Gevurah: Channeling the Ever-Flow of Love [Kabbalah Root Medicine Series]

During the week of Passover, we felt and prayed for an increased flow of dew and richness, faith and love, to come down to us like a waterfall, or invisibly as dew in the night. Now, during this week of Gevurah, we work to establish the structures, grounding, and discipline to carry and deliver Chesed energy into our lives in useful ways. 

For the world to exist, there must be limits and boundaries. The Sephirah of Gevurah can be translated as: Might, Restraint, Boundaries, Form, or Judgment. But don’t let all these words confuse you! They are simply ways to connote an essential firmness we need in our lives to put the love of Chesed into action. When we ground ourselves and create the necessary structures and disciplines that Gevurah requires, we are allowing the  flow of Chesed to be channeled usefully, to nourish us well.

Imagine an abundance of flowing water with nowhere to go, so no benefit can be derived from it. Establishing Gevurah in your life is like putting in gutters, culverts, or canals; like channeling the downpour into a river bed to contain and carry the flow. 

Or think of parenting a child with only the overflowing kindness of Chesed. The child will soon become spoiled, entitled, and demanding. The right quotient of boundaries cultivates a loving yet disciplined environment. 

Rabbi Shamai said: "Make your Torah fixed, keva. Say little but do a lot. And meet all people with a friendly countenance." (Talmud Avot:1:15)

Keva means a set, habitual time for Torah study, reading, meditation, exercise, your spiritual practices. This week of Gevurah is the time to look at how you are managing your time, your mind, your emotions. How are you giving form to that which you hold most dear?

An excerpt from the Tao Te Ching:

Can you coax your mind
from its wandering
and keep to the 
original oneness? (tao)

…Can you cleanse
your inner vision
until you see nothing
but the light?

…Can you step back 
from your own mind 
and thus understand 
all things?

—Lao Tzu