Parashat Bamidbar: How Does the Wilderness Prepare Us to Inherit the Land of Israel?

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Parashat Bamidbar
How Does the Wilderness Prepare Us to Inherit the Land of Israel?

What made Me Embrace the Torah in The Old City of Jerusalem on Shavuot?
This Shavuot, I celebrate 45 years of Torah! I can hardly believe how the years have flowed by, like foamy waves softening and refining our hearts, as hardships etched their traces into the furrows of our faces. I look back with nostalgia to that first Shavuot – the beginning of my teshuva – when everything was new. I found myself among a circle of women, sitting on cool stones under the starry sky in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was the first time I learned about Ruth – who left behind the comfort of her regal home, her country, and all that was familiar, to follow her aged mother-in-law Naomi toward an unknown destiny.
I, too, had recently left my own country, my childhood home, and the prospect of a prestigious university degree to follow my heart and fulfill an undefined calling. Was Ruth also a truth seeker, who found the pomp of prosperity superficial while looking for a deeper meaning and mission in life? I pondered.
Since my teenage years, I had been searching for truth. I had rejected the Marxism I was taught in high school, which focused solely on dismantling economic classes without addressing the values that would define the envisioned society of financial equality. Dancing in the inner city with born-again Xtians whose theology conflicted with everything I would later come to value felt exciting at the time, but their answers rang hollow and rehearsed. Though I was a flower-power girl immersed in the hippy counterculture, I was never drawn enough to the East to join my friends traveling to India and Nepal in search of spirituality and inner vision. Yoga helped me strengthen my body, but it in no way touched my soul.
I had never considered seeking truth within my own Jewish heritage. The Jewish experiences of my youth had led me to believe Judaism was nothing more than a culinary creed wrapped in outdated rules, lacking any spiritual essence.
Yet here I was, in the holy city of Jerusalem, at the Women’s Division of the Diaspora Yeshiva – where I had surprisingly found my spiritual home. I still remember hearing Rabbi Goldstein proclaim: “Now that you’ve received the Torah, can you give it back? No, you can’t. You have to keep it!” At that moment, I knew I was hooked for life.

Why is the Torah Given in the Desert?

Parashat Bamidbar opens with the Israelites still in the wilderness, poised to begin their journey toward the Land of Israel.

ספר במדבר פרק א פסוק א וַיְדַבֵּר הַשֵׁם אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי...

“Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai…” (Bamidbar 1:1).

Chazal ask: why was the Torah given in the מִדְּבַר/midbar – ‘desert’ a place of emptiness and desolation?

To enter the covenant of Torah and inherit Eretz Yisrael, we must let go of personal pride and entitlement. The desert has no owner. It is vast, barren, and silent. In that space of inner surrender, we become worthy of receiving Hashem’s word.

Just as the desert prepared us to receive Torah, it also prepared us to receive the Land. Before entering the land flowing with milk and honey, we had to be emptied of Egypt – of its mentality, attachments, and enslaved self-image. The desert strips away ego so we can enter the land as humble vessels for Hashem’s presence. This reflects my experience of accepting the Torah, on my first Shavuot. I made myself like the wilderness, emptying myself of my past to start over on a clean new page in the story of my life.

The Midrash teaches: the Torah was given with fire, water, and in the wilderness – all elements that are free and accessible to all. So too, Torah is free for anyone who thirsts for it (Yeshaya’hu 55:1). Another teaching: Only one who makes himself like a wilderness, can truly acquire Torah. “Whoever does not make himself ownerless and accessible to all, cannot acquire the wisdom of the Torah” (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7).

