This week’s portion starts with the word Re’eh – meaning “See.” The first verse continues, “I set before you a blessing and a curse.”
Do we really know what blessings are in our lives and what curses? What are we doing right and what are we doing wrong? Who have we hurt in the past and who do we hurt as we speak ? When was the last time we asked someone (friend or family), “Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong in my life?”
We all know that we are not perfect and we feel fine admitting it, but when someone tries to tell us what we’ve done wrong, we get defensive. A wise teacher once said that only someone who loves you will tell you what is wrong with you. It is a great blessing to be open to hearing that feedback and to recognize how it affects our lives.
Rav Ashlag writes in his book, The Wisdom of Truth, that the difference between one spiritual person and another is the ability to see our negativity and see what is wrong with us. The more we see, the more we can change.
This Shabbat helps to start the main event of next week: the journey into the month of Virgo that takes us to Rosh Hashanah. The ability to see what is truly a blessing in our lives and what we need to change is the biggest gift we can ask for this Shabbat. Since the month of Virgo gives us a lot of opportunities to see what we need to change or improve. This Shabbat gives us the strength to see in our souls what is a blessing and what is curse.
Re’eh is also one of the 72 Names of God—number 69, “Lost and Found – when you want to find your way back home.” This is the only time in the Torah that the name of the portion connects us to one of the 72 names of God. On this meditation, Yehuda Berg writes, “With this name as your compass, the path toward your spiritual home is illuminated. You regain your bearing. With every step you take and with each moment that passes, you feel comfort, confidence and a stronger sense of direction.”
This Shabbat, as we listen to the reading and connect to the energy of the week, we should ask to be able to use our eyes in a spiritual way: not to judge, but to have mercy.
Open your eyes to the message the universe will send in the month of Virgo guiding you towards what you need to change so Rosh Hashanah will be the start of a great and amazing year in your life.
