TRUTH
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IN TIMES OF DISTRESS AND WAR RECITE THIS PSALM
PSALM 46 [excerpt]:
. . . TO US HASHEM IS A PLACE OF SAFETY A SOURCE OF STRENGTH
AND HELP IN TIMES OF DIFFICULTY THAT IS VERY READILY FOUND.
THEREFORE WE WILL NOT BE FEARFUL WHEN THE EARTH IS
VIOLENTLY TRANSFORMED BY DISASTERS -- MOUNTAINS
COLLAPSING INTO THE SEAS . . . [SEE THE ARTSCROLL TEHILLIM FOR
THE COMPLETE PSALM]
THE FIRST TRUTH
EVERY PERSON OF ISRAEL MUST BELIEVE AND UNDERSTAND
THAT THERE IS A BEING WHO EXISTED BEFORE CREATION
WHO HAS ALWAYS EXISTED, WHO WILL ALWAYS EXIST
AND WHO CONTINUALLY BRINGS INTO BEING
ALL THAT WHICH IS FOUND IN CREATION
AND THAT BEING IS G-D MAY HE BE BLESSED.
Derech Hashem written by Rabbeinu Moshe Chaim Luzzato
THAT THERE IS A BEING WHO EXISTED BEFORE CREATION
WHO HAS ALWAYS EXISTED, WHO WILL ALWAYS EXIST
AND WHO CONTINUALLY BRINGS INTO BEING
ALL THAT WHICH IS FOUND IN CREATION
AND THAT BEING IS G-D MAY HE BE BLESSED.
Derech Hashem written by Rabbeinu Moshe Chaim Luzzato
SPIRITUAL ECOLOGY
Bs'd
IT IS WELL KNOWN AND WELL UNDERSTOOD THAT
ALL THE CREATIONS THAT WERE CREATED FROM
THE VERY HIGHEST TO THE LOWEST, WERE CREATED
BECAUSE THE HIGHEST WISDOM SAW THAT
THEY FILLED A NEED AND A PURPOSE WITHIN THE
GENERAL SCHEMA OF CREATION.AND THE NATURAL
LAWS THAT CONTROL THEIR EXISTENCE
AND THE ATTRIBUTES THAT THEY POSSESS WERE
INSTILLED IN THEM BY THE HIGHEST WISDOM SO THAT THEY
COULD SERVE THIS PURPOSE.
AND THE SELF SAME REASON FOR THEIR CREATION
MAKES IT FITTING AND SUITABLE THAT THEY BE
MAINTAINED SO LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO PLAY
THE DESIRED ROLE IN THE CREATION.
AND THUS THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE
MAY HE BE BLESSED THAT CREATED ALL OF THE
CREATED BEINGS WOULD NOT DECLINE TO PLACE THEM
UNDER HIS CONSTANT SUPERVISION IN ORDER TO
PRESERVE THEM IN THE VERY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
HE WISHES THEM TO BE FOUND.
Derech Hashem, Rabbeinu Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
IT IS WELL KNOWN AND WELL UNDERSTOOD THAT
ALL THE CREATIONS THAT WERE CREATED FROM
THE VERY HIGHEST TO THE LOWEST, WERE CREATED
BECAUSE THE HIGHEST WISDOM SAW THAT
THEY FILLED A NEED AND A PURPOSE WITHIN THE
GENERAL SCHEMA OF CREATION.AND THE NATURAL
LAWS THAT CONTROL THEIR EXISTENCE
AND THE ATTRIBUTES THAT THEY POSSESS WERE
INSTILLED IN THEM BY THE HIGHEST WISDOM SO THAT THEY
COULD SERVE THIS PURPOSE.
AND THE SELF SAME REASON FOR THEIR CREATION
MAKES IT FITTING AND SUITABLE THAT THEY BE
MAINTAINED SO LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO PLAY
THE DESIRED ROLE IN THE CREATION.
AND THUS THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE
MAY HE BE BLESSED THAT CREATED ALL OF THE
CREATED BEINGS WOULD NOT DECLINE TO PLACE THEM
UNDER HIS CONSTANT SUPERVISION IN ORDER TO
PRESERVE THEM IN THE VERY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
HE WISHES THEM TO BE FOUND.
Derech Hashem, Rabbeinu Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
WISDOM COMPELS US TO REFLECT ON THE CREATION IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE ITS CREATOR
ONE WHO IS POSSESSED OF
WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING
WILL EXTRACT FROM HIS OBSERVATIONS
OF THE NATURAL WORLD A REFINED
AND DELICATE SENSIBILITY WHICH HE CAN THEN
USE AS A LADDER TO DISCOVER EVIDENCE
OF THE CREATOR OF ALL,
MAY HE BE BLESSED,
AND WILL DEDICATE HIMSELF OR
HERSELF TO THE SERVICE OF THE CREATOR.
Duties of the Heart, Rabbeinu Bachya b. Joseph ibn Paquda
THE PERFECTION OF THE CREATOR
bs'd
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE ESSENCE OF
THE CREATOR CANNOT
BE GRASPED BY [ANY OF] HIS CREATIONS [NOT EVEN
THE ANGELS]
.
