The Lights of Study are the Lights of Sinai
The purpose of meditation is to expand and strengthen consciousness. Its goal is often called “enlightenment.” The word is to be taken literally. As the mind stretches it is able to hold more “light”. In Jewish writings, “light” and “consciousness” are equivalent terms.
Textual study as meditation enables the mind to access the intense revelation of light and consciousness that happened at Sinai. The Cosmic Mind reveals its truths and secrets in many ways to many people, both individually and collectively. The circumstances and magnitude of the Torah’s transmission to the Jewish people are unique in history. This tremendous revelation was received through a group samadhi (a Sanskrit word which indicates the direct experience of God, also called “realization”, and, sometimes “prophesy”). Six hundred thousand family units (estimated at two million people) simultaneously experienced the revelation of the Torah. The entire nation of Israel “saw” the Presence of God, and perceived Divinity’s Truth at the same time:
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightening, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of a shofar exceedingly loud; so that all the people in the Camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai smoked in every part, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly And then the voice of the shofar sounded louder and louder; Moses spoke and God answered him by a voice…And God spoke these words saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods beside me…And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightening, And the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it they were shaken, and stood afar off. (Exodus 19: 6-20:15)
The light accessed through textual study is this pure light of Sinai, undiluted and unattenuated. It is a thick sweet, blissful light that rejoices the soul, awakens the heart and strengthens the bones. The text of the Torah itself as well as all of the writings that it has spawned have this power to link its readers back to the fire of Sinai
Textual study as meditation emphasizes the following effects:
• It is extremely potent in developing and rectifying intuition.
• One attains a deep and internalized understanding of the nature and structure of reality for “the Torah is the mind of God.”
• One achieves deep and passionate cleaving to God that Kabbalah calls the union of “kisses” that unites “breath to Breath.”
• It is not only a meditation but also a mitzvah and so enjoys the benefits of both; each rectifying a different level of soul. (The term mitzvah refers to the 613 actions specified by the Torah as obligatory or forbidden. With six notable exceptions, a mitzvah always requires some physical activity for its fulfillment.)
