Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha: How Can We Receive the Blessings of a World Filled with Light and Sweetness?

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Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha
How Can We Receive the Blessings of a World Filled with Light and Sweetness?

Accepting our Incompleteness as a Link Within a Beautiful Necklace
Whenever I clean for Pesach, there is always one more thing to do, the job can never be totally completed. In life as well, we are tagging our tail. When will we complete all the many tasks needed to upkeep and renovate our homes and our hearts? There is so much I’d like to accomplish in life – so many courses to prepare, books to write, relationships to rectify, and character traits to master. However, time is running out, and I must accept that we humans are mortal. How can finite beings accomplish infinite missions? No matter how much we try to  “set our house in order” we cannot avoid leaving some unfinished business behind. Just as we cannot please everyone all the time, but only some people all the time, and all people some of the time, so will we never finish removing all the weeds or cutting off all the dead leaves and flowerheads. We must learn to settle for a dusty house, files with grammar mistakes, unspoken words, and unclimbable mountains. From what I have learned about the breaking of the vessels, the problem was that each vessel was standing on its own – i.e. the Sefirot were originally aligned one on top of the other, without any connection between them. None of the finite vessels could contain all the infinite light by themselves so they broke. From the shattered sparks Hashem remade the world in such a way that instead of being independent, each of the sefirot now works in synchronicity with each other. Rather than comprising one column with each sefirah on top of the other, the sefirot form a pattern of right, left, and middle, each sefirah working in tandem to complement the others. Only through the synergy of all the sefirot working together is it possible to contain the infinite light. In the same way, if we think about ourselves as a link in the chain of human history, each link needing the other to form a beautiful necklace, we can accept being incomplete in ourselves. By allowing others to complete our job, we can find fulfillment and feel blessed!

Inspiring Others to Continue What We Began

Often, I fall into the trap of believing that if I don’t do the job myself, it won’t get done, or if it does get done, it won’t be done well enough. I believe this is the crux of the problem of every micro-manager. I’m working on it and try my best to delegate jobs to my capable staff and allow them to work independently. In Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha Moshe blesses the Israelites, tribe by tribe on the last day of his life. Sadly, Moshe had to leave this world without fulfilling his greatest yearning – to lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land. What may feel like Moshe missed the boat of fulfilling his mission, is a lack of greater perspective. Moshe’s mission was no less than leading the Israelites through the Exodus and the forty-year wilderness wandering, culminating with receiving the Torah and building the Mishkan.  Yehoshua – whom Moshe had ordained – was chosen to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, conquer the land of Canaan, and divide it appropriately for each tribe. If this was not so, Moshe wouldn’t have hit the rock. Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha concludes by describing Moshe’s death and burial in the Land of Moav outside of the Land of Israel (Devarim 34:6). Even the greatest life is an unfinished symphony. Moshe’s death on the far side of the Jordan is a consolation for all of us. None of us need to feel guilty, frustrated, angry or defeated that there are things we hoped to achieve but did not. That is how it is to be human. Our lives are like a bare microsecond set against the almost-eternity of the cosmos. For each of us, there is a river we will never cross, a promised land we will not enter, and a destination we will never reach. That Moshe, the greatest leader who ever lived, was mortal and did not see what he thought was his mission completed, that even he was capable of making a mistake, is the most profound gift G-d could give each of us. Thus, the entire Torah culminates with this message: We are mortal; therefore make every day count. We are fallible; therefore, learn to grow from each mistake. We will not complete the journey; therefore, inspire others to continue what we began (Based on Rabbi Yonathan Sacks, Unfinished Symphony Life-Changing Ideas, Vezot Habracha 5778).

The Greatest Blessing is Knowing Who You Are and Your Mission in Life

ספר דברים פרק לג  פסוק א וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ משֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ:

“This is the blessing with which Moshe, the man of G-d, blessed the children of Israel [just] before his death” (Devarim 33:1).