IT IS ONLY THIS THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD:
THAT HIS IS A PERFECT AND COMPLETE WHOLENESS
AND NO LACK CAN BE FOUND IN HIM.
WE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE BECAUSE WE HAVE
RECEIVED THIS KNOWLEDGE FROM OUR
FOREFATHERS AND FROM OUR PROPHETS
AND ALL OF ISRAEL GRASPED THIS KNOWLEDGE
WHEN WE STOOD AT MOUNT SINAI
TO RECEIVE THE TORAH AT WHICH TIME
THE CREATOR GAVE US AN INFLUX
OF TRANSCENDENT ENLIGHTENMENT
SO THAT WE COULD GRASP THIS TRUTH
WITH CLARITY AND WITHOUT ERROR OR
DOUBT AND WE TAUGHT THIS TO OUR
CHILDREN GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
AND IT WAS AS CLEAR AS THE LIGHT OF DAY
AND AS MOSES WAS COMMANDED BY THE
CREATOR HE INSTRUCTED ALL OF ISRAEL
TO TEACH THIS TO THEIR CHILDREN SO THAT
WHICH YOUR EYES SAW NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
Derech Hashem Rabbeinu Moshe Chaim Luzzato
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE ESSENCE OF
THE CREATOR CANNOT
BE GRASPED BY [ANY OF] HIS CREATIONS [NOT EVEN
THE ANGELS]
.
IT IS ONLY THIS THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD:
THAT HIS IS A PERFECT AND COMPLETE WHOLENESS
AND NO LACK CAN BE FOUND IN HIM.
WE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE BECAUSE WE HAVE
RECEIVED THIS KNOWLEDGE FROM OUR
FOREFATHERS AND FROM OUR PROPHETS
AND ALL OF ISRAEL GRASPED THIS KNOWLEDGE
WHEN WE STOOD AT MOUNT SINAI
TO RECEIVE THE TORAH AT WHICH TIME
THE CREATOR GAVE US AN INFLUX
OF TRANSCENDENT ENLIGHTENMENT
SO THAT WE COULD GRASP THIS TRUTH
WITH CLARITY AND WITHOUT ERROR OR
DOUBT AND WE TAUGHT THIS TO OUR
CHILDREN GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
AND IT WAS AS CLEAR AS THE LIGHT OF DAY
AND AS MOSES WAS COMMANDED BY THE
CREATOR HE INSTRUCTED ALL OF ISRAEL
TO TEACH THIS TO THEIR CHILDREN SO THAT
WHICH YOUR EYES SAW NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
Derech Hashem Rabbeinu Moshe Chaim Luzzato
WHO IS THE PERSON WHO WANTS LIFE
". . .THE PERSON WHO WANTS LIFE, LOVES DAYS . . ."
IF ONE WANTS TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS REAL, THAN
BE ONE WHO "LOVES DAYS" AND LIVES EACH DAY
SUCH THAT THE DAY IS NOT LOST BUT IS USED
PURPOSEFULLY.
THUS EACH DAY IS PRESERVED AND BRINGS
THE PERSON A STEP CLOSER AND A STEP HIGHER
UNTIL, IN THE FULNESS OF DAYS, THE PERSON'S TIME IN THIS
WORLD IS COMPLETED AND HE OR SHE ASCENDS HEAVENWARD.
THEREFOR IT IS IMPORTANT TO USED EACH DAY TO CLIMB
UPWARD. AND THE BA'AL TESHUVA, THE TRUE PENITENT IS
GIVEN A RIDE ON AN ELEVATOR.
The Bridge of Life by HaRav Yechial Michal Toktzinsky
GRATITUDE TEA
"GIVE THANKS TO THE CREATOR FOR HIS GOODNESS:
FOR HIS LOVINGKINDNESS IS ETERNAL.
GIVE THANKS TO THE CREATOR,
LORD OF THE HEAVENLY ANGELS:
FOR HIS LOVINGKINDNESS IS ETERNAL
*****************
HE GIVES SUSTENANCE TO ALL FLESH:
FOR HIS LOVINGKINDNESS IS ETERNAL.
GIVE THANKS TO THE CREATOR, LORD OF THE HEAVENS:
FOR HIS LOVINGKINDNESS IS ETERNAL."
(Psalm 136)
WANT TO FEEL BETTER FAST?
TAKE A TEA BAG PUT IT IN BOILING WATER
SIT AND THINK ABOUT WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THE TEA BAG
THE HOT WATER AND THE CUP TO YOUR TABLE.
JUST THAT, EVEN JUST THAT AND NO MORE.
AND THANK HIM .
EXILE AND REDEMPTION
THE EXILE OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL FROM HER
PLACE IS NOT A NATURAL PHENOMENON.
AND ANYTHING UNNATURAL CANNOT LONG REMAIN
IN ITS UNNATURAL STATE, OUTSIDE ITS NATURAL PLACE,
BUT ULTIMATELY MUST BE RESTORED TO
ITS NATURAL PLACE.
Netzach Yisrael, The MaHaRal