We concluded the Passover holiday with the Moshiach Meal, a custom instituted by the Baal Shem Tov and strongly emphasized by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. At this meal, we touched on the idea of the Messianic era; how we live in a physical world where pleasure and connection to G-d are not in conflict. The physical world is not an obstacle to G-dliness, it is the point.
This is the kabbalistic concept of Dira B’Tachtonim, G-d’s desire for a dwelling in the lower worlds.
The last day of Passover is the eighth day. Everything in the world exists in quantities of seven. There are seven days of the week, seven notes in a musical scale, and seven colors in a rainbow. Seven represents the natural order. Eight means above nature, beyond the confines of what is typical.
Also, this week’s Torah portion is called Shemini, eight, as it begins with, “And it was on the eighth day.” Eight comes after seven. It emerges from within the natural order and then transcends it. This is not an escape from the physical world; it is the elevation of it.
Typically, a person connecting with G-d begins at the bottom and reaches upward.
Eight is when G-d returns to the person and reveals how He was present the entire time. G-d does not want us to leave the world behind; He wants to be found within it.
Imagine living in a world where everything you see and experience feels like G-d walking with you down the path. Where an obstacle in your way feels like something you signed up for, even asked for.
The Rebbe taught that we are on the cusp of the messianic age. The redemption has begun, we just need to open our eyes. The question is not when it will come, but whether we are training our eyes to see it.
This week tells us that even though the Messianic era has not yet arrived in a fully revealed sense, we can access Moshiach-consciousness right now. Even while living in a physical world, we can learn to see everything, even the things that appear entirely natural, as beyond nature.
What does that actually look like? Here are three practical ways to begin training that lens:
1. Pause Before the Reaction "There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in" - Leonard Cohen
The next time something frustrating or difficult happens, before responding, take one breath and ask, “What is G-d showing me here?” Not to force a false positivity, but to create a crack of space where a different perspective can enter. Over time, that pause becomes a habit, and the habit becomes a lens.
2. End Each Day with One Moment of Revealed Goodness
Before going to sleep, say the Shema. Recognize that G-d is running the world and identify one thing from your day that was clearly good, a conversation, a meal, a moment of connection, and say out loud, “This was G-d.” Then identify one thing that felt hard or neutral, and practice saying, “This was also G-d.” The Baal Shem Tov taught that everything comes from Divine Providence. This exercise trains the mind to mean what it says.
3. Learn Something from the Week’s Parsha Daily
The Rebbe emphasized that we must live with the times. This means not just reading the Torah portion, but making it alive and relevant to our lives. This week’s portion, Shemini, asks you to find the eight in your own life. Look for the place where you are being invited beyond your natural limitations. Spend some time each day learning the Torah portion (harfordchabad.org/dailystudy) and ask, where is this showing up in my life right now?
Have a transcendent Shabbos,
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman