Friday, January 26, 2007

Verse 189 And master, you are the one who told us in Rabbi Yochanan's name that there are only two arms of the world." He replied: Yes. But here "rays" allude to the two rays that are below them. And what are they? He said: With the anger of your head. And what is above? He said: The fear of God.

Commentary: What we are talking about here is the extension of awareness that takes place in response to one level influencing another level. There is subtle interplay of energies taking place between thoughts and our emotions. When it says the anger of your head we are talking about a projection of thought that starts out below and then ascends naturally by the attraction of what is called the fear of God. The pathways within are described in this manner in order to convey the spatial confluences of the various levels of discovery engendered by these questions and answers. The techniques used here throughout the Bahir and its corollary the Zohar apply to the study of consciousness through direct inquiry.

190. And what is the fear of God? It is the first light. Rabbi [Meir] thus said: Why is it written (Genesis 1:3), "And God said, 'let there be light,' and there was light"? Why does it not say, "and it was so"? But this teaches us that the light was very intense, so that no created thing could gaze upon it. God therefore stored it away for the righteous in the Ultimate Future. This is the measure of all merchandise (Secorah) in the world. It is also the power of the precious stones that are called Socheret and Dar. And upon what is the attribute of Dar? This teaches us that God took a thousandth of its radiance, and from it He constructed a beautiful precious stone. In it He included all the commandments. Abraham came, and He sought a power to give him. He gave him this precious stone, but he did not want it. He was worthy and took Kindness as his attribute, as it is written
(Micah 7:20), "Kindness to Abraham." Isaac came, and He sought a power, but He gave it to him and he did not want it. He was worthy and took the attribute of Strength, which is [called] Terror. It is thus written (Genesis 31:53), "And Jacob swore by the Terror of Isaac his father." Jacob came and wanted it, but it was not given to him. They said, "Since Abraham is above and Isaac is below him, you will be in the centre and take all three." What is the centre? It is peace, as it is written (Micah 7:20), "You give Truth to Jacob." Truth is identical with Peace, as it is written (Esther 9:30), "Words of Peace and Truth." It is likewise written (2 Kings 20:19), "For peace and truth will be in my days." This is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 58:14), "I will feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father." This is a complete inheritance (Nachalah), comprising Kindness, Terror, Truth and Peace. It is therefore written (Psalm 118:22), "The stone despised by the builders has become the chief cornerstone." This is the Stone that was despised by Abraham and Isaac, the builders of the world, and that then became the chief cornerstone.

Commentary: What is this first light? It is the moment of aha when you make the discovery within that has been sitting there on the tip of your tongue. This is the light as is said above that was stored away for the Righteous. Then it goes on to say that it is the "measure of all merchandise (Secorah) in the world." Let's think about this process. When you encompass an idea to the point that it thrills you this represents a raised state of discovery within. This discovery within may be extended without. This is where the idea of merchandise comes into play. The merchandise represents all of those things which mirror our expressions. Think about this. No matter what it is what your are thinking about that will make your world and your ultimate happiness. That is why we
are talking about these stones Socheret and Dar. They are symbolic of this first flash of inspiration that must be followed up on in order to uncover the secrets of our lives. Each of us receives the power that is closest to our inmost nature. Abraham received Kindness and Isaac, Terror while Jacob received Peace which the text reminds us is the same as truth. Let’s take a look at this center that is called Peace that is the stone the builders rejected. Consciousness proceeds from the Mystery yet our connection to Mystery is in myriad ways. As we see in this verse Abraham connected via Kindness and Isaac connected via Terror more commonly known as the fear or awe of Hashem. It is only Jacob who is able to maintain the center. This attribute of the center is where thoughts of Hashem arise in their pureness most powerful form. It was natural for Jacob to assume this level due to the evolution of thought that had been taking place ever since Abraham reached up and was connected-contacted here in Gen 12:1

‘Now the LORD said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee.’

And then when he calls there upon the name of the Lord in Gen 13: 3-4

(3)And he went on his journeys from the South even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai; (4) unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and Abram called there on the name of the LORD.

