Naso
Can we open to revelation in the present tense?
Reflection by Naso by Rabbi Ariel Hendelman, Or HaLev Teacher
“In parshat Naso, we are given the birkat kohanim, the priestly blessing. I want to share a piece of a translation of birkat kohanim from my teacher Rabbi Shefa Gold.
`May the face of God that is hidden in everything remove its mask and reveal the truth of our interconnectedness. And may the love that shines through the face of all things give you peace.`
As I hear those words, I come into an experience of Sinai that didn't happen long ago in a far-off place, but is continually being revealed here and now. Present tense.
What's being asked of us is to transform ourselves into a midbar - a desert, where the Torah is given - into a space that is open, that is vulnerable to some extent, so that we can have an experience of revelation without an agenda of how we think it's supposed to go, or what we think is supposed to happen.
What better way to do that than through meditation practice, through practices of presence, of cultivating presence and awareness, so that we can be open like a midbar, open like a desert to receive the Torah that is coming through for us in this season and time. May it be so.”