Transform the Struggle

Numbers 21:16

Ehsof et ha’am, gather the people
Ehsof et ha’am, gather them as One 2x

v’edna l’chem mayim chayyim 4x
And I will give to them waters that live
And I will give to them waters that give life
And I will give to them a spring of new water
I will give to them waters that give life.

And I will give to them, the Source of the water
And I will give to them the Source of the Light
And I will give to them the Source of creation
And I will give to them, yes I will.

 
Az yashir az yashir Yisrael 2x
And they will sing yes they will, sing through their struggles 2x
They will sing yes they will, sing back to Source
they will sing yes they will, to take them out of struggle
They will sing they will to transform their struggle
they will sing yes they will to take them to the Light
they will sing yes they will take them out of darkness
They will sing yes they will to take them to the Light.

they will garden yes they, will to transform their struggles
they will cook yes they will, they will to transform their struggles
they will paint yes they will, to take them to the Light
they will write yes they will, to transform their struggles
they will create yes they will, create abundant beauty
they will love yes they will, to take them back to Oneness
They will love yes they will, love one another
they will love yes they will, love one another
they will Love ONE another
they will sing love one another
love one another

In Parshat Hukkat God tells Moses to gather the people and he will give them water. Rabbi Yael Levy teaches that the waters of life are sometimes very rough and very turbulent and very chaotic. We sit in the Mystery of it all, not understanding, yet Torah, mitzvot and rituals have the power to transform the turbulence and chaos into life giving waters. We studied this Torah portion during the Pandemic of 2020 and we shared with one another how we were engaging in everyday creative activities that we felt were helping us cope and transform our struggle into life giving waters.

Ideally when we engage with life affirming activities whether the particular of Torah and mitzvot of Jewish tradition or creative activities like cooking, gardening, painting, writing, we transform ourselves enough that we might be able to sing, and that the singing would take us back into connection with God and the Mystery. This verse recalls the story of Passover when the Israelites were freed from the narrow straits of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea into the freedom of the Promised land and how they sang with joy and celebration. When we are feeling contracted, sad, and unable to connect with God and the life giving waters from the Source, may this chant help transform our energy.

 

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