There comes a moment in our lives when we realize that our thoughts are much more than random associations. They have meaning and keep growing in depth and higher in wisdom as we ourselves learn how to listen to the dictates of this inner dialogue making the necessary corrections in order to unify our awareness within the totality of being. When we speak about what Abraham received and what he was given it is noteworthy to mention this first contact, which comes from Hashem and continues until we have Abraham actively seeking this contact-connection at the altar he has made.
The complete inheritance or Nachalah is comprised of both the ability to receive the word of Hashem and the calling to reach for Hashem as in asking for this connection-contact to be a part of you during the times you need it the most. Man has to be active in his ascent becoming conscious of the pathways that lead to Hashem. It is this complete unity that Jacob symbolizes and this is the stone that the builders rejected in that they reached a certain level of unity and went no further. The level of unity intimated by Jacob’s attainment is that of the resolution of opposites that occurs in Mind as various forces are balanced in its center.

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Parsha Bo:

Pharaoh recognizes Hashem repeatedly in this Parsha yet refuses to yield to Moses’ demands. This recognition is of the name that was given to Moses especially due to his level of understanding yet Pharaoh too seems to be familiar with Hashem as he keeps referring repeatedly to Hashem. Yes we know that Hashem hardens Pharaoh's heart in order to make the lessons more dramatic but this doesn't explain Pharaoh's knowledge of Hashem. Also when Moses explains the locusts plague Pharaoh seems to relent and allow them to leave.

Ex 10:10 'And he said unto them: 'So be the LORD with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones; see ye that evil is before your face.'

Then the next line:

Ex: 10:11 'Not so; go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that is what ye desire.' And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.'

What happens next is not the Exodus but rather Hashem continues with the plague of locusts. Something is missing here since Pharaoh repents later to get the locusts removed. It appears as though Hashem has acted without waiting for Pharaoh to change his mind. It is a break in the pattern for sure. A deep mystery is revealed here having to do with the nature of Hashem in terms of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Here is how.

Start from nothing and expand into Infinity. What is it that we have to say or think about? It is always that which is was and always will be? How do we even define our terms of reference? Look around you now. Everything has a name and a description which ties to that name. What about your feelings? Yes they have a name too albeit their descriptions change with our mood from moment to moment. The interplay of perception on a grand scale consists of understanding followed by an even deeper more intimate knowledge that stretches forth through the expanding levels of awareness.

What we name a thing becomes that thing. If we see a clock without the awareness of what it is we will never be able to tell its time. Likewise if we think about something we will never be able to understand its meaning without the descriptions that are inherent in it from the unique perspectives we attain. In the case of Pharaoh his only actions are inactions. Pharaoh only acts accordingly to what Hashem through Moses makes take place. The final freedom happens not because Pharaoh decides to let the people go but rather that Moses through Hashem has decreed that moment of freedom has come and moves forward as if it had taken place already.

We tend to think of Hashem performing all of these miracles, however, it is Moses who stretches out his hands. It is Moses who is the actor. There is no divine intervention without the performance of human action. There must be connection before transformation and then freedom may be experienced. There are four players in this saga.

Four Players

Pharaoh is the force of resistance in charge of the negativity brought about by a lack of connection with Hashem. This represents the mundane world without hope of renewal which eventually must decay resulting in being enslaved to reaction and the status quo.

Children of Israel: These are our thoughts that seek to expand their expression and are thwarted by the myriads of thoughts that abound. They seek the light but are caught in eddies of indifference or materiality. This creates the chains of illusion that bind the mind desperately seeking its freedom of expression. This freedom of expression represents our creative innate ability to expand the boundaries of our status quo.

Moses is the link between both the Children of Israel and Hashem. It is through Moses that the connection with Hashem is established. This connection represents the liberating force that frees the mind from its repetitive thinking or the materiality of sensation. Moses tells us that yes there is a way out and that yes we can indeed look forward to the expression of our thoughts in concert with Hashem. It is through Moses that the idea of the Promised Land of the fullest expression of our Intentions is brought into being.

Hashem is the indwelling energy of positive creation called in the beginning when Elohim said that it was good. It is this energy that we are continuously trying to connect with. It is the energy of fulfillment which flows out of the Tree of Life through the river that runs through Gan Eden.

Attach to the Tree of Life

In every situation we are called upon to either react to outside influences or to act in such a way as to influence the world around us. When we react we are attaching ourselves to the Tree of Knowledge taking from what we already know without thinking about what we may learn from this experience. It is a closed loop. When we act in such a way as to influence outside events we are starting with the premise that there is something beyond our reactions that may be employed to transform the world as we know. This transformation may only take place if we attach ourselves to the Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life allows us to connect with the energy of Creation in such a way as to align our Intention-Kavannah with the natural flowing forces represented by the Sephiroth on this Tree of Life. This is what Moses is trying to accomplish here. Remember that Moses represents the connection between Hashem and the Children of Israel.

