#121
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Thank you!
We learn that our job here in this existence is to do the will of G-d and to build a palace for him here. How do we do that? By cleaving to Him. Yet G-d is described as a consuming fire. How do you cleave to a fire? We learn "as G-d is kind, be kind. As G-d is charitable, be charitable." How do we cleave to G-d? By being G-dly. We learn also that anger is akin to idolatry. Why? When one is angry it is because he had an idea how the world was supposed to be and the world is wrong. Yet if G-d creates and recreates the world every moment, and the world is exactly as G-d wants every moment, if "even a leaf does not fall and turn except at the desire of the creator" (I think Baal Shem Tov), then everything that happens is exactly as per the desire of the creator and everything is good. It may be bitter, but as medicine can be bitter but nonetheless is the path to healing, so for life. We learn also there are times to be gentle and times to be harsh. If you are gentle when you should be harsh you will end up being harsh when you should be gentle. It's a long set up for ... There are times to be gentle and kind and times to be strict and harsh. There is a great danger I think when you must be strict and harsh that it will mix with anger. Although there are times to act appearing to be angry (but not with anger), it is dangerous that one might go over the edge and so in general when one is not sure how to respond, gentleness is generally the better default. I think that when people get to be too dogmatic they respond with too much harshness and not enough kindness or gentleness, particularly on the anonymous internet. I thnk at the end of my life, I will berate myself more for insufficient gentleness rather than insufficient harshness. It is easy, being religious, to strike out when someone challenges another's belief system. But if you are confident in your beliefs, it is much easier to respond without anger. Sometimes people on this board can be a little harsh. I think acting in anger never comments on the character of the object of the anger, rather it comments on the character of the author. I realize also that the part about G-d creating and recreating existence every moment is a Jewish paradigm not a Christian paradigm. The reason I believe this to be the case is our idea of Satan is G-d's servant who acts as a tempter, prosecutor, and punisher. But he does it all at G-d's command. There is no concept of a rebellious anger where there is a question as to who controls the universe. There is only G-d. There is no other. The table in front of you, your body, the skyscraper, your car ... all are merely energy from G-d condensed in a manner that appears to be a table or body or skyscraper. There is no reality outside of G-d. Be well everyone! |
#122
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The earliest reference that I'm aware of is in Sukkah 52a which links the death of M. ben Yossef with the destruction of the evil inclination (sin nature). https://www.sefaria.org/Sukkah.52a.1...Shevui&lang=bi They seem to avoid that reference and focus on later sources such as Kabbalah (Zohar). The source for Sukkah 52a is from Zechariah 12:10. Quote:
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... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. |
#123
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I am a Christian who also follows all of the Torah with exemptions for the levitical sacrificial systems, Jewish cultural interpretations and things that were specifically "updated" by Christ.
I follow God's food laws (I don't eat pork, shellfish, horse etc.) I follow it in a new testament for example i can consume mackerel (which have juvenile scales), and (emu which didnt exist in the bible). I also follow the Torah type festivals (sukkot, yom kippur, etc). This is also in the new testament worship (different names and traditions). There are other traditions which don't come to mind. My goal is not to be a Jew, but to follow the original 1st century church that Paul and Jesus would have felt comfortable in. Once you keep this lifestyle its mind opening. As you can live under grace accepting Jesus as savior without getting into the bad habit about rationalizing not observing huge parts of the bible. Its easier to defeat the "you're a hypocrite because you don't do this OT thing as the Bible states" arguments. Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
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