The Spiritual Meaning of Concubines: Part 1
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Question: What do the Biblical stories of concubines have to teach us? I need clarification on this subject because it doesn’t make sense to me nor does it seem to have an obvious spiritual conntation.
On one hand, this may speak to the actual conception of a human child and the environment of the upbringing, or to the incarnations of souls and the karmic matrix into which they are born, whether auspicious or inauspicious, and there is much to be said regarding this. On the other hand, however, we may speak to the conception, beginning, of any endeavor or movement in life, as for example, how and why our spiritual life and practices is conceived, the various intentions or motivations behind it, or how a relationship, business, or anything else is conceived, and the intentions and energy behind it.
Here we can speak an obvious truth: “Good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end,” which is a common instruction concerning prayer, meditation and ceremony, but really is true of any activity in life.
As we know, there are many teachings in the Kabbalah on lishma, something done for its own sake and with right intention, and shelo lishma, something not done for its own sake and not with the right intention; the “child of a wife” corresponds with lishma, and the “child of a concubine” corresponds with shelo lishma. In general, everything conceived shelo lishma is conceived in karmic vision, and is the expression of the karmic continuum of the soul, a distortion of the desire of the heavenly soul and will of God at best.
Here is the problem. When something is ill conceived, or is premature, and sorely encumbered by klippot, distortions and obstructions, very often is it extremely difficult to purify the klippot, draw out the sparks of holiness, and establish the movement in holiness. Indeed, for it will require radical change in oneself and one’s life, and here in this world, in this ignorance, what are the odds a person will be willing to such radical change or transformation? Consider our spiritual life and practice, which for many of us was inadvertently ill conceived; in order to purify the klippot and have a right conception, we will need to undergo a death and rebirth, and this may need to occur a number of times in our journey. In the midst of this process, naturally, there will be radical shifts in our consciousness, and with these, to actualize and realize the truth and light revealed, there may need to be radical changes in our person and life. Many sojourn the path, but few bring their path to fruition in full self-realization or enlightenment in any given generation.
Consider Abram, Sarai and Hagar. Sarai and Abram were not able to conceive a child together, but there was a need for a successor in the lineage, and therefore Sarai offered Hagar, her handmaid, to Abram. Through the union of Abram and Hagar, Ishmael is conceived, but at that time Abram was uncircumcised, in partial covenant with HaShem, and naturally there was self-negativity, envy and jealousy, and deep resentment with Sarai, even though this was set into motion by her. In other words, this was ill conceived, and in fact was an action in a lack of faith, not waiting upon the promise of the Creator; this happened in a great delusion of lack, which is true of all things in our lives that are ill conceived, or that are shelo lishma, not for their own sake.
After the birth of Ishmael, of course, the Divine came to Abram and Sarai, and Abram became circumcised, and they entered fully into covenant with HaShem, receiving new names, representing a spiritual death and rebirth; so they are called Abraham, “Great Father,” and Sarah, the “Princess,” or “Ruler,” and swiftly a child was promised to them, and they conceived Isaac (“Laughter”).
There is something to be said in this change of name that is very interesting. The Yod in the name of Sarai equals two Hey’s; as such, the Yod in Sarai’s name was divided, and she receives one Hey and Abram the other, forming the names Abraham and Sarah. Sarai means “my princess,” but Sarah means “princess,” hence the name change indicates a coming into one’s own power. Yod is a masculine letter, while Hey is feminine, and so in this there is something of Sarah accepting and embracing her womanhood, and coming into maturation and power as a woman, as though before, on some level, she sought to do so in the way of a man, or through a man, or in a way not accepting herself and the power that was in her.
At the outset the union of Abram and Sarai was impaired, both were encumbered by klippot, but then, they became purified of the klippot, so they entered into a true and full union in covenant with HaShem – when this transpired they received their holy neshamah, their heavenly or supernal soul. As such it is said that they “transcended the stars of their birth,” or the karmic continuum of their soul, and received a new “birth chart,” hence their sudden ability to conceive a child together.
Here we may point out that the conception of Ishmael with Hagar is a great karmic continuum that was set in motion, one that as we know continues to generate great strife, and great sorrow and suffering in the world to this very day. In this there is a lesson, a warning, regarding what we set into motion in our lives and in this world, for there are some things that once set into motion will not be stopped until the end-of-days, and can affect countless spirits and souls for many, many generations. This, of course, is not only true of things ill conceived, but also those things that are good and true, and well conceived; so along with a warning there is also the encouragement to conceive and set into motion positive influences, things conceived according to the truth and light of God.
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