~Ariel Bar Tzadok
There
is a secret to the final redemption discussed in the writings of the
guardians of the secrets of the Torah. It goes something like this. In
this present epoch, good and evil are confused with one another. The
literature uses the metaphors of light and shell to describe them. Good
is the light concealed within a hard shell which blocks the light, thus
creating darkness. The only way to release the light is to crack the
shell and unleashing the light trapped within. When the light shines,
it will bring with it the redemption. It is considered this simple.
Now,
herein lies the problem, while everyone seeks the light, almost no one
has the power to break the shell that traps it. Indeed, most have no
clue as to what these mystical metaphors actually mean, and what, in
reality, does it mean to crack the shell. What exactly is the shell in
the first place?
This
is always a problem with metaphorical literature. It can be read by
almost everyone, and understood by almost no one. Everyone can offer
their opinions as to what metaphors actually refer to. But if all one's
opinion is just talk, and there is no actual, measurable, and definitive
action associated with it, then as the saying goes, "talk is cheap."
If one really wants to release the light from its shell, then one has to
figure out how to crack the shell with something other than nice
philosophical words of "faith."
In
order to identify the shells, we must first identify the light. This
may be rather hard since none of us can see the actual light, due to its
being entrapped in its shell. Yet, while we may not recognize the
light when seeing it, we can at least acknowledge it for what it is said
to be. Light is considered to be enlightening insight, information and
knowledge that dawns in the mind upon the revelation and reception of
Truth.
Now
again, here is our quagmire. What is truth and how is it to be
recognized? Ask any one group and they will tell you that the truth is
easy to identify. It is what they themselves believe! Ask the next
group what is truth and they will tell you, with all certainty and
clarity, that the truth is what they believe. And as for the first
group? The second group will tell you, with firm conviction, how what
the first group believes to be true, is actually a lie, and they have
all the proofs to validate their claims.
Needless,
to say that group one says the exact same thing about group two. And,
groups three to infinity are all the same about all others. Each group
claims to have the truth, while all the other groups have the lie.
Thus, human history is a record of one group fighting another group
trying to save the other group from their lies in order to give them the
real truth. Apparently there are so many truths, and so many lies,
that one has become indistinguishable from the other. What we have here
is not light fighting light, but rather shell fighting shell.
Light
does not shine by ramming shells into shells. Shells are hard, they do
not break on contact. The only way to break a shell is to
metaphorically peel it away, or to pick away at it a little at a time,
until it weakens in a certain area. Think about how a constant drip of
drops of water on a stone can eventually eat through the stone, boring a
hole straight through it. As it is in nature with water and rocks, so
too is it with light and shells. Now, let's strip away the nice
metaphors and describe practicality.
If
light is truth, then the only way to expose light is to explore what is
truth. Whatever it is that we hold to be our "sacred cows" must be
ready to be "offered to slaughter upon the altars of discovery." In
other words, if we are not willing to let go our of cherished sacred
beliefs in light of greater discoveries, then we are adding thickness to
shells further entrapping the light of truth and discovery.
Since
the beginning of the period of the Torah Sages, they have placed
emphasis on the importance of learning. The primary focus of learning
was the Bible. Before any further study was to be pursued, the Bible
was first to be mastered. It is terrible that this wise course have
action has fallen by the wayside in Jewish circles. Today, the vast
majority of religious Jews are keenly ignorant of the Bible, and its
actual teachings. While many study the weekly Torah portion over and
over again, very few ever go beyond this to study the books of the
Prophets or the books of the Writings. Without the great and necessary
insights from these sacred texts, the light within them remains
concealed under layers and layers of shells.
Reading
the Biblical texts is one thing. Understanding them simply and
directly in another. In Judaism there is a method of Biblical
interpretation called Drash. Drash is an approach takes a scriptural
reference that has a clear historical context (called Pshat), and
extracts it from that context and then applies the scripture in a manner
of the authors choosing. Jewish authors have used this method since
the days of the Second Temple. We find this method used widely
throughout the period in almost all Jewish literature, including those
that we later renamed as Christian.
