The greatest souls who walked this world were those who were able to release the potential of their hearts. They were not great because of how much power they possessed, or what they had conquered, or even what they had achieved. They were great because they had allowed the divinity that was inside to shine and be ignited. Each one of us has this potential for greatness. We are little rocks from a large mountain, and at any given moment we can unite again with this mountain, reclaiming our glory. Is it not exciting to know that holiness is within your reach? Is it not wonderful to understand you derive from love and divinity? I think most of the world’s problems come from the fact we have forgotten this truth. We are children of the Creator and we are holy. So often, though, we believe something else. We make the mistake of feeling shame, embarrassment, or guilt. We too often apologize for being ourselves. We forget our divine essence and how much the Creator loves us. But, if we can re-learn the truth about who we really are, we can reestablish the course of our lives and embark on a spiritual journey of enlightenment and true fulfillment. This week, our greatness, our holiness, and our true essence is awakened. We remember the glory of who we are and elevate into a state of holy love.
"Elevate into a state of holy love."
Our spiritual guide and compass for the week is portion Kedoshim. Kedoshim means “holy ones.” The spiritual elevation process continues for the Israelites, as for you and me this week. After the Tabernacle had been established and the energy of the Creator physically manifested, the Israelites continued on their spiritual evolution towards the Creator through the help of their leader, Moses. The Creator instructed Moses to teach the Israelites the path towards creating blessings and uniting with the Light. The portion of Kedoshim is a spiritual guidebook to life and we are taught the importance of “loving your neighbor as yourself.” Kedoshim expresses that in order for us to connect with the Light and elevate, we need to understand the path of love. It is through our choice to begin to love one another that we become like the Creator who made us. It is in this way, we are awakened to our potential and essence, and become holy. The Torah is a document that transcends time. Kedoshim describes beautiful lessons that apply to you and me, today. The Creator beseeches us, “Be holy because I, the Lord, your God, am Holy.” “And do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the fruit of your vineyard that have fallen, you shall leave them for the poor…” “You shall not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Perhaps one of the simplest and most beautiful portions of the year, Kedoshim awakens us to our inner power, potential, and divinity. The Creator implores us to become who we were meant to become. The Creator is asking us to open our hearts to a holy love, because love is our essence and love is our source. It is in this way, we are able to do the greatest act of self-love: loving our fellow humankind. It is this open and loving heart that makes us holy, makes us great, and creates a life connected to the Light and all of Its blessings.
"Love is our essence and love is our source."
So often in life, we live unaware of who we truly are. We can believe falsely that we are of little importance and just a mere speck in this giant world. But nothing can be further from the truth. Do you know you are Divine? Do you know that you are holy? The Creator wants us to know this. The universe is asking us to understand our power and ability to achieve greatness in this lifetime. The Creator is showing us that the path to holiness is the path of love, they are one and the same. It is in the opening of our hearts and hands to those in need do we actually give to ourselves. It is in forgetting ourselves, just for a moment to think of another, do we find ourselves. It is in the letting go of our needs, just for a second, do we receive everything. The path to holiness is the path of living our authenticity. This week, we are like newborns, having just left the holiday of Pesach. We were released from negative energy and now we move towards positive energy and our truest capabilities. Passover freed us from ourselves so we may learn to love others and develop the holiness we have inside. The period of time after Pesach is known as the Omer. The Omer is a 49-day elevation process in which we, day by day, reveal our Light and potential of our souls. We now stand at a period of time when the universe is guiding us to our greatness. Join me and all of our friends around the world as we open our hearts to becoming the channel for love we were born to become. The world needs our love. The world needs our holiness to shine forth. Now is the time.
This week in your meditations, I ask you to forget the past. The old you is no longer here. After Pesach, we have been given the great gift of being released from old patterns and behaviors that did not serve us. Let your old self go. Release the old skin and step into your new self. Take a few deep breaths and allow the spirit of the Creator to enter your being. You have a gift inside. It is the gift of love. You are the Creator. You are the rock that is allowed to unite with the mountain once again. There is no limit to the love you can give and no limit to your potential. Remember, you are holy, because the Creator is holy. Reclaim who you are. Open your heart and be a channel of positivity to everyone you meet, knowing that it is you who benefits the most from this love. Love is what will bring you joy, peace, and the blessings you seek. Love is your path to greatness, righteousness, and holiness. Our choice to be a channel of love or not is what determines whether we allow the holiness within to finally shine.
