Sunday, August 12, 2018
Parsha Re'ei
Parsha Re'ei (Deut.11:26-16:17) starts with Torah urging us to open our eyes and really SEE (Re'ei) the available blessings of a life of mitzvas, and the downside of the curse if we choose to go down the path of going AGAINST Torah.
The end of the parsha uses an interesting usage of the same root ר-א (re'eh, to see), stating ''Do not be SEEN (do not 'appear') before Hashem ''reikom'', empty handed.
Judaism is unique in assigning human being a specific task in this world, to be an active ''GUARDIAN of the garden'', a contributing member of our relationship with Hashem, not merely a docile servant, but a PARTNER.
It is sobering and ennobling how much Hashem TRUSTS us. He has entrusted us with being stewards of this world, and we, while given GUIDANCE, are given FREEDOM to act according to our intellect and our CONSCIENCE.
Hence the parsha ends with a warning: use your ability to SEE, and remember how you will be SEEN by G-od at the of your journey. How will you APPEAR before G-od when you return to Him? Do not arrive empty-handed of the achievements you were capable of fulfilling!
(This might be a good time to remember the halachic principle of ''maarat ayen'', the prohibition of presenting a potentially deceiving or misleading APPEARANCE, even while not actively engaging in anything improper.
The classic example is not partaking of kosher food in a non-kosher establishment, lest some casual viewer assumes the place serves kosher food. On the flip side, we musn't assume either.
When we see someone in seemingly compromising situation, we shouldn't jump to conclusions without knowing the context, and the full picture.
So remember, even when doing something right and righteous, be aware how it might APPEAR.
I was reminded of this principle this Friday, when trying to provide a sympathetic ear to a troubled stranger, who ASSUMED my actions in certain way and was very offended.
I failed to be aware how my actions and my words APPEAR to others.
We are living in a world of assumptions, appearances and choices. While we are responsible for our personal choices, we need to be aware how we APPEAR to others as well- how our actions, words, even casual gestures or expressions, are PERCEIVED and SEEN by others. Be careful not to hurt anyone even while doing a mitzva!
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Parsha Ekev
Parsha Ekev.
In parsha Ekev, Deut. 7:12-11:25 we are promised boundless spiritual and physical treasures for observing all mitzvahs of the Torah, if we view them as G-od's KINDNESS (hhesed) to us, not as a burden, (v. 7:12). Hence the Aramaic translation of the parsha is ''Hhalaf'', a reward.
The real translation of 'ekev' is ''heel of the foot'',עקב
(- which here is usually translated as ''because''.)
The palindrome of ''ekev'' is BEKA, בקע . which means 'valley'.
The root of the name Yaakov is also ''ekev''...
-Yaakov's birth was very significant to his name, as he was born ''grasping Esav's HEEL''!
-the way of Abraham,
-the way of Isaac,
-the way of Yaakov.
*The way of Abraham, on the spiritual plane, basically is unlimited HHESED,
boundless undifferentiated GIVING. Those who follow this way try to be uncritical of anyone, and concentrate on being a fountain, a conduit, of Hashem's blessing.
*The way of Issac is the opposite of Hhesed, which is GEVURA, strict justice, strict SEPARATION, strict HOLINESS, strict separation.
The name Isaac (Yits'hhak) means LAUGHTER. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed when they'd heard she'll have a baby in her advanced old age, and in a sense G-od Himself ''laughed'' (mocked) at the laws of nature, by allowing an elderly couple of respectively 100 and 90 y.o. to conceive and beget a child.
Yitshhak's way of serving G'od is of total disregard of material world, a way of striving for total abnegation of the physical. According to Yitshhak's way of serving G'od, we should separate ourselves from everything material as much as possible, to the degree that all material things are one big, nothing more but a joke. Yitshhak's way aims at absolute DEMARCATION / SEPARATION of/from anything physical.
*The third way, of Yaakov, aims at BALANCING the two previous approaches:
a perfect blend of HHESED and GEVURA, a conscious blending of uninhibited ALTRUISM and unmitigated ''HERMITISM''- separation from the material world.
The way of Yaakov, a synergy of accepting self abnegation WITH separation from sin, is rightly called the Derehh ha'Emet, the 'Way of Truth'.
