Avram and Sara go down to Egypt: Approaching the egoism within ourselves— a cautionary tale.

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In Genesis Chapter 12, the Torah relates:

“And there was a famine in the land, and Abram descended to Egypt to sojourn there because the famine was severe in the land.”

Genesis 12:10

What sort of famine are we talking about? If we take the Torah in its literal sense, then we mean that not enough rain fell or for some other reason the crops did not grow and there was not enough for people to eat. But the sages of the Zohar, understand the famine to have been a famine for the light of God. As the prophet Amos says , “Behold,  there will be days coming says the Lord when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water , but a famine to hear the words of God.” (Amos  8:11)

Abraham is the point of lovingkindness, chesed , within our hearts, this aspect is wanting to give unconditionally. But it has have something to work on. This is what is hinted at in the story. What is Egypt? Egypt is the consciousness of receiving for oneself alone. Egypt symbolizes a consciousness within us which is concerned with receiving everything that God can give, both materially and spiritually only for oneself alone —the height of egoism.

However ,the Zohar teaches, that at the time of the sin of Adam, holy sparks fell into the klipot, the shells. In other words, even within the consciousness of our wills to receive ourselves alone, there is a spark of holiness hidden which needs to be rescued from the framework of evil and brought into the framework of holiness.

So Abram , which is the point of chesed, of lovingkindness within us sometimes needs to connect with the will to receive for oneself alone, our egoism within us , but not to settle in that consciousness , only to take what we need, which are the desires for the light of God which are exhibited specifically in the will to receive for oneself alone, . Because our service of God needs to be complete with both the vessels of giving and the vessels of receiving . The right-hand line and the left-hand line . Abram is the carrier for the right-hand line the vessels for giving within us .

But this visit to the ” other side” requires precautions. Otherwise we can fall into the hands of the Egyptians within us, and these desires of the ego can “kill” our desires of giving unconditionally.

What precautions does Avram take and what can we learn from his actions?

The answers are found in the podcast. Happy listening!

Taken form the Zohar and the writings of Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Gottleib Shlita, of Birkat Shalom

This podcast is dedicated in loving memory and for the ilui nishmat of Feigi Bat Rivka z”l and Aharon Kotler z”l and Sara Kotler z”l, May their memories be a blessing for us.