Drash
takes a verse, or section of scripture out of its literal context
(Pshat) and understands it metaphorically, as it relates to a moral
lesson, or as an implied prophecy about some current events. The actual
historical context of the scripture (Pshat) does not have to be far too
different from the metaphors being ascribed to it (Drash), but
sometimes, they indeed are. When the two approaches are recognized side
by side, and each appreciated for what they are, then this is all fine
and good. However, when the Drash supersedes the Pshat, and often
replaces it, then this is bad. This is how shells are created, and
hardened.
Learning
the Bible and understanding it for what it actually says, and what it
does not say is the beginning of knowledge. Every group claims that
they (and often, they alone) understand the Bible accurately. Well, if
this is the case, then such definitive positions and beliefs should be
able to withstand any and all forms of analysis and investigation. Yet,
when subject to such scrutiny, groups holding such definitive and
absolute positions fall back upon the argument that their positions and
views are accurate according to their faith, and that they will not
allow anything in the world of reality to shake their faith.
Faith
is a mystery, therefore the views of others are considered dangerous
intrusions, any time that such views do not agree with that of the
group. Faith is the fall back point. Logic, scrutiny and investigation
are frowned upon, if not outrightly banned, because the resulting
discoveries of such can lead to conclusions that contradict, and thus
challenge, the unmovable faith of the group. Unmovable faith is just
another layer of shell that further masks the light therein.
Enlightenment
can never come in the dark of the mind. The light of God's truth
cannot come into a mind that has no room for it. Whether we are talking
about "sacred cows" or "golden calves," both are poor substitutes for
the real true Word of God. Moses and Israel learned this valuable
lesson long ago at Mt. Sinai. So, while faith is good and belief is
grand, Truth is the label of the "Big Boss Man."
Biblical
research is not just accepting one's religious creed, and then reading
the Bible in light of it, embracing all that agrees with it, and
rejecting all that does not fit in. Truth in its ultimate, final form
may not be discoverable. We may have to wait for a future revelation
before our present state of confusion can finally be lifted for good.
Yet, regardless of our present limitations, we have to try our best,
with what we presently have.
Releasing
light from its shells requires courage. Releasing light from its shell
reveals light in the dark. This means that the revelations discovered
through exploration might "blind the eye of the mind" for a short while,
until we adjust to seeing the light. In other words, the initial
revelation of light can hurt. Physical light can hurt the physical eye,
Light of knowledge can initially "hurt" the mind. Indeed, this is a
good rule for identification. If it hurts, then there must be something
to it. If it does not hurt, then how much light can there be? Real
revelations are a challenge to both mind and faith.
Putting
all metaphors aside, releasing the light from its entrapping vessels is
an arduous task that requires of us serious study and equally serious
introspection. Discovering truth, hidden under layers and layers of
shells, requires a lot of digging, and the harder the shells, the slower
the dig. But the dig must go on! The truth is under all those layers
and we must get to the bottom of them so that the entrapped light can
finally be revealed.
This
is the Light of creation, the Light of the First Day, said to be
concealed for the righteous in the World to Come. Be this as it may, we
can still access a glimpse in the here and now. We have our work cut
out for us, and all our proclamations and prayers are not going to get
everyone else to "see the light" as we see it. Light will hurt the eye
of the mind for a while, and then one will get used to it. And with the
light as guide, more light will be discovered, and more light will
shine.
In
the light, we will discover that a lot of what has divided us is
nothing other than old broken shells. We will discover many new
treasures and come to see, with the mind's eye, that which long ago was
called "the secrets of the Torah," and "the hidden mystery concealed
with the Word of God." It is there waiting for us to discover.
Seeing
is believing. See for yourselves what no other can show you. Let us
start with the premise that all our groups, every one of them, lacks
some element of the light. Faith aside, let us explore and discover
truth. Once discovered, this Truth will be the New Covenant prophesied
long ago in the Book of Jeremiah. It is finally coming!
Copyright © 2012 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.