The phrase which Torah uses to describe Yaakov is ''ish Taam'' a COMPLETE man. Complete in having in him both the necessary measure of both altruism and separatism.
When the biblical §erpent was cursed by G'od, the phrase was ''your descendants will strike her descendants' HEEL -EKEV. So we see that the eikev is a place vulnerable to spiritual damage.
When Yaakov fought the angel, the jewish sources indicate it was the patron angel of Esav, the accusing/tempting angel of Evil Inclination, formerly known as Nahhash/§erpent.
The reason Yaakov became vulnerable to the angel's attack was because he has allowed himself to 'remain alone', ''forgot his community''.
Even though Yaakov was victorious, he did not escape without any damage:
he was wounded at the area of his ''kef yerehh'' his thigh (which is the area directly connected to the heel. ''Kaf yerehh'' כפ ירך
is understood by commentators as the place of the reproductive organ made holy by the commandment of circumcision, a place of physical sanctification which has the potential to CREATE LIFE, a most awesome emulation of our Creator, the more so if done with proper holiness, as seen in Gen. 24:2, where Abaham's servant swore on Abraham's place if circumcision, also in Gen. 47:29 Yoseph swore to Yaakov on his circumsicion as well.
The word 'kef' can mean ''an extension'' or ''the OPPOSITE''. Hence our greatest weakness can be our grestest STRENGTH too.
Thus the evil angel has attacked Yaakov at the WEAKEST POINT of the
'yerehh' thigh, which is euphemism for the reproductive organ as the place of the holiness.
''Gid ha'Nashe'' can be understood as ''power of forgetfullness''. Forgetfullness is the cause of sin, but also serves as an impetus to ACT. If our faith, our emuna was 100%, we would never embark on any creative pursuits.
Yetser ha'Rah is called in Talmud ''tov me'od'' , very GOOD! bcuz when applied properly, it can spur us into action. So the trial of Yaakov's struggle with the angel was to retain the holiness of his life-giving creative force, and his power to transmit it to the future generations, as part of the community.
That's why the verse states he became vulnerable because he ''remained alone''.
In Judaism there is strength in community, in unity.
Due to Yaakov's victory, he deserved his SECOND NAME -YISRAEL,
which means ''Sar El'' , the Prince of Power. Since HaShem is the ultimate Source and Dispenser of all powers (for example G'od told Moses that He made him an ''Elohim to Pharaoh'', an ''Embassador'' representing G'od.)
By channeling the most powerful reproductive/creative energy toward G'od, Yaakov is able to overcome the angel of Esav, a new persona which represents the collective identity of all of Yaakov's future descendants.
Just as there are three AVOT, three forefathers with each their own way of relating to Hashem,
there are three ways the Evil inclination appears in Torah:
1. as nahhash in Garden of Eden
2. as angel of Esav in human form in the battle with
with Yaakov,
3. as the serpents which bit Israelites in parshas Chukkat/ the copper snake mounted on a pole.
...
1. As the serpent in Gan Eden, G'od has provided him with everything, effectively obviating any palpable need to reach out to G'od. Everything was provided for the snake, his every physical need. The way to deal with pure evil is to deny it and to be as Isaac- total separation.
2. However as an angel of Esav in human body, we see his connection with Hashem, as he was eager to be free of Yaakov to go recite SHIRA, a morning song of praise all angels recite before G'od.
So as a §erpent, the Evil Inclination is as mostly evil, and is rewarded with no dynamic contact with Hashem.
As an angel embodied in human form, the angel was eager to recite shira. Evil as incarnated in human body, needs to be DEALT with humanely. Rarely are human beings ''absolutely evil''. We need to undertand their feelings, their motives, their background.
We CANNOT separate ourselves from other humans.
We are ALL born ''grasping the heel of evil'' to a degree.
In fact, we all struggle with our OWN evil inclination.
Hence we must use Yaakov's tactics:
employ balance of ''befriending''/ facing our challenges in social interactions. In this our role model is Yosef in Egypt.
3. the only time when Abraham's way of Hhesed is to be used, is when the evil is a direct lesson from Hashem, as it was in the event when the desert snakes bit Israelites' heels.
