Who remembers Mel Brooks, "The History of the World"? Remember Moses coming down with the 3 tablets of the commandments? Moses presented the tablets to the people and says, "The fif... [he drops one of the tablets]...the ten commandments!" Is there a lesson to be learned from this story? No I am not saying there were more than the Ten Commandments. But can we gain something out of the humor of Mel Brooks? I personally believe there is.
Exodus 20:14
...don't covet anything that is your neighbors.
Several years ago I read the TEN Commandments very carefully and discovered an interesting anomaly. The first 9 Commandments are fairly specific in terms of what to do and not to do. They tell us what actions not to or to take part in. But the Tenth commandment seems to have a slightly sublime aspect to it. After all, taking anyones possession is stealing (which is already mentioned in "thou shalt not steal"), committing adultery was also already mentioned in a previous commandment. So it should be clear that the subject is coveting!
Coveting is a process that takes place in the mind first then realized in action. It is the cause of the action. In this case a sin reaction. The Tenth Commandment is concerned with the intentions/motives for the sin, not the sin itself. Thus we could easily extend the concept of intent to the first 9 commandments as well.
In short it is teaching us that the INTENTION of our HEART is to be in play. The Commandments are not simply a do as I say, though there are times for simple obedience.
In short the Ten Commandments are to be simply obeyed otherwise the idea of Intent would have been specifically mentioned. However, including that insight from the Tenth Commandment teaches us that Intent must eventually become part of the picture.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
What is our purpose?
Often we hear, "what is the meaning of life?" Once we look at the question without, "what is in it for me?" we can find a rather startling answer. In effect we are asking what is our purpose!
There are two verses, commandments, we need to consider:
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the L-rd your G-d with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength.
In short we are instructed to adhere ourselves to our Creator with all of our heart/desires, with all of our soul/spirit/life force, and with all of our physical abilities. We are to submit all of our existence from our soul, desires, and our physical being to His will.
His plea with us is to literally join and be partners with Him. The Creator and humans are to be one! One in purpose on a personal level. We are to become the fingers of G-d within creation.
And
Leviticus 19:18 Love your neighbor as yourself for I am the L-rd
We covered this in a previous post "Love your neighbor: The 11th Commandment?" Suffice it to say, we are to realize and accept that a part of our Creator exists within each of us. This includes the righteous and the wicked as well as all of us in between.
This is His plea with us to literally join and be a partner with Him on a corporate level. We, as a people, are to become one with Him! We are to become a nation of people that He can call us by name. Hear O'Israel! Israel is anyone looking for a direct relationship with the Creator without any middlemen or intermediary deities.
As Hallel taught, these commandments sum up the entire Torah and all other commandments are in effect commentary for the two just mentioned above. The Torah is not replaced by these two commandments but rather these commandments give us our focus.
Each of these verses identify our Creator as the source and the reason for the commandments. We are being told that we are to be like our Creator. The Creator gives, that is His nature and this He does without variation. He is a constant that never changes. We are receivers by design but like to give as well. Thus as we receive from our Creator we are to share and bestow upon others. Can we image a world were all would give for the sake of all in an altruistic manner?
He is asking us to be like Him. The Torah, which is for all of mankind, Is His blue print for how we are to conduct our affairs with Him and our neighbor. By implementing the Torah with the correct intention of giving ourselves to our Creator selflessly, We can make a positive change in the universe.
Our purpose is to join and be like our Creator, not in form but in intention and attributes, by giving of ourselves in a selfless manner to Him.
There are two verses, commandments, we need to consider:
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the L-rd your G-d with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your strength.
In short we are instructed to adhere ourselves to our Creator with all of our heart/desires, with all of our soul/spirit/life force, and with all of our physical abilities. We are to submit all of our existence from our soul, desires, and our physical being to His will.
His plea with us is to literally join and be partners with Him. The Creator and humans are to be one! One in purpose on a personal level. We are to become the fingers of G-d within creation.
And
Leviticus 19:18 Love your neighbor as yourself for I am the L-rd
We covered this in a previous post "Love your neighbor: The 11th Commandment?" Suffice it to say, we are to realize and accept that a part of our Creator exists within each of us. This includes the righteous and the wicked as well as all of us in between.
This is His plea with us to literally join and be a partner with Him on a corporate level. We, as a people, are to become one with Him! We are to become a nation of people that He can call us by name. Hear O'Israel! Israel is anyone looking for a direct relationship with the Creator without any middlemen or intermediary deities.
As Hallel taught, these commandments sum up the entire Torah and all other commandments are in effect commentary for the two just mentioned above. The Torah is not replaced by these two commandments but rather these commandments give us our focus.
Each of these verses identify our Creator as the source and the reason for the commandments. We are being told that we are to be like our Creator. The Creator gives, that is His nature and this He does without variation. He is a constant that never changes. We are receivers by design but like to give as well. Thus as we receive from our Creator we are to share and bestow upon others. Can we image a world were all would give for the sake of all in an altruistic manner?
He is asking us to be like Him. The Torah, which is for all of mankind, Is His blue print for how we are to conduct our affairs with Him and our neighbor. By implementing the Torah with the correct intention of giving ourselves to our Creator selflessly, We can make a positive change in the universe.
Our purpose is to join and be like our Creator, not in form but in intention and attributes, by giving of ourselves in a selfless manner to Him.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Love Your Neighbor: Altruism
In the previous post called "Love your Neighbor: The Eleventh Commandment?" We learned that loving others was an expression of our love for the Creator. We also learned that love is an act of giving not taking.
