Weekly MMM - Surviving and Thriving - Parts 3, 4 & 5

Mystical Musical Meditations in Jerusalem

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SURVIVING AND THRIVING - part 3

EXPANSIVENESS IN THE EXILE Healing

Genesis Chapter 48/14
וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל-רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם
וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר, וְאֶת-שְׂמֹאלוֹ, עַל-רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה: שִׂכֵּל
אֶת-יָדָיו, כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה, הַבְּכוֹר

And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born.

Yaakov chose to bless the younger of Yoseph’s son, Ephraim prior to his brother Menashe, basing his choice on the fact that Ephraim represented the trait of love and expansiveness and positive action as opposed to his brother’s trait of being guarded, and this trait of expansiveness is more important with regard to surviving and thriving in when in the midst of exile. 

So, too, by you when confronting a situation of personal exile, of being removed from your natural self, from your natural resources and natural environment. Live the lesson taught to us by our Patriarch, Yaakov. Open yourself up and allow yourself to expand, allow yourself to do the activities, such as Torah learning and other activities that express your essential, natural self, no matter what type of environment you find yourself in.

SURVIVING AND THRIVING - Part 4

SURVIVING/THRIVING IN EXILE Healing

Genesis Chapter 48/20
וַיְבָרְכֵם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, לֵאמוֹר, בְּךָ יְבָרֵךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל
לֵאמֹר, יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה; וַיָּשֶׂם
אֶת-אֶפְרַיִם, לִפְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה

And he blessed them that day, saying: 'By thee shall Israel bless, saying: God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.' And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

Just as Yaakov bade his posterity to bless their sons (every Friday night) to be like Ephraim and Menashe, meaning Yoseph’s sons and not the Patriarchs, as opposed to our girls, that we bless to be like the Matrtiarchs, showing that the supreme value or blessing to convey is the ability to survive and thrive in the midst of Exile.  Ephraim and Menashe were born and raised in the Egyptian Exile and managed to hold onto their holy levels. 

So, too ,by you. Look into your own lives, as well as your children's and loved ones, and see what it would take to survive in the most difficult of situations. Determine which values and principles that you/they need to cling to in order to stay strong, in order to not only survive, but to thrive, and commit to do your/their best to instill these values into your/their lives.


SURVIVING AND THRIVING - Part 5

HOPE Healing

Genesis Chapter 49/18
לִישׁוּעָתְךָ, קִוִּיתִי יְהוָה

I wait for Thy salvation, O LORD.

The Midrash describes this blessing of the tribe of Dan of HOPE as being one of supreme importance, teaching us that everything depends upon and is attainable through hope. Coping with suffering and gaining forgiveness and much much more, and to the extent that we tap into it, to that extent we benefit from it.  

So too by you, never despair. Tap into the wellsprings of hope, nested deep in your heart. Where there is faith, Emuna, there is hope, and the more Faith there is, the more hope there is as well. So. with all your heart and all your might, hope in Hashem bringing you salvation, and rest assured that salvation will soon come.