One Universal Ethical Basis For Us All

בסיעתא דשמיא



The world's existence is preserved through 3 things;Torah study, Prayer & Kind Deeds. For society to flourish mankind as a whole must come to appreciate the importance of, Truth, Justice & Peace & conduct itself accordingly. Within the great Family of Man, each individual has his or her path within a path. Yet there is ONE Universal ethical basis for us all. Accept upon yourself the responsibility for peace & oneness in our world - world peace as a value goal. That will herald in a new era & a renewed world. A world of truth, wisdom, harmony & peace!

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it ."

Friday, July 29, 2011

An Island Of Decency In A Sea Of Depravity - An Ark Of Our Own



The Noahide Laws is named after the famed builder of the ark. It is during the Genesis portion of Noah in that we learn of the cataclysmic flood that destroyed life, save that of Noah, his family, and the animals he brought on board with him.

Scripture explains why this dramatic act was needed. Humankind had devolved into a moral abyss. Immorality in all of its forms was rampant. Hatred amongst the peoples of the earth was complete. There was one exception to this rule, Noah. Despite living in the most depraved of circumstances he maintained his dignity and righteousness. Noah "went with God," as Scripture tells us. This means that Godliness ennobled his life and the lives of those around him. 

An island of decency in a sea of depravity was the hallmark of Noah. And so God despaired of Noah's generation and decided to begin anew the task of creating a human species worthy of its vaunted status. Even after it had been decided On High to destroy the existing life, people were given ample opportunity to change their ways thereby obviating the need for the flood. During the long tenure that construction on the ark continued people would ask Noah, "Why are you building this large craft?" To these queries he would reply, "Because God has wearied of human immorality and has decreed that the world will be destroyed should people choose not to repent." Needless to say the people chose to scoff at Noah and his dire warnings instead of taking them to heart and changing their evil ways. Even when the rains of the flood started the people could have changed and transformed those destructive rains into rains of blessing, but still they remained hard-hearted. 

When the rains turned menacing they became known as the "multitude of waters". Noah and his family remained safely insulated from the destruction going on outside. They miraculously survived the flood and lived to rebuild humanity. Upon their emergence from the ark seven special laws were commanded to Noah, and through him to all humanity. The laws are aptly called the Seven Noahide Laws. These laws include: 1. Belief in one God / Not serving idols. 2. Not blaspheming God. 3. Not murdering. 4. Not stealing. 5. Not committing immoral sexual acts. 6. Not being cruel to animals. 7. Establishing courts of justice. These laws are meant to be the basis for all human society for all future generations. These laws clearly establish codes of decency expected of every human being.

Our Sages teach us that the flood waters are also present in every generation. They are represented by the numerous anti-spiritual influences found all around us. These waters may appear very tempting and good at first glance, but when one takes a step back and analyzes what he is seeing, the destructiveness becomes apparent. 

The ark represents different things depending on who is looking.  The walls of these edifices offer protection andsafeguard us from the destruction found in the outside realm. 

The ark represents strict adherence to the Seven Noahide Laws. Those laws are the scriptures clear instructions as to what should be the goals and aspirations of all humanity. It is precisely those laws that allow all of humankind to achieve, in an overt way, its predestined state of superiority and Godliness.

Whichever group we may belong to it is of critical importance to make sure the walls of our "ark" are watertight. This means that humanity must reject secularism (an existence devoid of God).

On the other hand, we see some people who in the name of God perform atrocities that are beyond words to describe. That is precisely why the Seven Laws are so important. Anyone who wants to serve God must do so on His terms. When one uses God's name for evil he has in fact desecrated the Holy Name. This is most hateful in the eyes of God.

During these trying times we must find refuge in our personal, communal, and even national arks. We must make sure that negative influences are securely locked out. Better still, we must allow the light of the enlightened to shine forth transforming the surrounding darkness into life-giving light! [Yeruchem Eilfort]