What Does it Take to Make our Torah Transformative and Enduring?
The Imrei Emet explains that the Torah was given to rectify the three core flaws of humanity – jealousy, lust, and pride – reflected in the sins of early generations: Kayin, the generation of the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. The mitzvot at Matan Torah correspond to these: the boundary around Mount Sinai addressed jealousy – giving each person their designated space; the command to abstain from marital intimacy represented restraint – countering lust; and standing humbly at the foot of the mountain symbolized submission – opposing pride. This is why the Torah was given with fire, water, and wilderness – representing passion, humility, and self-nullification. Every day, we are challenged by jealousy, lust, and pride – and only through the power of Torah can we overcome them. Moreover, to truly acquire Torah, we must make ourselves like a wilderness – open, humble, and ownerless (Imrei Emet, Bamidbar, 5667). This concept hits home when I reminisce about those early days of embracing Torah, most of the students in Diaspora Yeshiva from affluent American families, made great sacrifices to leave flourishing careers and promising prosperous futures behind, to dedicate ourselves to Torah learning in the Land of Israel. As the Imrei Emet teaches, as long as we make ourselves like a desert completely given over and devoted to Torah and Mitzvot (mesirut nefesh), through this inner work of surrendering our selves, our Torah becomes transformative and enduring. Now, 45 years later this concept has proven true through the descendants of the students of the ‘hippy yeshiva’ raising families deeply rooted in Torah and mitzvot.  

How Does the Counting of Israel Connect to the Land?

It is significant that the journey through the wilderness begins with counting:

ספר במדבר פרק א פסוק ב שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כָּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם:

“Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by families following their fathers' houses; a head count of every male according to the number of their names” (Bamidbar 1:2).

What is the purpose of counting the Israelites specifically at the outset of the nation’s journey through the wilderness? The Netziv explains that the census in Parashat Bamidbar isn’t just about numbers – it’s about identity and a spiritual confirmation of each individual’s destined inheritance in the Land of Israel (HaEmek Davar, Bamidbar 1:2). Each person was counted “by name” and “by their father’s house,” emphasizing identity, lineage, and their destined portion in the Land of Israel. The configuration of the Israelite camp mirrored this destiny. Each family and tribe camped in a Divinely designated place, forming a sacred map that anticipated their eventual settlement in Eretz Yisrael – not only geographically, but spiritually.

According to the teachings of the Arizal, this encampment was patterned after the supernal structure of the sefirot. The twelve tribes corresponded to distinct spiritual channels, grouped into four דְּגָלִים/degalim – ‘banners’ – each containing three tribes. This mystical arrangement reflected a deeper cosmic order, where each tribe’s location in the wilderness corresponded to its spiritual root above (Etz Chaim, Sha’ar 31, Chapter 3). The Midrash supports this idea, stating that the formation of the tribes mirrored the arrangement of the heavenly hosts (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 2:8).
Thus, the desert became a place of alignment – each soul drawn to its specific inheritance, in sync with its Divine source. This is hinted in the verse: וְאִישׁ עַל־דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ “Each man by his banner, according to the signs of their father’s house shall they camp” (Bamidbar 2:2). The אֹתֹת/otot – “signs” – may be understood as spiritual markers, revealing each tribe’s unique role within the collective mission of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael.

How is the Wilderness Experience Still Relevant for Life in the Land Today?

The journey from the wilderness to Eretz Yisrael is not only historical – it is psychological and spiritual. Many of us today live in the Land yet still carry traces of ‘Egypt’ in our hearts. The midbar remains a necessary stage to enter the Land inwardly.

The holiness of Eretz Yisrael cannot be fully appreciated until we empty ourselves of the spiritual clutter of exile. Only then can the light of the Land penetrate our souls. I’m continually inspired by how many of my students go through this process – shedding layers of exile, undergoing both physical and spiritual reboot, and gradually rooting and resettling themselves in the Holy Land.

Although Bat Ayin isn’t a desert, compared to the grand cities many of our students left behind, this rural village in the Judean Hills serves as a kind of midbar – a humble, quiet space where we can learn to hear the whisper of the Divine voice. The word מִדְבַּר/midbar – ‘desert’ – is etymologically related to דִּבּוּר/dibur – ‘speech.’ Like the desert, Bat Ayin is free of distractions – a place where we can learn to listen to the still, small voice and truly dwell in the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael.
May we each walk our personal midbar with courage and faith – shedding old identities, listening to the voice of Hashem, and preparing our hearts to receive our portion in the Holy Land. And may we soon see the full inheritance of Am Yisrael revealed – each tribe, each soul, restored to its rightful place in the Land.   

How Does Our Yetzer Hara (Negative Impulse) Teach Us About Our Mission in Life?

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Parashat Bamidbar How Does Our “Yetzer Hara (Negative Impulse) Teach Us About Our Mission in Life?

