Mindful Torah: Engaging the Better Angels of Our Nature Weekly Torah Study Through Mindfulness and Middot

Naso Savlanut, Uplift Numbers 4:21-7:89 Rabbi Marc J. Margolius

The second portion in the Book of Bamidbar/Numbers, parshat Naso begins with an apparently unremarkable topic, an accounting of two Levitical clans charged with transporting the mishkan/Tabernacle: the Gershonites, who are to carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, and the Merarites, who will transport the mishkan's structural components as the Israelites journey through the wilderness.

The portion opens with and takes its name from the Hebrew verb naso, the root form of which connotes "lifting," "carrying," or "bearing." This leitmotif recurs in various permutations (נשא) throughout the portion: from its opening phrases, Naso essentially presents the act of “lifting” as a core Jewish spiritual practice (Numbers 4:21-23):

,YHVH spoke to Moses and Aaron 21 כא וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶה לֵּאמֹר. saying: Take the sum [literally, "lift the' 22 כב נָשֹׂא אֶת רֹאש בְנֵּי גֵּרְ שֹון גַםהֵּם head"] of the sons of Gershon from לְבֵּית אֲבֹתָם לְמִשְפְחֹתָם. among the Levites, by their families, by their clans,

from 30 years old to 50 years old, all 23 כג מִבֶן שְֹלשִים שָנָה וָמַעְלָה עַד בֶן of military age, to do the service of the חֲמִשִים שָנָה תִפְקֹד אֹותָם כָל הַבָא לִצְבֹא .Tent of Meeting צָבָאלַעֲבֹד עֲבֹדָה בְאֹהֶלמֹועֵּד.

Here and elsewhere (for instance, in last’s week’s portion as well as in Ki Tisa in Exodus), the Torah describes the process of counting individuals for a sacred task as "lifting up" heads. And the subjects of these countings/"liftings," once elevated, themselves also are charged with carrying or bearing that which is sacred (Numbers 4:24-27):

This is the service of the families of the 24 כד זֹאת עֲבֹדַתמִשְפְחֹת הַגֵּרְ שֻׁנִי :Gershonites, in serving and in lifting לַעֲבֹד ּולְמַשָ א. they shall lift the curtains of the 25 כה וְנָשְ אּו אֶת יְרִ יעֹת הַמִשְכָן וְאֶת tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its אֹהֶל מֹועֵּדמִכְסֵּהּו ּומִכְסֵּה הַתַחַש covering, and the covering of sealskin that אֲשֶר עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה וְאֶת מָסְַך פֶתַח is above it, and the screen for the door of ;the tent of meeting אֹהֶלמֹועֵּד. the hangings of the court, and the screen 26 כו וְאֵּת קַלְעֵּי הֶ חָצֵּר וְאֶת מָסְַך פֶתַח for the door of the gate of the court, which שַעַר הֶחָצֵּר אֲשֶר עַל הַמִשְכָן וְעַל is by the tabernacle and by the altar, their הַמִזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב וְאֵּתמֵּיתְרֵּ יהֶם וְאֶת כָל cords, and all the instruments of their

1 Mindful Torah: Engaging the Better Angels of Our Nature Weekly Torah Study Through Mindfulness and Middot

service, and whatsoever there may be to do כְלֵּי עֲבֹדָתָם וְאֵּת כָל אֲשֶר יֵּעָשֶה לָהֶם .with them, therein shall they serve וְעָבָדּו. At the commandment of Aaron and his 27 כז עַל פִיַאהֲרֹן ּובָנָיו תִהְיֶה כָל sons shall be all the service of the עֲבֹדַת בְנֵּי הַגֵּרְ שֻׁנִי לְ כָל מַשָ ָאם ּולְכֹל Gershonites, in all their lifting, and in all עֲבֹדָתָםּופְקַדְתֶם עֲלֵּהֶם בְמִשְמֶרֶ ת אֵּת their service; and you shall appoint them in .charge of all their lifting כָל מַשָ ָאם.

Later in Naso, Moses receives instructions as to how Aaron and the priests are to convey blessing to the people, utilizing the “three-fold blessing” known as Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) or Birkat Shalom (Blessing of Peace). This blessing is used in congregational and communal settings, and is bestowed by parents upon children on the eve of Shabbat as well as before proceeding to the chuppah.

