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Think, and Learn, and Think, then Act Accordingly!

Think, and Learn, and Think, then Act Accordingly!

Think, and Learn, and Think, then Act Accordingly!

What Is It You Are So Afraid Of?

Question for those who are killing others who want to live democratically. What is it you are so afraid of? When it comes right down to it, the truth is, you are afraid of being wrong. This is why you feel the need to eliminate anyone with an alternative view. Here’s a news flash. If you have to kill others in order to prove you are right, you have completely missed the point. Since eliminating all others who think, pray, and/or believe, differently than you is actually impossible, and history proves this, then what you actually prove is just how wrong you are.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Moses. I have a message from Adonai.

No time today, sorry.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Adonai.

Hey, I believe in you. I pray to you. However, up close and personal? Not ready. If I know you personally, I can no longer say I am doing things in your name. Could you send back Moses? At least then, because he is a man, I can decide to believe him, or not.

How many people are just like this? It is so much easier to say one is acting in the name of G-d, (or what ever name one chooses to use) to try to justify one’s actions. This way, without direct confirmation, it is easy to pretend to know what Adonai wants.

We do have the Torah, which tells us what Adonai wants from us. As Rabbi Akiba said so very long ago while standing on one foot, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. The rest is commentary. Now, go and study!” Yes, it really is this simple.

The Torah gives us laws for how to treat one another fairly, kindly, and justly. We humans, after all, need details in order to explain exactly how to accomplish this. We have them.

Moses led us out of slavery towards freedom, and we have never stopped talking about this. Not just Jewish people, but all people talk about this to this day. We must remember oppression of any kind is wrong. The Jewish people have a long history of fighting oppression wherever it is found, right up to this day. We do this for others as well as ourselves. Teaching people to value human life is part of our charge. Another, of course, is there is only one G-d, there is none else, Adonai is the G-d of everyone and every thing, and not to worship false gods.

Sadly, here we are somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,500 years later, and we are still needing to teach this. Why? This question has a multitude of answers and I am asking it with all of my heart, and full of sorrow. The easy answer is people generally worship the false gods of money and power. People mistakenly think they actually have some control over others, or even over the way things turn out.

We are told repeatedly in the Torah to separate good from evil. We seek the garden of Eden. Some look forward to the Messianic age; the time of redemption when evil will no longer exist. It is up to us all to achieve this goal. But some miss the point. We can live in a wonderful world of love, kindness, respect, justice, etc. Only we each must actually bethis model if the world is to become it.

How is it logically possible to achieve this through violence and oppression? What makes absolutely no sense at all to me is why people would fight and kill those who want their rights, and their freedom, and by the way, by extension this means yours too? Not freedom to perpetuate evil mind you, but freedom from oppression, freedom to act fairly, justly, and kindly.

In case you have been living in a cave, you are well aware the violence, nurtured by hatred, fear, and a longing for control is at a horrifically high level now. Some of this is due to the world’s economic problems, which is also directly due to oppression and desire to control, but I am speaking right now about the violence being used to gain control of countries.

The spin, of course, is that these radicals are doing so in the name of G-d, who they call, Allah. Are you kidding me?!!! The truth is the leaders want money, power, and control. They are using the excuse of perpetuating violence in the name of Allah in order to gain help for their selfish and evil plans. To those who are aiding them, do you think your lives will be better if they gain control of their respective countries?

The truth is, they will keep you oppressed, and poor. Why poor? Simple. It is easy to fight for something when you have nothing to lose. After all, if the people who actually want freedom and rights for all win, it would mean you would still be free to worship as you wish. You see, either way you sort of win. The difference is, if the people who want freedom and rights for all win, then democracy wins. If democracy wins, you will have the opportunity to earn more money. If democracy loses, you will remain poor. (This is why I wrote “sort of”). Of this, there can be no doubt. You see, if the radicals win, the only way to keep everyone in line is to keep them dependent on what the government gives them. In order to keep people dependent, they need to be poor.