When our sin is clear, and the message of the punishment is clear, we need to lovingly ACCEPT the chastising, by 'elevating' the lesson as a visible reminder to avoid a repeated sinning in the future, just as Moshe ''elevated'' the copper serpent to be contemplated as a cure from snakes' bites.
...
Parshas Ekev ends with the promise that if we are able to interact with our yetser ha
rah on the level of Yaakov/Yisrael, we'll be able to rule over it- it will become our greatest asset, and as the final verses of the parsha promise, every place where our heel rests, will become holy ground!
the very 'ekev' which is vulnerable to §erpent's bite, will become a tool for aquiring our yerusha, our earthly inheritance.
Ekev-Beka. Palindrome of ''heel of connection'' עקב
is בקע , valley of separation.
If we fail to use our 'gid hanashe'/ekev wisely, it'll become a dividing ''valley''.
★★★
just had a thought: maybe Yaakov wasn't ''damaged'' by Esav's angel, maybe he GAINED a ''shift'' of understanding? His ''thigh'' got ''shifted'' and he became worthy of the name Yisrael.....
In parsha Ekev, Deut. 7:12-11:25 we are promised boundless spiritual and physical treasures for observing all mitzvahs of the Torah, if we view them as G-od's KINDNESS (hhesed) to us, not as a burden, (v. 7:12). Hence the Aramaic translation of the parsha is ''Hhalaf'', a reward.
The real translation of 'ekev' is ''heel of the foot'',עקב
(- which here is usually translated as ''because''.)
The palindrome of ''ekev'' is BEKA, בקע . which means 'valley'.
The root of the name Yaakov is also ''ekev''...
-Yaakov's birth was very significant to his name, as he was born ''grasping Esav's HEEL''!
•••
There are three ways of serving G'od:-the way of Abraham,
-the way of Isaac,
-the way of Yaakov.
*The way of Abraham, on the spiritual plane, basically is unlimited HHESED,
boundless undifferentiated GIVING. Those who follow this way try to be uncritical of anyone, and concentrate on being a fountain, a conduit, of Hashem's blessing.
*The way of Issac is the opposite of Hhesed, which is GEVURA, strict justice, strict SEPARATION, strict HOLINESS, strict separation.
The name Isaac (Yits'hhak) means LAUGHTER. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed when they'd heard she'll have a baby in her advanced old age, and in a sense G-od Himself ''laughed'' (mocked) at the laws of nature, by allowing an elderly couple of respectively 100 and 90 y.o. to conceive and beget a child.
Yitshhak's way of serving G'od is of total disregard of material world, a way of striving for total abnegation of the physical. According to Yitshhak's way of serving G'od, we should separate ourselves from everything material as much as possible, to the degree that all material things are one big, nothing more but a joke. Yitshhak's way aims at absolute DEMARCATION / SEPARATION of/from anything physical.
*The third way, of Yaakov, aims at BALANCING the two previous approaches:
a perfect blend of HHESED and GEVURA, a conscious blending of uninhibited ALTRUISM and unmitigated ''HERMITISM''- separation from the material world.
The way of Yaakov, a synergy of accepting self abnegation WITH separation from sin, is rightly called the Derehh ha'Emet, the 'Way of Truth'.
The phrase which Torah uses to describe Yaakov is ''ish Taam'' a COMPLETE man. Complete in having in him both the necessary measure of both altruism and separatism.
When the biblical §erpent was cursed by G'od, the phrase was ''your descendants will strike her descendants' HEEL -EKEV. So we see that the eikev is a place vulnerable to spiritual damage.
When Yaakov fought the angel, the jewish sources indicate it was the patron angel of Esav, the accusing/tempting angel of Evil Inclination, formerly known as Nahhash/§erpent.
The reason Yaakov became vulnerable to the angel's attack was because he has allowed himself to 'remain alone', ''forgot his community''.
Even though Yaakov was victorious, he did not escape without any damage:
he was wounded at the area of his ''kef yerehh'' his thigh (which is the area directly connected to the heel. ''Kaf yerehh'' כפ ירך
is understood by commentators as the place of the reproductive organ made holy by the commandment of circumcision, a place of physical sanctification which has the potential to CREATE LIFE, a most awesome emulation of our Creator, the more so if done with proper holiness, as seen in Gen. 24:2, where Abaham's servant swore on Abraham's place if circumcision, also in Gen. 47:29 Yoseph swore to Yaakov on his circumsicion as well.