What the text is telling us is that through the medium of this connection we may obtain our freedom from the status quo ruled over by Pharaoh. Pharaoh represents the highest form of subjugation which is our buy into the entire situation believing that it was meant to be instead of being subject to higher thought. It is this buy-in that Moses is trying to break through and transform into the freedom of a consciousness that is attached to the Tree of Life where decisions are always made in concert with Hashem. These decisions tie into the most important decision of all; what should I be listening to?

What am I listening to?

When thoughts arise it is there that we have our choices to make. Do we follow those with negativity or do we push these aside and seek the higher thoughts that lead us creatively to the place we want to be. This is illustrated in this Parsha by the concept of the first born.

The First Born

Ex: 13:5 'and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the first-born of cattle.'

Hashem kills the entire first born of Egypt without exception. All the firstborn of Israel he passes over due to the blood on the lintel and sides of the door. What is the significance of the first born here? It is the initiation of evil or that first thought of evil that arises in the mind like a wild screaming monster calling us to pay attention to it and to build upon its evil by reacting to it. We react by making excuses for it and then by projecting it on the others. It is this first born thought of evil-chaos-Egypt that is killed by Hashem. It is killed by the recognition of the connection that is to be established between Moses and the Children of Israel (our thoughts that seek liberation) via Hashem our connection to the Tree of Life. The Children of Israel are spared because Hashem passes over them because of the blood that is displayed. The blood is a symbol of our connection to the Tree of Life via our life force. Remember Hashem does not perform without our actions here below. There cannot be any life force without the releasing the creative energy both physically and psychologically. When we pray we are in effect opening ourselves up to this energy of creation so that our first born thoughts are consecrated by Hashem.

This brings up the next portion of the idea of the first born that is discussed here.

Ex: 13:2 ''Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is Mine.'

What does this mean in terms of our consciousness? We’re talking about the inspirations we daily receive from Hashem concerning our life choices. These choices are about the right thing to do. They are about performing mitzvoth in response to these thoughts that come in by the grace of Hashem. These are the thoughts of the good inclination that is attached to the Tree of Life. They are the one’s that are consecrated to Hashem. The verse above talks about the ‘whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel.’ This womb is consciousness pregnant with the creations that continuously issue from Hashem. When we have ears to hear these creations will become a part of our life. They will then share the blessings of Hashem with others in the form of the mitzvoth that we are a part of.

It becomes a simple case of choosing the best and leaving the rest behind.

This idea of the first born takes us further within the deepest corridors of consciousness. It also gives us a clue as to how thought itself arises and how it is shaped by the connection we have with Hashem. Let’s take this down to the personal level of our everyday affairs. The scenario plays out individually for us as follows:

When a negative thought arises we are almost certainly reacting to something that has happened to us. A reversal of fortune, an unkind word, an illness or any one of a number of events without, influences our thought atmosphere. The initial impulse is to react negatively to these events. This is only natural. However it isn’t this initial impulse that gets us into trouble but rather it is the continuation of this impulse leading to subsequent offshoots of this negativity causing a spiraling effect. This spiraling effect leads downward. The vibratory rate of our consciousness devolves causing further degradation in our lives leading to more and more chaos until the ultimate chaos death. We can however, stop this spiraling downwards by cutting off or killing this negative thought at its point of entry exactly as Hashem kills all of the first born of Egypt before the Children of Israel are able to be set free. This process and its antecedents are to be covered in the ensuing Torah portions.

B’H”
Mark Siet

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Parsha Vaera:

Kabbalah explains that consciousness is the deciding factor in all of our actions both above and below. The key force that determines the direction of consciousness is contained solely in the recognition that is detailed in this weeks Parsha Vaera. When Hashem speaks to Moshe he tells him that YHVH is the same Elohim as was known by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob called El Shaddai. The subtext is still that this is the same 'I am that I am' that spoke to Moshe when he asked who shall I say has sent me. This is pure being and is the place where consciousness originates from. In essence it is the all pervading essence of G-d contacted through connection and sustained by mitzvoth through the intermediary of Shechinah or the feeling nature of connection. This is a concept that cannot be easily explained to a people that live in the darkness of Mitzraim tied to the materiality of existence. The announcement by Hashem of this new revelation is meant to give the children of Israel a central unifying core. It is one thing to rally around a King or a strong leader. The equation however, changes completely when the children of Israel will be asked to rally around an idea. This idea is meant to raise their certainty in terms of their own consciousness so that they will ultimately believe in their own deliverance from Mitzraim.

