Our Torah and Jewish Prophets refer to life in the material world as a moral imperative, meaning that life must be experienced within the frame of goodness, for goodness is the cause and purpose of life. Time and again they remind us of the law of cause and effect as our guideline to conduct life. Hence we realize that Love's ways and attributes transcend ego's fantasies and illusions as well as negative trends in consciousness.
In this context we understand Love's ways as our redeemers from their opposite qualities. Thus we conclude that our Final Redemption is the time when all that is positive will prevail forever. As our Prophets tells us, evil will be wiped out from the face of the Earth; and this include every aspect and dimension of our consciousness.
“Woe to you who destroy, but you weren't destroyed; and who betray, but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have made an end of betrayal, you will be betrayed.”(Isaiah 33:1)
God tells us through the Prophet that sooner or later we end up trapped by the outcome of our negative traits, trends and actions, even if we think that doing evil does not affect us immediately or directly. King David also reminds us this: “Evil puts to death the wicked, and those hating the righteous are desolate.” (Psalms 34:22).
Our own evil destroys us, as we realize that our desolation is the result of our separation from what is right, positive, constructing and liberating. These are also traits and qualities of Love's ways and attributes.
“Lord, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.” (Isaiah 33:2)
In our fantasies and illusions we learn and recognize that freedom comes with our return to the Creator. We wait for Him in the darkness we have made our dwelling. We know that in the Light (referred here as “every morning”) we find our strength. Light as the goodness that saves us in “times of trouble” (darkness we translate as our captivity by negative trends in consciousness).
“At the noise of the tumult [coming out of God's voice] the people fled, at the lifting up of Yourself the nations are scattered.” (33:3)
The Prophet tells us that -- as expected -- there will be unrest and tension when we make the choice to free ourselves from the darkness of envy, lust, wrath, pride, greed, indifference, indolence and negative trends to which we become addicted, attached and dependent. There will be a major struggle to overcome the withdrawal symptoms, after “the noise of the tumult” comes from God's Love to liberate us, when we cry out up to Him for our Final Redemption.
As we elevate our consciousness up to the goodness God wants to make prevail in His Creation, He will disperse the obstacles (“the nations”) that have kept us in captivity. Here the Prophet refers to the tumult as the result of God's Love to redeem us, the moment we choose to return to His ways and attributes.
“Your spoil will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.” (33:4)
In this metaphor our gains are far greater than our loses after we come out of ego's fantasies and illusions. Indeed we only win when we live in the goodness of God's ways and attributes. Therefore we come out richer with all we have learned from the ordeals and suffering we have brought into our lives while living in darkness.
“The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.” (33:5)
We are able to praise our Creator only when realize that all comes from the justice and righteousness of His Love for His Creation. This realization only occurs in Zion as the permanent awareness of our connection with God. Hence we have to ascend to Him, by elevating all aspects, traits, qualities and dimensions of consciousness through Love's ways and attributes.
“And steadfastness in [Your] times is the strength of [Your] redemptions, wisdom, and knowledge. Fear [awesomeness] of the Lord is [man's] treasure.” (33:6)
Our faith (“steadfastness”) in God is the strength to hope for His redemptions, as well as the fruits of the wisdom and knowledge He gives us in the Torah. Thus we understand that all we find in the Creator is indescribably awesome, and His awesomeness is our treasure. Here again we translate “fear” as our reverence once we become aware that all comes from God.
The Prophet continues lamenting the fate of Israel (33:7-10), the Promised Land, Jerusalem and our Temple, while reiterating God's promise of His Final Redemption. Negative traits and trends in consciousness fear their end by the consequences of our wrong actions (33:11-14), while the positive traits enjoy the fruits of their deeds (33:15-19).
No comments:
Post a Comment