What is the Connection Between Knowing our Mission and Receiving the Torah? 

I feel very fortunate that I found my place and purpose in life at a relatively young age. I always knew that I was sent into this world for a purpose, I just wasn’t aware of which purpose. As a teenager, when I was searching the world to find myself and my mission, Hashem guided me to the Western Wall and to the Yeshiva, where I ended up staying for seven years while learning Torah, getting married, and having my first son. I experienced a strong exhilarating homecoming, as I climbed the rocks of Mt. Tzion and danced to the country music of The Diaspora Yeshiva Band. Yet, I cannot say it has been smooth sailing since then. I recall my 30-year birthday in the exile of Memphis TN, feeling lost again and without a purpose, just groping in the dark to learn what Hashem wanted of me. Baruch Hashem, I’m so grateful that He led me back to the land where I could find myself and flourish, although not without bumps in the road. I experienced many stages of finding my true mission in the world, each more refined and specific than the other. Even now, I’m still torn between my involvement in the administration of Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin and my yearning to learn Torah and write books. There are truly so many rungs on the ladder of achieving our true purpose and mission in the world. Today, it seems that there is even more and more confusion than ever. Teenagers and adults alike are struggling to find their place in the world. Mental health issues run rampant, which may be partly attributed to the lack of purpose so many youngsters experience. I wish I could help more and show them their way, but everyone must go through their own journey of self-discovery, just as I have done. Parashat Bamidbar points us on the way. This Torah portion teaches us how each of us belongs to a specific camp with its unique flag. To truly receive the Torah in the deepest way we must know our place, and mission in life. Therefore, we read Parashat Bamidbar on the Shabbat prior to Shavuot, even during a leap year.

Why are the Flags so Important that Parashat Bamidbar describes them in Such Detail?

 

ספר במדבר פרק ב פסוק ב אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַחֲנוּ: 

“The children of Israel shall encamp each man by his division with the flag staffs of their father’s house; some distance from the Tent of Meeting they shall encamp” (Bamidbar 2:2).

The Netivot Shalom asks why we need so many details about the order of the flags, since the Torah is eternal, how do these details relate to our serving G-d today? He begins explaining the inner meaning of the flags so relevant to our times by quoting the following midrash:

The Holy One blessed be He loved the Children of Israel with great love, as He arranged them according to banners like the ministering angels so that they would be distinguishable. From where is it derived that it was love for Israel? It is as Shlomo says: “He brought me to the banquet house, and his banner (flag) of love is upon me” (Song of Songs 2:4). When the Holy One blessed be He appeared upon Mount Sinai, twenty-two myriads of angels descended with him, as it is stated: “The chariots of G-d are myriad, thousands upon thousands of companies” (Tehillim 68:18), and they were all arranged according to banners, When Israel saw that they were all arranged according to banners, they began desiring banners. If only we could be arranged according to banners like them…The Holy One blessed be He said to them: “How you have desired to be arranged according to banners, by your life, I will fulfill your wish’ – ‘May Hashem fulfill all your wishes’” (Tehillim 20:6). Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He informed Israel and said to Moshe: ‘Go and arrange them according to banners, as they desired (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 2:3).

What is the Purpose of the Flags of the Tribes of Israel?

What is the connection between the banners (flags) and Hashem’s love of Israel?  What is the connection between the flags and the giving of the Torah?  Each nation is unified under its flag. Likewise, each particular kind of soldier is unified under the unique flag of his unit. The flag symbolizes the specific mission of each camp. Today we likewise have flags. The banner of those who belong to the Breslev camp, for example, is an icon of fire. Chabad adherents have their Mashiach flag.  Since each angel has a unique way of serving Hashem, they are unified under their specific flag according to their levels and categories. The Children of Israel upon seeing the myriads of angles – each under their particular banner – desired their own flags as well. Since each Jew has his unique role, they desired clarification to know their role and mission like the angels. The worst thing in the world is being unaware of our purpose and mission, without knowing why we are alive and for what purpose Hashem sent us into this world. The banners symbolize the greatest love that Hashem showers upon us by clarifying our purpose and role in this world. The eternal message that the concept of flags teaches us is the importance of knowing our specific mission in this world. 

