The Song of Songs: The Love Story of God and Israel (XXVIII)

Once we unite the diversity of human consciousness and harmonize its opposite traits and trends under the regency of love’s ways and attributes, we will see this harmonic functional unity also in our surroundings. Not only as a reflection of our individual and collective peace, but also interacting with each other.

“For you will be in league [lit. In partnership, in covenant] with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.” (Job 5:23)

“In that day I will also make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, and will make them lie down in safety.” (Hosea 2:18)

Therefore all forms of life exist to serve and sustain life in order to make goodness prevail in every way, means and end, for goodness is the highest level of life. Thus we understand what our sages mean when they refer to our actions.

“And let your deeds be for the sake of heaven” (Pirkei Avot 2:17)

God’s love reminds us constantly about this, for we deliberately overlook the goodness of love’s ways and attributes as what we must honor always and in all ways.

“(…) and God in whose hand is your breath and all your ways, Him you have not honored.” (Daniel 5:23)

Goodness is the intended purpose of God’s creation, and as the harmonizing catalyst is destined to transform anything different into goodness. King David reminds us often that God is good, for His loving kindness is eternal; and thus we realize goodness as the ruling principle in the promised transformed human consciousness in the Messianic era.

“And He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples, and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.” (Isaiah 2:4)

We live to experience change, from ignorance to wisdom, delusion to awareness, dormant to awakened, immature to mature, darkness to light, coldness to warmth, abyss to summit. This change is the transformational process led by the soul in order to find itself in goodness as its own essence and purpose.

In this awareness some of us ask the fundamental question in regards to the soul, is it me or just the link to our Creator, or am I a consciousness in a biological body? The answer is simpler than we think. It depends on where we place our essence and identity.

Some place it in the body, and some of us place it in the soul. Some identify with the temporary nature of the body with its needs, lacks and desires, and some of us with the transcendental quality of the soul with its endless goodness beyond need, lack, lust or limitations. After what we already know about the soul, can we settle for less?

“I am of my Beloved, and upon me is His desire.” (Song of Songs 7:11)

Israel responds that the beauty of the goodness in her essence and identity entirely belongs to God, for they come from His love. Thus Israel remarks that she belongs to God’s love. Israel is thus, because thus is God’s desire.

God yearns for Israel’s expressions of His love in the material world, for He wants humankind to be fully aware of His presence in all that He has created.

Parshat Shemot: The Awareness of God's Love

“And these are the names (shemot) of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt (…)” (Exodus 1:1).

Our Sages teach that one counts and names each thing that is precious to him, and Israel is indeed as precious as a son to his father, as it is written: “So said the Lord, 'My firstborn son is Israel'.” (4:22).

The Hebrew scriptures tell us about the Love of God for Israel and all His Creation, but have we considered our Love for Him? We don't pretend to define with a human consciousness our Creator, but to approach with our human traits His Love that creates and sustains us, and all His Creation. If Creation certainly emanates from God's Love, we conceive and understand Love as the means to relate and communicate with Him.

We frequently mention the thirteen attributes of God's compassion (34:6-7) as specific references for us to relate to our Creator through human consciousness. Ultimately it is our individual choice to conceive Him, and approach Him either as a loving and compassionate Creator or else. Common sense plainly demonstrates the former. Every chapter of the Torah and every assessment of our Sages illustrate and reiterate this truth. The book of Exodus is clearly the living proof of God's Love for Israel.

“Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying: 'Every son that is born you shall cast into the River'.” (1:22).

Our mystic Sages explain that every male child born both from Israelites and Egyptians were subject to this decree, and point out that the River (Nile) represents the materialistic lifestyle derived from ego's negative desires and fantasies.

Pharaoh (the egocentric approach to material life) wanted every trait and aspect of human consciousness submerged (put to death) into the waters of materialism, and becoming virtually dead to the upper waters of higher consciousness represented by Love's ways and attributes. From this passage we learn that without a rest from the the material world (a time and place called the Shabbat), life is meaningless. Without our awareness of the Creator, everything seems meaningless.

In this crucial moment of human development, a key trait of consciousness needs to be born in order to guide its remaining aspects. This is what we refer as the highest awareness of the Creator in our consciousness, the awareness of His goodness, as we conceive it in our limited human understanding. This awareness is represented by Moses: “And she [Moses' mother] saw him that he was good.” (2:2).

This is also the awareness of Love that reaches out to all Creation, and particularly to our brethren:

“He [Moses] went out to his brothers, and looked on their suffering” (2:11).

This ordeal is not only the result of living under the duress of gross materialism but the division and separation we suffer in our exile from God's Love.

Division, strife, quarreling, violence and hatred are illusions that trap us in the darkness of the absence of Love.

“And Moses feared, and said: 'Indeed, the thing is known'.” (2:14).

Our Sages say that Moses saw that gossiping and tale bearing were obstacles for the children of Israel's redemption from slavery, and he concluded that those were the “known” causes of their bondage.

“(…) the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry ascended to God by reason of the bondage.” (2:23).

Mystic Sages explain that Pharaoh was dead to the awareness of God and His eternal rule over His Creation. In the darkness of this spiritual death our cry certainly reaches up to Him.

Rashi complements this fact when he questions why God appeared to Moses in a thorn bush and not in a different tree. He answers that it was in order to illustrate and demonstrate that, “In all their distress He too was distressed, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His Love and compassion He redeemed them, He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63:9).

God's Love is certainly the fire that is never consumed: “The bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2).

“And Moses said to God: 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?' And He said: 'I will be with you, and this is your sign [humility] that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt (after their attachment to lower consciousness), they shall serve God upon this mountain (the highest awareness of God, also the Temple of Jerusalem)'.” (3:11-12).

God'd Love redeems us from the darkness of ego's materialism and the negative trends in consciousness:

“This is My Name forever, and this is how I should be mentioned in every generation.” (3:15).

The One that was, is, and will be forever.

“And God said to Aaron: 'Go to the wilderness to meet Moses'. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.” (4:27).

The mount of God is our highest awareness of His Love, where both loving kindness (Aaron) and righteousness (Moses) kiss, as recalled by King David:

“Loving kindness and Truth are met together; Justice and Peace have kissed.” (Psalms 85:11).

Truth and justice are inherent to each other (Moses), and so too Love and Peace (Aaron).

“And Pharaoh said: 'Who is the Lord that I should hearken to His voice to let Israel go'? I know not the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go'.” (5:2).

Ego pretends to direct our existence as a separate, independent entity in order to control all aspects of consciousness (the children of Israel). In this illusory separation, ego disregards Love as the all-encompassing and integrating force in Creation.

Ego creates its own individual “separated” reality based on desires derived from negative thoughts and misconceptions rooted in a sense of lack.

This lack is the result of the illusory absence of Love in any of the aspects and dimensions of intellect, mind, emotions, feelings, passions, and instincts. Lack of food and the essential resources to fulfill our basic material needs (body needs related to instincts), lack of an object for our desires and carnal urges (passions), lack of recognition and fulfillment of our feelings and emotions in our relationship with our surroundings, lack of interest and concern based on lack of knowledge in our mind and intellect, all these lacks are triggers for ego's frustration and consequent engagement in negative behavior and actions that darken and enslave our awareness in the lowest levels of existence.

In this predicament, ego does not know or recognize anything different than its own image, including rejecting Love as the redeemer from its lack, either be real or illusory.

The portion ends with this verse:

“And the Lord said to Moses: 'Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, because by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land'.” (6:1).

God's Love creates and sustains everything, and also transforms our consciousness in order for us to recognize Him as our Creator.

Parshat Shoftim: Approaching Justice as Love

Justice is the main subject in Shoftim (Judges). Our Sages say: “By three things is the world sustained: justice, truth and peace.” (Pirkei Avot 1:18), as it is written, “Truth, and a judgment of peace, you should administer at your [city] gates.” (Zachariah 8:16); and in this statement we must understand the context of shoftim.