Ex 6:3 "and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by My name YHWH I made Me not known to them."

This is a signal moment in the life of Israel and Moshe. It is a new revelation. A higher truth is being presented. It is the truth that within consciousness the light of Hashem always shines. What is that light? It is the way out of darkness. What is this darkness? It is our illusory bondage to our doubts. These doubts are the taskmasters of our consciousness ultimately set free by our connection to that light.

When we first begin this section there are three sets of doubts presented. First the children of Israel will not harken unto Moshe when he speaks to them concerning all that Hashem will do. Then there is Moshe himself who when faced with this lack of faith asks Hashem how he can pull this off when these children of Israel show their faith lacking. Lastly of course there is Pharaoh who initially dismisses Moshe's demands because his magicians are able to match the wizardry of Moshe.

Pharaoh however may only act in the way that Hashem dictates. He becomes of mirror for the doubts of both Moshe and the children of Israel who are still not convinced even after the many plagues have been demonstrated. What we are witnessing here is the perception of Moshe in terms of how he understands 'I am that I am.' Moshe it turns out may only be successful in convincing Pharaoh to let his people go when Moshe accepts this finality for himself. We are led to think about this in terms of an anthromorphic G-d who commands all of these events to take place.

The inner deeper meaning concerns Moshe's conception of G-d and how G-d works in the world within and without. We have to remember that this is a voice that Moshe is hearing-listening to. Similar to a television or radio receiver Moshe has to tune his mind to that of Hashem in order to hear what Hashem is saying. In spite of the clear message of 'I am that I am' Moshe continues to doubt Hashem as witnessed by the prerequisite hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Even though Moshe is a channel for the power of Hashem, he is still living in Mitzraim. The plagues are a symbol of his growing awareness not only of the power of Hashem but of his own intimate connection as well with this power.

These doubts are our preconceived ideas about the status quo concerning the darkness of our situation. Just because a negative situation exists in the present doesn't mean that it must persist indefinitely. The entropy of darkness in fact makes this a given. Change is inherent. The purpose of all of the ensuing plagues makes this point most emphatically. The power of Hashem is unquestioned. In order to convince Moshe and the children of Israel of the efficacy of this new revelation, Hashem hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he will not let them go too easily. Hashem must be proved in the sight of all. Such is the extent of this new revelation that it must be shared across the board with all of Israel.

This sharing of the light or the revelation will gradually remove the darkness completely leading to the liberation of the children of Israel. What is liberated? It is our consciousness. This liberation means that we are then free to connect with the light. This light is represented by Moshe who speaks for Hashem.

Ex 7:1 'See, I have set thee in God's stead to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet...'

This is the unity of connection later symbolized by the SHMA. What this is saying is that when Moshe speaks to Pharaoh G-d is speaking albeit through the prophecy of Aaron. What is this prophecy of Aaron? It is the innate linkage between the cause and the effect. Moshe symbolizes the vibration of unity wherein whatsoever is spoken by Aaron is reflected therefore without. Moshe is the mold maker while Aaron is the one who pours the material into the mold to become the demonstration of the forms that the awareness will now witness. Moshe is our own recognition of the intimate connection each of us has with Hashem. Aaron then is the foretelling of the plans we have made in concert with this intimate connection that cannot help but reproduce themselves. Another way to look at this is that although Moshe has received this revelation he is unable to explain it in terms that the children of Israel will be able to comprehend.

It is only through Aaron that the revelation will be brought through to the people and demonstrated before Pharaoh.

