5.9.26 – Bonding with Dad

Shabbat Shalom and happy 35th day of counting the Omer! Time is moving forward quickly, and Shavuot will be here before you know it.

There is a strange omission in this week's Torah portion, Behar and Bechukotai, when an individual sells himself because he has hit hard times financially. The text identifies many individuals who are able to bail him out of his challenging situation. Ironically, the "father" of the individual is left out of the mentioned "redeemers" (Lev. 25:47–49). How strange is that? To me, that is where I would go first :-)

At first blush, that omission may not make a whole lot of difference to our "hooked on phonics" abilities, but for the Sherlock Holmes investigative reader, that omission will jump off the page. Why? Bottom line: this person would never be in this position if his father had had a good bonding (yesod) relationship with his son through the formative years. Yeppers. I know that sounds strange, but the foundational (yesod) truth is the truth. Not only is this the case with this young man who sells himself to a stranger, but it is the essential and foundational truth behind every addiction. Often, when a father is missing, addiction is not far away.

Endurance is one key to victory. And an essential key to endurance is understanding the value of bonding (yesod). When you have an unwavering commitment to the person or experience you are bonding with, you will always persevere to the end. You will do anything to finish what you started (Phil. 1:6). On the flip side, if one tries to endure without bonding, it is doomed to fail. Motivation will wane. Action will decrease, and results will vanish away into thin air, leaving behind another disappointment in life. Hence, bonding is the key to all relationships and daily activities that move us toward the finish line of every endeavor.

Spiritually speaking, within counting the Omer, this is a week of victory (netzach). Victory does not come just because I name it and claim it. It comes through actualizing your resolution in some constructive way—creating that special bond that moves you toward victory. As we realized early this week, it is all about action. Action produces results. Results motivate us to greater action. Maybe that is why James 1:22–25 tells us to be doers of the word and not just hearers, deceiving ourselves (Matt. 7:21–25; 12:50; Rom. 2:13; Col. 3:17; 1 John 2:3–5).

This morning we conclude the book of Leviticus (Vayikra). What a journey we have had this year! I cannot wait to see how our Sabbath discussions propel us to new heights and clarity regarding the book of Numbers (Bamidbar).

Shalom,
Alan

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