Live From A Purpose
In this weeks parsha we read “Avrohom was elderly; advanced in days”. This pasuk affords us an opportunity for insight on how Avrohom used each day of his life to best advantage. By extension, we learn how we are to use our own days and how to prepare use for Alom Habaah.
On the one hand, we cannot openly perceive G-dliness in this world. By contrast, in the World to Come, the souls are said to to bask in the radiance of the Divine Presence. Souls do perceive G-dliness. On the other hand, what the souls perceive in heaven is only the radiance of the Divine Presence – not G-d Himeslf.
Nevertheless it is important to realize that Hashems main intent is to have a dwelling place in these lower realms. That is, Hashem created the universe not for the sake of heaven – even though He allows His G-dliness to shine forth there in an open manner, as we have said – but in order that , even in this very lowerst of all worlds where G-dliness seems utterly hidden, He should nonetheless be able to express Himself un restrainedly without reservation or concealment at all as though He were “at home”.
Each and every day, a person has a certain amount of spiritual progress to make. Torah study and mitzvah observance in this world are necessary prerequisites for the soul to achieve its potential for spiritual enlightenment in the World to Come. This is what is meant by the statement that the “days” of this life form “garments” which the soul will need in heaven; each and every day, a person has a certain amount of spiritual progress to make, so that over the course of his or her life, he or she will have fully “clothed” the soul. And that is the allusion of the statement that Abraham was “advanced in days” ; he fully utilized his days to maximum spiritual potential, creating a complete garment for his soul.
Our purpose is to study Torah and perform Mitzvot in this world so that we can actually unite with G-d’s very self. Thus, each world has an advantage in its own way.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word purpose as:
1. the object towards which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or goal.
2. A result or an effect that is intended or desired. An intention…
3. Determination, resolution (from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Third Edition. Houghton Miffline Company, Boston. Mass.)
Having a succinct statement of your overall purpose in life can be a huge help in determining what you want. Your purpose is an umbrella, something that is big enough to include all that you want in life – everything that you want to have, do and be.
An effective purpose statement tells you when goals or behaviors are off track. With your purpose firmly in mind, you can make moment-to-moment choices with clarity and integrity.
In coaching we write one-sentence statements of our purpose in life based on questions like:
· What am I striving for?
· What is the aim or goal of my life?
· What am I deteremined to resolve or achieve in my life?
We run small group sessions to gain more insight and creative input from each other, giving everyone the option of reading their purpose statements out loud.
Are you ready to experiment with living with a purpose, on purpose, moment-to-moment?
Write to Chaya info@coachchaya.com to find out about the informational and group sessions we are now offering.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Lech Lecha
This week Torah portion of Lech Lecha relates how Avraham and his wife Sarah escaped the famine in the land of Canaan and went to Eqypt. Before arriving in Eqypt Avraham says to Sarah “I realize that you are a good looking woman. When the Eqyptians see you, they will say “this is his wife” and kill me, allowing you to live. Please say that you are my sister. They will then be good to me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
We are all left puzzled with how Avraham could have placed Sarah in a position of potential danger, in order for his own life to be saved. More puzzling is Avraham’s ability to think about the benefits he would receive by placing his wife in such jeopardy.
How could Avraham allow Sarah be drawn into a situation where she might possibly become dishonored, for the sake of his benefit?
The Zohar answers this question by stating that Avrohom “did not rely on his own merit but rather on the merit of his wife – that he would acquire wealth in her merit, for one acquires wealth in the merit of one’s wife.”
Spiritually as well, Avrohom’s descent into Egypt for the sake of “spiritual wealth” could only be accomplished in the merit of Sarah. Toward the end she had to descend to Pharaoh’s house.
Since the ultimate intent of the descent into Egypt could only be accomplished in this manner, the Zohar concludes that Avrohom was correct in “relying on Sarah’s merit; in her merit he would not be harmed, nor would any harm befall her.”
In spiritual terms, Avrohom and Sarah are symbolic of soul and body, respectively. That both of them had to descend to Egypt in order to accomplish their spiritual missions in life, teaches us a lesson as well. Only through partnership with the body can the soul reach its supreme elevation.
One of the fascinating concepts to emerge in western psychology is the notion of the sub-conscious. Our conscious self, we are told, is a projected analogue of the deeper self beneath the surface.
The nature of this deeper sub-conscious is little understood, even today. Freud noted that our inner drives derive from deep within and become manifest as the libido drive. Others questioned Freud and claimed different dominant subconscious drives, such as the quest for power and control, or search for self-realization, or a sense of oneness with the Cosmos, or manifestation of the collective unconsciousness.
Nevertheless, vagueness and speculation are the hallmarks of most western systems seeking the key to understanding our deeper selves.
When a man and woman unite in marriage, their personal union draws its power from the cosmic marriage that underlies the whole of existence; the bonding of the divine masculine and feminine energies emerging from the Creator's Infinite Light to generate existence, a world, and life.
Masculine "wisdom" (chochmah) unites with feminine "understanding" (binah), male "holiness" (kedushah) unites with female "immanence" (shechinah), and so on.
