Hurricanes aren’t good things, as they can cause tremendous damage to life and property. As Houston still reels from the effects of Hurricane Harvery, and Hurricane Irma continues its path of destruction in the Carribean towards Florida, we hope and pray for everyone’s safety and for the least destruction of property possible…
Here’s a spiritual twist, positive messages we can learn about personal non-literal hurricanes with good effects we can create in our own lives.
This is especially appropriate tonight, as it is Chai-Elul, the 18th of Elul, which is the birthday of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chassidism (and also the birthday of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad and author of the Tanya). Two of the most famous teachings of the Baal Shem Tov (see this link for “20 Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov” shared at a Torah-Tues) are:
1) Everything we see or hear in life can and should be a life-lesson in our service of G-d.
2) Always seek to find the positive in everything!
So in this Baal Shem Tov spirit, here are several Spiritual Twists on hurricanes, for every negative has a positive counterpart—positive life-messages for us in our own lives:
1) Rebbe’s “Trask un a Shturem”
Some things are best done quietly, but some things in life are best done with much lively fanfare and festivity, especially so that it can have the maximum effect and that others learn from it as well. The Rebbe would sometimes refer to this (in Yiddish) as a “trask un a shturem” which translates roughly to: a big bang and a storm! Don’t just go in and out like a gentle breeze, instead stir things up like a great storm!
2) One Turn, Everything Changes
The big talk now, this Friday night, is how much and when will Irma begin to turn northward. That turn, its timing and degree, will determine everything. This monster storm can go out to sea, or it can roar up one or both of the coasts or even right down the middle of the Florida peninsula. The track all depends on the turn. This is a great Jewish message, where turning (around our lives, or turning the corner from one type of behavior to another) is a key component of the Teshuvah (return or repentance process, especially relevant these days with the High Holidays approaching). That turn, and its degree and timing determines a great deal about our life ahead.
3) Warmer Waters + Low Wind Shear
A lot of factors have to be in place for a hurricane to form, and the more these factors are aligned – the stronger and more massive of a hurricane will form. Two of these factors are warmer water and low wind shear. Spiritually this can symbolize that in order to generate this positive “perfect storm” in our lives, we need more warmth! But warmth isn’t enough. We also need low wind shear, which means that there’s little wind activity at the point where the storm begins to coalesce, because wind blowing would diffuse the energy of the rising warm vapor. In life, low wind shear can be considered focus and concentration, being organized and present, not diffusing our energies and allowing them to go all over the place.
4) Swirling Within, Moving Forward
Usually something that keeps swirling in the same place doesn’t go anywhere, like the expression “keep spinning your wheels” without traction and forward motion. But while hurricanes do a lot of swirling and spinning, they do keep moving at the same time. This is an important message that increased momentum and spiritual energy invested within ourseleves in not a contradiction to that same energy moving forward and affecting others.
5) Wind Brings Wind & Draws in the Wind
This header #5 is a famous Kabbalistical expression quoted often in Chabad Chassidic teachings. The winds here refer to our soul’s spirit and the spirit of G-d. But the expression actually is a great depiction of what actually happens in hurricane and what helps it build strength. “Wind brings wind” is how the swirling motion sucks more and more wind into the turning storm. “Draws in the wind” this can refer to how the low-pressure within the eye of the storm attracts and draws in wind into the storm.
Actual hurricanes are scary. They can be devastating to all in their path. They’re no joke and one must take all precautions possible. But in our spiritual lives it can be important and beneficial to work up a storm of positive energy, that draws in the wind from its swirling fringes, as well as drawing it in through its center eye. May we build the strength and power to positively influence and affect others, not destructively but constructively, with an abundance of blessing!