PARSHAT VAEIRA---A COLLECTION PARSHAT VAEIRA---A COLLECTION-CONTENTS 1. DIVINE REVELATION OVERCOMES CONSTRICTED CONSCIOUSNESS ----KNOW that our ancestors as slaves in Egypt, merited to be led by a type of Divine Providence that our Patriarchs and Matriarchs before them, did not merit----a Providence that defied and transcended Nature and all of it’s constrictions 2. DIVINE REVELATION OVERCOMES HIDDEN [NATURE] PROVIDENCE---- KNOW that the main purpose of the Egyptian redemption experience, especially the Ten Plagues, was to show clearly in an open and revealed way, that G-d was in total control of everything 3. DIVINE REVELATION OVERCOMES MAGIC ----KNOW that when Magic was matched up against Hashem’s miraculous intervention, magic always came up short ALIYA HEALINGS 1stALIYA [Sunday] SIMPLE FAITH Healing----Just as Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov knew Hashem based on a simple, unsophisticated level of Emuna [faith] 2nd ALIYA [Monday] EMPATHETIC PERSUASION Healing------so too by you-----------------whenever you need to persuade or influence or even just relate to others, make sure that you follow Aharon’s lead of being a true empathetic enabler and empowerer……See things from their perspective 3rdALIYA[Tuesday]LEADERS ARE ONLY DIVINE CHANNELS --so too by you----------------see that the entire mega structure of world governments is solely in the Hands of Hashem… 4th ALIYA[Wednesday] SELFLESS TRAIT REFINEMENT HealingJust as the Israelites were taught the lesson as slaves that the more that they realized that all is dependent on Hashemsee that the key to healing all that needs healing in all areas of your life , is the realization that Hashem is in control 5th ALIYA[Thursday] RECOGNIZING DIVINE SUPERIORITY Healing------Just as the Egyptians who were known to be perhaps the world’s greatest sorcerers and magicians of all time, were forced to admit their inferiority and helplessness in comparison to Hashem’s supernatural demonstration of miracles 6th ALIYA [Friday] GLOBAL G-D KNOWLEDGE Healingdiscover G-d in every aspect of your life and in every aspect of the running of the Universe… 7th ALIYA[Shabbat]CUSTOMIZED DIVINE PROVIDENCE Healing-=----be Aware that what’s coming to you [Providentially], has nothing to do with what is coming to anyone else…… (Parsha tools # 14) [Vaeira] The 10 Plagues Emuna Zap 1. ...in order that you should know that Im Hashem amidst the Earth... 2. The knowledge of G-ds total control which was conveyed by each of the 10 plagues 3. The plagues are divided up into 3 groups. 4. The Slonim Rebbe [zatzl] in his work Ntivot Shalom [Paths of Peace], teaches that the 10 plagues role as a demonstration of G-ds control of nature is actually reflected within the human experience 5. Our Parsha tool a. Thought Emuna b. Heart [feeling] Emuna c. Body Emuna PARSHA MYSTICAL GUIDANCE VAEIRA ***** In this week’s Parsha, I noticed a common theme throughout—DIVINE REVELATION OVERCOMES ALL OBSTACLES 1. DIVINE REVELATION OVERCOMES CONSTRICTED CONSCIOUSNESS [‘And I [G-d] appeared to Avraham……as ‘KEL SHAKAI’ amd my Name H-AV-A-Y-A, I didn’t make known to them’] (Shmot 6\3) KNOW that our ancestors as slaves in Egypt, in light of their dire need to be redeemed, merited to be led by a type of Divine Providence that our Patriarchs and Matriarchs before them, did not merit----a Providence that defied and transcended Nature and all of it’s constrictions---this newly introduced type of Divine Providence is refered to by the Holy Name Y-K-V-K , in contrast to the more restricted Providential name Kel Shakai [***note***in both these names, in accordance with Halacha, I am spelling the transliterated form of these Names slightly differently than they are actually spelled in order to avoid any desecration that may result , such as being thrown away or pronounced in an improper way or place] …………………………………. Experience yourself in a nearly impossibly difficult situation and in need of immediate redemption [in your past, present or future]…..Draw down to yourself miraculous, Above-Nature Divine Providence to redeem yourself….. Do this in one of two possible ways….