Karen Berg
SEPTEMBER 4, 2022
This article on the portion of the week was originally published in 2018.
Fight the Good Fight is a beautiful hymn. A song written by Irish clergyman and poet, Rev. John Samuel Bewley Monsell, the lyrics urge the listener to "fight the good fight," "lay hold on life," "run the straight race," "cast care aside", and "faint not, nor fear." It is a special song in that it inspires us to see life as a spiritual quest with spiritual goals. We do come to this Earth for more than our careers and the occasional vacation. Even though many people spend the majority of their lives dealing with those things, we have come back to this world for far more. Inside us is a treasure that is waiting to be discovered. Rav Berg would often say that the purpose of life is to come into the world one way and leave it another. Kabbalah teaches that when we apply the effort to reveal this treasure, our inner concealed Light, we can achieve our destiny. We can follow in the footsteps of the Creator by activating in ourselves His qualities. It is then we are able to receive the joy and the lasting fulfillment we seek.
"Inside us is a treasure that is waiting to be discovered."
Kabbalah, interestingly enough, is Hebrew for “receiving.” It is our life’s instruction manual. This spiritual journey is not always easy, sometimes it is a fight to diminish our negative qualities and nurture our positive ones. But it is a good fight that reaps the greatest rewards. It is not always convenient to help someone in need, but if we could see the blessings we derive in those moments of small sacrifices we would beg for the chance to help others. This week, as we come close to the full moon of Virgo, we are inspired to engage in the spiritual good fight, to open our hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves. We see the obstacles ahead of the journey, whether it may be our fears or ego, but we are ready to engage in the battle required to ensure that good prevails over evil and love prevails over hatred. We are given the needed energy and certainty this week to fight the good fight knowing all along that the more love we give, the more love comes our way. Awakening the Creator within is our journey and spiritual work. With the help of the Light, we will win the battle and love will be our greatest victory.
"Moses is our General this week."
Our assistance this week is the portion of the Bible called Ki Tetze. Ki Tetze is the beginning of the phrase “when you go forth to war.” In this portion, Moses teaches us the path of going forth and waging the good fight against the negativity and blockages in our lives. These things are preventing us from the joy and happiness that we were created to experience. This week, Moses is awakening us to all the blessings life can offer if we are only willing to take on this challenge. He teaches us that our desire to think only of ourselves will naturally become forefront in our lives unless we make the effort to create the energy of love and sharing. Life can be dark when we are not sharing with others. It is only when we open our hearts and start giving a little that we turn the Light on and begin to experience the joy of living. Moses describes to the Israelites, and to us, the various ways we can easily fall into self-involved behavior. He tells us about a better way. He teaches in Ki Tetze about the battle we enter when we make a commitment to revealing our potential. Moses asks us to treat others with human dignity, care for other’s property as if it was our own, and to be kind with our words. In this portion, he also implores us to be fair in all of our relationships, including in business. He encourages us to give to one another as this serves to activate our spark of the Creator, bringing us closer to Him. Moses is our General this week. He outlines the battleground, providing us with the spiritual artillery we need to be victorious in love.
For many of us, our days may not feel like a battle at all. We wake up and go to work and come home. But are we truly content and fulfilled? Are we even aware of our true potential? We have so many hidden gifts and talents the world is waiting for us to reveal. There is always more of our potential yet to be tapped into. The energy in the cosmos this week is there to awaken us to the great rewards in the spiritual journey. Our greatest joy and happiness will be achieved when we abandon the old way of thinking of ourselves alone and are open to living a life where other people matter too. We are inspired to further extend our hearts to people. It is during this month of Virgo, that we are able to see our qualities that need improvement and who we have hurt. In this way, we can have the greatest success with the seeds we plant on Rosh Hashanah. We are given the invaluable gift to be like a wise General, able to draw the plans for our battle, be aware of the obstacles ahead, and plan our victory. The fight to love thy neighbor as thyself is a battle we have waged for thousands of years. This week, the Universe gives us the wisdom, energy, and certainty to at last conquer our intolerance and apathy and be victorious with the power of Love. We can make the world a better place if we are open to fighting for it, the Creator will do the rest. The Creator loves us and knows the weight of our work. He makes it sure that it is never too late to start to fight for the life of your dreams.
"We all are in pursuit of Love."
This week in your meditation, see yourself as a great General at sea. Close your eyes and imagine yourself sailing the great ocean. You can feel the sea mist on your face and wind in your hair. As the ocean churns, so does your heart and its desire for the very best in life. You are in pursuit of Love. The sea has been rough at times, but you have the courage to charter on and continue the course. Ahead, lies the land that has been promised, a land of peace and fulfillment. But for now, you continue on through the tides of life. You know inside that awakening your heart to sharing and giving is not always easy, but you are willing to make the effort, because you know the giver is always the one who wins. With the Creator like the wind at your back, you seize on because Love is the reason we came to this world. Love is what we need to fix every problem we face. Love is our good fight and it is worth the battle to reveal it in the world.
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