Selections
from In the Beginning/Lech Lecha Genesis 12-17
Yah (God) says go forth from your native land
To the land that I’m showing you
All the families of earth will bless themselves by
you
Avram sets out from Haran (auspiciousness)
For the land
of Canaan (humility)
God appears to Avram and promises this land
(This consciousness) to his offspring (all
of us)
Avram moves to the hill country and pitches his
tent near Bethel
Let’s all of us pitch our tents near the house
of God, bet’ El)
He builds an altar there to God and invokes God’s
name
A quality of God. By honoring and using
various sacred names
We may perceive and draw on various facets of
the divine
Famine in the land. Avram goes down to Egypt, mitzra-eem.
This is a code and sign. Famine indicates
entering
The material realm with all its risks and attractions
These are the straits, mitzra-eem, in this scripture: Egypt
We must pass through this stage on our
journeys home, to Eden
As Avram is about to enter the straits, he says to
his wife Sarai
I’m aware that you’re beautiful
We are spiritual sister and brother; please so declare
this
In Egypt
Sarai is praised before the King and carried to his palace. Sarai is the goddess on the vehicle of God
We remain alive thanks to one another
Because of Sarai, it goes well with Avram. He
acquires plenty
Yah afflicts
Pharaoh (the ego) and his house with big plagues
This detaches us from chasing after only material
successes
The material realm begins to lose its grip on
us
All this is a blessing from Sarai, the Goddess,
wife of Avram
“Meditation
becomes easy if you know what your aim is. When you feel tired of running
around and you feel unhappy with your restless mind, you will want to learn to
meditate.” – Sri Swami Satchidananda,
Integral Yoga
How well-watered is the whole plain of the Jordon
Like the garden
of Yah
(garden
of God, which is Eden)
From where you are - raise your eyes and look from
a higher place
This is a Torah mantra and affirmation