The word 'kef' can mean ''an extension'' or ''the OPPOSITE''. Hence our greatest weakness can be our grestest STRENGTH too.
Thus the evil angel has attacked Yaakov at the WEAKEST POINT of the
'yerehh' thigh, which is euphemism for the reproductive organ as the place of the holiness.
''Gid ha'Nashe'' can be understood as ''power of forgetfullness''. Forgetfullness is the cause of sin, but also serves as an impetus to ACT. If our faith, our emuna was 100%, we would never embark on any creative pursuits.
Yetser ha'Rah is called in Talmud ''tov me'od'' , very GOOD! bcuz when applied properly, it can spur us into action. So the trial of Yaakov's struggle with the angel was to retain the holiness of his life-giving creative force, and his power to transmit it to the future generations, as part of the community.
That's why the verse states he became vulnerable because he ''remained alone''.
In Judaism there is strength in community, in unity.
Due to Yaakov's victory, he deserved his SECOND NAME -YISRAEL,
which means ''Sar El'' , the Prince of Power. Since HaShem is the ultimate Source and Dispenser of all powers (for example G'od told Moses that He made him an ''Elohim to Pharaoh'', an ''Embassador'' representing G'od.)
By channeling the most powerful reproductive/creative energy toward G'od, Yaakov is able to overcome the angel of Esav, a new persona which represents the collective identity of all of Yaakov's future descendants.
Just as there are three AVOT, three forefathers with each their own way of relating to Hashem,
there are three ways the Evil inclination appears in Torah:
1. as nahhash in Garden of Eden
2. as angel of Esav in human form in the battle with
with Yaakov,
3. as the serpents which bit Israelites in parshas Chukkat/ the copper snake mounted on a pole.
...
1. As the serpent in Gan Eden, G'od has provided him with everything, effectively obviating any palpable need to reach out to G'od. Everything was provided for the snake, his every physical need. The way to deal with pure evil is to deny it and to be as Isaac- total separation.
2. However as an angel of Esav in human body, we see his connection with Hashem, as he was eager to be free of Yaakov to go recite SHIRA, a morning song of praise all angels recite before G'od.
So as a §erpent, the Evil Inclination is as mostly evil, and is rewarded with no dynamic contact with Hashem.
As an angel embodied in human form, the angel was eager to recite shira. Evil as incarnated in human body, needs to be DEALT with humanely. Rarely are human beings ''absolutely evil''. We need to undertand their feelings, their motives, their background.
We CANNOT separate ourselves from other humans.
We are ALL born ''grasping the heel of evil'' to a degree.
In fact, we all struggle with our OWN evil inclination.
Hence we must use Yaakov's tactics:
employ balance of ''befriending''/ facing our challenges in social interactions. In this our role model is Yosef in Egypt.
3. the only time when Abraham's way of Hhesed is to be used, is when the evil is a direct lesson from Hashem, as it was in the event when the desert snakes bit Israelites' heels.
When our sin is clear, and the message of the punishment is clear, we need to lovingly ACCEPT the chastising, by 'elevating' the lesson as a visible reminder to avoid a repeated sinning in the future, just as Moshe ''elevated'' the copper serpent to be contemplated as a cure from snakes' bites.
...
Parshas Ekev ends with the promise that if we are able to interact with our yetser ha
rah on the level of Yaakov/Yisrael, we'll be able to rule over it- it will become our greatest asset, and as the final verses of the parsha promise, every place where our heel rests, will become holy ground!
the very 'ekev' which is vulnerable to §erpent's bite, will become a tool for aquiring our yerusha, our earthly inheritance.
Ekev-Beka. Palindrome of ''heel of connection'' עקב
is בקע , valley of separation.
If we fail to use our 'gid hanashe'/ekev wisely, it'll become a dividing ''valley''.
★★★
just had a thought: maybe Yaakov wasn't ''damaged'' by Esav's angel, maybe he GAINED a ''shift'' of understanding? His ''thigh'' got ''shifted'' and he became worthy of the name Yisrael.....
