Ekev: Knowledge

We’ve been talking a lot about taking the next step in life and not allowing the problems to bog us down and lock us up. There truly is nothing that can hold us back besides ourselves. All therapy methods and circulating quotes are all very nice and important at their stages, but the thing that will help you out most of all is when you can form those quotes on your own. When you take yourself to your very own therapy room and tell yourself that there are no more of the old games and excuses, that’s when the shift will actually occur.

This is called knowledge. You know because all the facts pointed you in that direction, and one must be a fool to disobey the signs. It reminds me of someone who saw bold signs plastered with the words “CLIFF AHEAD” but instead pressed the gas even stronger. It is as though this person wanted to be certain of the cliff so that he can become the actual sign for others. It didn’t dawn on him that the sign posted was there because somebody who didn’t have the sign stumbled and fell. We don’t have to be the sign. We have to learn to trust them.

If you want to investigate if the sign is actually speaking the truth, go ahead, cautiously, but don’t say that you weren’t warned beforehand if you fall. Knowledge is when all signs tell the truth and therefore become fact in your mind. There is no changing it for the time being, at least until we get a little smarter.

Truthfully, this is exactly how we got into our “prison of emotions.” We established facts like “this person doesn’t like me!” or “I am no good at this!” We saw signs and cemented them as knowledge in our minds and hearts, and for a long time we walked around knowing this as a fact in life and we did all that was possible to live by this truth. But we have matured past that stage. We became smarter and learned to investigate cautiously and saw that there was no cliff behind it. We learned to trust those people and we changed our mindset to say that we are capable of big things and that we are good at this.

With true investigative work we come to establish new signs on the mountain. The new sign reads, “Full Speed Ahead, Enjoy The View!” So too have we set up parameters with signs that keep us away from areas that we have already fallen and stumbled in. We erect signs in those areas for us and for all those traveling this mountain to be aware and wary of. At times we even put those scary signs many miles away from the actual cliff, just so the wanderer should turn around before they have a chance to fall.

Devarim 8:2: “And you shall remember the entire way that Hashem has led you these forty years in the desert, in order to pain you and in order to test you, to know what it is in your heart; will you keep his commandments (through hard times) or not?” The pains are given as tests, and the tests are given in order for us to know right from wrong, good from bad. It is clear that this is the life we were placed into living, since Hashem trained the nation in the wilderness to practice this kind of life. He gave us a forty year trial to gain knowledge and set up signs, so that when we graduate the wilderness stage we will go on and use the knowledge we gained and attained in our future.

Moshe uses the word “La’Daat” as he explains this lesson. The word is sung with the tune of the Azla Geresh (*Lu-Da-A-A-At*), לָדַ֜עַת. The definition of Azla Geresh is, “Go the other way.” It even points in the other direction, as though it is telling you to reverse course. The tune itself is sending us a message to adhere to. Much like how we enunciate certain words in our sentences in order to stress a point. “I didn’t say that.” “I didn’t say that.” “I didn’t say that.” The Geresh is showing us through its tune that because of this we should understand something bigger. There is a direction we should follow because we’ve understood something.

I may find myself writing these exact words in a few months from now as well. Naturally they will be inspired by a different Parshah and different circumstances in life, but that will only hold true if I do not heed the words I am writing today. If I have reached this understanding today, I will need to make it who I am, because they are true. It is very tough to live once we have already seen the truth, but what good does seeing the truth do if we do not incorporate it into our lives as a fact?

When we speak of Emunah and bitachon we agree that we can only rely on the creator for all our needs and on nobody else. For, as King David says in Psalm 146, “Why trust a man and his power, for his last breath can be at any hour. With his soul your hope departs. Your help depends on beating of hearts.” We cannot rely on another because that would mean that we are neglecting the power of the true Giver, for the giving coming from elsewhere. Having two bosses and not knowing whom to follow is the definition of doubt.

Having Emunah means that we do not allow doubt to enter our hearts. As we’ve alluded to earlier, the pains were given to discern good from bad. The choices we have in life aren’t about “The right or wrong choice.” They are about “The good and bad choice.” A bad choice comes about when we are uncertain of what to do next, and that is only because we gave ourselves the opportunity to doubt. Were we completely attached to one Boss we would know that all that is up to us right now is to do what is good in his eye. “What will happen next is up to Him!”

In order to create your very own quotes and be fueled by your inner knowledge you have to become certain with the facts of life. Ask yourself this, “Will my marriage relationship change if I had money?” “Will I become a friendly person once my external difficulties are gone?” We may tell ourselves that we would be better off that way, but the addictions and habits in our lifestyle won’t go anywhere if we do not do something drastic to bring them to a halt.

Picture yourself taking all of your problems, the ones you know of and the ones long forgotten, and putting them aside on a rock. Look at yourself beside your problems and notice how much easier it is for you to stand up straight and walk with your head held high. You have just transformed your old jalopy into a racecar, and do you even know how to drive a racecar? We’ve been bogged down by shame and hurt for so many years and have become accustomed to driving around in a vehicle that needs eternal maintenance. “But now with this weight lifted off of you, what can you accomplish in one day?”

Know that Hashem has set up life to be a test of pains, and go out and smile to the world despite the problems. Know that each and every one of us fellow humans wish to see happiness and love around us, so that they too can be a source of light to the world around them. Know the light that is keeping you alive and know the darkness that tries to kill you. With this knowledge you will be free to make good choices throughout your life. You will live without doubt, because you are attached to the Creator of the game, the One Who designed this world and the tests in it, to see if you’ll keep His word with love! 

Shabbat Shalom

David Lemmer

LemmerHypnotherapy.com