When we invoke this blessing, like the priests we lift our hands to become channels of blessing and abundance. The third and final blessing, usually considered the greatest of the three because it combines spiritual and material blessings, again utilizes language of uplift (Numbers 6:22-27):

:YHVH spoke to Moses, saying 22 כב וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶה לֵּאמֹר: :Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying' 23 כג דַבֵּר אֶלַאהֲרֹן וְאֶלבָנָיו לֵּאמֹר כֹה Thus shall you bless the children of :Israel, saying to them תְבָרְ כּו אֶת-בְנֵּי יִשְרָ אֵּלָאמֹור לָהֶם ;May YHVH bless you and guard you 24 כד יְבָרֶ כְך ה' וְיִשְמְרֶ ָך 25 May the face of YHVH shine upon ;you, and grant you grace כה יָאֵּר ה' פָנָיו אֵּלֶיָך וִיחֻׁנֶךָ 26 May YHVH’s Face be lifted towards .you, and give you peace כו יִשָ א ה' פָנָיו אֵלֶיָך וְיָשֵּםלְָך שָלֹום.

Given that the Torah says1 that no human being can see God's face and live, it seems odd to pray that God's face "be lifted" towards another human being. We might understand the term "God's face" here metaphorically, as representing the deepest and most intimate aspect of the Mystery. Perhaps to pray that "God's face be lifted towards" another person is to express one's hope that the recipient will grow in the capacity to elevate that which is fallen and waiting to be uplifted. An alternative translation along these lines might be: “may the God within you enable you to elevate that which is fallen.”

This interpretation finds support in parshat Bereishit, the Torah's opening portion, when God favors Abel's offering over his brother Cain's, as a result of which Cain becomes angry and his face "falls." Strikingly, God's response to Cain's despair is an invitation to "lift," employing the same Hebrew root permeating parshat Naso:

YHVH said to Cain: 'Why are you so 6 ו וַיֹאמֶר ה' אֶל קָיִן לָמָה החָרָ לְָך וְלָמָה

1 Exodus 33:20, in which God says to Moses: “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”

2 Mindful Torah: Engaging the Better Angels of Our Nature Weekly Torah Study Through Mindfulness and Middot

?angry? Why is your face fallen .נָפְלּו פָנֶיך

?If you do right, shall there not be uplift 7 ז הֲלֹוא אִם תֵּיטִיב שְאֵת וְאִם ֹלא And if you do not do right, wrongdoing ,couches at the door; its desire is towards you תֵּיטִיבלַפֶתַח חַטָאת רֹבֵּץוְאֵּלֶיָך תְשּוקָתֹו '.but you can overcome it .וְאַתָה תִמְשָל בו

"If you do right, shall there not be uplift?" From the perspective of mindfulness and middot practice, we might understand this enigmatic passage as teaching that when, like Cain, we find ourselves in a state of pain, fear, and anger, we have the capacity to discern a Divine impulse to bear and carry that reality, to "lift up" challenging emotions, clearing a path by which we might "do the right thing."

The Jewish mystical tradition includes a powerful concept known as “yeridah tzorech aliyah, descent for the sake of ascent,” described here by the founder of modern Hasidism, the Ba’al Shem Tov:

Sometimes one falls from one’s [spiritual] level because of himself, because the Holy One knows it is needed; sometimes because circumstances cause one to fall from one’s level, v’hayeridah hi torech aliyah, and this descent is for the sake of ascent, in order to arrive at a great level, as it is written “God will guide us al mut (lit., to death).”2 (Psalms 48:15) “and Avraham descended to Mitzrayim [Egypt]” (Genesis 12:10) and Avraham came up from Mitzrayim” (Genesis 13:1); “Avraham” represents the soul, and Mitzrayim (Egypt) represents the kelipot [the “husks” or “shells” of material reality which house, conceal and protect the spark of holy light with which our soul is connected].3

The Ba’al Shem Tov here describes a dynamic flow of chiyut, of constantly shifting Divine, animating energy. When we bring attention to the rising and falling of these waves of chiyut within and around us, we notice them as part of a singular process with which we can choose to align ourselves. Here is how my dear friend and teacher Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg translates yeridah tzorech aliyah into terms of Jewish mindfulness practice:

We recognize that times of constriction are not separate from times of expansion. We realize that when we bring an attitude of mindfulness toward the ebb and flow of life, life does what it does, namely ebbs and flows. Indeed, we see that our reluctance to embrace the moments of apparent darkening actually blocks the natural flow of darkness into light.

We see in our minds and body the desire to cling to the pleasant and avoid the unpleasant. This is useful wiring. It is important for our survival. However, when we act only out of habit and reactivity and always push away or run away from the unpleasant, we limit our freedom and growth as conscious beings.