Judgment is the application of justice, and justice is the righteous thing to do. Hence by doing the right thing we indeed do justice. Although the word may suggest “law”, its meaning is related to make truth prevail as the foundation for peace.

“You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show favoritism, and you shall not take a bribe, for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the wise.” (Deuteronomy 16:19)

Doing what is right is acting with and for the truth, which is encompassed by love’s ways and attributes that oppose ego’s agenda of manipulation (perversion of justice), self-interest (favoritism), and corruption by pursuing materialistic fantasies and illusions (bribes) at any cost (losing the truth and trust in love).

The portion continues addressing idolatry as the separation from our Creator’s ways and attributes. Idolatry as the masks ego wants us to wear for every aspect of our lives.

“If a matter eludes you in judgment, between blood and blood, between judgment and judgment, or between lesion and lesion, words of dispute in your cities, then you shall rise and go up to the place the Lord, your God, chooses.” (17:8)

Mystic sages comment on this verse saying that our “cities” represent the aspects of consciousness that we have to watch over in order to maintain their harmonious balance and expression. They also say that the gates of these cities are seven in the head (ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth) and two in the lower part of the body. All these must be guided with justice, meaning in love’s ways and attributes.

In sum we have to conduct every aspect, dimension and expression of our consciousness in the direction of love's ways. As we have mentioned in previous commentaries, our higher awareness of the Creator (represented by the high priest) is the best “judge”.

“And you shall come to the Levitic kohanim and to the judge who will be in those days, and you shall inquire, and they will tell you the words of judgment. And you shall do according to the word they tell you, from the place the Lord will choose, and you shall observe to do according to all they instruct you.” (17:9-10)

The awareness of love as our permanent bond and connection with the Creator is the best judgment we can have to deal with the illusions of the material world. When love conducts every aspect of our lives, truth is served and peace prevails individually and collectively.

The portion mentions divination, soothsaying, and other kinds of incantations as the lowest means to pursue control over the forces of nature and to transgress love’s ways and attributes (18:10-12, 14) and “Be wholehearted with the Lord your God.” (18:13).

If love is our sustenance as the material manifestation of God's love, why should we pursue the mirages of ego’s fantasies and illusions? Still, the choices are only ours and also their consequences.

The text continues with a reiteration of the cities of refuge (19:2-21) where the Levites are responsible for bringing back to God’s ways and attributes those who have transgressed against their fellow man.

Our sages teach that every man, for the primordial fact that he is the image and likeness of the Creator, is not evil. Any crime that he may commit is the result of ignorance, therefore he must be educated with the teachings of the Torah. This is one of the main principles of Judaism. The cities of refuge are places designated directly from our Creator to rehabilitate those who fall into the negative trends of human consciousness.

This is one of the most precious commandments given to us, and we must comprehend it as part of the divine essence that created everything and sustains everything.

God's love is about learning to be and do His ways and attributes, and the cities of refuge were established for that purpose. When we are not able to live harmonically among our brethren, and transgress against them, we need to be helped in order to redeem ourselves.

This help is available by those who can guide us back to who we really are: the image and likeness of God's love. The Torah calls them Levites and we also call them the highest level of our consciousness, the sublime awareness that we are always connected to our Creator, the existential knowledge that we are His creatures. 

In this awareness we can return to our true identity and be able to amend, restore, or rectify our transgressions against ourselves and others.

“You shall not have pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (19:21)

Our sages emphasize that this is not about revenge or retaliation but to restore, give back or compensate for the damage caused by our negative actions.

The parshah ends with the following verse.

“And you shall abolish the [shedding of] innocent blood from among you, for you shall do what is proper in the eyes of the Lord.” (21:09)

This invites us to reflect on the value of life in order to protect it and to sanctify it according to love’s ways and attributes.