Living Up to the Flag We Carry

Just like the Levites play a special role in their service in the Temple (may it be rebuilt soon!), the rest of our tribes too, contribute their unique abilities to the general community. Some belong to the Tribe of Torah and fulfill roles of Torah learning, teaching, and writing Torah books. There are others whose role is performing deeds of chesed, always looking for new ways to reach out and help others. Others again, came into the world to finance and support Torah learning. We all have in common that we each have a specific role and mission to fulfill, for which we were sent down into this world. Parashat Bamidbar teaches us that there is no Jew who doesn’t have a special name and doesn’t belong to a tribe with its own banner. Hashem imbued us all with certain talents and circumstances from which we can learn to identify the flag with which we are affiliated and recognize our personal mission in the world. We are called upon to remain connected to the flag of our tribe as well as to fulfill our specific role in the world. Since we, Jews are all considered children of the King, we must beware of not soiling ourselves through coarse behavior that doesn’t suit our standing. The Ohr Hachayim explains that if we don’t measure up to our G-d-given role in this world that is a way of transgressing the mitzvah: “You shall not swear falsely by the name of your G-d) Shemot 20:7). Likewise, if we raise ourselves above the role we are meant to play in this world, our lack of authenticity is considered as swearing falsely, because although on the surface a person may look like a G-d-fearing Jew, behind the façade he could be far from what he pretends to be. The abilities and life circumstances in which Hashem places each of us imbue us with a certain mission in life. Therefore, we must adjust our ways to live up to the flag we carry.

Playing Our Specific Role in Hashem’s Master Plan 

Our underlying foundational emunah is that Hashem created the entire world. We believe that nothing within Hashem’s world was made without a divine purpose. If every stick and stone has its unique purpose, how much more so does every Jew – Hashem’s chosen people? We read Parashat Bamidbar before receiving the Torah, to teach us that it is not only through the unity of Israel that we merit Torah, but also, through each of us finding our place within our specific camp and flag – tapping into our personal mission in the world. Finding our ‘tribe’ is only one step in finding our purpose in life. Our individual mission is encoded in our names as it states, “according to the number of names” (Bamidbar 1:2, 18). The greatest preparation for receiving the Torah is knowing our individual purpose in the world – “Each person under his flag, according to the number of their names” (Bamidbar 2:2). Even if it may seem that there are so many Jews, we believe that each of us is needed to play our specific role in Hashem’s master plan. 

What are Some Pointers Helping us Discover Our Unique Mission in the World?

How do we know what our unique role is in this world? In the place where we notice that our yetzer hara is especially overpowering, that is a sign that our purpose is explicitly to rectify this matter. Since the yetzer hara was created to be our obstacle, it tries to prevent us from fulfilling our purpose in this world. Therefore, when we are involved in fulfilling our mission, the yetzer hara comes out strongest in its attempts to overcome us. Yet, this negative impulse is a blessing in disguise – It is nothing but Hashem’s banner that helps us discover our true mission. Thus, the yetzer hara expresses Hashem’s special love that He offers us by making us flags through which we can recognize our personal mission in the world. Let us be grateful for the banner of the yetzer hara because the most important thing in the world is to reveal why we are here, and our particular yetzer hara points us on the way! (Based on Netivot Shalom, Parashat Bamidbar, “and let His banner over me be love” pp.14-16).

    Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Bamidbar –

Some Tips for Finding Our Personal Mission in the World 

Hashem created everything in His world for a purpose. The wise Solomon thus teaches us, “G-d made everything for His purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Mishlei 16:4). According to Arizal, no one has ever or will ever come into this world with the exact same mission as yours. The light you are meant to shine into the world is yours alone, as individual as your fingerprint, as personal as your voiceprint. Many of us go through life following the route laid out by society, with no clear sense of the mission entrusted to us. We are pulled in many different directions, feeling compromised in what we do and guilty for what we don’t do. Identifying your mission is the first step in leading a life of vibrancy and joy.