Understand that there are times to withhold as a form of loving. We can give by not giving. A child misbehaves so the child will lose a toy or a treat. This is a means to change a bad behavior. When reading the surrounding passage of Leviticus around 19:18 we find many actions of love. These are not simply emotional responses which love these days typically is based upon. We are being instructed to do for others, not only for their benefit but for the community and most importantly for our Creator.
The Torah, when properly understood and applied is a road map toward an altruistic existence with our Creator and those around us. We are to look out for the betterment of others. Not for their sake or even ours but rather according to the will of our Creator. What does this mean? By practicing Torah with the intention of pleasing our Creator's will and not for our gain we are actually benefiting everyone including ourselves.
Imagine a world where all of our energies are focused upon altruistic efforts and not of self gain.
Understand that there are times to withhold as a form of loving. We can give by not giving. A child misbehaves so the child will lose a toy or a treat. This is a means to change a bad behavior. When reading the surrounding passage of Leviticus around 19:18 we find many actions of love. These are not simply emotional responses which love these days typically is based upon. We are being instructed to do for others, not only for their benefit but for the community and most importantly for our Creator.
The Torah, when properly understood and applied is a road map toward an altruistic existence with our Creator and those around us. We are to look out for the betterment of others. Not for their sake or even ours but rather according to the will of our Creator. What does this mean? By practicing Torah with the intention of pleasing our Creator's will and not for our gain we are actually benefiting everyone including ourselves.
Imagine a world where all of our energies are focused upon altruistic efforts and not of self gain.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Love your neighbor: The Eleventh Commandment?
I once heard a person addressing a large audience stating that "love thy neighbor as yourself" was the 11th Commandment instituted by Jesus. I was shocked how ignorant people are of their Bibles. It brought to mind just how much we don't understand or apply this verse and this also adds to our ignorance. Let’s read it in the Torah, 1500 years before Jesus.
Leviticus 19:18b
Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the L-rd (Ha-Shem).
This particular verse is very different from the surrounding passage. It ends with a declaration from our Creator - I AM THE L-RD or I AM HA-SHEM. Why?
Here is another verse to contemplate first.
Genesis 1:26
Let’s create humans in our likeness.
We are created in our Creator’s image. Understand that "our likeness" is not hinting to multiple or multiplicity of gods. It is in reference to attributes of our Creator that It has revealed to us and placed within us. This means that through these similarities we are assured of a relationship with our Creator DIRECTLY. It is like plugging our mouse into the computer. As long as the mouse is created to work in the mouse port of the computer, it will communicate with the computer. However our relationship is more. We can understand and learn of our Creator via the attributes It has revealed and shared with and within us.
Genesis 2:8b
And breathed into his (the human) nostrils a breath of live.
It is essential to understand that our Creator did not waste It creative energies. Thus we are of value to our Creator. We are not abandoned, forgotten, or forsaken. To do so It would be rejecting and abandoning itself. Does that make sense? Rather the opposite is true. The breath of life in us is part of the Creator's soul within each and every one of us! This gives us LIFE! La'Chaim!!
Note that in Hebrew the word for love has an attribure of giving not taking.
Now reread Leviticus.
Leviticus 19:18b
Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the L-rd (Ha-Shem).
It should be clear we are to not only to love ourselves (without an ego), for the Creator made each of us as an individual, but those around us for they too are just as unique (special). Collectively we are the recipients of the same breath of our Creator and thus we are all part of a universal soul.
A piece of our Creator is within each of us. To love ourselves and others is to LOVE OUR CREATOR.
May this be a blessing to all that read it!
Shalom
Leviticus 19:18b
Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the L-rd (Ha-Shem).
This particular verse is very different from the surrounding passage. It ends with a declaration from our Creator - I AM THE L-RD or I AM HA-SHEM. Why?
Here is another verse to contemplate first.
Genesis 1:26
Let’s create humans in our likeness.
We are created in our Creator’s image. Understand that "our likeness" is not hinting to multiple or multiplicity of gods. It is in reference to attributes of our Creator that It has revealed to us and placed within us. This means that through these similarities we are assured of a relationship with our Creator DIRECTLY. It is like plugging our mouse into the computer. As long as the mouse is created to work in the mouse port of the computer, it will communicate with the computer. However our relationship is more. We can understand and learn of our Creator via the attributes It has revealed and shared with and within us.
Genesis 2:8b
And breathed into his (the human) nostrils a breath of live.
It is essential to understand that our Creator did not waste It creative energies. Thus we are of value to our Creator. We are not abandoned, forgotten, or forsaken. To do so It would be rejecting and abandoning itself. Does that make sense? Rather the opposite is true. The breath of life in us is part of the Creator's soul within each and every one of us! This gives us LIFE! La'Chaim!!
Note that in Hebrew the word for love has an attribure of giving not taking.
Now reread Leviticus.
Leviticus 19:18b
Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the L-rd (Ha-Shem).
It should be clear we are to not only to love ourselves (without an ego), for the Creator made each of us as an individual, but those around us for they too are just as unique (special). Collectively we are the recipients of the same breath of our Creator and thus we are all part of a universal soul.
A piece of our Creator is within each of us. To love ourselves and others is to LOVE OUR CREATOR.
May this be a blessing to all that read it!
Shalom
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