This article was previously published in 2019.
No matter who we are or how much success we might acquire, we all face challenges and difficulties. Life is full of blessings, but there are also times when we are tested. Is the Creator, who is the energy of all love and sharing, responsible for the difficulties in our lives? I don’t believe so. The Light is always shining and giving, wishing to impart to us. It is we who turn away from this Light. However, our universe is based on wisdom and compassion. The challenges that come our way always are really blessings in disguise. Hidden gifts, just waiting to be revealed. Behind all difficulty reside great treasures that could only come to us through the challenge. Sometimes we are stubborn, unwilling to change our ways. Sometimes we leave the Creator no choice but to send us a hardship so that we can finally learn the lesson. However, the more we are willing to work on ourselves, the more blessings and fewer challenges will appear. The Creator is always sending to us the most merciful experiences, and within every pain, a gift awaits. This week, we have the opportunity to shine Light onto our problems, transforming our challenges into blessings. We are given the gift to tilt the scales towards goodness. We can count on the holiday of Lag Ba'Omer this week to cast its Light, illuminating a path towards new joy, new hope, and new blessings.
"It lists beautiful spiritual blessings..."
Our spiritual compass for the week is the last chapter in the third book of the Five Books of Moses. Bechukotai is our portion for the week and it is the final chapter of the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus). Bechukotai means “you will follow My decrees and laws.” Throughout several weeks, the Book of Vayikra has taken us through the various spiritual sacrifices made by the Israelites. The entire book was our spiritual antidote against self-sabotage. The Book of Vayikra removed our own negativity that would only eventually boomerang back to us. The portions we have read over these past several weeks have purified us. We have been brought to a space where we are more able to take action towards positivity and love. This energy has brought us to this point in time. Bechukotai reminds us that when we output negativity, negativity will return to us. However, if we impart positivity and love, that is what returns. Bechukotai is a portion about the decrees and laws of Cause and Effect. It lists beautiful spiritual blessings that will occur for us when we choose to follow the Light of the Creator. We are bestowed protection, health, prosperity, and the privilege to walk in the Creator’s Light. Bechukotai also cautions us that if we stray and begin to emit negativity towards are fellow humankind, this energy will only find its way back into our lives. The choice is ours. The Creator asks that we follow His decrees and laws of love and positivity and these actions will seed and bloom into a life rich with blessings.
"Rav Shimon knew of this secret."
Rav Shimon knew of this secret. It was because of the pure and authentic love that existed between him and his students that he was able to bring to this world the holy Book of Splendor, known as the Zohar. It was through pure love for one another that Rav Shimon and his students were able to channel the power of the Final Redemption and bring the greatest Light that ever existed in this world. The Zohar has the power to help eliminate challenges and darkness just by being in its presence. The anniversary of Rav Shimon leaving the world is this week. It is a holiday known as Lag Ba'Omer. Something very special happens on this day. On Lag Ba'Omer, the energy of the universe shifts towards blessings and goodness. After the period of challenging energy, known as the Omer, Rav Shimon and Lag Ba'Omer burst into the cosmos shining love, Light, and blessings throughout the world. The authentic love that Rav Shimon was able to achieve revisits our universe and transforms any negativity into positivity. We leave challenges and difficulties behind and welcome blessings. The portion of Bechukotai asks that we follow the path of love and positivity so we may draw the same into our lives. Rav Shimon comes this week to guarantee we make this connection. We merit all of his energy this week. We are sent his great Light and love so that we may connect to all the positivity this world is capable of bestowing. We close the final chapter in Leviticus and put a close to the shadows in our lives. We choose love. We choose Light. We choose blessings. Rav Shimon takes our hands and guides us to the path of blessings that is our birthright.
This week in your meditations, prepare for the Light of Lag Ba'Omer. Take yourself far away to the land of Peki’in, Israel. As you come to the cave where Rav Shimon and his students created a unity and love that was so complete and pure that the Light of the Final Redemption began to shine. With this Light came protection, health, prosperity, immortality, and all possible blessings. From darkness we merge into Light. From challenges and difficulties, we move towards opportunities, joy, and goodness. See this great Light shining from this tiny cave and watch it slowly spread all across the world. See it engulf you. This is the Light of love and all that is good. Every soul on earth bathes in this splendor. At last, the end of darkness has finally come, and the path to blessings lies before us.
