Behar-Bechukotai
Can we release into the knowing that we are just passing through?
Reflection by Rabbi Lauren Tuchman:
But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me. (Lev 25:23)
"In parashat Behar, after learning the intricate laws of the Shmita and Yovel years, we are reminded that we are but strangers, just passing through. Ultimately, the land is the Divine’s. We are temporary residents. Our sense of ownership is impermanent. We are a part of a field that is so much wider and deeper than we can possibly imagine.
Impermanence is a foundational part of our practice. Recognizing that change is ever-present allows us to become intimate with what is here and now, knowing that it ultimately will not, cannot last.
When we take our seat to practice, we might notice that the quality of body sensations is in constant flux. That annoying itch arises and passes. The temperature in the room changes. So, too, does sound arise and pass. We don’t need to get lost in the pleasurable or painful. We can instead let go, release into the deep knowing that we are but temporary residents, just passing through.
If we heed our parsha’s invitation to release and let go into this profound truth of life and practice, we might find some spaciousness, some ease and deep freedom. We are taught that the land must never be sold beyond reclaim, for ultimately it all goes back to source. As we open to this, we can let go of clinging, of wanting things a certain way, of grasping, of yearning for control over that which is beyond our control. May this deep practice of release invite us to put down our tremendous and heavy burdens, even for a moment, and allow our systems to experience some rest, as we are richly invited to do this week."