04 Aug Parshas Re’eh ; seeing, hearing, blessing and curse

Last week parshas Eikev spoke to the sense of ‘hearing’ ; Eikev begins, “If you will listen.. , an experience of the heart (emotive). This weeks parshas Re’eh speaks to the sense of ’seeing’,; “See! I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse”, an experience of the mind (intellect). When the senses of hearing and seeing become elevated and unified as one, they culminate as the lofty experience of Knowledge- Daat. This was the experience at Sinai as ‘they saw the sounds’.  

The month of Elul that we are approaching is a powerful month of change. As we prepare for the High Holidays, we engage in the practice of doing a cheshbon hanefesh … a personal inventory. This is something that Torah Wisdom has shared with millions in self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as it is known in their teachings as doing ‘a searching and fearless inventory’.

For one to have the most meaningful and  elevating experience for the Yom Tovem and when hearing the shofar, one should be dedicated and sincere in his tshuvah; his Torah study and his cheshbon hanefesh. 

We do this exercise of introspection by putting pen to paper, not by computer. We are then able to channel the powers of our mind and our heart as one through the action of our writing. We can thus integrate the power of Knowledge-Daas concealed within our writing to then be revealed as a key to our self transformation.

In Parshas Re’eh 11:26 ‘Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse’ refers to the experience of sight ie ‘to see’. The Torah speaks of Mt. Gerizam the mountain of abundance and  Mt. Eivel, the barren mountain .            

As we approach the month of Elul, we can see a connection to Elul and our tshuvah.

Mt. Gerizam as the ‘ lush Mt. of abundance’ can be understood as having an amount of balance and stability. However in contrast, ‘the barrenness of Mt Eival’ represents darkness and chaos.  

The important lesson here is the powerful concept that Mt Eivel as the barren mountain has concealed within it’s ‘darkness’ the the most powerful sparks of Holiness waiting to be ignited and transformed, and its potential revealed. Mt Grizam however already appears lush and beautiful and has already revealed its potential.

Accordingly, our most powerful tshuvah, our personal transformation is concealed within the darkest places of our being waiting for its potential to be revealed and ignited through our efforts of our tshuvah.  

Lawrence (Leib Getzel) Lax

Addictions and Counselling (Honours)
www.lawrencelax.com