This week’s offering comes to us from a relatively new, strong voice in our community. Aaron’s level of learning about Judaism is mind-bending. And his enthusiasm and capacity to share what he knows with others is truly a gift from the heart. That spirit flows through the writing below, carrying us seamlessly from Chesed, which Joanie wrote about last week, into Gevurah. Arron shares clear examples of how Gevurah shows up in our lives and might serve us, especially in these days of seemingly endless bad news.
I’m a people pleaser. I have trouble saying “no.” And I’m a 21st century American. I have trouble saying “less.” And yet, Gevurah asks us to say both of these things.
The study of the sefirot takes a lifetime. They each have many things to teach us; perhaps most of all, those sefirot which seem more foreign or alien to our day-to-day selves. For me, Gevurah is at the top of that particular list.
I have sometimes seen Gevurah translated with the uncomfortable word “Severity,” but I think a more accurate translation would be “Power” or “Might.” Gibor, which derives from the same Hebrew root, means “hero.” The second prayer of the Amidah is “Gevurot,” something like “mighty deeds.” In Kabbalastic thought, it is often connected to the concept of “Din,” or Divine Judgment. This lens of Gevurah emphasizes notions of restriction and boundaries, even up to and including ideas of justice or punishment.
I think this is largely due to Gevurah being the counterpoint to Chesed, “Loving-kindess” or “Mercy,” on the Tree of Life. If Chesed is the endless outpouring of love and mercy, it is, well, endless. A metaphor that helps me remember the need for balance between Gevurah and Chesed comes from the natural world. Plants are wondrous and lifegiving things, but without any boundaries or restriction, you get overgrowth. Overgrowth is not only aesthetically unappealing, but it threatens to suffocate. I can think of many times I let my well-intentioned Chesed turn to overgrowth that ultimately choked out the goodness in myself and situations around me. Perhaps you can relate.
My favorite Jewish concept related to Gevurah in regards to its connotation of restriction is the idea of “tzimtzum.” In this theory, G-d is Existence Itself, in such a way that if left unchecked, there could be nothing but G-d at all. So, in order for things to be, G-d engaged in tzimtum, “contracting” or “retracting” G-d’s self to make room for the Universe. It’s an absolutely wild thought, and that’s why I love it. G-d got out of the way.
Of course, Shabbat is the greatest gift of Gevurah, our sacrament of “no.” Sabbath is our time to tzimtzum. What if we could let ourselves, our most egoic selves, driven by wants and comparisons and the drive to succeed and exceed, just get out of the way? Let the ego retract to make room for the sacredness of the Present Moment, the Holy Now that we spend most of the time crowding out with the overgrowth of our thoughts and worries and good intentions.
Now, I’m no shomer shabbos: in fact, I’m typing this out on my laptop on Shabbat. While I do not currently imagine a lifestyle where I do not use electronics for 24 hours, I think I can say with a fair degree of certainty that I would benefit from being a little less connected and on-line at all times. With Seder reminders of coming out of bondage still fresh on our minds, I can’t help but think of this uniquely modern, self-imposed, bondage of being incessantly “plugged in.” So for me, I think part of reflecting on Gevurah this season is going to be leaning into what I perceive as its scariness, of claiming my power to say “no” to things I am letting bind me. My phone died hours ago, and I have not yet plugged it in. Maybe I won’t plug it in until tomorrow night. Unlikely, but even if I gave myself 12 hours, six hours, even two hours without the phone I’m so automatically attached to, it’d be a start.
And isn’t that Power? Isn’t it a small Mighty Deed? Isn’t there something powerful and mighty about saying “no,” or “less,” or even just “not now” in a society and culture that does not want to hear those words?
What are various ways you can recover the power of Gevurah in your life?
B’shalom, b’gevurah,
Aaron (Aharon) DeBroeck