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Lesson of name Pinchas
A thought about parshat Pinchas:
Jewish tradition teaches that Pinchas has been reincarnated as Elijah the Prophet, aka the Angel of the Circumcission, who attends all jewish baby boys on the day of their bris.
I thought that perhaps the very name of 'Pinchas' might hint at that. In Hebrew, פנחס which might be spelled with or without letter yod, can be understood as two words ''Pen Chas'', פן חס
which literally means ''lest he has mercy''.
Talmud teaches that those who err in being (inappropriatelly) merciful in situation where strict justice is required will err by being inappropriatelly CRUEL when mercy is called for.
As his parshat teaches, Pinchas had the foresight to stop the moral corruption and the literal spread of the plague, by being ''cruel'' when strict judgement was called for~ he struck the publicly sinning Zimri ben Salu.
Pinchas' failure to be 'cruel' would result in a lot greater 'cruelty' of the plague being spread among Israel. Hence the name ''Pinchas'' understood as פן חס
''lest he be merciful'' is uniquely appropriate.
Talmudic advice is that if someone has unhealthy penchant for blood, he should channel it PRODUCTIVELLY in permitted manner and become a mohel, a butcher or a doctor, etc.
Hence Pinches' ''rebirth'' as Elijah the angel attending boys' circumcission might be said to channel his 'lack of mercy' into perpetual attending of Brit Milahs!
Perhaps we might learn a lesson from the names of Zimri ben Salu as well, as he was ''prunned'' (-zemer)(cut off) before his time, rather than being able to bring Hashem glory.
His Midianite consort too has a telling name, Kozbi bat Tzur literally means ''liar daughter of enemy''....
Jewish tradition teaches that Pinchas has been reincarnated as Elijah the Prophet, aka the Angel of the Circumcission, who attends all jewish baby boys on the day of their bris.
I thought that perhaps the very name of 'Pinchas' might hint at that. In Hebrew, פנחס which might be spelled with or without letter yod, can be understood as two words ''Pen Chas'', פן חס
which literally means ''lest he has mercy''.
Talmud teaches that those who err in being (inappropriatelly) merciful in situation where strict justice is required will err by being inappropriatelly CRUEL when mercy is called for.
As his parshat teaches, Pinchas had the foresight to stop the moral corruption and the literal spread of the plague, by being ''cruel'' when strict judgement was called for~ he struck the publicly sinning Zimri ben Salu.
Pinchas' failure to be 'cruel' would result in a lot greater 'cruelty' of the plague being spread among Israel. Hence the name ''Pinchas'' understood as פן חס
''lest he be merciful'' is uniquely appropriate.
Talmudic advice is that if someone has unhealthy penchant for blood, he should channel it PRODUCTIVELLY in permitted manner and become a mohel, a butcher or a doctor, etc.
Hence Pinches' ''rebirth'' as Elijah the angel attending boys' circumcission might be said to channel his 'lack of mercy' into perpetual attending of Brit Milahs!
Perhaps we might learn a lesson from the names of Zimri ben Salu as well, as he was ''prunned'' (-zemer)(cut off) before his time, rather than being able to bring Hashem glory.
His Midianite consort too has a telling name, Kozbi bat Tzur literally means ''liar daughter of enemy''....
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Judaism vs Hinduism & Buddhism
•Hinduism-Buddhism vs. Judaism•
Depending on whose interpretation we follow, Hinduism can be seen as mono- or POLY-theism.
Hinduism isn't as structured as Judaism- there is no hierarchy of ''written'' vs. rabbinically transmitted laws.
In Hinduism all is loosely transmitted orally from some unnamed sages from the past, and has been gradually comitted into writing. But Hindu scriptures aren't clearly ''divine'' and there is no clear theology about the nature of divinity and its relationship to the world.
♦There certainly exists thousands of 'deities' in Hinduism; however not everyone accepts them as 'gods'.
✡☯ The Brahmanism school of Hinduism (or at least its BRANCH)- accepts the judaic concept of infinite benevolent Creator who sustains our universe.
Both Brahmanism and Judaism accepts the concept of 'samsara' and 'karma', the belief that out deeds shape the path of our soul in the world to come.