Shavuot: Oneness with Divine Love

The most important moment in Jewish history is when the Creator speaks to the People of Israel. We say it in the present tense because, as we mention in "God as Love", this transcendental moment is indeed eternal. We just need to be fully aware of it, but how do we achieve this sublime awareness? By being One with Him as we "were" in the desert of Sinai 3323 years ago. It seems paradoxical. How an event that happened so many years ago could be eternal? Because the Love of G-d is also eternal and there is no time, space or anything that may impose conditions or limitations to the Creator. Our mind can't understand it because it is bound to time and space, and we simply can't grasp anything that is beyond those boundaries.

In "God as Love" we present our Creator according to Judaism's fundamental principles, and understanding the Hebrew Bible's repeated message (direct and implied) that G-d conceived the Creation out of His Love, and the fact that it is also sustained by Him is the reiteration of His Love. Throughout the pages of "God as Love" this self-evident Truth is further explained and supported by statements and passages quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures. Besides, what other motives or reasons may exist to deny this Truth? As we already know, G-d is His own cause and effect as well as all His attributes revealed by Him to Moses (Exodus 34:6-7). The more we learn these attributes, the closer we are to "know" G-d; and this knowledge takes us to the awareness of our Oneness with Him. When we read that we were created "in His image and likeness", we are compelled to find out what that means simply because this is about our identity. That is which has been said in the Torah, and its details are further explained throughout the Hebrew Scriptures telling us how we as humans can conceive G-d and how we relate to Him.

In "God as Love" this search for our true identity occurs in a process of clearing what we call "the illusions of darkness" (the materialistic approach to life). This process takes a lot of discerning and mindfulness in the way we exercise our free will, by understanding the ethics that are inherent to Divine Love. This is the foremost contribution of Judaism to the world, and this is the mission for which we were chosen when the Creator reveals Himself to us in the desert of Sinai. This Revelation is the identity that He wants us to be and manifest: His image and likeness. However, this Revelation takes place only after we clear our consciousness from the illusions dictated by ego's materialistic fantasies. In order to achieve this we cry out to His Love, the One that liberates us from ego's bondage: Pharaoh and his Egyptian domains. The Exodus from the land where we were slaves happened after we learned and grasped in our consciousness that the Love of G-d is our One and only Redeemer from the darkness of ego's illusions.

The Exodus is the first phase followed by our dwelling in the desert, where we were immersed in knowing our true identity. The Torah tells us that this process took seven weeks (shavuot) in which we must re-direct our intellect, mind, emotions, feelings, passions and instincts in order to be able to recognize Love as our true Essence and identity. Mystic Sages teach that this re-redirecting is the correction or rectification (tikkun) of the seven emanations (sfirot) with which Divine Love created us and also everything that exists, because we corrupted these emanations by choosing to live in the darkness of materialistic illusions instead of living in Love's ways and attributes. Once we go through a process of a mindful self-evaluation and cleaning our consciousness from ego's illusions, we will be able to become the empty vessels to be filled only with G-d's Love attributes. This is the eternal moment when G-d, the Torah, the Shabbat and Israel are One.

The paradox remains and we still want to understand how this moment is eternal. As we already said, it happens when we raise our consciousness to Divine Love; when we become the vessels to be filled with that sublime identity, Love. As Love we become the cause and the effect, and we can reveal Him where and when He is concealed in what we perceive as darkness in the material world. Thus we fulfill the promise of Redemption by being and manifesting Love's Light in the world, which is also His Commandment for us to create a space in the world for Him to dwell. Let's be and manifest Love's ways and attributes at all times, and regain the eternal awareness of our Oneness with Divine Love.

Parshat Emor: Life for Life

God's love creates and sustains life, and anything that threatens life (including death) shall be separated from it. This is the successive and reiterated message in the Torah, reaffirmed many times in the beginning of Emor.

"There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people." (Leviticus 21:1)

This refers to the high priest that represents our higher consciousness and continuous connection with God, as we have pointed out before.

"He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself." (21:4)

The high priest's function is highlighted as the love bearer permanently close to God's love. In this sense he is both the messenger and the message: love as the material manifestation of God's love from which we are sustained every moment, and we have to hold holy.