Knowing who you are and your mission in life is a true blessing. Parashat Ve’Zot Habracha comprises all the blessings that Moshe granted each tribe of Israel before his demise. For example, Moshe blessed Yissachar and Zevulun with distinct missions that complement each other. “To Zevulun he said: ‘Rejoice, Zevulun, in your departure, and Yissachar, in your tents” (Devarim 33:18). Rashi explains that Zevulun and Yissachar entered into a partnership that Zevulun would dwell at the seashore and go out in ships, to trade and make a profit, thereby providing food for Yissachar, who would sit and occupy himself in Torah study. Thus, Moshe’s blessing to Zevulun was to prosper in trade, while his blessing to Yissachar was to prosper through Torah learning and making legal decisions, especially in the realm of calculating and proclaiming the leap yes and establishing the Jewish calendar (Based on Rashi, Devarim 33:18). This kind of partnership has continued throughout the generations until this day. Some Jews devote their lives to Torah, whereas others dedicate themselves to their career while upholding the Torah through their generous contributions. In this way, they share equally in the reward of full-time Torah learning. Although Torah study is generally considered superior to trading, Moshe mentioned Zevulun before Yissachar, even though the latter was the elder of the two because Yissachar’s Torah came through the provisions of Zevulun – (Bereishit Rabbah 99:9). This teaches us not to depreciate those who take up Zevulun’s mantle to work hard and become a provider for Torah scholars.  

Why is Yosef’s Land the Most Fertile and Abundant in the Land of Israel?
Yosef was blessed with fertile land as it states, “His land shall be blessed by Hashem, with the sweetness of the heavens with dew, and with the deep that lies below, and with the sweetness of the produce of the sun, and with the sweetness of the moon’s yield, and with the crops of early mountains, and with the sweetness of perennial hills, and with the sweetness of the land and its fullness…” (Devarim 33:13-16). Rashi comments, “For throughout the inheritance of all the tribes, there was no land as full of goodness as Yosef’s land” (Sifrei 33:13). I can testify that, so it is still today in the Land of Efraim and Menasha in the Shomron (Samaria) north of Jerusalem until Haifa! As below so Above. The physical abundance of Yosef’s land alludes to his spiritual greatness. The Netivot Shalom explains that of the four species we shake on Sukkot, the three branches of myrtle correspond to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’acov, whereas the two willow branches to Moshe and Aharon. Yet the Lulav, taller than all the species, corresponds to Yosef. The lulav resembles the spine, which connects the brain of da’at with most of the body’s organs. Since the lulav is the tallest of them all, the mitzvah is referred to as “taking the lulav,” and the bracha recited is “…Who has made us holy through His mitzvot and has commanded us about taking the lulav” (“al netilat lulav”). The deeper reason for this blessing is that Yosef’s character trait of dedicating every desire completely to Hashem is the main service of every Jew. About Yosef it states, “he restrained himself and said, ‘Serve the food’” (Bereishit 43:31). From this we learn that when we restrain ourselves from fulfilling our lusts, Hashem grants us abundance. Since everyone’s pleasures and pains are determined by heaven, when we take suffering upon ourselves by overcoming our lusts, we will enjoy only pleasures from above. When we follow in Yosef’s footsteps to overcome lusts, our blessings will overflow like Yosef’s, both spiritual blessings – “with the sweetness of the heavens” and physical blessings – “with dew and with the deep that lies below.” For those who don’t sink into this material world – Hashem prepares – a wonderful world filled with light and sweetness.

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Devarim  –
Some Tips for Tapping into the Blessings in Your Life

We learn from Moshe’s blessing of the tribes of Zevulun and Yissachar, to rejoice in our journeys as well as in our tents. In other words, whether we are on a path or at home, it’s important to rejoice! Also, it’s important to teach our children that sometimes the journey is just as important as the end result. The ability to rejoice is another blessing we can count on in our lives. We all experience setbacks in our lives. Focusing on the overwhelming number of positives rather than on the fewer negatives, even though those negatives seem very important at the time, can foster better perspective and balance. The capacity to feel joy is tied directly to being able to enjoy the blessings we do have, and our own joy is contagious. When others witness our ability to rejoice in our blessings, they will learn to do the same. As we move deeper into the final redemption tremendous blessings and an increased energy are sent down to earth for expanded awareness. To receive these blessings, we need to make ourselves a proper vessel.   

·       When You Feel a Shift of Greater Energy Flow – relax into letting it happen. Just be with what is. There is nothing to do, and nowhere to go, other than just letting go of expectations and allowing the moment to have its way with you. Your new blessings know exactly what needs to happen, they carry their own wisdom, so relax and allow them to do what they will.

