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Shely Esses, LMFT, RMFT, RP (Qualifying), AST & Spiritual Healer.
“Everything teems with richness. everything aspired to ascend and be purified. Everything sings, celebrates, serves develops, evolves, uplifts, aspires to be arranged in oneness.” - Rav Avraham Kook (1865-1935).
The difference between Galut גלות (exile) and Geulah גאולה (redemption) is in the Alef. Alef, is one; the oneness of the creator and the universe. The Lubavitcher Rebbe (1902-1994), said if one inserts an Alef into the word Galut גלות , it is empowered and transformed into Geulah גאולה. Thus, we are empowered by the Alef to move from exile to redemption. The stages of Hashem (the creator) as the undisputed Master of the universe blossom into the days of Mashiach, when G-d will be revealed on a wonderous level. All of this is contained in the letter Alef. Alef spelled backwards is פלא pronounced pela, meaning “wonderous”.
In the Tikunei HaZohar (rectifications of the Zohar) it discusses 70 permutations of the first word of the Torah, Bereshit בראשית. One of those Permutations is Shevirat Aleph שבירת א which means the shattering of the Alef. This is alluding to the original galut (exile) from Gan Eden. The final tikkun (repair) of the Alef is part of the process towards the wondrous level that begins in the messianic era which is the transitionary period into Olam Habah (the world to come).
For those of you who are not familiar with the Hebrew language, the Alef (א) has three lines the sideways middle line and the upper little line and the lower little line. For those who are familiar, Alef (א) is made up of a Vav and two Yuds's. The upper yud (line) represents the soul and the lower yud (line) represents the body and the vav (sideays middle line) represents unification. Healing can be boiled down to this one phenomenon the unification of the soul and body.
This wonderous level of consciousness is understood across the board as the precondition to the wondrous era that will usher in peace and tranquility throughout the entire world. In Tehillim 144:8 it says, O G-d, I shall sing a new song for you; with a psaltery and a ten stringed harp, I shall play music for you. To my understanding, this verse is alluding to music which can help a person achieve a regulate nervous system that can evoke a conscious state of deep peace.
Rav Yaakov Skili, a student of the Rashba (1235 – 1310), writes “When the soul hears the sounds of music it remembers its first dwelling place and how it was before its creator, it heard these sounds. It becomes aroused with joy and rejoicing. This is why musical instruments arouse people to a state of prophesy.” -Toras Haminchah, Parsha Behaalsocha, drasha 56 et al Nitzonos Parshas Haazinu - Moshe's Last Song .
Rebbe Nachman (1772-1810), writes that music has the capacity to to allow us to hold on to our humanity.
The Rambam (1135-1204), in Shemoneh Perakim (5) says, “Also one who is overtaken by depression can remove it by listening to the songs from various types of music.” This idea is actually supported by the latest research on the vagus nerve including how stimulation can change regions of the brain especially following trauma, brain injury or stroke.
Scientific Evidence Supporting Music’s Role
A 2017 study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience showed that listening to calming music increased vagal tone and reduced stress markers.
A 2021 clinical trial found that combining VNS with rehabilitative training improved upper-limb function in stroke patients more effectively than training alone.
Studies on PTSD and trauma have shown that music therapy can reduce hyperarousal symptoms by stimulating the vagus nerve and promoting parasympathetic activity.
“Eventually, we will reach the level where we will sing in unison - where all of us, even nursing infants, will be inspired and infused with joy. And then the highest level of all, where the song sings us, as intrinsically one with us as the fetus is one with the womb that carries it.” - Rabbi Sholom Brodt (TZ"L 2017), Exodus: The Model of Personal Liberation
Music is the door to cosmic consciousness, we can see this truth in the opening line of the first book in the Torah, Beresheit, "In the beginning of G-d's creation of the heavens and the earth."
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ
In the second perek, (chapter) pasuk (line) four of the first Parsha (torah portion) says: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, on the day that the Lord, creator of the world made earth and heaven.
אֵ֣לֶּה תֽוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִ֣בָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם:
It is widely believed that the earth represents the body, and the heavens represent the soul. Which brings up back to the rectification of the Alef.
Alef Excersize :Connecting Earth and Heaven Exercise
Stand tall and take a few deep breaths
Put your right hand up palm facing up
Put your left hand down palm facing down
Stretch!
With a micro bend in your knees bring your hands to your center palms facing each other but not touching
Switch hands! Put Your left hand up palm facing and right hand down plam facing down
Switch hand positions 3-8 times.
The rectification of the Alef on the ground in reality is actually very difficult. The world we currently live in is rife with tremendous hardship, tests, suffering and more. These are all things that would absolutely disrupt a persons steady flow of operating in higher consciousness. Many people live most of their life detached from their soul's wisdom. This is percisely why music (niggunim and holy music) is so powerful! Music is an easy earthly tool that one can use to instantly connect one's body and soul.
The power of music corresponds to the seven letters of the musical alphabet (A,B,C,D,E,F and G) and the seven lower sefirot that brought creation into being (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Hod, Netzach, Yesod & Malchut). Each note is connected to one of the sefirot. We understand that music is the language of the soul. The Sefirot are the spiritual makeup of the soul. The collective soul is waiting to sing the song of shabbat! We can also understand this concept of seven and music play out in the days of the week. In the Jewish prayer book, we have a song of the day “shir shel yom” The "song of the day". On the first day we only have one note, on the second day we add a second note and so forth. Only on shabbat do we include all seven notes and thus open the seventh portal, singing all seven notes in our praise to the creator. It is well understood that the whole world is waiting to sing the song of Shabbat! Shabbat is the ultimate anecdote to burnout. The Cosmic Shabbat is the ultimate anecdote to Galut (Exile).
“one who sings songs in this world, will merit to sing songs in the world to come"
-Sanhedrin 91b.
Practical daily Prep:
Singing and humming activates the vocal cords and muscles at the back of your throat which stimulates your vagus nerve. Singing and humming increases heart rate variability and vagal tone. By activating the vagus nerve in this way, we stimulate the “Social Engagement System” which is our “face-heart” system that links the ventral vagus (heart), the face and head (facial expressions), how we listen (auditory), and how we speak (vocalization).
In Sefer Yetzirah we learn about three mother letters of the Hebrew aleph bet: Aleph, Mem and Shin. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan introduces a sound meditation technique that utilizes the Mem and Shin.
Shin “shhhhhhh” is the sound closest to white noise. White noise is a sound that contains every possible wavelength (chaos). Which is represented by the fire element.
Mem “mmmmm” is close to the sound of a tuning fork. It is a pure harmonic sound. Which is represented by the water element.
In many meditative traditions the “mmmmm” sound is considered tranquil. This sound signals the harmony that one hopes for to get to a calm place in the mind. While the “shhhhh” sound is more associated with calming the mundane everyday level of consciousness. In the Torah world, the sefirot of Chesed (Loving Kindness) holds the water element: Mem & Gevurah(Discernment/Judgment) holds the fire element (Shin). The Alef helps to balance the water and fire element.
Vocal Mindfulness exercise
Get into a comfortable position, feet should be lightly touching the ground as your contact points and your back should be straight.
Take a breath in and on the exhale make the “shhhhh” Sound
Take a deep breath in and on the exhale make the “mmmmm” sound.
After a few cycles the “mmmmm” should be double the amount of time as the “shhhhh”
Do this for about 8 cycles.
May your goal for more conscious access to Alef consciousness be manifested and may that be your training ground for the redemption. May this training help you wrap your mind around the wonderous world of Geulah.
For a deep dive on Music and Kabbalah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCL6HvlHpys
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