To achieve the goals of the radical leaders’, they use the “G-d card”. It is quite effective. Get people to believe they are acting the way Adonai wants, and that their violence is righteous, and as history has proven time and again, these would-be leaders gain followers willing to do anything for the ones in charge. The ones in charge always are the only ones with money. They keep their followers dependent on them for their survival while preaching this is what G-d wants. Of course these would-be leaders promise the sun, moon and stars, in order to “sweeten the deal”. Yet history proves that if these would-be leaders actually gain control, their subjects are worse off then they were before.

I will guarantee you this too; those in the highest ranks supporting these radicals are well compensated with money, food, and other things. Maybe with some promise too of some reward in the after-life, but without even personally knowing these people I guarantee you I am correct. Do the leaders themselves become suicide bombers? Of course not. Neither do they send their own children. I am also sure they are not personally guaranteeing the rank and file any sort of plan for a better future. No, they tell their followers, G-d, or Allah, will provide.

I’ve got more news. G-d gave us wheat, not bread itself. We have to take the wheat and process it, cook it, etc., in order to have bread. We are co-creators and as such, it is up to us to do our own part. And we are not supposed to oppress others either. The Torah even tells us not to be cruel to animals.

The fact that in Egypt for example, the radicals want to destroy pieces of history, world history, speaks volumes about these would -be leaders. Among other things, it tells us they want control so badly, they are afraid of any reminders of any other thinking or belief system. They want their followers to forget there was ever any other way of life.

I saw a picture in a news article yesterday where in Syria, some people who wanted democracy were being wrapped in American flags before being killed. While America is far from perfect, at least we are all free to worship as we choose as long as that does not mean doing so in a violent manner. Again, democracy means freedom to worship as one chooses, therefore, tell me why you radicals are so against destroying others, oppressing and killing others in order to worship G-d the way you want to?

I will tell you something else too, and again, history proves this to be true. You cannot control what anyone thinks, nor what anyone feels. In places where only one religion was allowed to be followed, and according to only one set of dogma, other religions were not eliminated. People who did not think the same way, nor worship the same way, went underground, so to speak. They still worshipped as they chose, just in secret.

In ancient Rome, they fed the Jewish people and the Christian people to the lions. Horrific, absolutely. Fear inducing, you bet. Yet the Jewish people and the Christian people are still here. Know who isn’t? Those with the prevailing religious beliefs of that time. Another words, those who thought they could instill their belief system on others through the means of violence. Interesting, yes?

If you do not like your food, do not eat it. If you do not like your clothing, get different clothing. If you do not like your home, friends, job, spouse, religion, then make changes in your own life. Here’s another example. I personally do not like pornography. I do not watch it, nor do I participate in it in any way, shape, or form. Do I think it should be outlawed, or worse, those who produce it, or watch it should be killed? Absolutely not. I believe people have the right to decide for themselves, as long as they are not exploiting or oppressing others in order to produce or watch it. I am also staunchly Jewish, through and through, yet I still believe others have the right not to be. Guess what else. That not everyone, not even most people in the world, or even my community where I live are not Jewish, does not scare me, nor does it even make me question my beliefs.

If you truly want people to believe a certain way, the most you can do is to teach them, and live accordingly. You can never force others to believe anything. Oh, you can try, but again I say, you will fail. I will even go so far as to say that I do not think everyone who is a part of this violence and radical use of force going on in the world right now wholly believes violence is the answer. I would wager to say that those who have their doubts participate in this movement out of fear. Yet, fear does not change what one believes. It cannot. It can affect what one does, but not what one believes.

Ultimately, as always, Adonai will have the final say. One did not have to be present at Mount Sinai to have proof Adonai exists. The proof is everywhere. You can ignore it, or pretend your way to connect with Adonai is the only right way. It does not change the fact Adonai has the final say. Were there mass killings of peoples in the Torah? We all know there were. However, we are told it was due to the insidiousness of evil which prevailed in those societies. Everyone who was not a member of the Jewish people, (or Israelites as we were called in those times), was not killed. In fact, a mixed multitude went with us as we left the oppression of Egypt.