"You shall sanctify him therefore, because he offers the bread of your God; he shall be holy unto you, because I the Lord who sanctify you, am holy." (21:8)

The people of Israel is divinely commanded to consecrate the high priest. They represent the positive traits and qualities that must honor and exalt the higher consciousness of connection with God, by being and doing His ways and attributes always.

This awareness dwells in the highest level of our consciousness which is the tabernacle or temple where we are permanently connected to Him, and should never abandon.

"(…) neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor desecrate the sanctuary of his God; because the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him, I am the Lord." (21:12)

The instructions regarding the high priest's consecration to the service of God continues in the next chapter. Both Aaron and the children of Israel are commanded to bring sacrifices by offering unblemished animals to be burned upon the altar of the tabernacle.

As we have mentioned, these offerings represent untainted thoughts, emotions, feelings, passions and instincts that we use to honor our Creator's will, ways and attributes in everything we do. Therefore we can't offer negative, egotistic, selfish or greedy thoughts, emotions, feelings, passions and instincts to serve God because He rejects what is opposed to His ways and attributes.

Let's remind ourselves that being His image and likeness means being and manifesting love's ways and attributes as the material manifestation of God's love, the divine essence from which everything comes to exist. Negative traits only attract their like, and are always separated from the attributes of love which nurture all creation.

"He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy." (21:22)

In the following chapter (23) the people of Israel are addressed with the consecration of the Shabbat and holidays, as designed times to reaffirm our continuous connection to the Creator. In chapter 24 Israel is also reminded about the commandment of lighting a lamp to burn permanently in the sanctuary (24:2), the earthly fire that must be constantly burning and united to the divine fire that transforms and elevates our lives to God. This continuity is emphasized.

"(…) from evening to morning before the Lord continually." (24:3-4, 8)

The transgression of desecrating the name of God, which also means to curse Him, makes us separate from Him and from the unity with His people. In this separation we die after our hearts are turned into stones, and these are the stones that cause our death. The choice to live ego's illusions instead of living love's attributes is the curse and the sin, and we bear their punishments.

"Whoever curses his God will bear his sin." (24:15)

The unity of the people of Israel with the Creator is remarked again at the end of this parshah, and murdering life carries the death of the perpetrator. As we mentioned in our commentary on Kedoshim, death is not the consequence of vengeance or retaliation for transgressions committed against God's will. We have said that the death penalty and other punishments mentioned in the Torah and the Hebrew scriptures are the result of disrespecting, dishonoring and destroying human life.

Transgressions against life are direct sins against God's love, and the transgressors must replace "life with life". The lesson here is that all the negative actions and transgressions one commits are also committed against himself, and the only way to repair or correct a destructive or negative action is to repair the damage caused, to restore what was stolen or destroyed, or to compensate for what is not possible to repair or restore.

Our sages explain in the Talmud that this is the true meaning of "breach for breach, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; as he has maimed a man, so shall it be rendered to him." (24:20). This principle is addressed for everyone.

"You shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, and for the home-born, because I am the Lord your God." (24:22)

Parshat Kedoshim: Holy Means Different

Kedoshim (holy ones) begins with an encompassing commandment to the people of Israel.

"You shall be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." (Leviticus 19:2)

Most of our sages remark that the fundamental message of Torah is stated in this chapter of Leviticus. The entire Torah is about being holy in order to be close to our Creator, and that means to be different.

The root of the Hebrew word kadosh, usually translated as holy, means "separated" or "set apart". In a practical context implies being different. Hence holiness is by definition a separate state, a world apart; that which makes us different. And how this difference can be more real than the "rest"? Living in truth is the answer, which is living in love's ways instead of ego's fantasies and illusions.

The portion continues restating the Ten Commandments, and emphasizing some of the ways we have to relate to our fellow human beings. These are guidelines aimed to love, care, protect and cherish them.

The Talmud (Yevamot 20a) points out that we also have to sanctify life, and act with holiness in what is permissible to us. It is not enough to refrain from what is forbidden, but also to be moderate with the pleasures material life offers, as it is suggested by Maimonides and Nachmanides when they speak about the meaning of being holy.