Let's take a look at this dilemma. The idea or revelation is this:'I am that I am.' What this is saying according to Kabbalah is that consciousness is both the container and the contained. There is nothing else besides consciousness. Our thoughts are the framework of the universe and these thoughts demonstrate themselves throughout the four worlds of Kabbalah. How can we explain this concept to someone who is immersed in the materiality of the world around them. It is kind of like trying to explain three dimensional space to a two dimensional being. There however, remains a way in which we may understand this concept more directly. The major clue that is given is given by Hashem, YHVH. There is a mystery surrounding this name that is revealed when we consider the revelation of this name, 'I am that I am.' Whatsoever we call ourselves in thought that is what we will become or take on in our experience. Now thought encompasses the totality of being. It is this super grand mega structure of an ideation nexus that is both infinite and particular at the same time. In order to transform our being we need only transform our state of mind by directing our thoughts towards this mysterious name. What we are doing by partaking of this kind of direct focus is called the unification of the name or the "unifying with the name." This unification takes place within the revelation of "I am that I am," represented by YHVH as the outer level of the inner ineffable conceptual construct.

The way forward through all doubt will be explained in the next Parsha. In closing this weeks commentary let's cite The Zohar in its section on Vaera

7. "Another explanation ..."Trust in Hashem forever" (is that) a person has to strengthen himself in the Holy One, blessed be He, throughout his life. No one can harm one who properly places his trust and strength in Him, since one who places his strength in the Holy Name endures forever. 8. What is the reason, ... since the world endures by His Holy Name. This is the meaning of: "For Yah Hashem is an everlasting (lit. 'worlds') rock (Heb. tzur)" (Yeshayah 26:4), (which means) the former (Heb. tzayar) of worlds. For by two letters were the worlds created, this world and the World to Come. This world was created with Judgment and is maintained, on Judgment. This is the meaning of: "In the beginning Elohim created" (Beresheet 1:1), The reason is so that people would conduct themselves according to judgment (law) and would not digress from the path."

What is this judgment or law? It is the law of consciousness reflecting itself endlessly. When we are given the concept of creation through attaching ourselves to Hashem there is nothing that we can think of that can be kept from our experience. Each level of understanding then brings with it a corresponding reflection in our experience. B'H"

Mark Siet











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Friday, January 12, 2007

The detail of attention

The flow and direction of your thinking first begins by the words you use within your mind to guide you along the pathways that you are seeking and keeping your attention upon. 

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Here is this weeks Parsha Shemot.
Change the world by changing your mind one universe at a time. Our modern perceptual constructs still cling to the old world divisions of separation thinking that physical reality has to be overcome by physical solutions. It is after all the mind set that must be changed, however this process is elusive. How this may be accomplished relies upon the unitary principle of connection with Hashem.