The Torah tells us to treat everyone kindly, fairly, respectfully, and justly, but to also vigilantly eliminate evil in our midst. This was not exclusive of ourselves either. We were told we had to eliminate anyone who was evil, including family members. We were told we had the responsibility to protect those who are oppressed, help those who cannot help themselves, and to take care the basic needs of others are seen to. We are told not to place a stumbling block before the blind. This gets expanded upon when we are told not to place someone in the position of feeling the need to act illegally or violently just to take care of their basic needs, and the needs of their own family. We are told everyone deserves respect; everyone, and this includes women and children. Above all, we are told time and time again, there is only one G-d, the G-d of everyone, and everything. We were told to pass our beliefs along to our generations through knowledge of Torah. Teaching others through our words and deeds, not through force.

If one truly believes in G-d, by whatever name one chooses, then one would spend their time, and energy being good towards others, including animals, and all which is upon the earth. Not by exerting energy and spending time and money on all manners of destruction. If one wants a world of peace, one must build schools, places of worship, hospitals, playgrounds, homes, etc. We must teach our children responsibility, kindness, justice, love, respect, history, and about Adonai. Not about hate, fear, and violence.

Perhaps the biggest question I have is one I am far from alone in asking. If there is only one correct way to worship Adonai, and if your way is the only right way, why would you need to kill others to prove it? Rhetorical question. You wouldn’t. For as long as more than one person inhabits the earth, there will be differences of opinions on many things. Why should this be a scary thing?

It is one thing to feel sad when one sees another dressed in a way you would not. It is quite another to kill that person because they dress in a way you would not. Every religion I am aware of teaches some version of the “golden rule”- treat others as you would like to be treated. Not, treat others who believe as you believe, dress as you dress, act as you act, or belong to your religion, and I’ll break it down even further to not only those who are of your religion, but who also practice your religion in the way you practice it. Simply, treat others, all others, as you would want to be treated. We are our brother’s keeper. We are all brothers, or siblings if the term offends you, or worse, if you think it means men only.

It is one thing to say one believes in Adonai, and loves Adonai, it is quite anther to actually act this way. G-d created man in His image, man and women We created them. Man and woman. Not Islamic man, Jewish man, Christian man, or any other description. No caveats, or delineations. Merely man and woman. So simple, but then again, the truth usually is.

There are some mistakes we make which we can try to rectify. We think, act, and speak according to our own world-view. Our own beliefs arouse more passion than anything else can. Wars in the name of “G-d”, are certainly nothing new.

Finding out everything you fought for was a lie, that your leaders are not the pious ones they pretend to be, and you killed people or in any way promoted their demise for a bunch of lies will be absolutely devastating. What happens when you find out all of the promises your leaders who you fought to put into power were lies. When you find out the only ones who will benefit, (should you win the battle for ruling your country by strictly enforced Islamic extremism), will be those in actual power. When you find out your life is no better off, and most likely, worse than before; when you find out you have been played for a fool, what then?

I hope and pray you think about all I have written before you lift another finger in violence. You know what? Read your own Koran. Don’t sit back and allow others to tell you what it says, read it for yourself. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish, what you hope to gain. Study history, and learn there is a reason history repeats itself.

Spiritually Yours,

Laura Weakley

Journeying

        Every given moment contains the potential to change the course of our lives.  Every single moment, we head into the unknown.  Our desire to have at least a modicum of control over our lives leads us to falsely believe some of our most important choices are made to create areas in life we can depend upon.  We each try at least to create some semblance of safety.  

        Yet, nothing ever remains the same.  Our lives can change in an instant.  When we think, that by setting certain aspects of our lives into play, we have thus created something “known”, we still find ourselves facing issues we have not planned for.  We cannot think of everything!

