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サマリー
あらすじ・解説
Kabbalah teaches that our lives are a quest. How do we keep going in the right direction, one step at a time?
Here are the sources referred to in this episode:
The Infinite one tells Avram to "go forth" or "go to yourself" or "go for your own benefit" -
https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.12.1?lang=bi&with=Rashi&lang2=en
Also Rashi (on "the land that I will show you"): Hashem didn't tell Avram where he was going, in order to make the place more beloved to him.
"The Land of Israel" (both the actual place and the corresponding spiritual state) is a place of great desire, intimacy and awe. To attain it, we must learn how to appreciate it, which happens through us journeying step by step, overcoming challenge by challenge.
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Orach_Chaim%2C_Laws_of_Washing_One's_Hands_for_a_Meal.6.106?vhe=Likutei_Halachot:_Orach_Chaim_1&lang=bi
Hashem's telling Avram to "Go forth!" or "Go to yourself!" is a message to every one of us to re-turn to our own highest self, our spiritual root, our soul (Neshamah), which requires many ups and downs.
Wherever we are going, whatever is happening, we need to intend / direct (lekaven) ourselves to our deepest soul-root, and ignore the many distractions and confusions we may encounter from our family, our homeland, our culture or civilization, etc -
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Orach_Chaim%2C_Laws_of_the_Sabbath.7.75?lang=bi
This journey can also be described a journey to our deepest inner truth, which in other teachings (see the Breishit episode) Reb Noson points out correlates to Rachamim (Compassion). We can cultivate truthfulness / compassion by speaking our truth to our Creator, thereby bringing these qualities into our consciousness and our lives -
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Choshen_Mishpat%2C_Laws_of_Theft.5.6.1?vhe=Likutei_Halachot:_Choshen_Mishpat_2&lang=bi
Before every successful step forward, there is some kind of confusion. We need to seek and search relentlessly, trusting in the infinite compassion of the Creator -
https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Halakhot%2C_Orach_Chaim%2C_Laws_of_Tachanun.5.8.1?lang=bi
Thank you for listening to The Spirit of the Torah from Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS) - https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/
In every episode, Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein explores insights arising from the Hebrew calendar or our weekly Torah portion, and related practices that can help us to effect positive change in our lives.
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