2 Zohar III:135b: “The term death applies to anyone who was lowered from the earlier level he had.” 3 Tzava’at HaRivash 64

3 Mindful Torah: Engaging the Better Angels of Our Nature Weekly Torah Study Through Mindfulness and Middot

We are cultivating, through mindful awareness of this moment, without judgment, the capacity to choose more wisely. We are cultivating the capacity to be with the down slide, the yeridah, and see that as we bring our full attention to this moment, the veils lift. Down is revealed as a ramp for Up. Patient attention to the fog allows the sun’s magnificence to be perceived. It is the ability to be here, to be still, to enter the spaces, the unknown in-between, that nourishes the spiral of growth.

In mindfulness practice, we acknowledge and allow ourselves to enter fully into challenging emotional states such as pain, grief, guilt, shame—emotions which “bring us down”—rather than fighting them ("I shouldn't feel this!"). By practicing hitlamdut and bringing curious, non- judgmental attention, we seek to release judgments about these naturally occurring reactions, and simply be present with them, applying kindness and compassion to the underlying wound of which they are symptomatic. Rather than "talking ourselves out of them," we allow them to pass in their time and at their own pace. Then, we begin to rise to, as the Ba’al Shem Tov describes it, “a higher madregah/level.” We allow the chiyut to lift us from the wave’s trough to its crest.

Here we might apply the middah of savlanut, deriving from a Hebrew root connoting "to bear," as in bearing weight or burden. Savlanut is usually translated as “patience,” but it more literally connotes holding weight, bearing the burden. This middah enables us not only to be with challenging experiences and emotions, but also to allow others to support us as we do so—and to assist others who are struggling as well.

We find a classic Jewish illustration of lifting others by helping to “bear their burden” in the Babylonian Talmud’s tales about Rabbi Yochanan’s healing relationships with his friends/ colleagues. In one narrative, Rabbi Yochanan visits his ailing student Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, asking him, “Is your suffering welcome to you?” Rabbi Ḥiyya replies: “I welcome neither this suffering nor its [alleged] reward.” Rabbi Yoḥanan simply asks Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba to give him his hand, lifts him up, apparently restoring him to health.

When Rabbi Yoḥanan falls ill, Rabbi Ḥanina returns the favor in an identical fashion, and the Talmud asks why Rabbi Yoḥanan could not have healed himself, since he apparently had the power to do so. Because, the text answers, “a prisoner cannot generally free himself from prison, but depends on others to release him from his shackles.”4

The passage continues with yet another iteration of the story, in which Rabbi Yoḥanan visits his ill student Rabbi Elazar in a dark room and sees him weeping. Rabbi Yochanan offers many ostensibly comforting explanations for his unfortunate situation, but Rabbi Elazar rejects these, replying that his tears are due to Rabbi Yoḥanan’s physical beauty, which will eventually decompose in the earth. The mutual awareness of human mortality and the temporality of life causes both to weep, after which Rabbi Yoḥanan once again says: “Is your suffering dear to you?” and Rabbi Elazar answers, “I welcome neither this suffering nor its reward.”

Again, Rabbi Yoḥanan asks for his student’s hand, lifts him up, and restores him to health. By “going down” where his friend is and remaining with him there with compassion and empathy,

4 Babylonian Talmud Berachot 5b.

4 Mindful Torah: Engaging the Better Angels of Our Nature Weekly Torah Study Through Mindfulness and Middot ultimately Rabbi Yoḥanan is able to lift not only his friend, but himself as well, raising them together to a higher level: yeridah tzorech aliyah, descent for the sake of ascent.

Rabbi Yoḥanan "lifts up" Rabbi Elazar by cultivating savlanut: listening empathically, withholding judgment, resisting the temptation to rationalize, and simply offering his loving presence and his hand. Likewise, in parshat Naso the Levites "lift up" the mishkan/Tabernacle, and God "lifts" the Divine Face to the recipient of the priestly blessing, all as the Israelites prepare for “lift off” from Mount Sinai and the journey through the wilderness to the Land.

The mystical creation myth offered by Rabbi Isaac Luria (the "Ari,"1534-1572) teaches that during the Creation of the universe, the holy sparks of light /Divine Energy "fell," becoming lodged in kelipot, the broken/imperfect shards of material reality. Those sparks of sacred energy are buried around us and within us. Our human task is simply to recognize these sparks in each person, in ourselves, in each thing, in each experience, in each moment—and together, lift those sparks and unite them with their source. This spiritual practice of "lifting" sparks is at the heart of parshat Naso.

