This article on the portion of the week was originally published in 2019.
This moment – the one you are living right now, at this very instant – is a moment the Light designed just for you, and it will take you where you’re meant to grow.
"By knowing everything is from the Divine, we can begin to experience the Divine in everything."
What will the new year bring, blessings or challenges?
The answer is: It depends greatly on our perspective.
As with every year, the next 365 days will surely be filled with times of great joy, times of great sadness, moments in which we rise to the spiritual occasion, and moments in which we fall. What can make this year different from the last is how we choose to view the circumstances we will face. It is not what happens to us, but how we perceive it that determines our quality of life.
"It is not what happens to us, but how we perceive it..."
In this week’s portion of Vayigash, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers and forgives them for selling him into slavery. It is a beautiful story. One could easily assume that Joseph forgives his brothers because it is the “right” thing to do. We learn from the Zohar, however, that the reason Joseph pardoned his brothers has even deeper spiritual roots. Joseph forgives his brothers because he has total clarity and certainty that every minute of his life – even the hardship of being sold into slavery – was crafted by the Creator to form him into the man, the foundation of a spiritual Light, he was born to become.
In our New Year’s resolution-making, I think it would behoove all of us to see everything in our lives as purposeful, as meaningful, as perfect. When we tap into this profound but intrinsic spiritual truth, we can start to see even the tough times as blessings. We can stop categorizing things as good or bad, but rather understand that everything is given to us as catalysts for our growth. With this in mind let’s replace the question, “Why me?” with, “What is this here to teach me?” We might find that we stop blaming, and like Joseph start to forgive.
May we strive to see all the moments in our lives as perfect, knowing that every situation is designed with precision by the Creator.
By knowing everything is from the Divine, we can begin to experience the Divine in everything.