        Every moment, we have the opportunity to take a different path on our journey through life.  When it comes right down to it, do we ever really know what lies ahead for us?  We are constantly journeying into the unknown.  We may tell ourselves we have chosen a safe path.  We may try to convince ourselves we know what lies ahead.  The truth is we never know what awaits us in the future, neither the near future, nor the distant future.  

        Even when we make a choice about following our destiny, even if it is indeed our destiny, the going will not be completely easy.  We will always be faced with something we did not expect.  This can be good or bad.  Either way, nothing is ever simple, nor easy.  Even when this includes choosing complete faith in Adonai.

        Sometimes our life-changing decisions are more obvious than at other times.  In our parashah, the Israelites chose to be free, chose to leave what they knew behind, follow Moses, and trust Adonai.  We begin just after the 10 plagues were set upon Egypt.  We had just been witness to the power of Adonai.  Knowing what they knew, they still were afraid of journeying away from what they knew.  This included leaving slavery and the slave mentality behind.

        Was the journey ahead scary?  Probably.  Was it going to be dangerous?  The odds were it would be.  Would it be fraught with difficulties, both physical and emotional?  Very likely.  Was it exciting?  Yes, this too!  Had anyone - or all of them - chosen to stay, or even to turn back, it would have been dangerous, scary, and fraught with difficulties too.  Remember too, quite a lot of non-Israelites joined them on this journey, as we are told a mixed multitude went along with them.

        The Israelites chose Adonai, their destiny, their inheritance, and...oh yeah, hey Moses, aren’t we heading the wrong way out of here?  The Torah tells us Adonai did not want the Israelites to have to face the Philistines, a warring people, so soon after leaving Egypt.  This is why Adonai had Moses lead them out of Egypt in the opposite direction of Canaan.  Yet, it also tells us the Philistines heard about the plagues, and the parting of the sea, and were afraid.  Were they really going to be an obstacle?  

        If facing the potential obstacle of a war with the Philistines was not a good idea, then why were they so quickly facing war with Amalek?   Experience is truly the best kind of teacher.  The Israelites would have to change not just the place they had called home for so long, they would have to change their way of thinking too.  After all, choosing to no longer be oppressed, and therefore to be “free”, does not automatically mean one’s whole way of thinking will automatically change right away.  Change takes time.

        Adapting takes time too.  They would not only have to face life in a new land as free-thinkers, they would also be responsible for establishing a new nation.  A nation which would be established under Adonai.  They would need to become leaders for the world to understand there is only one G-d, everyone’s G-d, and what Adonai wants is for us, all of us, to treat each other kindly, respectfully, fairly, and justly.  We were to teach the world no human being is a god.  Not Pharaoh, not anyone.

        Even today, the Arabs who live in Israel have more freedom, rights and respect than in any other country in the Middle East.  Yes, Israel is our birthright, given to us by Adonai.  Let us not forget, from the get-go, we were welcoming to those who were not descended from the tribes of Jacob.  A mixed multitude of others chose to join us in leaving Egypt.  They too would be witnesses at Mount Sinai.

        Choosing Adonai is not and was not exclusive to the Jewish people.  Adonai tells us in the Torah, the whole world needed to understand the power and love of Adonai.  The world needed to know praying to other gods would lead down a path to destruction.  The road ahead for those who choose Adonai will by no means be easy, but who we are is shaped by our journeys.  In fact, we cannot even reach our desired destination until the day we die.  

        Our lives are full of tests.  We may not like this, but it is the way we have to go.  The Israelites, rather soon after beginning their course of choosing to leave Egypt, were faced with self-doubts.  They complained to Moses.  Moses tried to tell them to take it up with Adonai.  No one forced them to leave, after all.  Blaming someone else for the choices we make, or even for our choice to follow another’s lead, is indicative of a lack of one’s pesonal responsibility. 

