Parsha Toldos

In this week's revelation of discovery we learn about the connections that Torah has internally within itself and externally in terms of bringing forth new ideas into our consciousness.

It is said that there is a singular moment when you just know a thing. Similarly there was a singular moment when Israel walked the desert that they knew they would be leaving and arriving at their stated intention of the Promised Land. This moment only arose because as with one ear they listened to Hashem.

The story from Bereshit onwards is the ongoing study of listening within. At each step we are asked to go further inside of that primordial point of expression deep inside the darkness that is light expressing the holiness that accompanies us every step of the way. Our journey has always been ordained from this same Bereshit. We are the makers made in the image of seeking our way of return to the One. What this means is that were we to remember for even the slightest instant what our original question was that brought us here the time of Messiah would be upon us as though there had never been a moment when we were without Mashiach.

In last weeks Parsha we spoke about Chet and Tav in connection with life and death.

This theme is continued here and further expounded upon in the Zohar Toldos verse 68

"They said that redemption will be in the sixth millennium. This was well said, but I see a longer time for the dwellers of the dust, who shall wait until the four hundred and eighth year of the sixth millennium, when they will rise. For this reason, the companions were stimulated by the verse that referred to THE DWELLERS OF DUST as the children of Chet, for Chet alludes to their rising after four hundred and eight (Heb. Chet Tav) years. As it is written, "In the year of this Yovel ('Jubilee') you shall return every man to his possession," (Vayikra 25:13) when this (Heb. hazot) shall be finished."

Here we have a prophecy and it is upon this prophecy and all that led up to this that we begin this weeks Parsha in the land of our spiritual awakenings. You have to realize by this time what Torah really is. It is the ongoing consciousness of creation, of the creator, of the self made and the self known combined with the mystery of unfoldment. It is this mystery we seek by expansion and connection within the Torah of holiness expanding and innovating our world as we go along. When we study Torah we walk inside of her paths coming upon certain passages that appeal to us simply because they represent an opening in mind through which we've been destined to walk through since Bereshit.

Throughout this Parsha we come upon many pairs, Jacob and Rebecca, Jacob and Esau, Esau and Isaac, Isaac and Jacob, and Abimelech and Jacob. These pairings are inherent to the understanding given here and elsewhere as will be shown by this midrash found in holy academy under the Tree of Life that encompasses all of Eden. There near a stream flowing rich and pure the following was a discussion reached there upon the most high.

Isaiah began the talk speaking about the letters and a story that just opened up to him in between the holiness that surrounded them all. The tale flows like this.

'Long before even the primordial point became known there were no coherent thoughts. This will be shown in a moment. Deep inside of the black hole of the deepest darkness there resided the holy letters. They looked neither left nor right being fixed in concept but as yet having no way to express this concept. It would take light to illumine each concept and as yet this kind of light did not exist. Still the letters were there pregnant in their power and all the while like a black hole absorbing all the energy of the universe within each indivisible yet uniquely shaped letter movement was not. Then out of this nothing the Yod being the most restless of all the letters turned ever so slightly. Lo and behold it witnessed the Heh and out of the astonishment now of both the Yod and the awakened Heh the two then formed together the upper triad of holiness called Chabad. When this initial thought of illumination the Heh immediately witnessed the Vav which then looked immediately back at the Heh taking the long way around so that the entire panorama of that which is was and always will be was firmly fixed in Vav's memory. Just at this moment when Vav was wondering how the Heh could be in two places at once Zeir Anpin or the lower triad of holiness was formed."

"What about the rest of the letters?" Rabbi Shimon the holy lamp inquired. All was complete silence for a moment and then the Ancient of Days began speaking with a great sonorous voice.

"All of the letters remained their place however, freed from their immobility they turned to face each other and then face the wonder that was YHVH. Each letter found that if they looked at just the right angle they could not only see their own reflections but they could also see the various unities that were formed by the combinations of energies that each represented. Their excitement began to build exponentially as they each had the realization that a unity was beginning to coalesce out of their excitement and their newly found relationships with each other. Still they remained in place. Then all turned to face YHVH. Something was happening to these letters. For the first time ever the mystery was unfolding and secrets were being revealed. It is in that initial moment of realization-revelation then that all of the letters recognized their divine connection. A vision appeared before them all showing all of their parts in the flowing forth of creation. The scene unfolded magnificently before them. As one they turned towards YHVH and the holiness surrounding them. A single question lay poised within before any of the letters could speak. The question contain all of the usual hows and why and so forth but cuminated in what? What did it all mean? Without blinking the answer came forth boldly and the Torah appeared to all of them. Instantly they all clammored to be first in line to become a part of the blueprint for creation. We all know the story told in the Sepher Yetzirah about how Bet became the first letter. What we don't know but have long suspected about how the Torah was written is contained in Bet's first remark once the issue of who would be first was resolved. It was of course, 'follow me.'

Moshe Rabbeinu reflected for a moment and said,

"Yes this reminds me of the time when the seas were to be parted and that first person walked up to his neck in the water with complete faith that the waters would part. Yes it is this kind of faith that sustains Israel."

The morning mist was forming in the Garden of Eden filtering the golden glow of the mystical sunrise as the members of the Holy Academy each began their morning meditations.

The theme of life and death is continued here in this Parsha along with the inevitable transformations that take place in between.

The connection to Hashem is always through the Shekinah. Isaac through the Shekinah asks for a son. Forget for a moment the physicality of what he is asking for. Think about what a son is and what he represents. A son represents continuity, the future. Beyond this in terms of mind a son represents the fulfillment of thought through the physicality of experience. The only way to reach up on high is through the pathways provided by the Shekinah. There the thought reaches its expression as holiness concurs so to speak in the direction that your thoughts are taking.

In this sense when the intellect descends into its emotions the Shekinah is activated causing the flow of divine light resulting in connection with YHVH.

Rebecca as we've stated before symbolizes the Shekinah. Inside of her, inside of the Shekinah, inside of the form that is to be nurtured and grown there are two forces striving for expression. This is a natural outcome of the Shekinah. Spiritually the word of truth continues endlessly however this word of truth also must manifest and produce offspring of itself. The distance between what is called spiritual and what is called physical may be measured by how much of our attention is on holiness or on worldly matters. It is the difference between trying to listen to that voice within and ignoring it. A life may be compared to the Torah in this way. When the Torah was written the letters worked together in unity to produce a blueprint for creation. In the same way our thoughts are the blueprint of our very own experience of creation. When there is Torah in our thoughts we carry within us the pattern of holiness to guide our lives. This blueprint of Torah is found in a word or a phrase or a passage. The point being that we have chosen just like the letters have in our story above to weave unity into our lives and to make that the very fabric of our existence. If we do not choose unity the consequences are that we are forced to react or to be reacted upon by the world at large. We are not able in this case to see the flow of holiness or even the flow of our own thinking in our lives. The Shekinah is our guide in all of this by providing an emotional response to which direction we have chosen to take. When we choose holiness or choose to have thoughts of holiness the Shekinah responds with her answering call within. If we do not make the effort she makes no response at all.