Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 16 Nisan, 5785
Chag Sameach! Today is the second day of Passover. It is the day we continue our journey to freedom from slavery. If there have been circumstances in your life the past few weeks, it is for this purpose. To bring us to this place. Today is the first day from our leaving Egypt until we received direction from the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
The Omer is about counting – and contemplation. Each day for the next 49 days, we are contemplating how the seven main sefirot (energies) interact with each other. This week, we are studying love. Chesed. Loving-Kindness.
Week 1 of the Omer represents Chesed (love)
Week 2 represents Gevurah (discipline)
Week 3 represents Tiferet (compassion)
Week 4 represents Netzah (determination)
Week 5 represents Hod (humility)
Week 6 represents Yesod (bonding)
Week 7 represents Malkhut (dignity)
This is the journey. This week we will explore these concepts.
Today? We begin to explore the “love of love.” What does this mean?
For me? It starts within. The questions to ask ourselves and contemplate today?
- What is my capacity to love myself?
- Do I struggle with giving to myself?
- Do I struggle receiving?
The next seven weeks are designed for intense inner reflection of our spiritual journey – and what it means for our practice in each moment.
What would it look like today to love ourselves more? What gifts could we give ourselves?
And? By doing this? How could we be inspired to increase our capacity to love OTHERS?
Because if we ONLY love ourselves and not others? We are in our ego.
We should be loving ourselves to INCREASE the capacity to love others – AND? To receive their love.
This is the way forward – out of Egypt. Out of slavery.
What are your thoughts?
From last year:
Examine the love aspect of love. The expression of love and its level of intensity. Everyone has the capacity to love in their hearts. The question is if and how we actualize and express it.
What is my capacity to love another person? Do I have problems with giving? Am I stingy or selfish? Is it difficult for me to let someone else into my life? Do I have room for someone else? Do I allow room for someone else? Am I afraid of my vulnerability, of opening up and getting hurt? How do I express love? Am I able to communicate my true feelings? Do I withhold expressing love out of fear of reaction? Or on the contrary: I often express too much too early. Do others misunderstand my intentions?
Whom do I love? Do I only love those that I relate to and who relate to me? Do I have the capacity to love a stranger; to lend a helping hand to someone I don’t know? Do I express love only when it’s comfortable?
Why do I have problems with love and what can I do about it? Does my love include the other six aspects of chesed, without which love will be distorted and unable to be truly realized.
These are great questions as we enter into Passover! And a new journey along the “narrow straight” of leaving our personal Egypts.
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