        We may hope and want the results of our decisions to change our lives in major ways to immediately give us a sense of relief, or a happier life.  Realistically, we should know better.  There is always a period of adjustment, even if we wanted the change we made.  We humans tend to get used to certain things in every aspect of our lives.  Still, we know deep inside, whether we admit it to ourselves or not, what the right choice, the good choice, the one Adonai would want us to make, really is.  

        The Torah tells us, rather soon after the Israelites set out, Adonai provided visible guideposts in the forms of the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night.  We know they had these pillars to follow throughout the 42 years of wandering in the desert.  (They had wandered for roughly two years before the spies were sent into Canaan, and caused another forty years of wandering.)  Wouldn’t it be nice if the signs to guide us were always so clear?

        We may not have pillars of clouds, or fires to lead us, but there are obvious guideposts for each and everyone of us.  We can choose to ignore them, but it does not mean they are not there.  Courageously, the Israelites seized the day!  They chose to place themselves in Adonai’s care.  Of course, leaving oppression is always the right thing to do.  Just not the easiest thing to do.  

        On the other side of the sea, now safe and sound, the people praised and thanked Adonai.  They had not yet reached their destination.  This is very important.  We must give thanks and praise Adonai for everything.  Every step on our journey.  Every day too.  We should learn to pay attention to what we know we should do, no matter how scary an option may be.  

        When we choose to do what we know we should not, the consequences are always worse than they would have been otherwise.  Choosing to serve Adonai may not bring you immediate happiness, but it should bring some peace of mind.  At least when you do so, you can live with your choices.  It is when we do what we know we should not, an uneasiness will follow us wherever we may go.

        The shortest and easiest path may not actually be what it seems to be.  We cannot know the mind of Adonai, so we can only speculate as to why the Israelites were led out of Egypt in the almost opposite direction they needed to go to reach Canaan quickly.  What we want, and what we can handle, are not necessarily the same things.  Every choice we make comes with its own set of responsibilities.  

        While Adonai had sent the Israelites help through Moses and Aaron, there were months of time between when Moses came back to Egypt to help, and when he was actually able to lead the way out.  Every time there is a way we comprehend as a path to take to change any unwanted circumstances, do we always take this help right away?  Usually not.  We need time to even adjust our thinking to accept this new option.  Why should the Israelites have been any different?

        Moses teaches us quite a number of things.  What we find in this parashah is his unconditional love for Adonai, and for his people.  He was dedicated to the choice he had made to serve Adonai.  He was dedicated to the Israelites too.  He did not like receiving their complaints, yet he never hesitated in his leadership role.  He always focused them on Adonai no matter what the circumstances were, no matter how futile things seemed to be.  After all, when they felt trapped between the sea and Pharaoh’s army, Adonai gave them a way towards safety.  Maybe the miracle of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds was not so much the splitting itself, or even the timing of it - great though these surely were - maybe it was that the Israelites, and the mixed multitude joining them too, all chose to take the risk, seize the moment, and place all of their faith fully in Adonai. 

         They did not have the benefit of knowing what was to be.  They could have individually, as small groups, or all together have chosen to surrender and go back.  While the sea split for them, they did not have any way of knowing when it would come back together.  While the miracle was there, they could have chosen not to believe it either.  While choosing Adonai is always the right thing to do, considering the obstacles we all come to face, it still takes courage, absolute faith, and belief, along with strength in one’s convictions, to act in a way which serves Adonai.  Either way, there will be consequences, some which we may not like.  Our faith is challenged at every turn even today.  Choosing what others may think is the prudent option  rarely turns out to be so.  As I mentioned earlier, choosing to stay true to acting in the way you know you should affords one some peace inside.

Shabbat Shalom!  I’d love to know what you think!  You may e-mail me, call me, write on the Google Friend Connect widget, write your thoughts on my blog page on goodreads.com, or on my Facebook page.

Spiritually Yours,

Laura Weakley