Nugget #78 – First Triad: The Light of Torah

The Light of Torah, from Chockmah (YHVH) is brought down into a verbal and non-verbal setting. This is where the Written Torah comes in. The Written Torah is meant to reveal and confirm the spiritual search for the Light of Torah and the thought of creation. Though the Torah is written there are non-verbal portions as well. For instance the furnishings of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) are described but not explained. 

Many of the teachings of Torah allude to greater understanding under the surface. There are many hints placed throughout the Torah. This is why I take exception to “literal” interpretations only camps. Such practices sterilize the text by focusing only on the words. This robs us of clear indication that the true treasure of Torah lays beneath the surface.

Non-verbal does not mean information is not transferable or interaction cannot take place. This actually gives room for each person the opportunity to uniquely learn and express from their perspective the treasures they find. Torah is meant to bring people to a common place so that collectively we can reach up towards YHVH and EHYH.

Nugget #77 – First Triad: Elohim

The third Sefirah is Binah.  It means understanding.  This is where wisdom, which tends to be spontaneous and short lived, becomes more permanent and applicable at our level.  In the previous Nugget we mention that individuality becomes possible.  Here it takes more shape and becomes more defined.  The concept of communication (verbal and non-verbal) becomes more pronounced.  Communication is not required when individuality does not exist.  Through this individuality the thought of creation becomes more obscured and broken up.  Thus each individual has a hint/spark/piece/part of the thought of creation within him/her. 

We find we all need each other to piece together the thought of creation and to express it through mankind through our unique purpose.  Binah in its fullness is the expression of the thought of creation.  At our level we retain only sparks of it within the individual. 

The TNK (Hebrew Bible) is divided into 3 parts.  The Torah being the first 5 books of Moshe, the Nevi’im, which contains the Major and Minor Prophets, and the rest are called Ketuvim (Writings).  Those that seek the Creator, both individually and collectively, and the thought of creation are the true Israel spoken of in Torah.  The Prophets searched for such people in the Nevi’im and the people the Ketuvim tried to develop.

Nugget #76 – First Triad: Community and the Individual

YHVH is EHYH Revealed.  The thought of creation is revealed and carried out into creation.  There is another aspect we should explore.  EHYH is ultimate unity where nothing else exists but IT, that being the original thought of creation, a point in the beginning.  YHVH is unity as well but it is also the beginning of individuality.  So unity is paramount but not at the total nullification of the individual.  YHVH introduces individuality.

We find evidence within the written Torah to support this.  A simple gleaning of Torah reveals it is all about individual’s responsibility to the community while at the same time the community’s responsibility to the individual.  This is summed up by “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), unity with one another.  Once that is accomplished then collectively and individually we are to “Love your G-d with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5) in order to pursue unity with the Creator.

Individuality is not a bad thing and it is a permanent part of us.  We are to exercise it.  We are to strive in creating a balance of community and individuality.  The Light of Torah is that unity while the written Torah is that actualized.

Ask yourself:  Look around.  Why is the world becoming chaotic and why are nations spying on its citizens?  Could it be the governments cannot maintain control?  Maybe the world is receiving a wakeup call that a better way is needed?  That would be YHVH.

Nugget #75 – First Triad: Mercy Pillar

Genesis 2:4 is where the first mention of YHVH (L-RD) is made.  Contextually speaking, this passage is about a connectedness/relationship between the Creator and the creature.  Thus EHYH, thought of creation, is extended to the rest of creation.  Please read the whole chapter.

We find that YHVH is a name associated with mercy.  What does that mean?  EHYH is simply the highest order of thought, but that thought needs to be put in action.  So it is essential that a framework is created that sets in motion that thought (this is also known as Light of Torah: before it was written).  The Tree of Life has 3 pillars to it; the right, left, and the middle.  The right is known as the mercy pillar.   Leniency is sometimes a better word rather than mercy.  For the right side tends to permit anything without penalty.  So YHVH opens up the possibilities for good and evil to coexist.  Hence mercy is extended to both good and evil so both are permitted to exist within creation.

