The-Way

If I had to start a new wave I would call it The-Way!

 

I have heard from a Buddhist that her life journey referred to as a path.

 

A path is pretty good, but it has a meandering kind of sound, feel, destination.

 

But The-Way; well, let me just be clear and you decide!

 

Judaism is about The-Way, Jewish mysticism clearly is obviously to teach us The-Way.

 

What is The-Way?

 

The-Way is the way of life.

 

Of course we are driven primarily by three operating systems (souls) the Divine/moral/mind/objective search for truth, the animal (instincts: pleasure vs. pain) and the ego: recognition versus shame; as such we are a bizarre mix of all three, which is why people growing up in societies are both unique but will most likely be similar to others with the same worldview, cultural norms etc.

 

The-Way seeks to go beyond who we were born into, as the first spiritual calling to a spiritual seeker, namely Abraham by God “Remove yourself from your culture, your family, you own instincts and go to the land I will show you.”

 

Now if I were God talking to Abraham wouldn’t I tell him the Ten Commandments?

 

What kind of a message is it, “stop being who I made you, and go into an unknown Way?”

 

In fact, before the Jews accepted Judaism, hence before they got the Ten Commandments, God ensured they were on The-Way – for as famously stated in the Torah (Bible) when Mosses asked them at God’s behest if they would accept the Torah (a pivotal moment in human destiny, as our sages report, that a precondition to the continued existence of humanity was this moment) the Jews said The-Way – “Yes we shall adhere and then attempt to understand whatever you advise us.”

 

And of course the path of all our prophets is based on The-Way – quite simply, as the sages of the Talmud state, many prophetic summaries of Judaism (that is summaries by prophets were made, but they are all summarized by the statement) “A man of faith, lives by his faith.”

 

In other words, there seems to be something almost vital to live in faith.

 

God could just have easily said to Abraham “go to Israel,” but he said leave who you are for, who I will tell you to be!

 

He could have just as easily told the Jews “here are the Ten Commandments, would you like them?”

 

What’s all this secrecy, particularly if you plan on telling someone?!

 

It’s like you are meant to get into your car and the gps tells you “are you ready to go where I shall take you?!”

 

And that’s exactly the point!

 

For all human tragedy comes from our ego- if humans had no ego, they would have no anger, they would have no war, they would have no demeaning, bullying, antisemitism.

 

In fact, though the Jews are not perfect, historically the nation that has had the least strife and the most unity (particularly considering a four thousand year history) are the Jewish people.

 

And it’s all because of The-Way.

 

If you wish to live in harmony with your loved ones, with the world, you must buy into The-Way.

 

For using The-Way, you suddenly abandon the notion that you are captain of the ship, master of your destiny and you, as the drug addicts who so clearly saw their own shipwreck learn in AA “Let go and let God.”

 

But practically, how does one embrace, The-Way?

 

And the answer is simple:

 

There are three mechanisms with which one places God as the Captain of their destiny, as the driver, pilot, steering their soul and body toward his dreams for you!

 

The hardest and most traditional (but almost impossible to achieve for the ego has a way of creeping in) is to simply study all of Judaism and to always apply.

 

The second and more accessible – suggested by the Rebbe – the last great Way-Master is to appoint a Chassidic spiritual mentor, hence a rabbi or rebbbetzin for men and women respectively, and accept their advice (this has the effect of not allowing your ego to be your captain, and as they are schooled in both Judaism and Jewish mysticism their advice – primarily as this is part of The-Way’s mechanism – will be The-Way for you!)

 

And eventually, but to begin with, we can use the mechanism known to the Jewish mystics, that when you would like to ask God what to do – ask him; and the first thought which comes to your mind following your question, is God’s reply!

 

Yes, God is only too happy, and is, and will, lead you, along The-Way!