[a] admit your helplessness to Hashem and ask for His Help [b] Emulate Hashem’s amazing above nature Ways yourself, by acting in an extraordinarily benevolent way to others &/or stand up to the challenge you are presently facing in a manner that is beyond your normal present capacity …… ….Notice how the more that you draw down this miraculous Providence, the more that your life becomes filled with miracles and the more that you become liberated from all the narrow straits that you find yourself in …… 2. DIVINE REVELATION OVERCOMES HIDDEN [NATURE] PROVIDENCE [‘…and I will multiply My Signs and Wonders in Egypt’] (Shmot 7/3) KNOW that the main purpose of the Egyptian redemption experience, especially the Ten Plagues, was to show clearly in an open and revealed way, that G-d was in total control of everything ---the entire Cosmos and every part of it as well…In contrast to the Egyptian experience , G-d’s Providence for the rest of the world’s history was displayed in a hidden way---in a way that conforms with the laws of Nature….the great universal and eternal lesson that we derive from the openly miraculous Providence we experienced in Egypt is that even when G-d hides himself, we know that He is there behind the Curtains and His natural governing of the World, is actually totally willful and miraculous, and He can override the hidden ness at will …………………………………. Experience G-d in every aspect of your life….experience his Hand helping you and guiding you….experience how when you ask the right questions, you get the right answers from Above…experience how the more that you want to know what G-d wants from you—the clearer the revelation becomes….experience how the more that you are aware of and desire His guiding Presence, the more that you see it in all aspects of your life……… ….Notice how the more that you are open to and real with G-d’s Guiding hand in your life 24/7, the more that you truly guided with His personalized Divine Providence …… 3. DIVINE REVELATION OVERCOMES MAGIC [‘And Pharaoh called upon his..Magicians ……’] (Shmot 7/11) KNOW that …………………………………. Experience ….Notice …… KNOW that the ancient Egyptians were known to be some of history’s greatest sorcerers and magicians…Our Sages teach us that magic is effected by disconnecting itself from the Divine Providence…The Egyptian redemption process repeatedly proved the point that when Magic was matched up against Hashem’s miraculous intervention, magic always came up short…………………………………. Experience [with Emuna/Belief] the limitations of the ‘powers’ that be—such as magic and end of days predictions , and astrological limitations of your future fate, and spells and any other types of psychic magic or controls that some people place on others….experience that when you fuse with Hashem’s Infinite powers , you transcend all of these limitations………………….Notice how the more that you fuse your will with Hashem’s Will, the more that you feel fearless and unmoved by all kinds of limitations that people and the world throw at you…… Blessings, Yitzchak VAEIRA ALIYA HEALINGS 1stALIYA [Sunday] SIMPLE FAITH Healing Exodus Chapter 6/3 וָאֵרָא, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אֶל-יִצְחָק וְאֶל-יַעֲקֹב—בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי; וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה, לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name YHWH I made Me not known to them Just as Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov knew Hashem based on a simple, unsophisticated level of Emuna [faith], finding it unnecessary to have Hashem’s promises be substantiated in a miraculous fashion….Hashem’s Word was enough for them ….this is the dynamic of the Holy Name Kel Shakai, as opposed to the Holy Y-K-V-K Name revealed to Moshe and his generation --------------------------so too by you-----------------develop a level of Emuna Pshuta [Simple Faith] , whereby you simply trust in Hashem’s promises and love and trustworthiness, without needing to see proofs or miracles , in order for you to deepen your trust and Faith in THE ONE ABOVE 2nd ALIYA [Monday] EMPATHETIC PERSUASION Healing Exodus Chapter 6/26-27 הוּא אַהֲרֹן, וּמֹשֶׁה--אֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְהוָה, לָהֶם, הוֹצִיאוּ אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, עַל-צִבְאֹתָם הֵם, הַמְדַבְּרִים אֶל-פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ-מִצְרַיִם, לְהוֹצִיא אֶת-בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִמִּצְרָיִם; הוּא מֹשֶׁה, וְאַהֲרֹן These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said: Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts. These are they that spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron. Just as we see from the hint in these Verses—showing that sometimes Moshe preceeds Aharon and sometimes the opposite---that the 2 brothers were considered to be on equal levels, despite the fact that Moshe is considered the greatest Prophet and Torah scholar of all time---nevertheless, we know that when it came to fulfilling the all-important task of convincing the Israelites that their time has come to believe in the impending Redemption [and in this realm, of people relations, Aharon was even more superior than Moshe---he was considered to be more a man of the people] --------------------------so too by you-----------------whenever you need to persuade or influence or even just relate to others, make sure that you follow Aharon’s lead of being a true empathetic enabler and empowerer……See things from their