I hope you will try my parasha meditations. Baruch Hashem they are flowing to me, and I incorporate them into my emunahealing course. For myself, it is a very healing process to learn to be rather than do. There are so many things which need to be done perpetually, however, when we learn to slow down and do things mindfully, with Hashem’s blessing they may get done easier while our time is freed to experience Hashem’s closeness. Meditating and opening ourselves to expanded consciousness is part of the geulah process when “It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” (Yoel 3:1). Find 10-15 minutes once a week to sit down with yourself, and with Hashem’s help you will experience an opening in your life. B”H I will make recording of the meditations some time soon.
Click here to read "The Power of Women's Emunah" - Rebbetzin's commentary on Haftorat Vayeira
Parasha Meditation Vayeira
Bereishit 18:1-22:24
This week’s parasha is about receiving revelation and healing. As Hashem revealed Himself to Avraham, He gives each of us a glimpse of His light as well. Hashem sent three of his archangels to Avraham and Sarah. Each angel is a spiritual force with its own mission. Michael’s mission was to inform Sarah about her forthcoming conception, and later to save Lot from the downfall of Sedom, Gavriel came to overturn Sedom and Amora, and Refael to heal Avraham. When Hashem revealed Himself to Avraham it states that “he was sitting at the opening of the tent” – “וְהוּא ישֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל”. Whenever it states in the Torah about our patriarchs that they were sitting, it means that they were meditating. Avraham was sitting and just being, sitting without judging, himself or others, sitting and allowing everything to pass through him and surround him. He was sitting “פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל” – “At the opening of the tent” – Opening himself totally to the energy field around him, opening himself totally to the presence of Hashem enveloping him, opening himself and allowing the Divine Presence to reveal Herself to him.
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו הַשֵם בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא ישֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם: וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה...בראשית יח:ב
“Hashem revealed Himself to him, at Alonei Mamre, while he was sitting at the opening of the tent in the heat of the day. He raised his eyes and he saw, behold three people standing by him, he saw and he ran towards them from the opening of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground…” (Bereishit 18:1-2).
“וְהוּא ישֵׁב” – Sit comfortably in your chair, close your eyes and take deep breaths several times. Breathe deeply and feel completely relaxed in all of the limbs of the body. “וְהוּא ישֵׁב” – Sit with the feeling of being alive; simply BEING present and open, using your breath as anchor. Just be present with what is, without DOING anything with any of it. Just be in relation to it. Allow it. Permit it.
“פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל” – Be open to it. Just be open and allow, let all the sounds in the room pass through you, allow all your thoughts and feelings to come and go, without grasping, identifying or judging. Simply sit, in the present moment of being alive. Do not measure yourself, judge yourself, just make space for yourself as you sit. When you sit, you can free yourself of yourself even in the midst of yourself.
“וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו הַשֵם” – Open yourself and allow yourself to see and connect with Hashem. Let your eyes open to the revelation He wants to show you. It could be completely different than what you expect, what you think it is supposed to be. When you detach from yourself, your judgments and preconceived notions then you open yourself to see, to see beyond what you know. Not the projection of your desire, but what truly is, that which we don’t allow ourselves to see when we are so full of ourselves that there is no room for G-d. Go beyond counting your accomplishments, let go of even your spiritual self, as you keep breathing, taking in the breath from beyond. Do not fear to open yourself in wonder. Don’t be afraid to face any feelings which may come to you, whether a feeling of meaninglessness, despair, fear, they are all part of the experience which leads you to encounter Hashem. Don’t be afraid of fear as you come out into the open, the only place where G-d is revealed.
“וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו” – “He raised his eyes and he saw, behold three men stood by him.”As you breathe softly, imagine the energy of the archangel Michael standing at your right. Feel the energy of chesed (kindness), inhale softness love and compassion. Tune into how much you are being loved. Tune into the waves of love washing over you from your right.
Now imagine the energy of the archangel Gavriel at your left. Breathe in as you feel gevurah –strength and protection from your left. Inhale the gevurah energy. Your boundaries are becoming clear. You now have a vessel for all of the love. Imagine the shape of your vessel emerging from your left.
Breathe in, allow yourself to tune into the healing energy of the archangel of Refael from behind you. Inhale the healing energy from behind you to your entire being.
“וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ” – “He saw and he ran” – When Avraham looked again he saw the healing angel of Refael and was immediately healed and able to run. Open your eyes to a healing vision. Notice the colors shapes, feelings, of what you visualize in your mind’s eye. Allow the healing you receive to enter into every part of you that needs healing. Take your vision of Hashem’s healing energy and enter it to every place within you, where it is needed. Breathe slowly and allow your healing process to take place. Feel how your body is responding and opening itself to the healing energy. Slowly tap your hands and feet, open your eyes and return refreshed and healed to the reality around you.
Notes
וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה...בראשית יח:ב
“He raised his eyes and he saw, behold three people standing by him, he saw and he ran towards them from the opening of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground…” (Bereishit 18:2).
“וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ” – Ohr HaChaim notices that the Torah repeated that Avraham saw a second time. Perhaps we can say that only the second time did he see that the “men” were actually angels. However, this is not necessary, as Avraham was on such a high level that already the first time he saw, he knew. Rather, Scripture informs us that when Avraham looked again, he saw the healing angel of Refael and was immediately healed from his circumcision, as we see that he was able to run quickly towards them. Experiencing this amazing healing also explains why he bowed down in the greatest respect.
“וְהוּא ישֵׁב” – Sit comfortably in your chair, close your eyes and take deep breaths several times. Breathe deeply and feel completely relaxed in all of the limbs of the body. “וְהוּא ישֵׁב” – Sit with the feeling of being alive; simply BEING present and open, using your breath as anchor. Just be present with what is, without DOING anything with any of it. Just be in relation to it. Allow it. Permit it.
“פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל” – Be open to it. Just be open and allow, let all the sounds in the room pass through you, allow all your thoughts and feelings to come and go, without grasping, identifying or judging. Simply sit, in the present moment of being alive. Do not measure yourself, judge yourself, just make space for yourself as you sit. When you sit, you can free yourself of yourself even in the midst of yourself.
“וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו הַשֵם” – Open yourself and allow yourself to see and connect with Hashem. Let your eyes open to the revelation He wants to show you. It could be completely different than what you expect, what you think it is supposed to be. When you detach from yourself, your judgments and preconceived notions then you open yourself to see, to see beyond what you know. Not the projection of your desire, but what truly is, that which we don’t allow ourselves to see when we are so full of ourselves that there is no room for G-d. Go beyond counting your accomplishments, let go of even your spiritual self, as you keep breathing, taking in the breath from beyond. Do not fear to open yourself in wonder. Don’t be afraid to face any feelings which may come to you, whether a feeling of meaninglessness, despair, fear, they are all part of the experience which leads you to encounter Hashem. Don’t be afraid of fear as you come out into the open, the only place where G-d is revealed.
“וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו” – “He raised his eyes and he saw, behold three men stood by him.”As you breathe softly, imagine the energy of the archangel Michael standing at your right. Feel the energy of chesed (kindness), inhale softness love and compassion. Tune into how much you are being loved. Tune into the waves of love washing over you from your right.
Now imagine the energy of the archangel Gavriel at your left. Breathe in as you feel gevurah –strength and protection from your left. Inhale the gevurah energy. Your boundaries are becoming clear. You now have a vessel for all of the love. Imagine the shape of your vessel emerging from your left.
Breathe in, allow yourself to tune into the healing energy of the archangel of Refael from behind you. Inhale the healing energy from behind you to your entire being.
“וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ” – “He saw and he ran” – When Avraham looked again he saw the healing angel of Refael and was immediately healed and able to run. Open your eyes to a healing vision. Notice the colors shapes, feelings, of what you visualize in your mind’s eye. Allow the healing you receive to enter into every part of you that needs healing. Take your vision of Hashem’s healing energy and enter it to every place within you, where it is needed. Breathe slowly and allow your healing process to take place. Feel how your body is responding and opening itself to the healing energy. Slowly tap your hands and feet, open your eyes and return refreshed and healed to the reality around you.
Notes
וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה...בראשית יח:ב
“He raised his eyes and he saw, behold three people standing by him, he saw and he ran towards them from the opening of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground…” (Bereishit 18:2).
“וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ” – Ohr HaChaim notices that the Torah repeated that Avraham saw a second time. Perhaps we can say that only the second time did he see that the “men” were actually angels. However, this is not necessary, as Avraham was on such a high level that already the first time he saw, he knew. Rather, Scripture informs us that when Avraham looked again, he saw the healing angel of Refael and was immediately healed from his circumcision, as we see that he was able to run quickly towards them. Experiencing this amazing healing also explains why he bowed down in the greatest respect.
Thank you for sharing this meditation. It would be great to be able to listen to this. It is interesting to me as a naturopathic doctor to understand more about the connection between the physical healing and the spiritual healing. We often see healing as just a physical experience, and many people do not want to look at the spiritual. When it says Avraham saw the healing angel and was healed, is it implying that we need to be spiritually in tune to be able to heal? Do we need to be willing to see ourselves as spiritual beings in order to heal?
ReplyDeleteDear Deanna,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest and questions. B"H I will make recordings of the meditations as well, and bring on my upcoming tour Feb 5-24 hope to meet you there.
I believe the truest deepest healing needs to include spiritual healing, as the root of all illness is lack of Hashem's light flowing freely through our entire being. If we only treat the physical without its spiritual root then C"V another physical symptom will develop.
Therefore it is important to work on healing on all level, both physical, emotional and spiritual.
This is my goal in emunahealing