• Tap into Your Personal Mission on Shabbat Kodesh – It is especially possible to reveal our personal mission in the world on Shabbat.  This is because we are preoccupied and confused during the regular weekdays without a settled mind. This prevents us from having the clarity of knowing our camp and flag. On Shabbat, however, when we keep it properly, our minds settle to have the clarity to become “A person in tune with our personal camp and flag.”
• Meditate while Setting an Intention to Tune into Your Unique Mission – One of the best ways to connect with yourself and what Hashem expects of you is to root yourself in the present moment. It’s a task easier said than done, but one of the best ways to get yourself there is to practice mindfulness and meditation. The more you engage in these practices, the more in tune with yourself you’ll become, and the more in tune you are with yourself, the closer you’ll be to finding more purpose in your life. Take some time off to relax from the many chores that keep you preoccupied and prevent you from achieving a settled mind. Breathe deeply and mindfully and allow your thoughts to pass through you. When you have entered a relaxed state ask Hashem about your personal mission, and open yourself to receive Hashem’s answer for you. Keep breathing mindfully as you tune into the answer you may receive.·       
• Take Half an Hour to Sit Down with a Pen and Paper, Brainstorming – Write down whatever comes to your mind, what the first steps would be, and what you want it to look like in the end. And ask the Almighty for help in making it happen. He can give you whatever He deems you should have. And then see if the opportunity to take the next step emerges.” (Rabbi Nivin’s advice).·       
• Cultivate a Gratitude Habit – Keeping a gratitude journal is more than a record of daily thank-yous. As you jot down the things you’re grateful for, reflect on how each item aligns with what you truly value in life. Over time, you might notice patterns – recurring themes or passions that stand out. These patterns can be valuable clues to what makes you feel most alive, and potentially, to your greater mission in life.

To Where is Our Journey Headed? Where Shall We Come and Go?

 

Parashat Bamidbar

Where is Our Journey Headed? Where Shall We Come and Go?

Sometimes I just feel like running away from everything… from the responsibilities, interpersonal challenges, and the constant tedious work of keeping the midrasha, home, garden, and computer files more orderly, organized, and together. The toil and the trials seem never-ending, and how tempting it would be to just leave all the challenges and problem-solving behind, to get away and revel in the vast meditative silence of the desert. How calming it would be if it were possible to weed out all the troubling thoughts and become barren of them like the desert. How I yearn to get away from everything and place my naked feet in the warm caressing sand, letting my footprints take me everywhere and nowhere. What would happen if I let go of all these countless responsibilities and learned to play? I know deep down that this isn’t really an option, and even if it were, it’s not what Hashem wants from me. The Jewish people are criticized for running away from responsibility as it states, “They departed from the mountain of G-d, a three-day journey… (Bamidbar 10:33). They departed from Mount Sinai joyfully, like a young child running away from school, saying, “Lest He pile on more mitzvot for us.” Their intention was to take themselves away from there because it was “the mountain of G-d.” (Ramban, Bamidbar 10:35). The Jewish people were running away rather than journeying toward a goal. This is a backward rather than forward-oriented movement. Running to the security room, as the siren alarmed us in Bat Ayin, we were directed toward self-examination regarding our journey. When we get confronted with our mortality, we are prompted to ask ourselves “What is my mission? Where shall I come and go?” The year that the king Mashiach will be revealed… Israel will cry out in panic and say, “Where shall we come and go? Where shall we come and go? Where shall we come and go?” Tell them, do not fear, everything that I did, I only did it for you. Why are you afraid? Do not fear, the time of your redemption has come… (Yalkut Shimoni 60:499). And so, this challenging brief moment in the security room is part of the process.

The Process of Our Upward Life Journey

ספר במדבר פרק א פסוק א וַיְדַבֵּר הָשֵׁם אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי...

“Hashem spoke to Moshe at the Sinai Desert…” (Bamidbar 1:1).

