Genesis Cycle Two Vayera 18:1 to 22:24

Vayera Cycle Two

In Vayera, the root reeh (to see) is used in many forms. True vision, we realize, is heart-vision. How can that be? Well, a revelation that is so precise needs something as huge as the heart to propel it towards God. Sometimes, there is a defined appearance. The heart can actually see something… may it be angels, prophets, messengers or offerings. When complete, when so much is gifted that it hurts like crazy and you feel exhausted, empty, vulnerable, naked within your bones, then the vision is returned. A higher vibration cycles through your being, rushes to the heart and once again, is propelled towards God.

We call it love.

In any case, the akeda, as a heart-vision, begins through the use of the root-word reeh. Therefore, the writing of the akeda is only the tip of the iceberg…the culmination of a series of heart visions… and we learn this by simply looking at the use of reeh in this parasha.

Let’s look at the first word, vayera (line 18:1). This is where we begin to re-create the paradigm of vision. In terms of meaning, one correct translation would be God saw unto Abraham. Another could be He saw unto him God. Clearly, there’s a mutual vision here in a moment faster than the eyes alone can catch. To continue, the first two words, vayera and aleve, are mirror reflections except for two letters, the lamed and the resch. In terms of gematria, the lamed is 30. The resch is 200. A vet, by the way, is 2. The two dissimilar letters are only two zeros away therefore from forming the word lev or heart. Also, when the messengers from God arrive, Abraham runs to satisfy them. He’s in pain. It’s only the third day after his circumcision. But you can almost see the rush (mahar) in his body, there to recognize the apparitions that Sarah can only hear (18:10).

Next, let’s look at the word veayra (and I will see) in line 18:21. Here, God is doing the seeing. This means that seeing is beyond-eyes and can be reflected and returned. Even more, God says that he will cause himself to go down and will see. There’s approach. God’s intention is to clean the path for the mutual-approaching. As for Abraham, as seen with the messengers, he is in the process of blossoming the light from his being, of pushing all the sparks into the heart of God. My belief though is that while his love for God is a reflection of that for his people, that same reflection and repetition sooner or later must merge (see the dialogue about Sodom) and all that’s left is the absolute radiance. Abraham’s inability to submit sooner shows that the vibrational energy is not yet at that point. But, we’re very close.

Next, let’s look at the word era in line 21:16. Please do not let me see, says Hagar. This is when she has been sent away. Once again, the word eye is not mentioned. Heart vision is the focus. Hagar is begging that her vision not include Ishmael (dead), that Ishmael not be in her offering/gift of light to God. Now, we know for sure that a loved one, a child, a person, a son can be in that gift. There doesn’t seem to be a limit to the force with which we can see God. It’s beautiful, eternal, frightening. What’s important as well is that Hagar does not sit at the gate of Sodom like Lot. She is innocent. If she has sinned, there is no mention of it in Torah. Finally, Hagar’s very fear of her son’s death becomes the vision itself. She creates it. She creates an inner truth from an illusion and because of this, the offering is completed and returned. She opens her eyes to the manifestation of God’s love…water.

Now let’s look at the akeda. As Abraham climbs it’s in his mind. (Rashi) It’s in his heart. Isaac may as well be dead. What I think though is that given the use of reeh throughout the parasha, the increasing intensity of heart vision has become fact. It’s a given. It is Abraham’s path. Therefore the akeda is in Torah even before Isaac is born. It’s set from the moment of Abraham’s circumcision. And this is a conservative opinion. We can really track the akeda to Bereshith. For now, let’s just be aware of the life of Abraham and his energy cycling and recycling to a place of greater and greater magnetism. As it says in Kohelet the sun shall shine forth, the sun shall set. There’s a meeting, a cycling, a merging, a tearing apart of the light energy and then, once again, a meeting. Finally, the magnetism becomes so powerful that the vision needs Abraham. Light seeks light. The physical bindings become necessary to keep the final cut, to solidify the separation, shining sun from setting sun. So Isaac is bound. The irony is that the offering has already been made…as an appearance in heart…and is unnecessary. Now, God can return the vision. No wonder the place is named Adonoy Yireh. God was seeing.

So, may we understand that true vision is heart vision. May we accept this force to feel our path, to light our way through darkness (and there will be much of it) and to find the compassion to support others. May we know that the path is not easy. May we know that God balances our vision with His, that it is all a gift of love and not to be confused with fear or judgment. May we accept appearances of angels and prophets. May we continue to try and learn from them. May we see vision as the light in the gift rather than as the loss of it. May we feel the joy, pain and awe of love. And may we rest in our love for God for eternity.