·       Welcome the Blessings in Your Lives – Don’t be afraid. The more you appreciate your blessings, the more they will increase. Even if the new energy shift will shake things up a bit, you can pay attention to what is going on in the moment and learn to balance your energies through self-examination.  

·       Learn from the Mirror of the Negative Behavior of Others that You Notice --everything that comes into your awareness serves as a mirror. You have called all these people and events into your life to show you parts of your consciousness you have not yet wanted to look at before. As Ba’al Shem Tov teaches whatever we see or hear about someone else, we must understand that we have a tinge of that ourselves (Toldot Ya’acov Yosef, Parashat Lech Lecha). If you judge others, somewhere in your psyche, you have judged yourself. We learn this from King David whom the Prophet Natan told a parable. When David judged the rich man in the parable, he learned that he had judged himself (II Shemuel 12:1-15). 

·       Avoid Judging Others – for judgment never heals anyone, or anything, at any time. You cannot impose your rules on others. Judgment is an attempt to make what is One into separated parts, with the hope that ‘your’ part will be superior over ‘other’ parts. This judgment derives from an inferior complex. If you truly knew yourself to be “better,” compassion would be your response. If you have compassion you cannot judge for you understand from the point of compassion that the person who is before you at this moment can act no differently!

Learn to Love Through the Awareness that we are All One – When you are one with humanity and have not placed yourself above it, tears of compassion will flow from your eyes, and you won’t be able to see anything but the One – the One that we all emanate from and Whom we are part of. There is only One. You may think you are a small entity, moving through a perilous world to an unknown end. Yet, when the Oneness opens within you are going to know that we are all part of the same Oneness, and none of it can hurt you. Expanding our awareness of the dialectic between our individual gifts and missions, operating within the greater Oneness of the Creator, is the greatest blessing of all. 

Why Would Performing the Mitzvah of Bikkurim (First Fruit Offering) Enable us to Merit the Land?

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Parashat Ki Tavo

Why Would Performing the Mitzvah of Bikkurim (First Fruit Offering) Enable Us to Merit the Land?

In the Land of Israel, the Physical and the Spiritual Realms are Intertwined

Since my last international speaking tour just prior to COVID-19, it seems that so many of our friends and supporters have made Aliyah, and even more are working on making Aliyah. In fact, some 70,000 new immigrants from 95 countries made aliyah in 2022. It was the largest number of olim to arrive in 23 years and a dramatic increase over the previous year when only 28,600 new immigrants were welcomed. COVID-19 generated a paradigm shift that made us face our mortality, contemplate the purpose of life, and our role in the world. Many Torah-observant Jews realized that the true place for a Jew is to live in the Promised Land. Here in Israel, even the mundane and earthly realm is imbued with spirituality as it states, “A Land in which you do not eat bread in measure, you will not be lacking anything in it” (Devarim 8:9). This teaches us that when the Jewish people live in the Land of Israel, we may merit to be on such a level, that acquisition of wealth even luxuries won’t damage our true spiritual perfection. Rather, our wealth will help us increase strength and spiritual perfection in Hashem’s straight path. Through physical abundance, our spiritual level will rise (Rav Kook, Ein Aya, Berachot 6:15). There has been a gap and disunity between body and soul, holy and mundane, ever since the magnificent physical building of our holy Temple exuding the highest spiritual light was destroyed. Throughout our exiles, the spiritual realm has been disengaged from the physical to the extent that teachings such as the Talmudic statement that a Talmid Chacham (Torah scholar) may not walk in public with a stain on his clothing (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 114a) were given little weight. Since the founding of the State of Israel, we began the process of integrating the physical within the spiritual realm. It’s hard to describe how this principle plays out in our daily day life in Israel. All I can say is that when living in Israel you really experience that every tree, flower, and fruit is holy. As I look out of my window behind my computer I see my neighbor’s holy grape-wines winding themselves along our laundry line on the backdrop of the most brilliant, bluest sky. Yes, in Land of Israel heaven and earth are truly one!

Why Would Performing the Mitzvah of Bikkurim Enable Us to Merit the Land?

We usually read Parashat Ki Tavo at the beginning of the fig harvest, the fruit which is especially singled out for the first fruit offering as it states, A person goes down into his field and sees a fig that has ripened. He winds a reed around it for a sign and declares: “This is the בִּכּוּרִים/bikkurim – “first fruit” (Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1; Rashi, Devarim 26:2). We’re excitedly awaiting the time to be able to perform this mitzvah from the Torah with the shiny fruits of our labor:

ספר דברים פרק כו פסוק א 

וְהָיָה כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ: (ב) וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם:

“It shall be, when you come into the land which Hashem, your G-d, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it, that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which you will bring from your land, which Hashem, your G-d, is giving you. Then you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which Hashem, your G-d, will choose to have His Name dwell there” (Devarim 26:1-2).

The authoritative halachic midrash, Sifrei, teaches that through performing the mitzvah of bikkurim we will merit of entering the land [of Israel]” (Sifrei, Devarim, Parashat Ki Tavo 1).

Why would performing the mitzvah of bikkurim (first fruit) enable us to merit the land? Moreover, since this mitzvah could only be performed after the lengthy process of conquering and dividing the land, which lasted 14 years, how could it bring about entering the land that happened several years prior?

Acquiring the Two Foundations of a Jew: Kedusha (Holiness) and Emunah (Faith)

Netivot Shalom explains that to merit the Land of Israel we need to acquire two main foundations of serving Hashem: Emunah (faith) and Kedusha (holiness). Emunah implies believing that only Hashem runs the world, and none of our own efforts, strengths, or the might of our hands bring about anything without Hashem willing it. Kedusha is to subjugate our cravings and hand over our enjoyment and lusts to Hashem. When the Temple will be rebuilt B”H, I will infuse myself with holiness, as I go down to my orchard and tie a red string around one of the most succulent figs. I will be subjugating my base desire to gobble it up myself, while I proclaim that it is bikkurim. Offering the first and the best to Hashem will ingrain my emunah that absolutely nothing can exist or grow without Hashem bringing it into creation. During our wandering in the wilderness, we by default acquired the two foundations of kedusha and emunah by quenching our thirst through the holy, miraculous well of Miriam and receiving bread directly from heaven. Whereas regular food arouses lust, eating the manna directly from Hashem’s hand imbued us with the highest holiness. The wilderness wandering experience moreover strengthened our emunah by imprinting within our consciousness how no one but Hashem led us through individual providence.

Through the mitzvah of Bikkurim we Can Enter the Physical Realm of the Land while Maintaining our levels of Emunah and Kedusha

When we were on the verge of entering the Land of Israel, we were afraid of losing our high levels of kedusha and emunah of the wilderness, as we would have to work within the physical realm to sustain ourselves. When doing all the work necessary to grow the fruits of the land, it would be much harder to maintain the clear belief that everything emanates from Hashem, rather than from the power of our own hands. Therefore, Hashem gave us the mitzvah of bikkurim to enable us to enter the Land of Israel and be occupied in earthly pursuits while maintaining our levels of emunah and kedusha. Although we work so hard plowing, sowing, weeding, composting, etc. for the fruit of our labor, the mitzvah of bikkurim – offering the first fruits to Hashem – ensures our emunah that “it is Hashem our G-d, who gives us strength to make wealth…” Rather than being enticed by the erroneous belief that “My strength and the might of my hand has accumulated this wealth for me.” (Devarim 8:17-18). Moreover, our willingness to hand over to Hashem our cravings to grab the first fruit for ourselves – which naturally is the object of our greatest desire – elevates us to the level of holiness. Thus, by offering our earthly goods to Hashem through the mitzvah of bikkurim we can strengthen our clarity of emunah and sanctify ourselves in kedusha while being involved in earthly pursuits. Therefore, this mitzvah enables us to merit to enter the land of Israel.

