The Letter Bet and Nervous System Regulation

Three Pillars and The Soul of Humanity

There is no pill or injection to help us learn how to reframe the thoughts that separate us. It takes tremendous effort, determination, and willpower to choose the path of brotherhood and sisterhood. There is a fabulous lesson that we learn from the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the Bet. The Torah begins with the Bet, which is made up of three lines two horizontal and one vertical.

These three lines are thought of as a key for humankind to use to make this world a better place. The three lines correspond to the three pillars of Torah, Charity and Prayer. Healing this world is powered by sweet and authentic human love (ahavat chinam). Kabbalistic teachings emphasize the importance of of aligning one’s thoughts and emotions with the divine will and cultivating a deep sense of awe and respect (kavod) for the sacred. This really begins by developing an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things and recognizing the divine spark within oneself and others.  

Nervous System Regulation and Torah

The Torah is alive.The Torah is essentially a book about human responses to the miracles, mysteries, and tragedies of life.The Hebrew word Torah literally means direction or instruction. The Torah uses holy language to instruct and direct us with words. “The power of words is not a metaphor; it’s in our brain wiring.” - Lisa Feldman Barett, psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist. The parts of the brain that process language include Broca’s area, and Werinicke’s area, as well as parts of the middle temporal gyrus and the inferior parietal and angular gyrus in the parietal lobe. Part of the Broca’s region can be subdivided into a dorsal and ventral area.I am boiling down a very complex system to highlight the functions of the Ventral and Dorsal areas in the Broca region.  https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00006.2011]

The Ventral pathway supports the sound to meaning mapping whereas the Dorsal pathway supports the sensory-motor mapping of sound-to-articulation. The Ventral pathway activates the sense of connection to the world while the Dorsal pathway brings an immobilization for safety. That combination is a hybrid state of Dorsal & Vagal or otherwise known as a state of intimacy.

It is important to note that HaShem used words to create the universe, and we continue to keep the world spinning by using Lashon Ha’Kodesh (the holy language) by learning Torah. That is a very intimate arrangement in my opinion. Intimate relationships can also be found in one of the most sacred and healing practices of Torah, the “Chevruta” (two people or a small group learning together). The goal of a powerful chevruta is to find someone who challenges us in hopes of expanding our understanding of the infinite one’s wisdom. It is clear that words can be used as tools for regulating human bodies. The science is clear and simple. Speaking and hearing nice and kind words is good for your nervous system while speaking and hearing mean and negative words is bad for your nervous system. Thus, hearing holy words is medicine for the body!

Nervous System Regulation and Charity

New research monitored emotional regulation social engagement (ventral vagal) and generosity in children who gave tokens to others. This act was measured by Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) which is the way the heart rate changes when we breathe in and out. [ remember Neshima=Breath / Neshimah = soul]. The results indicate that the more generous the kid the greater increase in Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and a return to baselines. This further indicates that a generous child experiences a physical sense of soothing. In turn, this would encourage the maintenance of generosity. Children learn generosity and the mitzvah of charity from their parents. This system is in place for moral reasons but also as a chance to live more often in a ventral vagal state. 

Miller. G., Kahler. S., Troxel. N., Hastings P., The Development of Generosity From 4 to 6 Years: Examining Stability and the Biopsychosocial Contributions of Children's Vagal Flexibility and Mothers' Compassion., 2020

Nervous System Regulation and Prayer

The first biblical figure to pray with their lips moving was Chana, the mother of Samuel the Prophet. Chana was a prophetess herself and is the mother and pioneer of silent personal prayer. When her husband first saw her moving her lips and swaying, he thought she was drunk, However, that is a story for another time. The Social Engagement system has a face- heart connection. The Vagus (heart) and nerves in the face and head connect to control facial expression (emotional expression), eyelids (social gaze), the middle ear(hearing the human voice), mastication (ingestion, sucking), Larynx & Pharynx (vocalizing, swallowing, breathing) and the Head turn and tilt (social gesture, orienting.)

Prayer involves basically all of the face-heart connections. Prayer is a sign of comfort, safety and engagement for the ventral vagal pathway. We also know that the Vagus nerve travels through the Larynx and Pharynx and thus singing, chanting and humming are all incredibly important in building vagal tone. 

My favorite lesson of all time surrounding prayer is inspired by Rav Kook on the Parsha (weekly portion) Chayei Sarah. It says, “Isaac went out to Lasu’ach in the field toward evening.” The word Lasu’ach sheds a unique light on the concept of prayer. Rashi tells us that Lasu’ach comes from the root Si’cha meaning speech. Rashbam tells us that Lasu’ach comes from the root Si’ach meaning to plant. I particular love the concept of being planted. By referring to prayer as being planted it also opens the world of personal prayer and meditative prayer as a way to bloom. Through prayer and meditation the soul flowers with inner peace and then branches out sending forth peace. 

 I have found that combining nervous system regulation with the awareness of the soul, is a recipe for healing, resilience and return (teshuvah). I have not seen many people discussing this particular combination and I believe it’s time to share this wisdom! for more on this topic you can join my Patreon! patreon.com/ShelyRachel

Shely Esses, RMFT, LMFT,RP(Q),AST & Spiritual Healer.