Life is a journey. Hashem let us out of Egypt the roundabout indirect way because we needed the process of the journey. We are called upon to continue the Exodus from Egypt to the Sinai Desert to receive the Torah, but the journey doesn’t even end there. After receiving the Torah, we are not done. We are on an everlasting journey with Hashem traveling through the desert to reach the land of Israel. Even within the land of Israel, there are innumerable levels to ascend. “Man is born to labor, as sparks fly upward” (Iyov 5:7). Going through challenges and hardships is part of the toil for which we are created. It is a never-ending process of refinement that we all must go through. We must keep going, keep climbing the rungs of the ladder towards actualizing all the layers of our concealed potential. Rabbi Baruch Gigi brings this concept home by quoting the beautiful prophetic verse from the end of the haftara of Parashat Bamidbar:

ספר הושע פרק ב פסוק כא                                                                                                                                  וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי לְעוֹלָם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בְּצֶדֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּט וּבְחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים: (כב) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בֶּאֱמוּנָה וְיָדַעַתְּ אֶת הָשֵׁם:

“I will betroth you to Me forever; and I with betroth you to Me with righteousness and with justice and with loving-kindness and with compassion, I will betroth you to Me with faith, and you shall know Hashem” (Hoshea 2:21-22).

Since the period of betrothal – engagement – is inherently temporary, then why does Hoshea describe engagement as everlasting? How would our relationship with G-d be a “betrothal” that lasts “forever?”

Engagement Reflects the Process of Our Ongoing Struggle in Life.
“Prior to the giving of the Torah, if a man met a woman in the marketplace and they decided to marry, he would bring her to his home and conduct relations in private, and thus make her his wife. Once the Torah was given, Am Yisrael was commanded that if a man wants to marry a woman, he must first acquire her [as his wife] before witnesses; [only] afterward does she become his wife, as it is written, ‘If a man takes a wife and engages in relations with her...’” (Rambam, Laws of Marriage, 1:1). The Torah decreed that marriage become a gradual process. Being engaged reflects the concept of being in a process going towards the goal of marriage. Although engagement hopefully won’t be everlasting but will culminate in marriage, engagement symbolizes being in a constant process of working through the challenging maze of life. With the words “I will betroth you to Me – forever,” the prophet emphasizes that the aspiration to grow and progress must always exist, this is the vital importance of ‘process’ versus ‘product.’ Rather than a one-time climactic experience, or a final goal and destination, we desire to be continuously moving and developing, rising ever higher in our Torah, our Divine service, and our acts of kindness toward others. We want to be constantly improving in our righteousness and justice, kindness, and mercy, as described in the verse. We are called to constantly work on improving our character, on the way of G-d, so that we can bequeath it to our children forever.

EmunaHealing Exercise for Processing the Everlasting Struggles of Life
1. Take a short break from running around, from all your immense toil in the world, to tune inwardly. Breathe deeply entering Hashem’s light into your core on the inhale and exhaling all the extraneous unnecessary static. Keep this relaxed breathing until you feel your heart rate slowing down.
2. Envision an empty desert. All you can see is golden sand for miles and miles, just sand, sand, sand. Imagine yourself in this place. You are alone with the sand and with Hashem’s Shechina. You are raised from all the humdrum of your daily day life, to face yourself and your Maker.
3. With a settled breath and without distractions you can become aware of who you really are. You become present to yourself. There is no place to run away to. Allow any thoughts that cross your mind to become transformed into sand – soft, silky sand. Any distracting compulsive thoughts melt and disintegrate into the vast desert sand.
4. Imagine the soft sensation of the sand trickling through the toes of your feet, like an endless open-ended hourglass. The countless grains of sand reflect your everlasting work in this world. Each grain you add through your incessant effort adds up to building a glass pane – a window to Hashem. Look through the window, and see your own reflection as an image of G-d. 
5. Bring any of the struggles you have gone through to your mind. Don’t force the memory, just tune into whatever Hashem brings to your mind at this moment. Recall your pain and hardship, while breathing easily and relaxed in the knowledge that you have crossed that bridge and arrived safely on the other side. Can you feel how much you have grown through going through what you had to go through?
6. You are not alone on your journey. Our struggles are intertwined with each other’s. When our paths meet, we receive support from a mentor or friend, and we give support to another. Through the support you give, you feel supported. Can you experience that?
7. We are never alone. Hashem is holding our hand throughout our struggles, walking with us step by step. Tune into the support He gives you, through His many messengers He sends your way. Feel how Hashem is holding your hand right now, the Presence of the Shechina empathically holding and feeling your pain.
8. Keep breathing mindfully and allow yourself to tap into the loving compassionate embrace of the Divine presence, gently rocking you, as you imagine the sand giving in to the imprint of your body, softly holding your entire being in its vast eternity.