Friday, June 12, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
7 Years
Seven years ago, I walked into my first gamblers anonymous meeting. My parents begged me not to go at the time, fearing I would be admitting my wrongdoing. For me, I knew it was the only answer - GA or death. I could no longer live with the person I had become.
My last gamble was in May, 2008, but my anniversary is my first meeting after my last gamble because that is the start of my journey of recovery. Stopping gambling is not enough. I had to change my thinking, understand the underlying addiction, and meet with others who understood what I was going through. June 9th started me on my path. I have not looked back.
Seven years has significance. Not so much in the program, but in the number "7." I'm not talking "lucky number 7." That would be dangerous gambling talk. But in Jewdaism there is signifince to the number 7, and I thought I would share some of that as I considered my GA anniversary and it's important milestone for me. I also think about the fact that I'm just days away from starting my life as a married woman in this 7th year of my recovery...
Much of what I'm about to share, comes from an article written by Rabbi
Yaakov Salomon (he wrote many more):
In the beginning... God created 7's.
"Time contains many different entities. Nearly all of them are related to natural phenomena. Days, nights, months, seasons and years are all directly determined, in some way, by the
constellations. There is one exception -- the week. The formulation of a week seems to be totally arbitrary. Who needs
it? Let one day just follow the previous one. And why 7 days? The concept of a week and its constitution of 7 days is one that is strictly God-invented and human-adopted. While we may quibble about creation -- how, when, by whom, why -- the world has consensually agreed to the concept of a week."
Kabbalah teaches that 7 represents wholeness and completion.
After 7 days, the world was complete.
Shabbat is the 7th day of the week.
When a close relative dies, we sit Shiva for 7 days.
On Sukkot we shake 7 species - 1 Lulav, 1 Esrog, 2 willows, and 3 myrtles.
Yitro, the first real convert to Judaism, had 7 different names, and 7 daughters (one who married Moses).
Moses was born and died on the same day - the 7th of Adar.
Our Sukkah huts are "visited" by 7 guests: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David.
The Menorah in the Temple had 7 branches.
Achashvarosh, King of Persia during the miracle of Purim, held a party for 7 days.
There are 7 holidays in the Jewish year: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot.
In addition to the 613 Commandments, the Sages added 7 more.
There are 7 Noachide Laws pertaining to all humanity.
At every Jewish wedding, 7 blessings are recited (Sheva Brachot).
Each Shabbat, 7 people are called to the Torah reading (Aliyot).
The first verse in the Torah contains 7 words.
Our Matriarch Leah had 7 children - six sons and one daughter.
There were 7 days of preparation for the construction of the Tabernacle in the desert.
Traditionally, the bride circles the groom 7 times under the Chuppah (wedding canopy).
We wind the Tefillin straps around the arm 7 times.
Moses was the 7th generation after Abraham.
Each plague in Egypt lasted 7 days.
In Pharaoh's dreams there were 7 cows and 7 stalks of grain.
The Biblical contamination period typically lasts 7 days.
God created 7 levels of heaven. (Hence the expression, "I'm in 7th heaven!")
On Shabbat and holidays, we recite 7 blessings in the silent Amidah.
The world has 7 continents.
The 7 weeks of the Omer correspond to the 7 "sefirot," the 7 behavior traits in which we serve God: kindness, strength,
beauty, triumph, splendor, foundation, and kingship.
Noah sent the dove and the raven out of the Ark for 7 days to inspect the weather conditions.
The Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana occurs in the 7th month -- Tishrei.
There are 7 notes on the musical scale.
We dance 7 circles (hakafot) on the holiday of Simchat Torah.
The smallest allowable dimension of a Sukkah is 7 by 7 handbreadths.
The world has 7 seas.
Joshua led the Jewish People around the walls of Jericho 7 times before the walls fell.
Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years (twice) in order to marry his daughters.
The Holy Temple contained 7 gates of entry.
We recite 7 blessings every day before and after the "Shema" -- 3 in the morning and 4 at night.
The Talmud lists 7 female prophets: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Avigail, Chuldah, and Esther.
A Jewish servant regains freedom in the 7th year.
We conclude our Yom Kippur prayers by proclaiming 7 times, "The Lord is God!"
A Jewish wedding is followed by 7 days of celebration.
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Okay, that is enough copying of the rabbi's interesting words about the number 7. Now for my reflection. Completeness.
Wholeness.
I will say that I am a much more complete person today than I was seven years ago. I am able to address all areas of my life today openly and honestly. I balance my emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual needs best I can. In recovery, we like to say that it is a road, not a resting place. So, it will never be fully "complete," but in the sense of a 7 that repeats itself, I think this first 7 years has been a good journey.
I have visited three of the seven continents. I shall set a goal to set foot on the other four over the next seven years. Okay, 1-2 may be super difficult to get to, so perhaps my goal will be to visit at least two new continents in my next seven years of recovery and all seven during my first 21 years of recovery (multiples of seven)! I have seen 3 of the 7 natural wonders of the world, I'd like to see all seven- another 7 not already on the above list!
On a more serious note, it also happens to be not 7, but 8, months since my grandmothers passing. we are spending a day in June with relatives at the gravesite doing the blessings over her tombstone and laying her officially to rest next to the love of her life - my grandfather. My grandfather believed in "7's." He used to tell me how important 7's were because he saw me every 7 days (we had dinner as a family every Friday night).
Today, I privately celebrated my seven years. On Friday night, I will announce it at my meeting. I asked a friend to pick me up a seven year GA coin because I like to carry my anniversary coin in my wallet. Just for me. Brings me a smile. I have my other six. My recovery program counting my days free from gambling and working on doing the best I can one day at a time. I can always do better. I try.
I still remember day one like it was yesterday. I never want to forget that pain. I never want to ever go back there. In the beginning, God created 7's... Today, he/she helped me reach mine!
