sea, as well as some supernal forces calling for their demise [for being no better in their idolatrous ways than the Egyptians]……despite their understandable reaction of screaming [a response that initiated their Exodus from Egypt], Hashem let them know that this was not enough, nor was it enough to rise to the level of passive trust [as Moshe thought , in his call for them to stand by silently and watch how Hashem would fight for them]……Hashem asked them to proceed forward into the sea, an act that was totally against nature ---especially for an entire nation comprised of millions of men women and children….Hashem’s reasoning as taught to us by the Holy Zohar, was that this dire situation called for them to rise to the occasion of sacrifice and an active type of Bitachon that is based on them disconnecting themselves from their natural capabilities and ways of being and seeing and rising to a supernatural level, and thereby draw down supernatural miraculous salvation [ie..the splitting of the Red Sea] …… …………………………………. Experience a challenge in your life that seems almost impossible to cope with or to resolve…..experience how any and every ‘natural’ effort on your part has not nor probably will not help—and your only chance is to rise to a whole new level—to act in an extraordinary, almost supernatural fashion, and in doing so, trust that Hashem will respond in a similar way by rescuing you in an extraordinary, miraculous way……experience any similar situations that you have been in your past, and the resulting situation…..now jump!—jump into this extraordinary level of trust and action …………… …… ….Notice how the results of your ‘rising to the situation’ now and in the past , though it may have not drawn down immediate Divine reaction, nor the reaction that you expected, nevertheless, after all was said and done, the salvation came through, and you can count on it coming through in the future as well [when you display such trust] ….……
TRUST IN HASHEM BY KNOWING THAT ALL IS PERFECT AS IS
[‘And Miriam answered them, “Sing to Hashem …” ’]
(Shmot 15/21)
KNOW that the song and dance response of Miriam and the women to the miraculous Divine display of the parting the Red Sea, was different than Moshe and the men’s response in one very significant way—the women responded in a way that bespoke a future era of consciousness and the men did as well , but were not yet on a level that they could grasp it in their present state of being, unlike the women…..the level of future world consciousness, that they grasped, was a level beyond the present level of existence in the world---a level of hierarchy- a linear worldview, whereby the world, in it’s present state of lacking, demands one-upmanship whereby those who are lacking can receive from those who are not, and they in turn can turn around and bestow fulfillment to those who still lack……this future world outlook describes a world of people who lack nothing---rather, this future world reality is depicted by our Sages as a huge circle where everyone in the circle is complete [and not in need of anyone else, thus it's a circle shape and not a line]and is pointing to the center of the circle with Hashem standing in the middle and this imagery represents everyone’s unique individual completeness or ‘take’ on life…ie.. their pointing to Hashem is in effect pointing to their unique ‘take’ of him and of reality…………………………………. Experience your ability to access at least partially or superconsciously , a higher state of being---a state of perfection [in the midst of all the imperfection of your life]……experience this state of being by simply repeating the phrase, ‘Perfect As Is’ every 20 seconds or so, allowing your thoughts to wrap themselves around the idea that although you are in the midst of imperfection, nevertheless there is an Divine expression of perfection or perfecting at the same time---a perfection that is represented by Hashem bringing you exactly what you need to reach your perfection ultimately…..trust in Hashem’s goodness and perfecting guidance and nurturing ……………………….…… ….Notice how the more that you trust in Hashem’s goodness and see the perfecting and perfection in the midst of the imperfections, the more that you actually do participate in your own growth and perfection with joy and peace of mind……
Slonimer : Emuna and Bitachon
A
1. Emuna and bitachon are inseparable.
2. The essence of bitachon is made up of two parts:
a. To know that Hashem is the source of creation and all that happen (this is the emuna part)
b. To know that Hashem loves his Jewish people very much since we are his beloved child. This child is sure that his father will come through for him even if his is not worthy (this is the bitachon part).
This involves the belief in the royalty and holiness of the Jewish soul.
B
1. Just as emuna is all encompassing so is bitachon.
2. No matter how far we fallen, Hashem is there with us since we are his children.
3. This is true even at the moment when we sin He is still with us.
C
1. The verse says in tehilim 32 Vehaboteach bashem chesed yesovevenhu “One who trust in Hashem chesed encompasses him” suggests that a person with bitachon sweetens all harsh judgments and surrounds himself with sweetened providence. He does not have a trace of doubt whether this is G-d's will for him now or not. The question is “how can one be so sure”?