As our ancestors prepared to leave Sinai, they likely wondered how they could preserve the sense of deep connection and trust they'd experienced in that place, as they encountered the inevitable challenges and setbacks of the journey ahead. They had already built the mishkan/Tabernacle, as a kind of portable Sinai to accompany them in their travels. But only in this parashah, as they learn the skills of "lifting" and "bearing" the components of the mishkan, do they learn how to maintain that deep sense of connection and holiness in the midst of everyday living.

Like our ancestors, we too will soon be departing from Sinai, having celebrated Shavuot, the commemoration of our communal connection with the Divine. Like them, may we be endowed with the capacity to bear whatever life brings our way, and elevate ourselves and others in doing so. May we come to know, as did they, that when we learn how to lift together, when we individually and collectively "bear the burden," we can move mountains.

Tikkun middot practices for the week of Naso, cultivating savlanut/bearing up

Questions for hevruta study: What thoughts, emotions, and narratives habitually arise for you when things seem to be going downhill? What, if anything, helps you arrest the process of exacerbating the accompanying fear and anxiety? When, if ever, has a descent turned into an ascent for you?

Focus phrase: Choose a focus phrase to promote savlanut/surrender/bearing up. Write your phrase or word on a post-it note and place it in a visible location where you will see it frequently over the course of the day (your medicine cabinet mirror, your computer screen, etc.). Some examples: “Descending to ascend,” “Ride the wave,” “I can hold this,” “I don’t have to hold this alone,” or maybe even “Make lemonade!”

Kabbalah (simple daily practice to actualize the middah of savlanut/bearing up): For a kabbalah, a simple daily practice, set an intention to try to be aware of moments this week when you feel "weighed down" by difficult or unpleasant people, emotions, or situations. Set an intention in such moments to breath and whisper your focus phrase. Another suggestion: identify a situation in which a friend or colleague is facing a challenge and set an intention to simply be with then, as Rabbi Yochanan was present with Rabbi Elazar. Notice and release any inclination to "fix" that person by offering advice or

5 Mindful Torah: Engaging the Better Angels of Our Nature Weekly Torah Study Through Mindfulness and Middot potential solutions to their situation. See if you can, instead, practice savlanut by simply being with your friend, colleague, or family member, holding pain and fear together. It could be as simple a practice as calling or sending a note to someone in such a situation saying "I'm thinking of you," or "I'm holding you in prayer."

Prayer: As a prayer practice this week, focus on the opening line of Psalm 121: “esa einai el he-harim, mei-ayin yavo ezri, I lift my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come?” Here’s a fantastic bluegrass version by the duo Nefesh Mountain; a rendition by Neshamah Carlebach with gospel choir; and a contemporary version by Dan Nichols and E18teen.

Alternatively, you might practice birkat kohanim/birkat shalom by offering the three-fold blessing to others or to yourself. You might try this or your own creative English interpretation of the third line, in which we pray that God's face be lifted towards the other: "May you (or I) have all that you (or I) need to bear pain, fear, guilt or shame; may your (or my) face be lifted in hope and joy." Here’s a version by Richard Kaplan,

Poetry: "Trough" (Judy Brown, in The Sea Accepts All Rivers) illustrates the theme of yeridah tzorech aliyah, descent as an aspect of ascent (and vice-versa):

There is a trough in waves, But if we rest there A low spot In the trough, Where horizon disappears Are silent, And only sky Being with And water The low part of the wave, Are our company. Keeping Our energy and And there we lose our way Noticing the shape of things, Unless The flow, We rest, knowing the wave will bring us Then time alone To its crest again. Will bring us to another Place There we may drown Where we can see If we let fear Horizon, see the land again, Hold us within its grip and shake us Regain our sense Side to side, Of where And leave us flailing, torn, disoriented. We are, And where we need to swim.

Music: Our Spotify playlist for the middah of “bearing” or “lifting:”

Jackie Wilson’s "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher."(“Now once, I was down hearted/Disappointment, was my closest friend/But then you, came and it soon departed/And you know he never/Showed his face again/That's why your love (your love keeps lifting me)/Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)/Higher (lifting me)/Higher and higher (higher)”)

Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me” (“Sometimes in our lives we all have pain/We all have sorrow/But if we are wise/We know that there's always tomorrow/Lean on me, when you're not strong/And I'll be your friend/I'll help you carry on/For it won't be long/'Til I'm gonna need/Somebody to lean on”)

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Aretha Franklin’s “Lean on Me” (“Let me walk this road of life with you/Step by step, uphill or down/No matter where it's leading to/Reach out and take my hand/If you should find a hill along the way too steep to climb/Lean on me, I'll never let you fall/Oh, lean on me, I'll keep you standing tall”).

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