Parashat Hayei Sara

Shabbat Commemorating Transgender Day of Remembrance

“V’Avraham zakein, ba bayamim, va-Adonai beirakh et Avraham bakol.

And Abraham was old, advanced in days, and Hashem had blessed Abraham with everything” (B’reisheit 24:1)

The Holy Zohar interprets the words “ba bayamim” literally, saying that Abraham was old and “came into his days”. The Zohar considers of the days of human life, according to D. Matt, Ph.D., as “living entities, preceding one’s earthly existence and enduring afterward.” If our days are alive, then we are called to deeply experience that life in each moment.

The Zohar continues, telling us that throughout all of Abraham’s days, he drew closer to the Holy, rung by rung, step by step, drawn inward (and upward). “Happy is the one whom You choose and bring close” (Ps 65:5). The Ein Sof desired that Abraham come into his particular place, so that when Abraham finally grew old, he attained his ultimate rung of knowing the mystery of faith “raza d’meheminuta”. From this place of timelessness – which is beyond days – all blessing and goodness flows. And thus Abraham (and we, too) receive the blessing of the spiritual path. The text begs us to ask ourselves, “what is the mystery of my own faith, what is my personal secret to a spirit-infused life? (Can I even ask myself this question?)”. In our text there is a to-and-fro movement, Abraham always reaching for the next step and the Divine extending a hand, as it were, in aid. At times it is we who might initiate the movement, at times it is the Infinte calling us closer.

Further the Zohar tells us, “Happy are those who are masters of returning”. Through teshuva we can each approach the special place, and take hold of the special mission, that is particularly designed for us. And, thus we are blessed. Each day is a new returning, a new rung on our soul-ladder. With each conscious moment and each conscious movement, we get closer to intuiting our life’s purpose.

Yesterday, 11/20/08 was Transgender Day of Remembrance, set aside for especially remembering those who have had their lives cut off prematurely because of being Transgender. This Zohar teaching is so appropriate for this time because it reminds us that each of us has our unique soul-journey to discern and follow. The practice of teshuva is a path to discovering our soul-essences. Each of our lives’ paths and stages has its own special blessing. For many of us, gender has not been an issue of concern, but for some of us, it is the essence of our spiritual path. In the words of Chochmat HaLev’s beloved Maggid Jhos Singer “Maybe some of us were selected to take on this work. Perhaps it’s not just about me and my comfort.”

Let’s bring intention and integrity as we come into every day with consciousness. We remember the importance of every life and every day of our lives. We honor the memories of those who have lost their lives in following their soul- paths. (This Shabbat we also remember the 45^th anniversary of JFK’s assignation!). Let’s pray together for the end of interpersonal violence.

With wise-hearted blessing from the timelessness in each day and the preciousness of each life,

Rabbi SaraLeya

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Parashat Lekh L’kha

“ ve’h’yei b’rakha…v’nivrikhu v’kha kol mish’p’hot ha-adama. Be a blessing! … and, through you, all the families of the earth will be blessed!” (B’reisheit 12: 2-3)

With this week’s parasha, we begin the saga of the forefathers and the foremothers that starts with Avram and Sarai’s journey. We will be immersed in this complex, and often troubling, generational story through mid-January, ending with Joseph and his family in Egypt.

Avram is told by the Holy One to leave his familial home and go on a journey. He is not told the ultimate destination. He is reassured that he will become a great people and will be well known, but his main charge is to “be a blessing”. The words are often translated “and you shall be a blessing,” but the Hebrew is clear – it is an imperative, a command – not a reassurance.

I ask us, this week, to consider what it means to be commanded to be a blessing. How might it affect my life if I accept that my mission is to be a channel – a tzinor – of blessing for the rest of the peoples of the world?

As spiritual descendents of Avram – who by the end of our parasha will be renamed Avraham when he enters into covenantal relationship with Hashem, we, too, are given this charge. Our lives are to be dedicated to being sources of goodness and vitality and righteousness and impeccability. Through our intentional living, we increase Divinity in this world. Kein ye’hi ratzon! So may it be!

With blessing for wisdom of heart and clarity of intention,

Rabbi SaraLeya

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Parashat Noah

“And the Holy One saw the rampant evil in the world and…regretted ever creating humankind, and felt deep heart-sadness - vayityatzeiv al libo ….[but] The eyes of the Holy One saw grace – hein in Noah. Noah was righteous and whole as he walked with G!d. … and the earth was full of hamas – violence” (B’reisheit 6: 5-11).

Usually, when we read this parasha, we focus on the story of the flood, the ark full of paired animals, the dove with the olive branch and the rainbow covenant.

Today, however, I ask the question: what is the lesson we can learn from the way Torah describes Noah? Noah’s name comes from the Hebrew la-nuah, meaning to rest, to be pleasing or to be set down in place. When the letters nun-het are reversed, we have the word hein or grace. When one is at rest, centered and calm, one is in a state of grace. When one accepts one’s circumstances, Presence, too, can rest. This is contrasted to the violence and evil of the entire world surrounding Noah. Despite the temptations of his generation, Noah is called righteous and whole, walking the path of closeness with the Divine.

Noah’s name and traits teach us, that, even in the worst of circumstances, one can become a center of integrity and calm. And so, in the midst of the maelstroms of conflict and emotion in our families and communities, we, too, can be at ease in our own wholeness, staying connected to what we know to be True. Our world, too, can be full of conflict and violence and negativity, but I bless each of us that when the Holy One gazes upon us, She sees grace and calm, wholeness and decency. I bless us that we can have the serenity and acceptance that will allow us to manifest our missions in repairing our world.

With blessing for the grace and centeredness to manifest Wisdom of the Heart,

Rabbi SaraLeya

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