As part of the Ten Commandments, God warns us against falling into ego’s materialistic desires.

"Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molten gods," (19:4)

Rashi explains the order of this sentence saying that the "idols" at first are like fantasies when we desire them, and later we end up turning them into "gods" as we make them our main purpose in life. In the Ten Commandments there is also a reminder to avoid negative or evil speech.

"You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people, you shall not stand by your fellow's blood." (19:16)

We must not be indifferent or unconcerned about our fellow man's pain, misery or disgrace.

"You shall not stand by your fellow's blood." (19:17)

This includes our responsibility to guide him into God’s ways and attributes.

"Rebuke, rebuke your fellow." (Ibid.)

We must question him when his beliefs, thoughts, emotions, feelings, passions and instincts take a negative trend.

With this preamble the Torah introduces its fundamental principle.

"You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against any of your people; and you shall love your fellow as yourself, [because] I am the Lord." (19:18)

When we love our fellow man and God's creation, we love the Creator. This means to be aware of the oneness we are part of. We love everything and everyone because they, as well as we, are made of the same love we all are. There is no separation in this love.

Love, as the material manifestation of God's love, unites everything because all comes from Him and it is sustained by Him.

"You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your cattle gender with a diverse kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; neither shall there come upon you a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together." (19:19)

Why does this verse come after the Torah’s cornerstone "love your neighbor as yourself"?

In a deeper meaning, it tells us that love does not mix with anything different than its ways and attributes. Love is what must lead every aspect and dimension of our consciousness.

Interestingly, the portion continues with the laws on agriculture and the ways we have to treat the land, the trees and their produce.

"When you shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food." (19:23)

The land also represents our life and all levels of consciousness with which we relate to ourselves, to our fellow man, and to the entire creation.

We have to let our consciousness mature long enough to be able to fully experience and manifest love as our true essence and identity. Thus we share all we create and produce with those who don't have. By doing this we elevate others with our love.

"You shall rise before the white-haired, and honor the face of the old man." (19:32)

We have to honor wisdom and understanding (which also represent our father and mother), and consequently we have to also honor knowledge, experienced learning, and the valuable counsel and advice from which we can benefit.

We have to honor the acquired wisdom from our own experiences by engaging our consciousness with it. We must not disregard anything we learn, thus every day we apply our knowledge. Love is the greatest knowledge and teacher of all, and sustains the truth in everything we learn. As we mentioned in this blog, from love emanates all wisdom.

The next chapter of the portion lists the consequences of living in idolatry, and with customs that reject the holiness the Creator wants us to honor in order to be always close to Him.

The Torah mentions several kinds of "punishments", which should not be perceived as forms of retaliation or retribution but simply as the consequences of choosing what denies love's ways and attributes.

Those consequences range from turning our hearts into stones (becoming dense as stones by our attachment to a materialistic lifestyle), expelling ourselves from the people and the land that represent oneness with God. Hence "dying" as the result of not living anymore in the true life God offers us when we walk in His ways.

"You shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all My ordinances and do them, that the Land where I bring you to dwell in vomit you not out. And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; because they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. But I have said unto you: 'You shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a Land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the Lord your God, who have set you apart from the peoples.” (20:22-24)

Separation from the illusions derived from darkness is clearly commanded in the last sentence, and continues commanding us to separate between clean and unclean, darkness and light.

"And you shall be holy to Me because I, the Lord, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, for you to be Mine." (20:26)

In the haftarah we read along with this portion, the prophet (Ezekiel 22:1-6) warns that the Promised Land does not allow or condone impurity, and that we will be expelled from it if we tamper our consciousness with anything other than the holiness the Creator wants from us.

Again we are reminded that God's love does not cohabit with anything different than His ways and attributes. Mystic sages teach that when we live in the darkness of exile we learn to search for the light with which we return to our holy land, which also represent the highest awareness or our connection with God.

