From the Mountaintop

Weekly Consciousness Tune-Up
February 19th – February 25th, 2006

If you’ve been keeping up in your Zohar reading, you know that last week we read about Moses receiving the Ten Commandments atop Mt. Sinai. More than just ten statements, they were a code explaining all the laws and secrets of the universe. And once Moses came down from the mountain, his job became to share this wisdom with the 600,000 Israelites traveling with him in the desert.

Because there was no internet, podcasting, TV, or radio, Moses had a pretty big job ahead of him.

The Torah and The Zohar go to great lengths to explain how Moses disseminated the knowledge. They write that, first, he taught it to his brother Aaron, then to Aaron’s two sons, and after that to the 70 elders of the tribes of Israel who then went on to teach it to their own tribesmen.

The question the kabbalists ask is why was the chain of learning so important? If you learn the secrets, does it matter who it comes from? Yes, it really does. The Torah and The Zohar are teaching us the tremendous significance of a teacher-student relationship.

So, what is a spiritual teacher?

First and foremost, a teacher is a friend, probably the most important friend you could have. Teachers are essential to our lives not because they’re so much smarter, older, or more knowledgeable about spirituality, but because they can see the heights of our potential, and they aren’t afraid to push us there.

When we feel like we’re below zero and still heading further south, our teachers can boost us back up and make us see things for what they really are. They believe in us when we don’t believe in ourselves anymore.

Teachers don’t help us so we’ll love them more, but they know that they are just a channel for the Light and that the only way to truly help someone grow is to channel what is best for them. That’s why even when they tell us things that are difficult for us to hear or sometimes downright painful to realize, it can inspire us and make us feel great.

Essentially, they are simply plugging us back into the Light. A true teacher understands that our soul already knows everything we could ever need to know, and they help reconnect that part of ourselves.

It’s often misunderstood why the Centre makes such a big deal about coming to classes, about connecting to a teacher, about connecting to my parents and teachers Kabbalists Rav and Karen Berg. The reason is that kabbalists have known for centuries that we don’t change by meditating on a mountaintop, but rather by participating in life and learning to be channels for each other.

The Rav and Karen, and their dedication to helping people remove chaos from their lives, has built the amazing worldwide community in which we all now participate. When we connect to them, we’re connecting to that wish not only for ourselves but for everyone in the world. We are able to obtain some of that energy that is vital to be persistent in our spiritual work.

By connecting to the Rav and Karen (the teachers of our teachers) and our own teachers and by becoming better channels for each other, we connect to the energy and vision of all of the teachers who have ever worked to remove chaos from the world. That tremendous support of unconditional love can inspire and motivate us to do things that might otherwise go undone.

It unlocks our souls so we can become better Creators.

This week, strengthen your link in the chain. When was the last time you met with your teacher? Many of you reading this probably don’t even have a teacher. If you are a student at one of the Centres, speak with your local Student Coordinator about setting up a teacher meeting. If you don’t live near a Centre, call our student support department (1-800-Kabbalah) and find a teacher that best suits your soul.

The key is to make sure you’re connected – it makes the journey that much more rewarding.

All the Best,

Yehuda

72 Name of the Week

I take this Name with me out into the real world so I can share the Light with friends, family, and the entire family of humankind.

I envisage openings and opportunities in the world for the global dissemination of this ancient wisdom.

I ask for the strength to walk the talk.

I know that this Name arouses the forces of immortality and joy in the world.

I must expect and demand nothing less.

Click here for NEW 72 NAME Meditation

Fotos: Cortesía de Tangerine.