2. This question is answered by a number of bitachon verses and sayings of our sages in the midrashim which show that bitachon itself even if the person is unworthy is what draws down all that he needs.
3. An example of this is a midrashic story of a simple Jew who camp out outside the King's palace and wouldn't move even when being hit by the King's guards, he claimed his was a member of the King's household. When the King confronted him he admitted that he was lying he told the King "Nevertheless I trusted in your mercy" the King replied "Since you trusted in me, I'll let you go"
[see R. Kaplan handbook 2 1/3 "faith and trust are partners" since He will provide for his faithful one should not be overly concerned about the future - Also expound the ishtadlus & bitachon inverse formula - also discuss that bitachon is considered Netsach and not keter - Tamim tiyeh is considered a mitzvas asei according to a few opinions - also do the bita'hon and mikve tools]
4. The Ramban in his work Emuna and Bitachon says that even if you know that you are a wicked person, trust in Hashem and He'll come true for you (He brings a story about a thief when on his way to steal trust that Hashem will help him and he'll succeed).
5. The source of bitachon is to trust that Hashem wants only one's best in all situations. Even he is not worthy. This draws upon him a mirror effect type of divine providence reflecting his trust (Hashem is your tzilcha “shadow”). This type of trust transcends even the most difficult situations.
6. The Ohr Hachaim explains this type of bitachon as the source of Israel's salvation at the crossing of the red sea.
7. The formula for knowing how much hishtadlus (personal effort not based on divine trust) is needed is all dependent on the amount of clarity of bitachon-trust one has. One needs to do hishtadlus only to the extent that one feels that he can no longer permit himself to rely on trust alone.
8. Therefore King Chezkiyahu avoided Isaiah's prophecy of doom with his bitachon not to give up hope ever ("I received from the house of my father's father" a hint to a very transcendent kabbalistic level of bitachon)
9. This level of Bitachon also explains the miracles that happened to Nachum Ish Gam Zu.
10. Rabbi Elimelech of Lijensk teaches that with the proper level of bitachon, one can receive all his financial needs with absolutely no pain or effort (the Saba of Nevordik says that one can live like a King with the proper level of bitachon).
11. Two tools for one stuck in a hard situation:
a. Put oneself into bitachon consciousness
b. When eating something say the blessing sheakol niyeh bidvaro “all is in his hands” and have a strong intention about the blessing simple meaning.
D
1. The story illustrating Rabbia Aqiva's bitachon (Massechet brachos p60) that all that Hashem does is for the best demonstrates the power of bitachon to draw down divine chesed (the candle going out and the donkey and the chicken being silent saved his live...)
2. The Baal Shem Tov illustrates in a story of how a man bitten by an insect in his sleep unwillingly jumps out of bed and kicks over a bucket of water which puts out a potentially fatal fire. The believing and trusting man connects all the pieces together understanding how this and all seemingly unrelated events all unify in one divine providential purpose. This is brilliantly illustrated in the story of Esther on Purim.
3. Tehilim 92 demonstrates the power of bitachon King David say "Hashem is my refuge and fortress" and therefore since I trust in him even "thousand of evil forces will fall before you.
1. The story illustrating Rabbia Aqiva's bitachon (Massechet brachos p60) that all that Hashem does is for the best demonstrates the power of bitachon to draw down divine chesed (the candle going out and the donkey and the chicken being silent saved his live...)
2. The Baal Shem Tov illustrates in a story of how a man bitten by an insect in his sleep unwillingly jumps out of bed and kicks over a bucket of water which puts out a potentially fatal fire. The believing and trusting man connects all the pieces together understanding how this and all seemingly unrelated events all unify in one divine providential purpose. This is brilliantly illustrated in the story of Esther on Purim.
3. Tehilim 92 demonstrates the power of bitachon King David say "Hashem is my refuge and fortress" and therefore since I trust in him even "thousand of evil forces will fall before you.
Zohar Meditation 10
Jumping into the Sea
- מדיטציה קבלה פסח
– עתיק
Blessings for a transformative Holiday,
Yitzchak and Yitzchok
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