Genesis Cycle Two Lech Lecha 12:1 to 17:27

Lech Lecha Cycle Two

In Lech Lecha, Abraham (as told by God) stands center and looks at north south east and west (13:14). In Devarim Moses (as told by God) stands center and looks at the circumference around him. And we as well (as told by God) are the center point of tsimtsum for eternity.

But let’s enter Lech Lecha slowly. Lech Lecha pulls us out of our womb, our birth place, our place of comfort, pulls out all the useless dross, pushes the blessing in, pulls the heart energy right out of our chests, pulls the vision right out of our eyes. In this way, through motion, we are birthing ourselves out of ourselves. No longer are we the docile recipients of salvation, but participants. We are reaching new realms if we mock them, fear them in our vulnerability or face them head on. It’s happening. So we may as well follow the path. We may as well lech lecha along with Abraham…if we are paid or unpaid, seen or unseen, trusted or not trusted, believed or not believed, word after word, step after step. level after level, point after point.

Repeat. Point after point. In Lech Lecha there are at least Seven Points to which we can stretch our tents, all on the circumference of a three dimensional sphere, the one we are traveling through with Abraham, Sarah, Lot, Hagar, Ishmael, the mules and servants. It’s a sphere within us as well, reaching from our hearts to one nexus, one ovum, the one yearned for by Abraham …the one in which the reshimu (essence) merges and fountains back…bringing us to that beyond-human-form. But let’s not get beyond ourselves here.

Let’s begin with Point One. We see the blessings. We see the place of our ancestors. Nice place. Nice camels. Nice palm trees. Nice fear, nice infertility, nice doubt, nice sin, nice dregs of the past. For us it’s mother’s milk. To get out there needs to be a fire lit fast, a future blessing, a past blessing, infinitive blessings, 1st and 3rd person blessings, active and passive. We need the God-catalyst, to be blessed every which way in all our cells. We need the cha sound, from the gut. We need to know that our new home (wherever it is) will be blessed too. Then, next line, we’ll not only be on the road but our nephew will be tagging along as well.

Now we turn our head a bit to Point Two and see steps along the way. We want to mark the exits and the entries, the blurred moments of enlightenment, the ones that seem acute. That way, if we mess up or start wandering in circles there will be a sign, a clue and perhaps then we can re-locate ourselves. Because chances are, we will get lost. On this trip we’ll get so involved in the emotions of story and the p’shat you can just about bet on losing touch with the clean radiance. We must create altars.

Now we turn to Point Three. We see wholeness. We each have a distinct wholeness so we can merge. If we can’t discern our boundaries, our barriers, our guards, the tip of our reshimu (essence) from our flesh…we become a blur. So we create that wholeness. We walk the edge of the boundaries. Abraham really walks the line. He says that Sarah is his sister so the Egyptians won’t kill him. Nice lie. He’s taking on physical irresponsibility for spiritual connection. Still, we must remain aware of our own societal blinders. The first time korban is used in Torah….the word for offering…is in this passage. The spiritual emphasis therefore is huge. This is an action which, whether we can see it or not in the present, leads to greater wholeness and connection. Later, we see how he separates from Lot so the animals can graze. Then, he splits forces to overcome the enemy. We also see how the furnace and the torch pass between two halves of one animal. Even halves must be healed to become whole unto themselves. Even in our love for God we must know our distinct wholeness or the love will be momentary rather than divine.

Point Four. See our center. We want to continue to be aware of God and of the idea of contraction and expansion. We must remember where we stand, at the central core.

Point Five. Observe our purity. There is war. Craziness. You still keep focused on the divine path. And if outer darkness stretches its tar pits into your heart energy, you do what is necessary to free it (14:14). You also do not accept gifts from darkness (14:22). You stay clean. Note: If there are feuds in the family you (also) stay out of the tar pits.

Point Six. Observe the covenant. You allow all dross to be cut away from outside of the sphere. You don’t want anything permeating it. In other words, you accept the covenant of circumcision (17:9). The sphere needs protection if you are in it or if it is in you. The cut needs to happen so the light can pass through clean and exact.

Turn finally to face Point Seven. Observe our humility. Understand we don’t know all, hopefully not the destruction of Sodom and Gemorrah (13:10). Be ready because the unknown will arise. Understand that our ability to handle it will depend on humility. If we are perfect we aren’t here.

If you think about it, this Seven Point circumference is really just a way to capture a much more intense action…the focus, direction, merging and purification of heart energy…the creation of boundaries so that the energy won’t be lost. Lech Lecha, in other words, speaks to evolved beings already here in clear non-linear time. It points our vision-created-spheres towards the nexus into which the heart energy of all humans will one day flow. It reveals the home of our rebirth into oneness. And as humans we can only find our new home as best we can.

So, may we follow Abraham’s example. May we embrace and understand the power of blessings, peace and wholeness, awareness, humility and love. May we continue the work if we are believed, trusted, seen or not. May we allow ourselves to be stretched, pulled out from our place of comfort, pulled from ourselves as we know ourselves, into a place where we are the pure solid and merged essence of heart, into the center of divine radiance.