The cycle of rebirth in Judaism is called ''gilgul neshamot'' (cycling of the souls). Buddhist/Hindu tradition calls it ''samsara''. The deeds which shape our cycle are called ''karma''.
Soul, ''neshama'' or ''nefesh'' in Hebrew, is called ''atman'' in hindu/buddhist tradition.
★From my studies and my conversations with various buddhists, there is great disagreement in Buddhism about the nature and existence of a Creator or human soul.
I couldnt get a clear answer how is a cycle of rebirth possible if there is no immortal soul. No buddhist was able to explain that.
(I guess it might be compared to Xtian concept of trinity- nobody can make it sound logical, no matter how hard they try)
Since 'samsara' in buddhism means that the ''atman'' (soul) becomes karmically lowered or elevated, depending on our deeds, it is difficult to accept that Buddhism doesnt accept the existence of Creator who draws close to goodness and repels evil.
Buddhists just answer that they ''don't focus on the 'Source', but on the ''true objective reality'' of the present. True pragmatists 😐
★Buddhists are very divided and unclear HOW we are karmically reborn if there is no soul. And how exactly does the universe ''know'' who should be reborn on which level.
Another issue I have with buddhism is the FOCUS and PURPOSE of their meditations. If there is nothing 'permanent' in the universe, what exactly is being 'reborn'?
And if everything is ''illusive'' and ''impermanent'', why waste time in meditation, sitting on our tuches? If the present is all we have, why not enjoy life to the fullest?
Yet Buddhists insist on living the ''right'' life (dharma) and on avoiding violence (ahimsa).....🙄
I know i'm simplyfiing a very old and complex school of thought here, but I'm trying to focus on certain core issues, as I see them.
★Why would the ''universe'' care how karmically correct our actions are, if there is no god/s?
Therefore the Hindu Brahmanistic approach seems to me as a religious Torah Jew, most congruent with Judaism.
What doesbJudaism add to the Brahmanist school of thought, in my view, is: a clarity of purpose, and clearly defined laws: what exactly G-od expects from us, and how to achieve it.
♠Buddhism suggests we live a ''right'' ''nonviolent'' life. Yet they don't go into details how to reconcile unavoidable moral dilemas and ''forks on the road''.
While there are many conflicting opinions in judaism as well, at least there is a certainty of the Source of the Divine word, and there is a clear distinction about the nature of written Torah and of rabbinical interpretation or precaution.
°°°°°°
in my opinion, in christianity there is similiar nebulous disagreement and confusion about the nature of the scriptures, and the purpose of the law....
Depending on whose interpretation we follow, Hinduism can be seen as mono- or POLY-theism.
Hinduism isn't as structured as Judaism- there is no hierarchy of ''written'' vs. rabbinically transmitted laws.
In Hinduism all is loosely transmitted orally from some unnamed sages from the past, and has been gradually comitted into writing. But Hindu scriptures aren't clearly ''divine'' and there is no clear theology about the nature of divinity and its relationship to the world.
♦There certainly exists thousands of 'deities' in Hinduism; however not everyone accepts them as 'gods'.
✡☯ The Brahmanism school of Hinduism (or at least its BRANCH)- accepts the judaic concept of infinite benevolent Creator who sustains our universe.
Both Brahmanism and Judaism accepts the concept of 'samsara' and 'karma', the belief that out deeds shape the path of our soul in the world to come.
The cycle of rebirth in Judaism is called ''gilgul neshamot'' (cycling of the souls). Buddhist/Hindu tradition calls it ''samsara''. The deeds which shape our cycle are called ''karma''.
Soul, ''neshama'' or ''nefesh'' in Hebrew, is called ''atman'' in hindu/buddhist tradition.
★From my studies and my conversations with various buddhists, there is great disagreement in Buddhism about the nature and existence of a Creator or human soul.
I couldnt get a clear answer how is a cycle of rebirth possible if there is no immortal soul. No buddhist was able to explain that.
(I guess it might be compared to Xtian concept of trinity- nobody can make it sound logical, no matter how hard they try)
Since 'samsara' in buddhism means that the ''atman'' (soul) becomes karmically lowered or elevated, depending on our deeds, it is difficult to accept that Buddhism doesnt accept the existence of Creator who draws close to goodness and repels evil.