Overcoming the two Worst Husks Opposing our Jewish Essence: Emunah and Kedusha

The declaration that accompanies the mitzvah of bikkurim establishes the two foundations of Judaism: Emunah and kedusha. The declaration opens by mentioning their two opposing forces: “You shall call out and say before Hashem, your G-d, ‘An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people, and there, he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation…’” (Devarim 26:5). The Aramean refers to Lavan, who embodied the husk of כְּפִירָה/kefirah – ‘heresy,’ which is the opposite of emunah. He claimed that everything belonged to himself rather than to Hashem, saying, “The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the animals are my animals, and all that you see is mine” (Bereishit 31:43). Therefore, we proclaim that Lavan is destroyed and lost as the word אֹבֵד/oved can be understood to not only refer to Lavan’s desire to destroy Israel but also to Lavan’s own destruction. Mentioning the Egyptian exile refers to the husk of unholiness, for Egypt is known as the nakedness of the land – the source of unholy lusts. In the bikkurim recital, we distance ourselves from the two worst husks: Lavan and Egypt – who are diametrically opposed to the two main foundations of the Torah, emunah and kedusha. Thus, through the mitzvah of bikkurim, we can maintain our spiritual level while being involved in working the physical land. Only in the Land of Israel does heaven and earth meet. This is alluded to in the first word of Parashat Ki Tavo is וְהָיָה /vehaya – ‘It shall be.’ The letters of this word are the initials of יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ(The heavens will rejoice, and the earth will exult). When a Jew elevates all the earthly, it arouses happiness above. This is the work of these days of teshuva, during the month of Elul, through which we Jews must elevate everything we have to Hashem. Thereby, we can establish, “When you enter the land…” – elevating the aspect of entering the land and the earthly to the source of holiness (Based on Netivot Shalom on Devarim pp.160-162).

EmunaHealing Exercise for Integrating Emunah and Kedusha Available in the Land of Israel

1. Close your eyes and settle down on the ground or relax in your chair. Take several deep breaths and center yourself. Allow all thoughts to pass through you, noticing them without judgment.

2. Tap into your ancestral memory or imagine you are wandering in the wilderness together with your fellow Jews. As Hashem takes care of you, leads you through His cloud of glory and pillar of fire, and feeds you the ethereal manna, allow yourself to feel how you are completely enveloped by the emunah that everything is from G-d. Enjoy this carefree feeling of letting go of all control to Hashem. All is G-d and G-d is all, you are part of this ‘allness’ – this oneness as you glide through the desert following Hashem’s lead.

3. Imagine receiving the manna from heaven and ingesting this spiritually nurturing nourishment. You are completely free of any earthly cravings as you enjoy your divine meal. Can you feel how kedusha enters you with every single bite? Revel in the holiness you experience within you, feeling light and illuminated.

4. Soon you will be leaving your safe and holy incubation, and entering an earthly place, where you will fight wars, till the earth, and be sustained by the fruits of your labor.

5. Get in touch with the challenge of remembering that everything is Hashem, even as we employ our own efforts to succeed. How can we maintain the clarity that it is Hashem and only Hashem Who gives us strength to make wealth and succeed in any of our endeavors? Feel the tension and the challenge to recognize that no matter how wise and clever we are to bring about successful abundance, these results are ONLY due to Hashem.

6. Allow yourself to experience the feeling of your earthly desires like when munching on juicy grapes or a crisp steak, or any other favorite food of yours. Imagine the feeling of wanting more and the challenge of eating slowly and chewing every bite.

7. Recall that through the power of the most uplifted holiness of the land of Israel, a Jew can elevate all earthly matters to Hashem. Envision yourself being in the holy land of Israel right now. Visualize the rolling hills, the intensity of the blueness of the sky, and the beauty of the fruits of the land. Breathe in all of this beauty through which the physical and the spiritual realms unite.

8. The physical land of Israel is imbued with holiness. In Israel every rock and pebble, every grain of sand every drop of dew is holy. Breathe into the notion that in the land of Israel, you can elevate the physical realm to be included in the spiritual.

9. Recite the first word of Parashat Ki Tavo is וְהָיָה /vehaya – “It shall be” softly, barely audibly. Repeat it as many times as you like, breathe into this word וְהָיָה /vehaya וְהָיָה /vehaya וְהָיָה /vehaya. This word is the initials of יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ/yismechu hashamayim vetagel ha’aretz (The heavens will rejoice, and the earth will exult). Tap into the unity between heaven and earth that can be experienced in the Land of Israel. Breathe into it and get in touch with your desire to truly live a life of holiness and faith in the Land of Israel. You may open your eyes when you are ready to return to your reality wherever you are right now.

How do We Repair the Israelites’ Lack of Emunah?

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Parashat Devarim
How do We Repair the Israelites’ Lack of Emunah? 

