S paraša Šemot začenjamo brati drugo Mojzesovo knjigo, ki v grškem prevodu nosi ime Eksodos (izhod), kar se nanaša na izhod Izraelcev iz Egipta. V hebrejskem originalu pa je ime te knjige kar Šemot (kar pomeni: imena). Vsaka od petih Mojzesovih knjig je namreč poimenovana po prvi paraša v njej.

Eksodos je razumljivo poimenovanje za besedilo, ki govori o človekovem osvobajanju od egoizma. Egipt je vedno metafora za ego in egoizem. Kabala pa temelji na naši preobrazbi egoizma v altruizem, zato je prav, da vsakič ko v bralnem ciklu Tore pridemo do Šemot, naredimo korak naprej oz. da začnemo znova.

V praktičnem smislu to pomeni, da je z začetkom branja te knjige primerno še bolje strukturirati naše kabalistično izobraževanje. Vse je namreč odvisno od našega izhoda iz Egipta, od naše rešitve od egoizma, kar dosežemo s študijem kabale.

Knjigo Šemot sestavlja enajst parašot. Poleg dramatične pripovedi o izhodu iz Egipta je drugi del knjige izjemnega pravnega pomena, saj Izraelcem posreduje najpomembnejše pravne zakone. Te informacije so seveda ključnega pomena tudi za kabalo, saj je pravilno, večplastno razumevanje norm, ki urejajo medčloveške odnose in odnos človeka do kreatorja, prvi pogoj za uspeh na naši poti spiritualne preobrazbe s kabalo.

Šemot, Exodos, beremo v zadnjih dveh mesecih koledarja, kar pomeni, da s teoretično ponovitvijo procesa zaključimo, kar smo začeli nisana prihodnje leto. Po drugi strani pa knjigo Šemot beremo pred nisanom, ko izkusimo dejanski izhod iz Egipta; tako da gre za teoretične priprave na osvoboditev.

V bistvu imamo 4 priložnosti za osvoboditev: Šovavim, Pesah-Omer-Šavuot, Visoki prazniki v tišreju in vsak dan v koledarju!

V Egiptu pride na oblast novi kralj, ki ni poznal Jožefa. 

Rodi se Mojzes, njegova sestra ga skrije v košaro, jo spusti po Nilu in ji sledi. Faraonova hčer se gre kopat v Nil, najde otroka in ga vzame. Mojzesova sestra se ponudi, da gre po dojiljo za otroka. Pripelje Mojzesovo mamo.

Mojzes odraste na faraonovem dvoru. Neki dan vidi, da Egipčan udarja Hebrejca. Mojzes ubije Egipčana in ga zakoplje v pesek. Ko ugotovi, da ga je eden on njegovih hebrejskih bratov videl, pobegne v puščavo.

V puščavi se sreča z Jitrom, duhovnikom iz Midjana. Poroči se z eno od njegovih hčera. V puščavi vidi "goreče trnje", kjer mu kreator pove, naj se vrne v Egipt k faraonu in k Izraelcem ter naj jim pove, naj ti zapustijo Egipt.

Izraelci se pritožujejo Mojzesu o svojem slabem pložaju. Mojzes se obrne h kreatorju, ta pa mu reče, da bo videl, kako bo s svojo močno roko spravil Izraelce iz Egipta.

Jakob je osrednji lik Berešit in kabalistični ideal. Jakobovi sinovi pa so prototip različnih oblik dajanja, Jakobov produkt. Jožef, Jakobov najljubši sin, je akumulacija vseh lastnosti dajanja, ki jih predstavljajo njegovi bratje.

Ko pridejo Jakob in sinovi v Egipt, pomeni, da se popolnoma egoistični Egipt - ki predstavlja sprejemanje zaradi sprejemanja, kar je prva faza egoizma - razvije v dajanje zaradi sprejemanja, kar je zadnja faza egoizma. V praksi to pomeni, na naš ego ugotovi, da lahko tudi njemu koristi, če začne dajati. To je v resnici situacija današnjega sveta, ko se družba (ego, Egipt) razvija pod vplivom neegoističnih tokov (Jakob in sinovi). V resnici pa je tako stanje vendarle egoistično, saj je namen sprejemanja egoističen. Nekaj časa je taka situacija še vzdržna, saj se menjavajo "leta obilja" in "leta lakote".

Jakob in sinovi v (egoističnem) Egiptu živijo dobro, dokler predstavljajo altruizem, dajanje.