Buddhists just answer that they ''don't focus on the 'Source', but on the ''true objective reality'' of the present. True pragmatists 😐
★Buddhists are very divided and unclear HOW we are karmically reborn if there is no soul. And how exactly does the universe ''know'' who should be reborn on which level.
Another issue I have with buddhism is the FOCUS and PURPOSE of their meditations. If there is nothing 'permanent' in the universe, what exactly is being 'reborn'?
And if everything is ''illusive'' and ''impermanent'', why waste time in meditation, sitting on our tuches? If the present is all we have, why not enjoy life to the fullest?
Yet Buddhists insist on living the ''right'' life (dharma) and on avoiding violence (ahimsa).....🙄
I know i'm simplyfiing a very old and complex school of thought here, but I'm trying to focus on certain core issues, as I see them.
★Why would the ''universe'' care how karmically correct our actions are, if there is no god/s?
Therefore the Hindu Brahmanistic approach seems to me as a religious Torah Jew, most congruent with Judaism.
What doesbJudaism add to the Brahmanist school of thought, in my view, is: a clarity of purpose, and clearly defined laws: what exactly G-od expects from us, and how to achieve it.
♠Buddhism suggests we live a ''right'' ''nonviolent'' life. Yet they don't go into details how to reconcile unavoidable moral dilemas and ''forks on the road''.
While there are many conflicting opinions in judaism as well, at least there is a certainty of the Source of the Divine word, and there is a clear distinction about the nature of written Torah and of rabbinical interpretation or precaution.
°°°°°°
in my opinion, in christianity there is similiar nebulous disagreement and confusion about the nature of the scriptures, and the purpose of the law....
Sunday, June 17, 2018
ZION in Torah
What does G*od say about Zion:
Psalm 132:13
For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place:
Psalm 87:2
The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
Isaiah 60:14
The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 51:3
For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
Isaiah 51:16 ''And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
Isaiah 52:2
Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
Zechariah 2:10
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord.
Isaiah 35:6-10
Then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm 48:11
Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!
Psalm 48:2
Beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
Psalm 137:1
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
Isaiah 51:11
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
2 Samuel 5:7
Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
Isaiah 62:1
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
Psalm 87:5
And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”; for the Most High himself will establish her.
Psalm 9:11
Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!
Isaiah 52:7
''How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Psalm 74:2
Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
Isaiah 59:20
“And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.''
Isaiah 40:9
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
Zechariah 1:17
Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’”
Jeremiah 31:6
''For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’”
Isaiah 62:11
Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
Isaiah 52:1
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Joel 2:32
•And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls•
Joel 2:1
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near...
Jeremiah 30:17
For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Isaiah 33:20
Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.
Psalm 149:2
Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
Psalm 48:12
Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers,
Psalm 2:2-6
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Zechariah 8:3
Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.
Zechariah 1:14
So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.
Psalm 133:3
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Psalm 87:3
Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah
Psalm 84:5
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
1 Kings 8:1
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
Zechariah 9:13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.
2 Kings 19:21
This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him: “She despises you, she scorns you— the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you— the daughter of Jerusalem.
Joel 3:17
“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.
Joel 2:15
Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly;
Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
Psalm 65:1
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.
1 Chronicles 11:5
The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
Psalm 137:1-9
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! ...
2 Chronicles 5:2
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
Isaiah 52:8
The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
Psalm 65:1-4
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
2 Kings 19:31
For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord will do this.
Zechariah 2:7
Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.
Psalm 2:6
“As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Amos 6:1
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes!''
Jeremiah 9:19
For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How we are ruined! We are utterly shamed, because we have left the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.’”
Isaiah 66:8
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
Psalm 78:68-72
But he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.
Zephaniah 3:16
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Zephaniah 3:14
Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Jeremiah 50:5 ''They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.'’
'
1 Chronicles 11:5-7
The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.
2 Samuel 6:12
And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.
Isaiah 2:2-6
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
Jeremiah 3:14
Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
Obadiah 1:17-21
But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken. Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
Psalm 134:2-3
Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!
Jeremiah 4:31
''For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.”