One man making that connection is all that is needed. The true challenge of our times is to open our minds in such a way as to make this possible in the same way on a football field the offensive blockers open up the way for that lone runner to achieve the goal post at the opposite end of the field. I cannot stress enough the limited capacity for change when working solely in Assiah or the world of effects. Time which is the motivator of progress can only be dematerialized within the higher levels. Some might say that thinking in this manner is simply pipe dreaming, however now is the time for the generation of Sinai of which we baby boomers represent to come to the fore with our remembrance of the Garden of Eden reality consciousness.
It might be considered to be strange that the root of our solutions should lie at the root ofour faith, the single most important moment in all of Torah, Eheyeh Asher Eheyeh in response to Moses query in this weeks Parshah Shemos. 'I am that I am or the extension of this being I will be what I will be and I always was.
Therein is Time nullified and all power brought to bear on any and every situation that may present itself including the current on involving 'escalation.'
This is the central core of this Parsha and perhaps the seed thought that brings us once again into the reality of Gan Eden. Let's look at the symbols. The children of Jacob all reside now in Egypt. Jacob
represents the idea of connection with Hashem which he earned the right to takepart in via his actions here on earth and his actions through prayer above most notably his struggle with the angel resulting in the blessings that are promised to him. These blessings are eternal and only need the right soil so to speak in which to spring forth. That soil is prepared by the darkness of Mitzraim which fertilizes the waiting blessings like no other medium could. All seeds spring forth in darkness responding to moisture, the season and the ever present light.
A new King arises in Egypt. Curious here that it isn't called Pharaoh but a Melech Chadash. This King symbolizes the mind set that victimizes Israel. Pharaoh symbolizes their affliction as their chief taskmaster. You see it is always the task driven cultures that lose sight of Hashem. Israel was kept busy, too busy it would seem for any of their number to figure out the ancient wisdom that lay waiting inside of them for their redeemer.
Moses is placed upon the waters symbolizing the moisture necessary for the germination of any seed.
Moses is nursed by his true mother and raised by Pharaoh's daughter. Forget the Ten Commandments movie story with Moses going around with his brother Ramses. Great story but misleading for the purposes of higher wisdom. Pharaoh's daughter represents the light that can never be extinguished even in the depths of Mitzraim where the unseen hand has its way showing compassion to those who might have thought themselves lost.
Moses first comes on to the scene witnessing the harsh treatment of his brethren. We have to assume by this time that he knows about his heritage and his first act is to slay an Egyptian. Moses has taken the first step in liberating Israel. What does this mean? Egypt represents the way of chaos that is for the time being keeping Israel in darkness. Israel does not realize its own inner light and what Moses does is to remove one hindrance to that light. What does he kill? He kills the thought of oppression that prevents us from rising higher within ourselves to connect with Hashem. Moses represents our own inner ability to overcome our doubts and ultimately 'the bread of shame' that keeps us from being connected via a clear channel to Hashem all the time. More on this later.
Israel represents all of those thoughts of liberation, creativity, freedom, connection and unity that was passed on from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob via the blessings that all received from Elohim or the higher power of
consciousness. Moses must flee from darkness at this point or risk becoming enveloped by it as the people Israel are not ready to unify with him and their own destiny. Where does he go? He arrives in Midian.
Midian was the fourth son of Abraham by Keturah (Abraham's wife after Sarah's death, Gen. 25:1-6). In Hebrew Midian means strife. Moses comes here because he finds himself in a spiritual crisis. He is halfway in his understanding in a no mans land poised between the strife of indecision and the yearning for definitive answers. Here in Midian he finds himself with descendants of Abraham. He is met by the seven daughters of the priest of Midian symbolizing the Tree of Life from Chesed through Malchus. It is through Reuel who carries a portion of the secret knowledge that Moses will be drawn to Sinai. This is evidenced in the transformation of Reuel into Jethro. Reuel translates as 'friend of God' in Hebrew while Jethro translates close to 'wealth, riches, abundance.' This transformation in names here illustrates how Moses has grown in his understanding of G-d. He goes from 'so to speak' a friend of a friend (of G-d) to being imbued with the richness of the understanding that Jethro is able to impart to him. It is Jethro who prepares him for his upcoming spiritual journey.
At last Moses goes up to the mountain of G-d while keeping his flock. The inner man seeks the higher wisdom keeping his thoughts on high (his flock) or in a calm meditative state of mind. The angel of G-d appears in the burning bush. Moses has a spiritual revelation. The bush that burns is symbolic of the higher wisdom he has now encountered full on for the first time. It is also the Shekinah sent to act as intermediary between man and Elohim. He seeks to find the meaning of this mystery and approaches closer but is told to take his shoes off for this is holy ground. What this means is that he must leave his lower thoughts behind in the presence of this higher wisdom. When Hashem speaks Moses is frightened and hides his face. The higher wisdom cannot be encountered (understood) directly but must be shielded from our minds eye because of its dazzling light as allegories are explained to show a deeper meaning of things. This comprehension must come in its own time.
Hashem is the connection that Moses makes within. It is the inner voice raised to exaltation or the pure channel of inspiration. Elohim wants to send Moses to deliver his people. Moses seeking within must confront his doubts symbolized by his oppressed people or his thoughts that he has lived with for all these years. The higher inner voice or Hashem is showing Moses the way to lead those thoughts of righteousness which represents Israel out from under the bondage of materialistic based thinking. Once Hashem or the inner higher counsel of Moses convinces him that he must go back and save his people Moses takes his leave of Jethro and departs with Zipporah and his children. At this point a very interesting incident takes place. Hashem tells Moses that in spite of all the wonders he performs for Pharaoh to convince him to let Moses people go, Pharaoh will not relent, his heart will be hardened by Hashem. Then Moses is to tell Pharaoh that this people are like a first born son to him and that because Pharaoh has refused to let this people go Hashem will slay the first born of Pharaoh or of Pharaoh's people. There is only one way out of Egypt and that is the total denial of doubt or the slaying of that first inkling of doubt whenever it arises in the mind. This Pharaoh of Egypt is tied to the evil inclination that is holding its sway over Israel. Moses must do battle then with the deepest parts of his psyche in order to gain the freedom for the rest of his mind and soul called Israel.
Moses is not completely convinced either however because Hashem seeks to kill him and is only stopped when Zipporah circumsizes their son. She says to Moses that he is the bridegroom of blood on account of the circumcision. Moses was an Egyptian and would not have been circumsized. Therefore his sons would not have been circumsized either. Why does Zipporah suddenly figure out that the way to appease Hashem is through the circumcision of her son? The key to this curious incident lies in her words to Moses. She calls him the 'bridegroom of blood.' Until that very moment Moses wasn't sure that he would carry out the instructions of Hashem. He heard the voice but did not integrate it inside of his soul, inside the blood as it were. He did not cleave to Hashem and therefore ran the risk of losing this connection established on high.
Zipporah recognizes this by shocking Moses out of his doubt by making her children a part of the covenant. Now Moses must not only save Israel but he must save his children as well who are now marked as being part of the covenant of Israel.
Moses only then becomes convinced that through this connection to Hashem will he save the oppressed of Israel meaning those thoughts that have shied away from connection in the past. He begins to build certainty within and even when assailed by the doubts of the people, his resolve is strengthened by his continuous connection with Hashem.
The whole purpose of this exercise is to show us the unification that may take place within given the common center of Hashem. Hashem linked to Elohim brings about that holy conversation which opens the doors of Binah flowing through to Chesed illuminating every area of our consciousness resulting in the correction of Israel (the sum total of all consciousness seeking unity).
In next weeks Parsha the mystery of the first born will be explained. Until then Good Shabbos.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Parsha Shemos