400 LET KASNEJE

Na pripovedni ravni so Izraelci sprva v priviligeranem položaju, štiristo let kasneje pa so sužnji. Natančnega opisa, kako je prišlo do preobrata, nimamo. In ravno v tem je pomembnost tokratne paraša. Ko človek ali družba deluje v stopnji dajanje zaradi sprejemanja, je najprej prepričan, da se je znebil ega oz. da je njegov boj z egom edini pravi. V resnici pa ego raste, a rastejo tudi Jakobovi potomci. Beremo, da je Egipt dobil novega faraona, ki ni poznal Jožefa. To pomeni, da se je ego povečal do maksimalne mere, ki mu je na razpolago v našem končnem stvarstvu. Izgubljen je stik s svetlobo, zato faraon ne pozna Jožefa, ki je pot do svetlobe - akumulator vseh oblik dajanja. Z drugimi besedami: sprejemanje se je popolnoma postavilo nad dajanje, pokazal se je pravi namen za prejšnjim dajanjem, t.j. sprejemanje - egoizem.

Egoizem se zaključi z dajanjem zaradi sprejemanja, ki tudi pomeni konec, smrt. Sedaj je potrebna spiritualna preobrazba s kabalo, ki končni tip užitka preobrazi v neskončnega.

POIMENOVANJE

Paraša se začne: "To so imena sinov...". Ne beremo: "To so sinovi..." Če bi šlo za navadno, zgodovinsko knjigo, bi nas zanimal le seznam Izraelovih sinov, ne pa podatek, da so to njihova imena. Če hočemo razumeti težo "imen" Izraelovih sinov, moramo razumeti, da je poimenovanje vedno opis določenega pojava, ki ga zaznamo. V kabali lahko poleg svoje želje po sprejemanju prepoznamo samo še kreatorja, saj je to edino, kar obstaja poleg nas. Kreator je dajanje, mi pa smo sprejemanje. Če bomo hoteli v sebi razviti lastnosti dajanja, bo to možno, le kadar bomo sprejemali z namenom dajanja, takrat bomo dobili lastnost dajanja - tako kot je to dosegel Jakob s svojimi sinovi. Različne oblike dajanja poimenujemo z imeni Jakobovih sinov; seveda, če jih prepoznamo.

IZGINE DAJANJE

Situacija, ko dajemo z namenom sprejemanja, je za nas pogubna, saj je egoizem obsojen na konec; egoizem je namreč atribut končnega stvarstva, neskončnost pa se doseže z altruizmom. V takšnem stanju, tik pred koncem, ugotovimo, kako nas je naš egoizem, naša želja po sprejemanju premagala in pripeljala na rob konca - zato z imeni Izraelovih sinov ne moremo več poimenovati svojih lastnosti dajanja, saj so te lastnosti preprosto izginile.

Izraelova plemena, potomci Jakobovi sinov, ostanejo Izraelovi sinov, a se z njimi ne more več poimenovati lastnosti dajanja, saj so postali sužnji sprejemanja. Torej, sedaj je potreben izhod iz Egipta, rešitev pred egoizmom, rešitev pred koncem, smrtjo.

Ta teden ocenjujmo, kako se je povečal naš ego (Egipt, malkut) in kako ni več stika (Jožef, jesod) z dajanjem (Jakob, tiferet), čeprav se je tudi dajanje množilo - problem je le stik. Prepoznati moramo razhajanje med egom in dušo. Tako stanje se odvija stalno, na vsakem spiritualnem nivoju. Ta teden imamo priložnost, da ta del procesa spiritualne preobrazbe identificiramo in poskušamo pravilno razumeti. Izkušnjo bomo lahko uporabili na vseh svojih mikro in makro nivojih, ko bo čas za to.

Situacija, kot jo opisuje tokratna paraša, je v bistvu opis stanja, ko se v našem življenju pojavi kabala. Vse, kar smo dosedaj počeli misleč, da je dobro, dobi še neko globljo plast (namen za našimi dejanji), ki pa nas prepriča, da ni dobra, da nas pogublja. To pa nikakor ne pomeni, da smo prej v resnici delali slabo. Ne, ne gre za to. Naravna-spiritualna struktura stvarstva je taka, da mora dajanje postati suženj v službi sprejemanja. Če bi se zasužnjili samo s sprejemanjem, če ne bi bilo v igri še dajanja, ne bi imeli česa osvoboditi.

V teoretičnem smislu gre za aktiviranje spomina, v nadaljevanju verza imamo preteklik:...imena sinov, ki prihajajo z Jakobom; vsakdo in njegova hiša so prišli...V preteklosti so prišli Izraelci v Egipt, o tem smo brali v zadnji paraša knjige Berešit, kjer smo kot glavno idejo izpostavili formacijo spiritualnega spomina.