Psalm 14:7
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Micah 4:7
And the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.
Obadiah 1:17
But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.
Psalm 102:21
''That they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise...''
Isaiah 8:18
Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Psalm 50:1-3
A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.
Psalm 48:1-14
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together. As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. ...
Obadiah 1:21
Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
Zechariah 8:2
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.
Isaiah 46:13 ''I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.''
ZION in Torah
What does G*od say about Zion:
Psalm 132:13
For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place:
Psalm 87:2
The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
Isaiah 60:14
The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 51:3
For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
Isaiah 51:16 ''And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
Isaiah 52:2
Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
Zechariah 2:10
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord.
Isaiah 35:6-10
Then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm 48:11
Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments!
Psalm 48:2
Beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
Psalm 137:1
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
Isaiah 51:11
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
2 Samuel 5:7
Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
Isaiah 62:1
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
Psalm 87:5
And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”; for the Most High himself will establish her.
Psalm 9:11
Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!
Isaiah 52:7
''How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Psalm 74:2
Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
Isaiah 59:20
“And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.''
Isaiah 40:9
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
Zechariah 1:17
Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’”
Jeremiah 31:6
''For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’”
Isaiah 62:11
Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
Isaiah 52:1
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Joel 2:32
•And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls•
Joel 2:1
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near...
Jeremiah 30:17
For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Isaiah 33:20
Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.
Psalm 149:2
Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
Psalm 48:12
Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers,
Psalm 2:2-6
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Zechariah 8:3
Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.
Zechariah 1:14
So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.
Psalm 133:3
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Psalm 87:3
Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah
Psalm 84:5
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
1 Kings 8:1
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
Zechariah 9:13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.
2 Kings 19:21
This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him: “She despises you, she scorns you— the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you— the daughter of Jerusalem.
Joel 3:17
“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.
Joel 2:15
Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly;
Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
Psalm 65:1
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.
1 Chronicles 11:5
The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
Psalm 137:1-9
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! ...
2 Chronicles 5:2
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
Isaiah 52:8
The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
Psalm 65:1-4
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
2 Kings 19:31
For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord will do this.
Zechariah 2:7
Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.
Psalm 2:6
“As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Isaiah 66:8
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
Psalm 78:68-72
But he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.
Zephaniah 3:16
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Zephaniah 3:14
Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Jeremiah 50:5 ''They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.'’
'
1 Chronicles 11:5-7
The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.
2 Samuel 6:12
And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.
Isaiah 2:2-6
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
Jeremiah 3:14
Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
Obadiah 1:17-21
But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken. Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
Psalm 134:2-3
Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!
Jeremiah 4:31
''For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.”
Psalm 14:7
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Micah 4:7
And the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.
Obadiah 1:17
But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.
Psalm 102:21
''That they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise...''
Isaiah 8:18
Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Psalm 50:1-3
A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.
Psalm 48:1-14
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together. As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic; they took to flight. ...
Obadiah 1:21
Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
Zechariah 8:2
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.
Isaiah 46:13 ''I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.''
Friday, June 15, 2018
Jedi Torah
i think it might be beneficial to attempt the Jedi approach to life: the Force of the universe is self-aware, it permeates and sustains and encompasses all life, and it has certain karmic direction towards goodness and morality.
Certain religious systems try to codify this 'karmic direction' , to assure our safe passage thru life: how to act, how to react, etc. Others rely on their own innate feeling of ''rightness''.
So i feel that yes, the Force is with us, and ''it'' recognizes and reacts, and guides us thru the karmic flow thru time-stream of our existence.
i believe that the moral identity of all our actions is like gravity- it ''turns the wheels'' of the universe in certain direction.
Buddhism would just call this 'Force' karma. as a Jew, i call ''it'', G*od.
Certain religious systems try to codify this 'karmic direction' , to assure our safe passage thru life: how to act, how to react, etc. Others rely on their own innate feeling of ''rightness''.
So i feel that yes, the Force is with us, and ''it'' recognizes and reacts, and guides us thru the karmic flow thru time-stream of our existence.
i believe that the moral identity of all our actions is like gravity- it ''turns the wheels'' of the universe in certain direction.
Buddhism would just call this 'Force' karma. as a Jew, i call ''it'', G*od.
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