The Law of Destiny We are each put into this world to accomplish a unique mission. For this reason we receive a package of inner resources, outer properties, varied educational opportunities, specific family and social configurations. This confluence of factors is a once in a universe happening, intelligently designed for us to accomplish our purpose. The only problem is that no directions were included. To scrape back the surface and get some handle on this challenge we need to consider the soul. The Kabbalists teach that there are five main levels of soul known as: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya and Yechida, with Nefesh being the most basic level and Yechida the deepest. These five correspond to the faculties of action, speech, cogitation, inspired thought, and will. This means that there exists within us a primal force of will, perhaps something we are not even conscious of that is tied to the deepest level of our soul and why it has come into this world. To go a step further, the Kabbalists reveal that the Biblical words for name “Shmo” and will “Ratzon” have the same numeric value (Hebrew letters each have a numeric value and two words sharing a total value is indicative of a connection.) Our name is what we are known by, what we reveal of ourselves in our time in this world. Our purpose is to manifest our soul root in the revealed actions of our lives, bringing together the concealed and the revealed, joining the supernal and the temporal. But how do we begin to glimpse this concealed will that we are here to manifest? The Torah teaches that in the building of the Tabernacle in the desert Betzalel was the one credited with building the Holy Ark, the centerpiece of the Tabernacle. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, foremost Bible commentator) asks why Betzalel was given credit for this when there were a number of craftsmen who were involved in this sacred task. He answers that Betzalel gave of himself more to it than the others did and therefore it is referred to as the Ark that Betzalel made. It was called by his name. The question remains though, why did Betzalel give of himself more to it that anyone else? What was different about him when it came to this project? It must be that he felt that his very life was intrinsically connected to this work. If so, how could he not invest every fiber of his being in bringing it to fruition? For Betzalel this was his bringing together of his inner will and his outer name. When considering our own lives we need to give ourselves ample time to reflect if anything pulls us in this way. Maybe there is some project, kindness, or difference that we have dreamed of making and put on the shelf or discounted. By slowing down and looking within we might find something very precious. We might find why we are here. Today, give yourself the gift of time. Take a moment and discover a destiny. also available at benjaminrapaport
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 18:34:48 +0000
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