Sedaj se nam torej "prebujajo spomini" na altruistična stanja. Sedanji faraon ni poznal Jožefa - to seveda pomeni, da v delu naše biti spomini še niso aktivirani. Ne gre za stanja, kjer smo mi že bili, ampak za spiritualni spomin na stanja, kjer v spiritualni dimenziji že smo. Sedaj pa je to potrebno aktivirati še v materialni dimenziji in jo preobraziti.

MOJZESOVO ROJSTVO

Tik preden nastopijo nevzdržne razmere, ko ego popolnoma zasužnji našo dušo, kar je drugi opis za stanje, ko je dajanje v službi sprejemanja, se v nas rodi sila, ki jo poimenujemo Mojzes. S pomočjo te sile se vsakdo od nas in celoten kolektiv postopoma osvobodi suženjstva našemu egu.

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִ֖ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית לֵוִ֑י וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־בַּת־לֵוִֽי׃

Mojzesovo rojstvo je velika grožnja za naš ego, ki ga predstavlja faraon. Po drugi strani pa je nastanek in razvoj te sile v nas odraz lepote duše, kar se kaže v lepoti jezika, s katerim je opisano rojstvo. Mojzesovo rojstvo je v bistvu naš pravi začetek, začetek naše poti v neskončnost, kar se zgodi s spiritualno preobrazbo. Vse, kar je bilo pred Mojzseom, nosi opis "sprva", kar je pomen Berešit, knjige ki je pred Šemot.  

וַתַּ֥הַר הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֹתֹו֙ כִּי־טֹ֣וב ה֔וּא וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים׃

Mojzesovo rojsto je opisano z besedami, ki jih srečamo že pri sedemdnevni zgodbi, ko kreator ustvarja in vidi "da je dobro", kar je ustvaril. Nato srečamo besede, ki smo jih spoznali že pri Noetu in pri Babilonskem stolpu. Košara, v katero je položen Mojzes, ima isti izraz kot Noetova barka, imamo pa drugačno besedo za smolo, srečamo tudi besedi za bitumen in za zidake.

וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּתֹ֣וךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ ׃

Zanimiva je tudi beseda za trstičje, na katerem najdejo košaro (barčico) z Mojzesom, sorodna je z besedo Jožef, kar nam jasno govori, kaj je Mojzesovo poslanstvo: vspostaviti stik z jesodom (Jožef), kar je seveda možno, le če se preobrazimo.

FIRE IN THORNS

וַ֠יֵּרָא מַלְאַ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֵלָ֛יו בְּלַבַּת־אֵ֖שׁ מִתֹּ֣וךְ הַסְּנֶ֑ה וַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וַהַנֶה אֻכָּֽל

Ex 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Usually the story of the fire in the thorns is translated as "burning bush", which is a serious mistake, as it is far from the author's message. In fact, it is about thorns. The word flames (of fire) לַבַּת־אֵ֖שׁ is also important, as it is similar to the word heart (lion).

Our heart, our emotions, are thorns in which the flame appears - this is that "point in the heart" that Kabbalah speaks of. The point from which altruism will develop. In this initial state, everything is still potential, so the fire does not consume the thorns.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Ex 3:14 And Elohim said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM!” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you!’”

We encounter the problem of naming not only at the beginning of the parashah, but also now, when man encounters a force he has not known before. That is, when man feels the workings of the Creator within himself.

All this, of course, takes place in the individual, who must go through the process of spiritual transformation. Man encounters the concept of giving - the point in the heart - but does not yet understand it, so he does not know what to call it. At the same time, this concept of altruism encounters resistance from the previous egoism. We feel this as a conflict between desires. The Creator, the point in the heart, must show all his greatness if he is to convince us of the necessity of spiritual transformation.

Although the process takes place within each of us, it is still important to take on a "leadership" role in the collective - just as Moses did. This is not a literal understanding of leadership, but an influence that we must achieve in our environment. We can activate and develop the Moses within ourselves if we practice Kabbalistic knowledge in interpersonal relationships. Learning alone without activity in society does not produce any results.

Spiritual transformation is a transformation of the ego, which is always defined in relationship with another human being.

