Dear Congregation Beth Ohr,
Our Parasha, Bo, begins with a puzzling turn of a phrase. The word, "come" in Hebrew, "Bo," generally indicates that you're asking someone to draw closer to you, not leave you to go visit someone else. Surprisingly, this is the word that God uses to tell Moshe to "go to Pharoah." If you were asking someone to exit your sight, you would say, "go," not "come." There must be some aspect of God that is also with Pharoah if God is asking Moshe to "come." It's a quizzical idea. We generally don't think of God existing with our enemy, with the source of our pain. Rabbi James Jacobson Maisels teaches a meditation practice to draw the aspects of ourselves that we most detest closer to us, not pushing them away. He says, "give them a seat at the table, give them an invitation." It's not a trick to calm down. It's a way of loving every aspect of the self. You know that character trait you wish you could erase? They are different for everyone. Prone to anxiety, obsessive, jealous, know-it-all...? Invite them in, become familiar with them, soften them. When something new arises, invite this aspect in as well. In fact, not only is this a greater tool for self compassion, but it can also lead to more patience with other people's character traits, and allow us to deepen into relationships. How much time do we use to reject or ignore certain aspects of ourselves? We go through life often seeking acceptance from others when many of us do not even accept ourselves. This steps towards mindfulness is an opportunity to achieve some sense of peace.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Bernstein
Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism