Sefirah - A Lesson in Addiction Recovery

Whilst conquering an unhealthy habit or obsession, a newly resolute individual must meticulously avoid all known triggers. He must actively step away from his addiction, and avoid its presence until purged of its manipulative influence. Once strong enough, however, the individual must face his dependency so that he will truly defeat it and fully recover.

In Egypt, the Jewish people sunk to the lowest levels of immorality. After two hundred ten years under Egyptian influence, they led a depraved lifestyle with all sorts of hedonistic addictions. Just forty-nine days after their exodus, the Jewish nation managed to pull itself from the Egyptian mire and reach the pinnacle of elevation. It was ready to get the Torah.

The Jewish people were able to transform so significantly, because they had forty-nine days of sefirah, counting, before receiving the Torah. The word sefirah can also mean a beautiful sapphire gem, and as they counted each day in anticipation of the Torah, the Jews polished their natures until they shone with refinement.

Anything written in the Torah has a practical implication, and the journey from Egypt to Sinai is a lesson on addiction recovery and personality refinement. Upon leaving the shackles of addiction, we must completely stay away from that which had enslaved us. This is why Pesach celebrates the abstention from all leaven; the riddance of self-inflation and indulgence.

After a week of sefirah and working on our personalities, we can slowly reintroduce chametz, leaven, albeit in a healthy way; a positive self-esteem, courage to stand up for your convictions, etc. We continue transforming our once evil traits one by one until we reach Shavuot, a holiday where leaven is so refined that it is celebrated by offering two leaven loaves on the holy alter. 

Personal Passover Cleaning

As we frenetically aim to remove every small crust before Passover, I humbly suggest we not neglect to clean the crumbs from our souls. During Passover, we eliminate all inflated dough, and eat matzoh, the bread of humility. Just as we remove actual chametz, we can likewise rid ourselves of all vestiges of metaphysical leaven like a super-inflated ego, an overblown sense of self, or a false sense of pride.

In our hurried race through life, our inner selves can get overlooked and begin to require maintenance. Grab a feather duster, broom, or mop, and shake up that thick layer of dust lurking within you. When the dust settles and you can finally see what has been hiding, the clean up can start. The inner being is like an attic or storage cellar, and will quickly become cluttered if not systematically organized.

Spread before you all of your accumulated opinions, thoughts, and feelings, and assess them carefully. If you find something resembling chametz, like an unfavorable attitude, a grudge, or negativity, now is a good time to get rid of it. Our hearts, brains, and souls, are precious commodities and it would be a shame to occupy them with anything unconstructive. You will soon notice that the less negativity you retain, the more room you have for joyful experiences, and positive thoughts.

After all the chametz is removed, neatly arrange the things you plan to keep, and scan for anything you may have missed. Sweep your soul one last time, and perhaps make a more effective storage plan for the future. Congratulations! You are done. Enjoy the wonderful benefits of a chametz-free being, and a meaningful Passover.

Angel or Menace

In the Torah portion of Terumah, which generally falls out just before the holiday of Purim, G-d commands the Jewish people to create a mishkan, a tabernacle, and He will dwell in their midst. Amongst the furnishings of the mishkan we find detailed blueprints for the Aron, the Golden Ark, which occupied the Holy of Holies. G-d tells Moses to form two golden Cherubim with outspread wings to cover the ark, and to put the Tablets containing the Ten Commandments within.

There are only two instances in Torah, where the word Cherubim is used: Presently, in regards to the construction of the Holy Ark, and previously, in the first Torah portion of Beraishit, when Adam is banished from the Garden of Eden.

 The Torah recounts that upon eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, G-d expelled Adam from the garden and prevented him from reentering by a guard of destructive angels called Cherubim. Now, as the Jews are constructing the tabernacle, our sages explain Cherubim to mean innocent children, etymologically related to the Aramaic word Cheribah, child.

How can the same word Cherub have two diametrically opposed meanings?

Precisely within these two narratives lays our answer. Every child has the capacity to be angelic or destructive, depending on values he or she is raised with.

Adam’s life in the Garden of Eden was a life free of toil. It was a life of abundance, with everything available and accessible to him. G-d withheld just one thing from him, the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The irrational desire for the one forbidden thing, drove Adam to his ruin, and created menacing angels.

Everything has its source in Torah and our sages explain that the source for Haman is hinted to in the words “Hamin haetz hazeh…” “Have you eaten from this tree...” referring to the incident of Adam, where he could not control himself from the one thing that was prohibited to him.

Like Adam, Haman’s destruction, too, was a result of a lack of self-restraint. He was the second in command to the Persian king Achashverosh, and possessed the king’s signet ring, giving him absolute power. Nevertheless, Haman said, “All this means nothing to me when I see Mordechai the Jew.”  Riches and supremacy left him discontented, because he lacked one thing, the subservience of Mordechai. Consequentially, Haman became obsessed with schemes to destroy Mordechai, paving the way to his downfall.

The Cherubim on the Golden Ark, on the other hand, had the faces of angelic children. They were founded upon the Ark that contained two sets of Tablets. The first pair of broken Tablets imbued a sense of humility, as they were incomplete, and the second pair of Tablets included all the explanations and lessons found in Torah. The contents of the Ark provided the Cherubim with solid base of morality, humility, and self-discipline.

Today, as our world enjoys unprecedented bounty, we vividly see the consequences of unfettered plenty and instant gratification. More people90o than ever are plagued by addiction, depression and narcissism. If a child does not know the virtues of restraint, self-control, and satisfaction with what they have, they can grow to become angels of self-destruction. Conversely, if a child has a strong foundation of morality, modesty, and restraint, they enjoy contentment, satisfaction, and peace of mind. When children are taught these important lessons, they become virtuous angels worthy to grace the Ark in the Holy of Holies.

Yehudit

Twilight descended on the beleaguered city of Bethulia, Judea, casting the city in a shadow of despair. Only that morning, the famine-struck inhabitants resolved to surrender to the Greeks, should relief not arrive within five days. Yehudit, the aristocratic daughter of Yochanan the High Priest, disagreed.

“A Jew should always have faith in G-d and never place time limits on his salvation,” she adamantly insisted. Unable to witness the distress of her brethren, Yehudit decided to take action. She would attempt to seduce the Greek general and bring deliverance for Bethulia.  With firm faith and resolve, the beautiful young widow and her faithful maid wound their way past the city gates and into the enemy encampment below. 

General Holefernus was charmed by her beauty, and invited Yehudit to a private feast in his tent. With guile and cunning, Yehudit fed the unsuspecting general salted cheese and aged, undiluted wine. As Holefernus fell into a drunken stupor, Yehudit unsheathed his sword, murmured a silent prayer, and promptly chopped off his head. She hastily returned with her grisly prize and roused the townspeople to wage war against their oppressors. the Greek soldiers panicked at the loss of their general, and the Jews secured a miraculous victory.

Yehudit merited salvation because of her unrelenting faith and bravery. She infused pride and courage in the hearts of her brethren and ultimately inspired the Maccabees in their fight to preserve Judaism.

This is why Jewish women have a custom to refrain from working while the Chanuka candles are lit. The Greeks passed many harsh decrees against the Jews, but the decrees against the Jewish women were particularly appalling. The Jewish women never despaired, and the Chanukah story is replete with valiant women like Yehudit, who courageously defended the Jewish way of life. This Chanuka, as we light the menorah and celebrate the great miracles, let us reflect upon the heroic women of our past, and resolve, like them, to uphold our Jewish values and inspire our people.