And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God took you out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord, your God, commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Torah, Deuteronomy 5:15).
Every chapter of the Torah describes the gradual ascent of a person through the degrees of the spiritual worlds toward the level called “the land of Israel.” Although the laws of the Torah may seem to repeat themselves, each time they speak of new spiritual levels and are therefore perceived entirely differently.
All spiritual work is considered in relation to the exile that the people of Israel experienced for the first time when they rose from an unconscious state into awareness of where they truly are in relation to the Creator, that is, in relation to the desire directed toward connection with Him, toward His revelation.
This state is called Eretz Israel—the “land of Israel.” “Eretz” means desire (Ratzon), and “Israel” means Yashar-Kel—straight to the Creator. It is the desire aimed at revealing the Creator, at a living connection with Him, in which one can feel Him directly, just as we now feel each other.
In fact, this feeling is far more vivid and intense. It arises precisely from the feeling opposite to it: from total detachment, incomprehension, ignorance, and lack of desire for spirituality. This state, known as the “darkness of Egypt” or “Egyptian exile,” is not typical for an ordinary person in our world because the average person does not feel they are far from something or that there is something they need to reveal.
Egypt is a state where the Creator does shine, but He shines with inverse light. Instead of evoking understanding, enlightenment, attainment, love, and warmth, He impacts us from His reverse side by bringing about darkness, confusion, rejection, and a sense of worthlessness.
Thus, darkness is also a form of influence of the Creator from above, and in order to feel and understand that you are opposite to the Creator, a great deal of inner work is required.
For example, my mother was a gynecologist and for many years conducted scientific research in the field of medicine. In the evenings she would share her states with my father, and she burned with that darkness, with the lack of understanding, with the desire to find the meaning, the method, the mechanism, behind certain transformations in the human body. I was 12 or 13 at the time, but even then, I could see how someone can be consumed by such a search.
That is why, to truly feel the darkness, one must work deeply and persistently. People like that are characterized by an inner emptiness that is formed by the light that shines upon them from afar but does not yet fill them. It just prepares the vessel in which it will later be revealed. And so, they search.
[188973]
From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 3/16/16
Related Material:
The Night Of The Exodus From Egypt
The Black Light Of Egypt
Escape From Egyptian Darkness
Filed under: Spiritual Work, Torah | Add Comment / Ask Question →
Video: Play Now | Download
Audio: Play Now | Download
