12 Jul Chukat; Red Heifer to Ascend and Addiction Recovery
Inspired by the teachings of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth
Everything that exists in the physical world began first in the spiritual world.
To make effective change physically we ned to make effective change spiritually.
As a result of the Sin of the Spies, the entire generation of 40 years were to die in the desert never making into Eretz Yisroel (except for Joshua and Caleb). The ashes of the Red Heifer were to purify the impurity of any contact with death that the Israelites might come in contact with on their journey. The contact with the impurity of a corpse is the highest level of impurity (tumah) and would impede their ability to ascend and the ashes were the remedy.
The color Red is significant as it is associated with the emotive characteristic of the sefirot of Gevurah; might, strength and is cognate to Gayvah; arrogance and pride. Although these traits can lead a person to transgress, ‘a drop’ is what is needed to uplift to be able to ascend. The Talmud describes this as an 1/8th of an 1/8th gevurah. The ashes of the Red Heifer are used to help uplift the ‘good’ aspects of pride of a person to help them overcome the impurity of the darkness of death (the tumah of a corpse). Any amount of impurity can detract from our physical and spiritual ascent.
Addiction
As we learn about a corpse as it was in the desert, is the highest level of impurity, we may also learnn that there are other levels of impurity that we may incur spiritually and physically through sin; ie transgressions that go against G-d, Man and may cause us harm to ourselves making it difficult to ascend. Where we may become overwhelmed to ascend, we may need for an invasive measures to help uplift a ourselves in order that they be able to acquire good coping skills and learn the skills of how to uplift. This may be done through the careful use of medication combined with therapy.
Each of us will no doubt succumb to sin in many different ways such as with substance and behaviour that removes us from a healthy connection with G-d It may cause us an amount of spiritual and or physical death.
In managing issues of Addiction and Behaviour concurrent disorders on ‘the spectrum’ may be accompanied with disorders such as (not limited to) depression, bi polar disorder, anxiety disorder, OCD, ADD… etc,. Medication may play a role in recovery to help up-lift a person from an inability to ascend.
Addiction and Concurrent Disorders
The body’s chemical known a Serotonin is like a reusable match. Under healthy conditions once the match has been ‘Spent’, it goes in to a receptacle /reservoir to be re used (reuptake) for use again.
Serotonin once spent is still useful, it can be ‘recycled’. But where there is a ‘leak or a hole’ in the ‘catch receptacle/reservoir’, the body is unable to maintain a healthy chemical level . The spent chemical becomes depleted and discarded rather than reused.
A general class of medication known as an SSRI; Serotonin Reuptake Inhibiter, ‘plugs the hole’ in the reservoir/catch receptacle and allows the body to build up a healthy reserve of Serotonin. These medications don’t actually ‘add’ anything to brain chemistry, they only ‘plug the drain’ to acquire a healthy level. There is an advantage that half life of the medication is very short (12-24 hours) , so any excess drug there might be may be eliminated (or dose adjusted by your Dr.).
This class of medication can be very useful in helping a person reach a more stable emotional foundation making it possible to be able to learn new and better coping skills. SSRI’s are meant to be taken in concert with therapy and not a cure-all on its own. They help reduce the emotional difficulties of the anxiety that can trigger many issues; depression, OCD, bipolar, addictions and allow for a ‘most authentic’ healing experience to occur.
They are therapeutically very manageable, non addictive, and most people do not remain on these drugs for extended periods of time. They may be interimlly needed to overcome the obstacles of not being able to ascend. A person should be properly assessed and closely monitored by a psychiatrist for these medications.It should also be understood that these medications do not ‘fix’ a problem, only that the threshold of the problem becomes more mageagable and the work towards wellness can take place. These medications should be used in conjunction with continued therapy.
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Counseling and Addictions
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com