The central theme of Shemos occurs near the end of this Parsha when
Moshe asks the Lord who shall I say has sent me and the Lord answers
Eheyeh Asher Eheyeh.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Bahir Verse 188

We draw our insights now from the way the thing is explained in this verse as well as the subtext of meaning that is flowing through.

Verse 188. Once this thing comes, sharpen it. What is its sharpening? Tell us the meaning of the verse, "He has rays from His hand." Why does it first say "rays" and then "His hand"? It should have said "His hands" [in the plural]. There is no contradiction. This is very much like the verse (Exodus 32:19), "And Moses' anger flared, and he threw the tablets from his hands." The way this is written, however, it would be read "His hand" [in the singular]. It is likewise written (Exodus 17:12), "And his hands was faithful until the sun set." The verse says Emunah ("was faithful" - in the singular) and not Emunot ("were faithful" - in the plural). They replied: Our master, we are pointing out a contradiction in order to receive an answer, and you are covering our eyes. Did you not teach us, master, that you must answer first things first and last things last? [He said:] And what have you then asked? [The meaning of,] "He has rays from His hand." By the Divine service, I have just explained it to you with my words. They were ashamed. When he saw that they were ashamed is it not true that [at first] there was water, and that fire emanated from it? Water therefore included fire. And Master, what is the meaning of "rays"? He replied: There are five rays. These are the five fingers on man's right hand.

Commentary: Notice carefully the process of discovery that is coming through. 'Once this thing comes in sharpen it,' gives us a clue to what we are studying here. It is the process of inspiration. When a thought first comes in then in response to a question what are we to do with it? We are to sharpen it. In other words we have to hone away at the edges of this thought to investigate its core values. In response now to the question of what this sharpening is we can infer that it is the process of development that comes about through meditation or continued focus on the central idea.

The five rays on a man's right hand represent the Chesed of Kavannah meant to direct your attention towards Hashem in seeking answers to prayers. The result of all discovery is the unseen hand that send forth every blessing. We are always replicating the above in our actions below. The Master in this lesson here is speaking about how a thought may be differentiated in terms of the attributes of this thought. The students are asking why is there is contradiction and the Master is saying that what seems to be a contradiction only occurs because the students aren't making the next chain of association a part of their meditational inquiry. By showing how fire comes from water the Master is saying seek on down the line for the ramifications of each conceptual waypoint. Then what seems opposite will be unified with the antecedent flowing of ideation as it transforms the world or the Malchus around it.

The five fingers or rays of a man's right hand speak about the flow of ideation from Chesed (the right hand) through the five intervening Sephiroth, Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod and Yesod that come before demonstration or Malchus. The way of thinking is therefore described in this verse making clear the lesson as well as the process itself of teaching. The following verse from Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.

Thoughts flow endlessly from their maker, their initial going forth a precusor therefore of eternity. The heart of the Lord is the central kernel of truth contained within the idea. This produces the generations of parallel thoughts which endlessly reflect themselves within and without from the image of the creator of all forms, the inspiration provided by the Shechinah.

