12 Jul Chukat; Red Heifer to Ascend and Addiction Recovery r26
Inspired by the teachings of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth
Chukat; Red Heifer to Ascend…
and Addiction Recovery
Everything that exists in the physical world began first in the spiritual world.
To make effective change physically we ned to make effective change spiritually.
As a result of the Sin of the Spies, the entire generation of 40 years was to die in the desert never making into Eretz Yisroel (except for Joshua and Caleb). The ashes of the Red Heifer were to purify the impurity of any contact with death that the Israelites might have come in contact with on their journey. The contact with the impurity of a corpse is the highest level of impurity (tumah) and would impede their ability to ascend. The ashes of the Red Heifer (Para Adumah) were the remedy to enable them having descnded into impurity, to thenascend.
This is the statute of the Torah which the Lord commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid. And you shall give it to Eleazar the kohen, and he shall take it outside the camp and slaughter it in his presence. Eleazar the kohen shall take from its blood with his finger and sprinkle it toward the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times. The cow shall then be burned in his presence; its hide, its flesh, its blood, with its dung he shall burn it. The kohen shall take a piece of cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson wool, and cast them into the burning of the cow. (Numbers 19:2-6)
These verses describe part of the purification process for an individual or object which became impure through contact with a dead person. A red heifer was sacrificed and burned together with cedar wood, hyssop and crimson wool. Its ashes, mixed with water from a spring, were sprinkled upon those who had become defiled. The paradox is that although this purified them, it made impure all those who were involved in its preparation. This is one of the reasons this ritual is called a chukah (ordinance)–a law which we are not able to understand. (Chabad.org)
The color Red is significant as it is associated with the emotive characteristic of the sefirah of Gevurah; might-strength, and is cognate to Gayvah; arrogance and pride. Although these traits can lead a person to transgress, ‘a drop’ of gevurah (might-strength) is what is needed to uplift to be able to ascend. The Talmud describes this as an 1/8th of an 1/8th gevurah or 1/64th. The ashes of the Red Heifer are used to help uplift the ‘good’ aspects of pride of a person to help them overcome the impurity of the darkness of death;the tumah (impurity) of a corpse. Any amount of impurity can detract from our physical and spiritual ascent.
The Paradox
This process of purification of the Red Heiffer of ‘what makes one pure also makes one impure’ is the one performing the purification ceremony requires gevurah to perfrom the ceremony for others, while he himself paradoxically becomes impure. This proceess is a demonstration of the perpetual power of opposites (ie opposing forces) in this world. The pure becomes impure, and the paradoxical cycle to achieve purity continues.
The necessary drop of gevurah (might) needed for ascent (healing), if too much, can cause damage. Thus the teachings of the Para Adumah ( The Red Heifer) illustrates the concept (again) that as we descend due to the sin of the egal (golden calf) and the impurity of corpses, we learn that ‘ the purpose of the descent was to ascend’. According to the principles of transgressions and tshuvah, we can return higher than before our transgression.
Addiction
As we learn about a corpse as it was in the desert is the highest level of impurity, we may also learn that there are other levels of impurity that we may affect us spiritually and physically and emotionally as a result of our sin; ie transgressions that go against the laws, ordinances and righteious was of G-d that may cause harm to ourselves making it difficult to ascend. Where we may become overwhelmed to ascend, we may need measures to help uplift ourselves in order that we are able to learn healthy coping skills to ascend. This may be done through the careful use of medication combined with therapy. It should be stressed that medication does not cure addiction but may make it possible to learn new ways to cope coupled with therapy.
Each of us will no doubt succumb to sin (transgression) in many different ways such as with substance and behaviour that removes us from a healthy connection with G-d. It may sound extreme, but any transgression causes us an amount of spiritual and or physical death.
The managing issues of Addiction and Behaviour concurrent disorders (on ‘the spectrum’ ) may be accompanied with disorders such as (not limited to) depression, bi polar disorder, anxiety disorder, OCD, ADD, etc.. Medication such as Serotonin may play an important role in recovery to help up-lift a person from an inability to ascend.
Addiction and Concurrent Disorders
The body’s chemical known a Serotonin is like a reusable match. Under healthy conditions once the match has been ‘spent’, it goes in to a receptacle or reservoir to be re used or reuptake for use again. Note, serotonin is only one medication amongst others.
Serotonin once spent is still useful, it can be ‘recycled’. But where there is a ‘leak or a hole’ in the ‘catch receptacle or reservoir’, the body is unable to maintain a healthy chemical level and the spent chemical (serotonin) becomes depleted and discarded rather than reused.
A general class of medication known as an SSRI; Serotonin Reuptake Inhibiter, ‘plugs the hole’ in the reservoir or catch receptacle, and allows the body to build up a healthy reserve of Serotonin. These medications don’t actually ‘add’ anything to brain chemistry, they only ‘plug the drain’ to acquire a healthy level. There is an advantage that half life of the medication is very short (12-24 hours) , so any excess medication there might be in the body may be eliminated (or dose adjusted by your Dr.). Once a person reaches a therapuetic level they may no longer require the medication.
This class of medication can be very useful in helping a person reach a more stable emotional foundation making it possible to be able to learn new and better coping skills. SSRI’s are meant to be taken in concert with therapy and not a cure-all on its own. They help reduce the emotional difficulties of the anxiety that can trigger addictions and umany other issues. This class of medicatioin can address depression, OCD, bipolar, and allow for a ‘most authentic’ healing experience to occur.
This class of medications are therapeutically very manageable, non addictive, and most people do not remain on these drugs for extended periods of time. They may be interimlly needed to overcome the obstacles of not being able to ascend. A person should be properly assessed and closely monitored by a psychiatrist for these medications. It bears repeating that these medications do not ‘fix’ a problem, only that the threshold of the problem becomes more mangeable and the work towards wellness can take place in conjunction with continued therapy.
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Counseling and Addictions
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com