This article on the portion of the week was originally published in 2019.
Whenever we close a chapter in our lives, we turn the page and begin life as new people. We have a new way of thinking and being like never before. This could occur when we graduate school and begin a career. It could be when we marry or start a new family. It often occurs after going through a challenging time. There are many passages in life, and afterwards we emerge as entirely different people. We gain wisdom, experience, and most importantly a higher consciousness. This week, we turn the page in the books of our lives and start a new chapter. We are new people with new goals and ideas, and a new and opened heart. We turn the pages of our lives and welcome a new world that awaits.
"We gain wisdom, experience, and most importantly a higher consciousness."
Our guide this week is the famous portion known as Beshalach. After being released from oppression and bondage, the Israelites run into the unknown with the Creator and Moses by their side. “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day and night.” In what is perhaps the most dramatic and compelling story in the Bible, we follow the Israelites as they race through the desert moments after their newfound freedom. Incredibly though, Pharaoh suddenly decides that he should not have released them and begins to pursue. The Israelites had just reached the Red Sea, and behind them in hot pursuit was the entire army of Pharaoh. “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites raised their eyes upwards, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?’” The drama was at an all-time high, and so were the fears of the people. Moses answered the Israelites, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today…..The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be quiet.” The Creator said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” And so, the Israelites moved forward into the sea. Having been elevated from their experience and exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were now new people. They were ready for their next chapter in life and their spiritual maturity. With the help of Moses, their leader, they listened to the Creator and moved forward. The Red Sea miraculously split in two and the Israelites marched on dry ground. This was not just a splitting of a sea, but a birth of a new consciousness and life. The sea was like a womb bringing forth a new reality and spiritual level for the Israelites. As they passed the sea, the Egyptian army followed, but the sea folded in on them, destroying them. The Israelites and Moses then sang in celebration of their miraculous victory. Most importantly, they sang and rejoiced for the people they had now become and where they had reached in their spiritual maturity. What drowned in the sea was not the Egyptians, but the old versions of the Israelites. What had been destroyed was their addictions, fears, and the walls around their hearts. They sang and celebrated the new life that lied ahead of them.
"Let it all go. You are a new person."
This week, we all are taken to our next level in our spiritual growth. We leave behind the negativity of our past and the challenges that once were. The past is the past. Now, we face the future with a new strength and wisdom. We are the Israelites and we move forward in life carrying with us the lessons learned and power gained. In life, no storm lasts forever. The sun eventually comes out again to shine. Every challenge we face eventually comes to a close. But while we leave behind the events, we take with us the lessons learned and the blessings gained. This week, we come to understand and accept that the traumas of the past are no more. We are not the small vulnerable children we once were. We are not in that abusive relationship any longer. We are not unable to help ourselves. It is time to let go of the pain and see ourselves for who we are today. We are formidable and capable adults living a positive existence. We are able to move forward with insight and courage. We are able to embrace the good life that exists today. A new life and new way of thinking are finally born. We enter our next chapter with a new and loving heart. We are not afraid to give and serve the world. We think of others and treat everyone with the kindness, love, and human dignity they deserve. For love is our new and higher consciousness.
This week in your meditations, see yourself in the most favorable of Lights. You are the summation of all you have experienced and all that you have learned. You are wise and beautiful. You come ready to face the world and any future challenge with confidence, certainty, and the many gifts you have earned. The past is the past, it no longer haunts you or controls you. Let it all go. Walk forward and turn the page to the next chapter of your life. You are a new being. Your heart is ready to love. You have understanding, knowledge, experience, and spiritual wisdom. You are a new person. You emerge from the sea completely cleansed and renewed. You have power you have never felt before. You have given birth to a new life, and your heart is opened wide. The future is bright and only goodness lies ahead.