Tapping Into Flashes of Experiencing Divine Providence in Our Lives

We need a lot of emunah (faith) to live in Israel. When we were first married, I tried to make a budget. I would write our estimated income (Aliyah support, tutoring, my husband’s occasional private patients…) on one side of the paper and our expenses on the other. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get the numbers to match up. So, I crumbled the paper and threw it in the garbage, raising my arms to Hashem, praying, “Hashem please take care of us!” and it worked. I don’t know exactly how since we both were full-time yeshiva students. Whenever people would ask “How do you manage financially?” I would raise my head on high and respond: “Hashem!” We lived this way for seven full years, and this experience – etched so strongly in my soul – has been imprinting the rest of our lives. Whenever facing thorny challenges not knowing how to untangle myself from worry and pain, I tap into my latent emunah buried in my experiential memory of living directly by the hand of Hashem.

Although we know it, our yetzer hara often makes us forget that Hashem is in charge of everything, and since He is ultimately good, everything that happens to us must be for the good. When we feel abandoned to chance, we can strengthen our emunah by tapping into our past experiences of being keenly aware of the Divine supervision in our lives. This is one of the main reasons for keeping the Jewish holidays instructing us to constantly commemorate Hashem’s miracles during the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Torah, the deliverance from the Greeks and from Haman and his Henchmen etc.  

Do we Believe in the Miracles that we Ourselves have Experienced?

Emunah is not only vital for living in Israel but is also the main principle of life in general, as it states: Chabakuk came and established the 613 mitzvot upon one, as it states: “The righteous person shall live by his faith” (Chabbakuk 2:4); (Babylonian Talmud Makkot 24a). Yet the Israelites – during their journey in the wilderness – struggled greatly with their emunah. Although they had experienced Hashem’s repeated miracles, being nourished by the heavenly manna and quenching their thirst from the miraculous well, they expressed their wavering faith through constant complaint and fear of conquering the Promised Land. In the first chapter of the Book of Devarim, Moshe admonishes the Israelites for their lack of faith in Hashem their G-d:

ספר דברים פרק א פסוק כט וָאֹמַר אֲלֵכֶם לֹא תַעַרְצוּן וְלֹא תִירְאוּן מֵהֶם: (ל) הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם הוּא יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אִתְּכֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם לְעֵינֵיכֶם: (לא) וּבַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאֲךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ בְּכָל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הֲלַכְתֶּם עַד בֹּאֲכֶם עַד הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה:(לב) וּבַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֵינְכֶם מַאֲמִינִם בַּהָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:

“I said to you, “Do not be broken or afraid of them. Hashem, your G-d, Who goes before you He will fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your very eyes, and in the desert, where you have seen how Hashem, your G-d, has carried you as a man carries his son, all the way that you have gone, until you have come to this place. But regarding this matter, you do not believe Hashem, your G-d (Devarim 1:29-32).        

Why did Moshe say: “In this matter you do not believe in G-d”? Moshe referred to the miracles when Hashem lifted the whole Jewish people out of Egypt just as a father carries his son. Yet, the Israelites did not even believe the miracles they themselves had experienced. This is alluded to in the Zohar’s well-known parable about the son who asks a stranger if he has seen his father, being oblivious that his father is carrying him on his shoulder. This is the meaning of “in this matter you did not have faith in Hashem your G-d.” In view of the continued miracles performed constantly by G-d there was no excuse for this lack of faith (Ohr Hachaim, Devarim 1:32). A child being carried on his father’s shoulders doesn’t necessarily see his father, likewise whenever we feel a lack of faith and distanced from Hashem, we are unmindful of Hashem’s perpetual protecting presence carrying us through the hardships of our lives.

We Need to Strong Rectified Emunah to Enter the Land of Israel

According to Rashi “this matter” in which the Israelites lacked belief refers to Hashem’s promises to bring them to the Land of Israel. Likewise, Rebbe Natan of Breslev expounds: Parashat Devarim is replete with words of rebuke for the Israelites causing their own delay to linger in the desert for forty years. This was due to the sin of the Golden Calf and the sin of the spies who blemished emunah, as it states, “But regarding this matter, you do not believe Hashem, your G-d (Devarim 1:32). The main tikkun (rectification) for entering the Land of Israel is emunah. This is “The strength of His works He related to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations” (Tehillim 111:6). Since “the entire earth belongs to the Almighty; He created it and gave it to whomever He deemed proper, it follows that when He wished, He gave it to them, and when He wished, He took it away from them and gave it to us” (Rashi, Bereishit 1:1). Due to the Israelites’ lack of emunah in this principle, they caused their delay in entering Israel. This lack of Emunah also brought about the destruction of the temples and it strengthened the other side to expel the Jewish people from our land. To this day the nations still say: “You are thieves, by taking hold of the Land of Israel.” Israel’s blemished emunah in Hashem’s justified power to give us the Land of Israel empowers their claim. All exiles and destructions are caused by the Israelites’ lack of emunah in our right to the Land of Israel. Therefore, we read Parashat Devarim with Moshe’s rebuke about this matter (Devarim 1:32) the Shabbat before the ninth of Av, when we mourn for the exiles and destructions of the temples. The following shabbat we read Parashat Va’etchanan, to draw down the immense gift that Moshe granted us through his numerous prayers to come to the land of Israel (Likutei Halachot, Hilchot Chol Hamo’ed, Shomer Sachar 4). The current Aliyah surge indicates that more and more Jewish people are beginning to believe in our deserving the Land of Israel. This will with – the help of Hashem – silence the malicious claims against our inherent right to the Promised Land.

Only Through Emunah Can we Succeed

Whenever we are on the way to holiness and achieving great achievements, the doubts of ‘the other side’ attempt to confuse us and make us lose our connections with Hashem and kedusha.

To succeed in anything, we must believe in what we are doing. By strengthening our emunah in Hashem, we can learn to believe in whatever Hashem guides us to do. EmunaHealing is all about emunah. To succeed in EmunaHealing it is vital to believe in the power of spiritual healing. Even if we are beginners and our work is only 40% accurate, we still need to believe in our ability to channel Hashem’s healing power. Gradually very gradually we learn to become more accurate, and our channel will become more and more pure. Without this emunah we will be unable to achieve the desired results. For example, when I first started doing my annual juice fast, it didn’t work, because I stopped believing 100% that the juice fast was good for me. I was not in a supportive environment, my husband the Dr. doesn’t believe in juice fasts, and people were telling me that I looked horrible… I became more and more doubtful, and this lack of emunah affected my immune system, so I contracted an ear infection. In subsequent years, I have learned to protect myself from negative comments of others and believe in the efficiency of my annual juice fast to cleanse my body. Baruch Hashem, with this positive attitude and emunah in what I am doing I have experienced amazing healing results.

EmunaHealing Exercise for Tuning into Hashem’s Perpetual, Protective Presence

1. Settle yourself in a beautiful comfortable place where you can be alone with yourself and with Hashem. Breathe deeply and become aware of your thoughts.

2. Do you have any fears and worries that suck your energy and weaken you? Allow all these fearful worried thoughts to surface into your conscious mind. Explore them without judging them. Validate their existence and breathe into them.

3. Whenever we harbor negative thoughts, we are oblivious to Hashem’s presence in our lives. Remind yourself that Hashem is with you even within your fears and worries. Envision yourself as a child on the shoulders of your Almighty Father. Until recently you were unaware that you are riding on Hashem’s shoulders. Now breathe into this image of being carried by your Almighty Father, feeling supported and cared for. 

4. While continuing to breathe mindfully recall a potent memory where you clearly felt Hashem’s presence in your life. What did it feel like when you became aware of the divine supervision in your personal life. Tune into the feeling of emunah you had then.

5. Breathe into the emunah you had when you felt so supported by Hashem and amplify it. Can you tap into this feeling of faith right now?

6. Now meditate on the miracles you have experienced in your life, as you tune into your personal miracles imagine turning up the volume of your emunah as you would turn up the volume on your speaker or phone.

7. Imagine placing the emunah you experienced in the past into your handbag and bringing it into your present life. Can you superimpose your past emunah unto your current fearful and worried thoughts?

8. If your emunah could speak what would it tell your fears and worries? Give your emunah its proper voice and allow it to assuage all your fears and worries. You may want to extend this speech into a dialogue between your emunah and your negative thoughts. Imagine how they would respond to your voice of emunah but allow your emunah to get the last word!