Ki Tetze Lamilhama – “When You Go to Battle”

Written By Michael Ocher

This week’s Torah portion begins with Ki Tetze Lamilhama — “When you go to battle.” It’s one of my favorite portions in the Torah, and I remember the first time I learned the deeper secrets behind it many years ago in my 4 AM Kabbalah studies.

Rav Isaac Luria (the Ari) explains that this portion isn’t about physical war at all. The true “battle” is with our ego, our limitations, and the lies we tell ourselves. Later, the portion speaks of finding a “beautiful woman” — and the Ari teaches that this is actually your soul. The instruction to “capture her” and allow her 30 days to mourn her old life is really about reconnecting with your soul and using these 30 days of Virgo to transform deeply as we prepare for the new year.

This month, my focus has been on the desire for you. How often do you truly put yourself and your happiness first? In one of our weekly classes, the key question came up: How do I make sure I’m really doing the work of this month?

The answer was to begin by choosing to see how great you already are. To be on a mission to reveal, connect with, and live from your greatness. Only after that can you honestly look at what could be improved. The foundation must be: you are already a perfect being. Anything else is just layers of lies that have latched on.

Which brings me to a powerful question for this week: How much intimacy do you have with yourself?

And no — intimacy isn’t about self-play. In Access Consciousness, we speak of five levels of intimacy, all rooted in consciousness rather than physical closeness:

  • Honor

  • Trust

  • Allowance

  • Appreciation

  • Vulnerability

Exploring these has transformed my relationship with my wife, and perhaps even more profoundly, my relationship with myself.

So this week, don’t just ask: Do I have these five levels of intimacy with myself or with others? Instead ask: Where do I not have them in my relationships?

We’ll be exploring this theme further in our Conscious Momentum call on Monday, September 1st.

Wishing you an incredible week ahead!

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4 Clearing Calls – Anger, Hesitation, Doubt & Judgment
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Desiring: YOU