Parshat Acharei: Being as different as it takes

The quest for sacredness as the permanent connection with the Creator continues in Acharei signaling to the day in which we are united with Him after we cleanse our consciousness from negative patterns. This is the premise for an atonement directed to fulfill that unity.

"For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord." (Leviticus 16:30)

Maimonides teaches that "on Yom Kippur, the day itself atones as it is written: 'For on this day shall atone for you'." (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Return 1:3), and he clearly refers to the particular time when that action takes place.

We have learned already that the revelation of the Torah in Sinai occurs the same day when we commemorate Yom Kippur, making us aware that this is the time in which we are one with our Creator. It also reminds us that before we received the Torah we engaged in a cleansing and purification period of seven weeks to separate our consciousness from its materialistic patterns and attachments in order to become the vessel for God's ways and attributes.

The Creator asks us to be holy because He is holy and with this we learn that He does not cohabit with anything different from His ways and attributes. All our offerings (traits, thoughts, emotions, desires, passions and instincts) are directed to do what is sacred and holy to honor and celebrate our oneness with Him; and these offerings should not be presented to anything else.

"And they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the satyrs, after whom they go astray. This shall be a statute forever unto them throughout their generations." (Leviticus 17:7)

This means a permanent, constant and continuous connection with God. The parshah then refers to the divine prohibition for Israel not to eat the blood of any living creature.

"Because the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life." (17:11)

In our commentary on Metzorah we said that water also represents life and the renewal of life. Thus the Torah remarks to cleanse ourselves with living waters in order to remove impurities derived from transgressions against God's ways and our fellow man. In a deeper meaning, God's love sustains life and blood represents both life and what sustains it. Hence the action of eating blood defiles our own life and consciousness.

In this sense blood represents a divine essence whose purpose is to consecrate life and not to desecrate or diminish it with lower impulses or negative desires. Life is to be elevated, enhanced and consecrated to what it is by essence: Love as the material manifestation of God's love.

That is our purpose in life and in this world: to reveal God's love as the sustaining essence of life.

With this we learn that we must not abuse, misuse, damage or destroy life and its source, God's love. With living waters we cleanse our transgressions against life, including eating blood.

"(…) he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening; then shall he be clean. But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity." (17:15-16)

In this context the unwillingness to return to God’s ways and attributes keeps us separated from Him. The cleansing process continues in this parshah emphasizing what the Creator wants from us in order to be permanently connected with Him. He wants us to be different from the "nations" and their ways.

Our sages explain that the people of Israel inherit the Promised Land in order to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests, where the priesthood is the constant awareness of our connection to God. Becoming such nation requires leaving behind the ways of Egypt and the Canaanite nations that represent lower and negative thoughts, emotions, passions and instincts.

"And God told Moses: 'speak to the children of Israel and tell them: I am the Lord your God! After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein you dwelt, shall you not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan, where I bring you, shall you not do; neither shall you walk in their statutes. My ordinances shall you do, and My statutes shall you keep, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes, and My ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them: I am the Lord'." (18:1-5)

The constant awareness the Torah demands from us is what makes us different from the rest of the nations and gives us our true identity as the chosen people. This means being aware of God's love as the cause and effect of all Creation, and also aware that our mission is to reveal this eternal truth.

We are destined to reveal love concealed in the darkness of the illusions of the material world. We fulfill this destiny when we follow God's ways and attributes, and live by them, "which if a man does, he shall live by them".

Our sages point out "to live by them" suggesting not to die by them. One of the meanings of this is to be aware that we live by and for life’s sacredness. This sacredness consists in doing the Creator's ways and attributes, and not what denigrates the holiness of life's.

The parshah enumerates what the other Canaanite nations did related to sexual relations that are prohibited for the children of Israel, in order to be close to the Creator.

"(...) because all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land is defiled; that the land does not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. Therefore, shall you keep My charge, that you not do any of these abominable customs, which were done before you, and that you defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God." (18:27-28, 30)

Being different from the "nations" is the destiny that our God wants for Israel. As we have said, the difference lies in being always aware of God's love in all levels of consciousness, and living according to His commandments, and His ways and attributes.