In a theoretical sense, it is important to realize that the birth of Moses in us - the emergence of an altruistic force - begins much earlier than we realize it! It takes some time before we get to know this force well and proactively cooperate with it in the process of spiritual transformation. The Creator is a force, or rather, a property of creation, which connects every smallest part of creation into an interdependent unity. The author of the Torah describes the Creator as the only reality - it will be, what will be. From the point of view of a person who initially feels that he is separate from the Creator, the Creator's property is recognizable through three fundamental manifestations: giving (elohim of Abraham), receiving (elohim of Isaac), and receiving with the intention of giving (elohim of Jacob).

Separation from the Creator is only apparent, but it is necessary, as it gives man free will in connecting with the Creator, who gives man pleasure. But complete pleasure is not possible without free will. Another name for separation from the Creator is egoism, which in this parashah, as is usually the case, is personified by Egypt and Pharaoh.

When we talk about Moses, a quality with which we can spiritually transform ourselves, it is necessary to recognize this quality and proactively cooperate with it. In the parashah, we read about numerous people who participated in the birth and upbringing of Moses. Everyone must find within themselves these forces that together create the potential for spiritual transformation. We find Moses' "colleagues" in the people around us. In addition to finding Moses within ourselves, we must also find him in the collective. It is equally important to recognize ourselves as Moses' "colleagues" in the lives of our fellow human beings and the collective. Namely; all the people described in the Torah are stages in spiritual development that each of us must go through.

It is necessary to ask myself whether I support the forces that participate in the development of my personal Moses, the Moses in the collective, and the Moses in my neighbor.

MOSES' MOTHER AND SISTER

Although the Creator is the one who takes care of everything, man must actively participate in the development of the Moses within himself. Moses' mother and sister leave nothing to chance. "He who helps himself, the Creator also helps him!"

OBSTETRICS MIDWIFE

Disobeying the orders of authority means resisting the impulses given to us by our ego with reason, logic as the most powerful tool of the ego. The Creator built houses for the grandmothers, which speaks of the reward that an individual receives by resisting the ego. However, if we read carefully:

1:20 God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 Because the midwives feared God, he made them houses.

- we find that it was good for the grandmothers that the people multiplied and became very strong. The grandmothers acted altruistically; not wanting anything for themselves; well, later they did get something for themselves (for the house). There are two levels of altruism: giving for the sake of giving and receiving for the sake of giving. We cannot skip the first level.

PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER

Although egoism is separation from the Creator, each of us has within us the design for transformation and contact with the Creator. This is illustrated by Pharaoh's daughter. Every ego sooner or later encounters the need for transformation. The author of the parashah made it very clear when the moment of transformation occurs: with compassion. "When Pharaoh's daughter found the baby, she had compassion on him - and she knew that he was a Hebrew." When we recognize compassion for others in our egoistic worldview, we know that transformation will follow.

MOSES KILLS AN EGYPTIAN

The only thing an individual can do on the path of spiritual transformation is choose their environment. When Moses kills the Egyptian, it is a metaphor for our farewell to the egoism that we recognize within ourselves. We must surround ourselves with people who will help us do this. We leave the egoistic environment, just as Moses had to leave Egypt. Then we return, as Moses did, after living and learning with his father-in-law.

DOUBT

It is very important to recognize all forms of doubt in the process. We can proactively engage with doubt if we know that everyone who has gone through the transformation process has encountered it. It is also important to delve into our memories of when we have dealt with doubt in the past and successfully overcome it.

Emunah and Bitahon

Kabbalah is based on faith or emuna אמונה. But it is not blind faith, but faith that arises from knowledge, from personal realization, that the world is ruled by the Creator - the force that stands behind everything that happens in this world of ours. The Kabbalist believes: 1) that the Creator stands behind everything, 2.) that everything is intended for good, and 3.) that everything also has a hidden message. However, this faith is not enough, it is necessary to start practicing it and trust that the Creator will do for us what is necessary. This product of faith is called trust or bitahon בטחון.

Emunah could be described by a tree, and bitahon by fruits. A person can have emunah but not bitahon. A tree can be without fruits, but fruits cannot be without a tree.

Bitachon (trust) is the internalization of our emun (faith). A person on the path of spiritual transformation often gets stuck just when it is necessary to develop the fruits - complete trust in the Creator or bitachon. Pharaoh in Parasha Shemot has emun. A person has faith, but often does not allow it to turn into complete trust in the Creator, because in doing so, the person (Pharaoh, ego) would lose control. Bitachon - trust in the Creator - means that we allow Him to do what is best for us, and we will give up our control in this process; we will ignore logic, which is the main weapon of the ego, which exercises control.

Moses is that quality within us that develops the bitachon - thus liberation from Egypt, salvation from the ego, will be possible, which must happen through the Creator's intervention.