perspective, not just your own….feel what others feel…..and you will find , that almost effortlessly you will have others full attention and cooperation 3rdALIYA[Tuesday]LEADERS AREONLY DIVINE CHANNELS Healing Exodus Chapter 7/3 וַאֲנִי אַקְשֶׁה, אֶת-לֵב פַּרְעֹה; וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶת-אֹתֹתַי וְאֶת-מוֹפְתַי, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם And I will harden Pharaohs heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. Just as Pharaoh was only a pawn in the hands of Hashem, who used him as a means for carrying out His Divine plan, and we know that the same is true by all leaders, as our Sages say, ‘The heart of the King {leader} is in the hands of Hashem’ --------------------------so too by you----------------see that the entire mega structure of world governments is solely in the Hands of Hashem…..see also that any type of leadership is really totally dependent on Hashem’s benevolent Providence…..the more that you see this at the macro and micro levels, the more that you will be able to direct all of your efforts [whether you are in the role of the leader or the one being led] toward THE ONE who is really making things happen 4th4th ALIYA[Wednesday] SELFLESS TRAIT REFINEMENT Healing Exodus Chapter 7/17 . כֹּה, אָמַר יְהוָה, בְּזֹאת תֵּדַע, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה: הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מַכֶּה בַּמַּטֶּה אֲשֶׁר-בְּיָדִי, עַל-הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר וְנֶהֶפְכוּ לְדָם thus saith the LORD: In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD--behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. Just as the Israelites were taught the lesson as slaves that the more that they realized that all is dependent on Hashem, including their own personal character development, and so too was the dynamic of the 10 plagues, the very demonstration of Hashem’s total control of all areas of life, proved to be the undoing of the control of the Egyptians and the healing of the Israelites simultaneously---------------so too by you----------------- see that the key to healing all that needs healing in all areas of your life , is the realization that Hashem is in control , and the more that you are able to get yourself out of the way, and become a selfless channel for Hashem’s healing love and guidance, the more that you will be able to truly refine all of your character traits 5th ALIYA[Thursday] RECOGNIZING DIVINE SUPERIORITY Healing Exodus Chapter 8/15 וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַחַרְטֻמִּם אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים הִוא יְהוָה. וַיֶּחֱזַק לֵב-פַּרְעֹה וְלֹא-שָׁמַע אֲלֵהֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh: This is the finger of God; and Pharaohs heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken. Just as the Egyptians who were known to be perhaps the world’s greatest sorcerers and magicians of all time, were forced to admit their inferiority and helplessness in comparison to Hashem’s supernatural demonstration of miracles--------------------------so too by you----------------- identify the limitations of your powers---all kinds of powers—natural and supernatural---and at that point, where you discover your limitation, there you can discover Hashem’s absence of limitations….the more that you discover Hashem’s unlimited power [even in the role of empowering you in your own power displays], the more that you will be able to fuse yourself with Hashem at all levels of existence 6th ALIYA [Friday] GLOBAL G-D KNOWLEDGE Healing Exodus Chapter 9/16 וְאוּלָם, בַּעֲבוּר זֹאת הֶעֱמַדְתִּיךָ, בַּעֲבוּר, הַרְאֹתְךָ אֶת-כֹּחִי; וּלְמַעַן סַפֵּר שְׁמִי, בְּכָל-הָאָרֶץ. But in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, to show thee My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth. Just as the main purpose of the Egyptian experience, was to show clearly that G-d is in total control of the entire Globe and the entire Cosmos, and every particular aspect of it as well , and that the Knowledge of G-d, is the most worthwhile of all pursuits [and ultimately will be the single most overriding pursuit of one and all]--------------- so too by you-----------------discover G-d in every aspect of your life and in every aspect of the running of the Universe….study history, not merely as a collection of dates and occurrences, but rather as an ongoing revelation of HIS STORY….know that a time is soon to come when HIS STORY will be known retroactively to one and all—as well as the incredible healing that this knowledge will elicit 7th ALIYA[Shabbat]CUSTOMIZED DIVINE PROVIDENCE Healing Exodus Chapter 9/26 רַק בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, אֲשֶׁר-שָׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--לֹא הָיָה, בָּרָד. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. Just as the Israelites were constantly distinguished in the process of the 10 plagues, to not receive the same fate as the Egyptians received, and we learn from this, that G-d’s Providence is customized and personalized and selective ----------------------------------so too by you-----------------be Aware that what’s coming to you [Providentially], has nothing to do with what is coming to anyone else……be aware that the more that you believe that all that happens to you [within and from without] is all customized, personalized Divine Providence meant to bring you to your own personal Tikun and enlightenment….the more that you believe in this, the more real it will be , and the more your life will be a state of constant amazement (Parsha tools # 14) [Vaeira] The 10 Plagues Emuna Zap Shalom and Blessings 1. ...in order that you should know that Im Hashem amidst the Earth... Moses was told by Hashem to inform Pharaoh and the Egyptians that the underlying reason for inflicting all the 10 plagues on them was to thereby clear up any doubts they may have that there exists any other power or source of control than Hashem. Pharaoh previously had declared, Who is this Hashem, that I should listen to His voice? More than any nation on earth at the time, the Egyptians were steeped in idolatry, which by definition is a denial of G-ds omnipresence. 2. The knowledge of G-ds total control which was conveyed by each of the 10 plagues in all the different aspects of nature [as we shall soon see],accomplished 2 seemingly opposite effects; on the one hand, it wreaked havoc and destruction on Egypt. On the other hand the G-d awareness conveyed by the plagues served to heal and free the Israelites from their crippling slavery. Let us understand with an analogy: A warrior infiltrates behind enemy lines into a prisoner of war camp and secretly makes contact with every one of his fellow countrymen imprisoned there. He lets them know that their King deeply loves them all and has declared all out war. The prisoners are deeply moved by their Kings message and gather up great courage to break out of the prison. The news strikes terror into the hearts of their captors leaving them stunned and helpless to react. The inspiring image of the king causes one side to break free and the other side to be broken. 3. The plagues are divided up into 3 groups. The 1st group focused on areas that were concentrated mainly underneath the earth; the river Nile turned into blood and brought forth frogs and the dust of the ground gave rise to lice....The 2nd group of plagues dealt with an area that was on top of the earth; wild animals, diseased livestock and human skin disease. The 3rd group, that is in the airspace above the earth; hail, locusts, darkness and the Angel of death killing Egypts 1st born. All these are realms of nature which could easily be considered to be chance occurrences. Hashem drove the point home that all is under His direct control!! 4. The Slonim Rebbe [zatzl] in his work Ntivot Shalom [Paths of Peace], teaches that the 10 plagues role as a demonstration of G-ds control of nature is actually reflected within the human experience. The Egyptian inside of us, the denier, is being taught that G-d truly runs the show on every level. The plagues in the sky above the earth are meant to melt away the Egyptian voice inside of us trying to strangle the natural thoughts we have of Emuna [faith]. The plagues on the face of the earth are meant to uproot the denial of feelings of Emuna we have in our hearts. The deepest and strongest of the natural Emuna is that which we know on the body or gut level---that which encourages us to give up even bodily comforts and needs and even our physical life. The plagues that are sourced underneath the earth provide the healing for the body-Emuna from its internal antagonist. 5. Our Parsha tools follow the Slonimer Rebbes approach: a. Thought Emuna---zap away all the emuna blocks you have in your thoughts by saying to yourself whenever you encounter these doubts, the following; Even these doubt are from Hashem and it is all for my best and its teaching me _____ [fill in the blank]... b. Heart [feeling] Emuna--- when you feel burnt out, dried up and unenthusiastic in regards to your belief in G-d, yearn deeply that Hashem should open up your heart... c. Body Emuna---When you find that your body or lower soul sabotages you in the area of Emuna, even when your mind and heart are on board, tell yourself [your lower-body part of yourself] that I totally accept you just the way you are, and ask yourself if we can make a win-win deal and do the Emuna activity in a way thats good [and fun and easy] for all parts of myself! Shabbat Shalom, yitzchak
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 07:17:11 +0000