The Chassidic teachings of Chabad based on the Kabbalah, albeit ancient in source, are more sophisticated and developed in this respect than are the western teachings. Amongst these is the delineation of the subconscious into two soul-pathways known as Seichel (Mind) and Middot (Emotion). But the common translation of "mind" and "emotion" does not convey their essential meaning in this system. In truth what is meant is that Seichel and Middot are the subconscious antecedents to the overt expression of mind and emotion, and are latent within the Neshama (soul).
The conscious expression of Seichel/Mind is thought, while the conscious expression of Middot/Emotion is speech. This is an interesting notion, that our subconscious "mind" finds its expression in the way we think, and the subconscious "emotions" come into play in the way we speak.
Furthermore, we draw from the subconscious those thoughts that express our individual personality. Likewise, the way we speak is also a signature of our inner character.
What can be learned through the episode with Avraham and Sarah is that developing congruence between Seichel and thought, and between Middot and speech is a mastery skill. Those who are serious about their personal development and fulfillment in relationships will aspire to train and practice in two tasks:
a) To change the subconscious default of their "mind" and "emotions", and,
b) Allow their thoughts and feelings to become their true expressions
What kind of person are you? With what amplitude and frequency do I express this nature?
Try to recall the conversations you had the past few days. Are there any thought patterns and sequence of words that seem to repeat? If so, are you satisfied with this pattern?
Interested in coaching? Write to Chaya, describing your challenge in your life journey: info@coachchaya.com
All emails are protected with complete confidentiality.
We are all left puzzled with how Avraham could have placed Sarah in a position of potential danger, in order for his own life to be saved. More puzzling is Avraham’s ability to think about the benefits he would receive by placing his wife in such jeopardy.
How could Avraham allow Sarah be drawn into a situation where she might possibly become dishonored, for the sake of his benefit?
The Zohar answers this question by stating that Avrohom “did not rely on his own merit but rather on the merit of his wife – that he would acquire wealth in her merit, for one acquires wealth in the merit of one’s wife.”
Spiritually as well, Avrohom’s descent into Egypt for the sake of “spiritual wealth” could only be accomplished in the merit of Sarah. Toward the end she had to descend to Pharaoh’s house.
Since the ultimate intent of the descent into Egypt could only be accomplished in this manner, the Zohar concludes that Avrohom was correct in “relying on Sarah’s merit; in her merit he would not be harmed, nor would any harm befall her.”
In spiritual terms, Avrohom and Sarah are symbolic of soul and body, respectively. That both of them had to descend to Egypt in order to accomplish their spiritual missions in life, teaches us a lesson as well. Only through partnership with the body can the soul reach its supreme elevation.
One of the fascinating concepts to emerge in western psychology is the notion of the sub-conscious. Our conscious self, we are told, is a projected analogue of the deeper self beneath the surface.
The nature of this deeper sub-conscious is little understood, even today. Freud noted that our inner drives derive from deep within and become manifest as the libido drive. Others questioned Freud and claimed different dominant subconscious drives, such as the quest for power and control, or search for self-realization, or a sense of oneness with the Cosmos, or manifestation of the collective unconsciousness.
Nevertheless, vagueness and speculation are the hallmarks of most western systems seeking the key to understanding our deeper selves.
When a man and woman unite in marriage, their personal union draws its power from the cosmic marriage that underlies the whole of existence; the bonding of the divine masculine and feminine energies emerging from the Creator's Infinite Light to generate existence, a world, and life.
Masculine "wisdom" (chochmah) unites with feminine "understanding" (binah), male "holiness" (kedushah) unites with female "immanence" (shechinah), and so on.
The Chassidic teachings of Chabad based on the Kabbalah, albeit ancient in source, are more sophisticated and developed in this respect than are the western teachings. Amongst these is the delineation of the subconscious into two soul-pathways known as Seichel (Mind) and Middot (Emotion). But the common translation of "mind" and "emotion" does not convey their essential meaning in this system. In truth what is meant is that Seichel and Middot are the subconscious antecedents to the overt expression of mind and emotion, and are latent within the Neshama (soul).
The conscious expression of Seichel/Mind is thought, while the conscious expression of Middot/Emotion is speech. This is an interesting notion, that our subconscious "mind" finds its expression in the way we think, and the subconscious "emotions" come into play in the way we speak.
Furthermore, we draw from the subconscious those thoughts that express our individual personality. Likewise, the way we speak is also a signature of our inner character.
What can be learned through the episode with Avraham and Sarah is that developing congruence between Seichel and thought, and between Middot and speech is a mastery skill. Those who are serious about their personal development and fulfillment in relationships will aspire to train and practice in two tasks:
a) To change the subconscious default of their "mind" and "emotions", and,
b) Allow their thoughts and feelings to become their true expressions
What kind of person are you? With what amplitude and frequency do I express this nature?
Try to recall the conversations you had the past few days. Are there any thought patterns and sequence of words that seem to repeat? If so, are you satisfied with this pattern?
Interested in coaching? Write to Chaya, describing your challenge in your life journey: info@coachchaya.com
All emails are protected with complete confidentiality.
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