At the level of EHYH no right, left, or center pillar exists.  With YHVH the right pillar is established so that left and center pillars can also be established, as will be seen in future nuggets.

Ask yourself: How is YHVH (HaShem, Jehovah, …), being explained here and the previous nugget different from what you understood?  Itemize these differences and study them.  Contrasting the two is a wonderful learning opportunity.

Nugget #74 – YHVH

The second Sefirah is Chochmah. It means Wisdom. It is the connection point between Keter and Binah, and the rest of the Sefirot within the Tree of Life. Thus through Chochman the thought of life, the original thought of creation flows down to our level. 

This Sefirah is associated with the name of YHVH (HaShem, Yahovah, or L-rd). So when we are speaking of YHVH, we are speaking about our connection to our creator. It is not the name but rather the attribute that is being spoken of. YHVH is our source of Wisdom that produced the Torah before it became written words. The Torah is meant to lead us to that higher level, not to get bogged down in the words. This is why “literal” interpretation is not the only interpretive tool of the Torah. The Torah is meant to lead us to discover YHVH and to approach the creator.

It is the source of wisdom in the sense that we are speaking of Wisdom beyond our wisdom. It is our responsibility to bring down the wisdom from YHVH into our world of action, In order to do that we must reach up while the Creator reaches down via YHVH to us. When that connection is made we become a conduit for that Wisdom.

Nugget #73 – First Triad: EHYEH

At this point I would like to identify some of the names associated with the Sefirot that we covered in the First Triad.

When speaking of the Keter we are speaking of the highest order thought that initiated the process of creation. It represents the proper intended order of things. It is also a reference to what all will return to. This thought is not entirely off limits to us. We can reach up and comprehend parts of it. It is our goal to push our Daat to the highest level of Wisdom (Chochmah) and Understanding (Binah) possible. 

We are not meant to understand the essence of our Creator. That is off limits to us. However, we can comprehend the revealed attributes of the Creator. We find within the Torah names for these attributes. For Keter the name is EHYEH. It defines a singularity, beginning, origin, order of creation. The initial thought of creation. We find this name first mentioned in Exodus 3:14:

“And God said unto Moses: 'I AM THAT I AM'; and He said: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you.’”

This took place at the burning bush where Moshe is looking for the source of the flame that is not consuming the bush. The voice reveals Ehyah asher Ehyeh (I’ll be, that I’ll be is a more accurate translation) is the source. Moshe was at the highest order of awareness and at the very beginning point of creation. The highest any human can go.

We are to reach for EHYEH. During this reaching and obtaining the thought of creation Daat will assume it proper balance. Daat is not worked on directly but it is influenced by the effort to reaching for Ehyeh.

Nugget #72 – First Triad: Ego and Israel

Let’s take a collective approach to this. If we collectively were to just simply reform the Daat, not perfect it; we would transform the world over night. However, most of the collective have a Daat that remains in a rut. A Daat that is interested in self not the collective.

We collectively are meant to be a single living organism. This will be accomplished when our ego, our Daat, becomes subservient to the Creator’s Keter, the thought of creation. This will transform us from knowledge of the world to knowledge of the Creator. When the ego blesses the person, the individual as well as the collective, will become Israel. Israel is from two Hebrew words Yasher El meaning direct to El. El is referencing to Keter, so going Direct to EL is going direct to Keter. Direct to the thought of creation, the highest level of thought there is.

Jacob did this back in Genesis 32:28 and the surrounding passages. Please reread this event. Esau’s angle was the worldly, egotistical, Daat. Jacob wrestled with this ego and eventually forced it to bless him which in turn blessed the Creator. Then Jacob was named Israel because now his ego capitulated to the thought of creation.

Ask yourself: Is there a part of us that strives to pursue the Creator and a side that will not? Do we find ourselves in conflict between those two? Is it almost as if we are both sides at the same time? Now think of yourself as Jacob and place yourself in the wrestling match.