The middah of gevurah is inner strength. It is the ability to be in control of yourself; to restrain yourself, such as by overcoming anger, and to channel your energy in a holy way. Gevurah is synonymous with fire. Just as fire always gathers upwards, our neshama has a flaming passion to pull upwards, and connect with its Source.
DAY 8 Chesed Sh’b’gevurah
Being in a place of the middah of gevurah can feel like an inner tightness that can leave us feeling withdrawn into our own world. Bringing chesed into gevurah is to get out of our inner challenge by thinking about someone else and trying to help them.
- Am I able to see other people, even when I find myself in a hard personal situation?
- Can I find Hashem’s chesed to me even when I am going through hard times?
DAY 9 Gevurah Sh’b’gevurah
Sometimes we are so full of gevurah, so closed up and constricted, that thinking about someone else [chesed] doesn’t work. Then we need to double down on gevurah! Gevurah within gevurah means that if we are constricted in a feeling of anger, think about your feelings directly. For example, if the feeling is anger, ask yourself, “Where is this anger leading me? What will the outcome be? Do I want that outcome?” Sometimes we can find the inner strength to get control of ourselves directly.
- When I am angry and constricted, can I regain control of myself, or does the anger always get the better of me, and I lose control?
DAY 10 Tiferes Sh’b’gevurah
We use the middah of Gevurah to build fences (gedarim) to safeguard our spiritual world. Tiferes within gevurah means that we want our fences to be authentic and balanced, so that we don’t get carried away in the externalities of our gedarim while losing sight of their very purpose.
- Could it be that I became “addicted” to my own gedarim and forgot that they have a holy purpose?
- Do I use too much Gevurah, without a healthy balance?
DAY 11 Netzach Sh’b’gevurah
We all try to build fences (gedarim) to protect ourselves spiritually, safeguarding our inner world from bad middos or habits. Netzach within gevurah is our determination to consistently maintain these fences with determination and strength. Sometimes it is better to take on a small, consistent barrier than a big, non-consistent one!
- Is there a challenge that requires inner strength to overcome it that I don’t find myself consistent with?
- Where do I come across a need to give up on a short-term temptation for a long-term spiritual benefit?
DAY 12 Hod Sh’b’gevurah
If we gather inner strength, but think that the battle we fight is by ourselves, for ourselves, we lose sight of the bigger truth. As Yidden, we restrain ourselves very often, but this has to come with a deep recognition that we are fighting for Hashem’s sake, not for our own sake! Hod within gevurah means the ability to balance our inner strength with humility. This will make us less haughty and more ready to ask for help when needed.
- Am I able to remember my faults and weaknesses even when I am using my strengths?
- While I am successfully expressing self-control and inner strength, can I remember that this, too, is a gift from Hashem?
DAY 13 Yesod Sh’b’gevurah
In the heat of a challenge, sometimes we feel depleted and weak and have a hard time gathering the courage to fight. Often this isn’t because we are actually weak, but rather because we are unfocused and our energy is scattered.
Yesod within gevurah means to have real, focused connection. You can gather the inner strength by pausing what you are doing to focus your energy on the challenge at hand!
- When I tell myself, “I just don’t have the strength for this,” how focused am I actually being on overcoming the challenge? Am I saying that I cannot do it without really trying?
- Could it be that I don’t have strength because I am not connected enough?
DAY 14 Malchus Sh’b’gevurah
The final day of each middah, malchus, is a time to think about the practical application of the middah as a whole. In malchus within gevurah, we try to convert what we learned into action. Another aspect of malchus is to connect all of our strengths to their true source — the King – and not fool ourselves into thinking that we create our own strengths.
- How much do my day-to-day practices actually bring out my inner strength?
- Do I feel that even my strengths are utterly reliant on Hashem’s kindness?
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 76 Pesach.