Behar – Bechukotai: How Israel Overcomes

The people of Israel and the land of Israel both have similar properties. The first thing we have to do is remove all existing knowledge we think we know about life and science. We do this not because it is not true and real, but because where we are going now has nothing to do with lab-grown scientific equations.

Let us take a look at the history of nations. Those empires that conquered lands are long gone, since their entire drive was for power and status. They wanted immortality and eternal fame but still indulged in mortal deeds and behaviors. Their ideals were so far removed from their reality that their wishes paled in comparison to their daily deeds. Only those who have shown otherworldly vigor have made it into the history books, positively and negatively.

It is a story as new as it is old: people love heroes. Yes, some cowards made it in, and we remember them as examples of what not to do. But the common thing all those in history have is the higher spirit to either run with or defy the will of God. Those heroes took on tasks greater than themselves and were determined to succeed. The only problem is that when taking on such a huge goal we are destined to face resistance along the way. As the wise say, “We tend to deal with temporary problems with permanent solutions.”

Those who did not read the handbook called “Taking On Big Goals, For Dummies,” when faced with any challenge go all in to quash their opponent. Many times they forget their goal while getting stuck fighting forever wars that should have been brushed off years ago. Big goals require clarity of mind and peace in the heart, which result in actions that bring them closer to their desired destiny. But those who see only obstacles will bring rage to their minds and fury to their hearts, which result in destruction and chaos wherever they walk.

The big goal needs to be seen constantly before our eyes, as King David says in Psalms 16:8, “I have placed Hashem before my eyes, always.” Distractions are part of the game and resistance is a foreseen obstacle. When the goal is before our eyes, we have the clarity to make the proper choice when those distractions come about.

How do we keep our clarity? It is simple, but not easy. Let us go the other direction for a moment. What happens after our destructive behaviors when we do not have clarity? We spiral down in a huge mess of emotions. We need to apologize to half the world, we blame others, get angry, try to calm ourselves with temporary pleasures, and repeat. So we know what it looks like when our eyes are blinded. We walk, bump into everything, and topple over everything in our path.

Now what does clarity look like? By contrast, it is exactly the opposite of what we just detailed. It is one of measured emotions, love and friendship, accomplishments and success. But all this sounds like a salesman promising the world to walk away with a fat commission check. Is this life really possible? The answer is yes. It is simple, but not easy.

At first you must make absolutely clear in your mind that the goal you are working toward is bigger than yourself. It is out of the normal and boring category and it steps into risk and challenge. Secondly, you have to commit to it not because of a temporary reason like power, money, or fame. It has to outlast you. And third, you must prepare yourself for the resistance such a task will face.

The enemies of your agenda are not just bullies in the classroom. They upgrade their purpose as well. They fight your eternal desire with their very own. And just as you tell yourself that you are en route to better the world, they too say the same to themselves. They believe it wholeheartedly, otherwise they would not consider taking you on. They will test your belief to see if you are a worthy opponent or not. If you do not believe in your mission you can be crushed quite quickly.

Work that is greater than life itself is spiritual to its core. The foes to be faced will therefore be backed by spiritual force. Just as they will have legions standing behind them, you too must form an alliance with those you are trying to serve and protect. You have to hire security and be loyal to them, so that when danger comes they are prepared to take a bullet for you. But as much as we know this to be a true fact in the physical world, we must do the same by buying protection in the spiritual realm as well.

We have to Pray, give Tzedakah, do Mitzvot, and go out of our way to prove to ourselves and to Hashem that we are here to serve Him and His creations. This way we will be protected when evil shows up at our gates, whether with voices in our head, addictions in our hearts, propaganda on the streets, or physical violence that threatens us and our communities. We need to be backed by the force we are running with, or else our opponents will beat us as they cling to the spells of darkness. It is a matter of true belief, and true belief can only come with actions that back it up!

Over thousands of years, many nations have tried conquering our land and us. They all failed because they thought they were going up against humans like them. They figured that they were up against power-hungry and despicable people. Truthfully they saw the world the way they saw themselves. They were corrupt and had no inclination to think that maybe the other side is different. But the spirit of our nation never dies! We have Shabbos that gives us calm among the storms. We regain our clarity even if we fell a thousand times throughout the week.

We know what clarity looks like and we’ve experienced the chaos of the lack of it. The same is with the land. It has Mitzvot called Shmittah and Yovel, which allow it to regain its strength and rededicate its purpose to serve Hashem. Anything or anyone that ever thinks they can come into this spiritual land for power is mistaken, because the land will spit them out as the verse states in Leviticus 18:28. We are a people of immense purity, inherited genetically, emotionally, and spiritually for generations. We regenerate bigger and better by learning the lessons of the past and resolving to do better in the future.

Look at us today! A nation back in the land, rebuilding its waterways, architecture, and most of all, the enlightening spirituality that has held us throughout all of those years. We laugh in the face of the enemy because our belief is stronger than theirs! The world is finally waking up as they see that fighting the enemy of Israel is not as easy as dropping bombs on them. Getting rid of them is simple, but not easy. The bombs that we drop are those of clarity of the soul, heart, and mind. These are the actions we choose to take toward our goal rather than getting stuck in the tit-for-tat silliness that has consumed the better part of history. We are belief warriors who carry the name of Hashem on our hearts, and it is so that we will live on the Holy Land of Hashem with Him together, forever.

Shabbat Shalom

David Lemmer

LemmerHypnotherapy.com