The Evolution of Awareness

There are certain Torah teachings that stand out for me as being most enjoyable with the insights of Chasidic Philosophy.

What I love though is that as we get older and dig deeper they carry even more meaning and become ever more enriched.

The specific teaching that triggered that awareness is the opening of this week’s Parsha.  Shoftim Vishotrim, you shall place judges and enforcers at all your gates.  The Torah is instructing us to ensure that we have a proper system for judging and enforcing the Torah’s laws.

But there are other gates Chasidus teaches. Those gates are the entry and exit points of the body.  A physical gate allows for entry and exit from a city or country.  Only allowing in and out things and people that fit into the laws of that country and serve the interest of the people.

Similarly our bodies have these entry and exit points. Most obvious are the ears, eyes and mouths.  What we say, what we don’t say.  What we choose to listen to and what we don’t listen to.  And so on.

The Torah’s instruction is to ensure judges and guards to ensure that these exit/entry points remain healthy and safe.

When I was younger I thought of this in black and white terms.  What needs to stay out and what needs to come in! Period. Don’t do the wrong things and do the right things.

As I become more self aware of the inner workings of the emotional and psychological system, I understand that it is not just what I let in or don’t let in, but also, how I let or don’t let things in.

For example, my thoughts affect my feelings. My thoughts are dictated by my beliefs.  So when a thought comes up that is beginning to move me to feeling that may or may not be healthy, I need to examine my beliefs around that thought and decide if I let it go to the place of feelings.

To do that successfully we need to have a judge and enforcer.  The judge analyzes the thought, brings up the beliefs and then the enforcer either allows it to go to the feelings, or if necessary ensures that we find other ways to move away from the thought so we don’t get caught up in unhealthy emotions.

When we understand what our bodies react to, sensitivities or triggers and why we have those responses, we are better able to process what we experience and choose if and how we want to let those experiences in.

Yes, the Torah is speaking first in black and white.  But life is lived deeper and the real meaning is found as we dig in.

Good Shabbos!

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