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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Parsha Vayechi

Thought must inevitably go through transformations. These transformations make it difficult to unify the cause and the effect in our time based perceptual reality. Ultimately our thoughts continue until they are reproduced in like manner becoming the image of the perfection of thought. There comes a time when the initial thought passes away because the intention of that thought is no longer focused upon the level of ideation first realized in the projection of that thought. Secondary thoughts take over the meaning of the this initial projection imbuing new life so to speak into the conceptual relationships taking place as a result of the intial impetus of intention. In a sense then thought moves or transforms to another level of being. This happens because thought is not static but is always moving. Therefore it is this eternal movement called creation that stands behind every idea that has ever been accepted as a part of the generation of that idea inside of consciousness. It is with this spirit of understanding that we consider this Parsha Vayechi

May the presence of G-d always be with you. This idea relates to the blessings given by Jacob and Joseph. This parsha is full of blessings that are prophecies in the making. How could Jacob or how could Joseph bless? There is only one way in which this can ever happen and that is when the soul achieves a certain measure of unity with G-d so that the voice speaks through them blessing and prophesizing. What about us? Surely we cannot rise as high in unity with G-d to be able to have the voice come through us? Or can we? If you think about it isn't this then the very purpose for which we have been put upon this earth. Before telling man anything thing else Adonai Elohim does this:

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Herein lies the source of all of our blessings ;both those we receive and those we give.

This parsha begins with Jacob lived in Egypt and ends with ' so Joseph died... Both Jacob and Joseph make it a point that they are not to be buried in Egypt. Jacob is first embalmed and then taken back to Machepelah to be buried with his ancestors and Joseph is embalmed and placed in a coffin until his bones can be taken back to join his fathers. Why is it so important to know who is buried where? Also what is the significance of both of their instructions to those who will survive them? Furthermore why are both Joseph and Jacob embalmed? In order to understand the answers to all of these questions we must consider the relationship of the life force to the body and vice a versa.

Experience will teach a person that it is the life force that animates the body through the extension of increasing awareness. Awareness or consciousness raised to a supreme level completely commands the attention of the body and through this attention transforms the universe which is essentially the body in macro or as Kabbalah would describe it as the Macroproposus, the greater countenance. What is this animation? It is the connecting link between Malchut and Binah called Shekinah. It is also known as the life force. It exists for one reason alone; that is to connect with YHVH elevating the mind through unification. It is this unification that is what is being alluded to here in this Parsha.

Consider. Joseph and Jacob both represent the highest in terms of their connection with G-d. They are in effect throughout their lives the spokespersons for G-d. Because of this they feel impelled to pass on their understanding via the blessings they pronounce. Those to whom they are speaking to aren't as much affected by these blessings as are their offspring. Jacob's sons are blessed in future prophecies. Consider the Egyptian practice of embalming to preserve the body for the afterlife. Why would both Jacob and Joseph both take part in this Egyptian practice? The answer is simple. The higher truth must be preserved. Embalming in both their cases is an allegory for preserving the higher wisdom of connection until it is revived during the times of Moses. The generations of Jacob and Joseph carry with them the seed of their progenitors wisdom. None rise to this level until Moses does. When he does rise to this level it is to ascend to greater heights than either Jacob or Joseph. This will be explained further during the commentaries on the parshas of Exodus.

The flow of initiation from Kether through Chokmah then Binah culminating in Yesod transmitting the template for manifestation via the action of the lifeforce symbolized by the Shekinah may be summed up thus: Thought appears and moves throughout the edifice of the body human and ethereal culminating in thought's reflection in the physical world.

Yes we forget what we came here for but most gloriously yes we are reminded of our destiny and purpose each time we may think on Jacob and Joseph who have indeed preserved the higher not only for Moses to reach up and ascend to the heights of heaven. The same spiritual legacy is passed to each of us. Thoughts are eternal like the sound waves that go on forever once intoned passing into the ethers in waves of harmonic dispersion. It turns out that in this Parsha we are reminded of that legacy and then through the blessings of Jacob we are reminded to act accordingly. The secrets are there passed on most definitely for our eyes to hear and our ears to listen to. Remember oh Israel the holiness that surrounds you and remember that Mashiach is the witness always standing by as the Shekinah presents her revelation to us.

B'H"
Mark Siet

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