וְאֵרַשְֹתִּיךְ לִי בֶּאֱמוּנָה וְיָדַעַתְּ אֶת-ה':
„and I will betroth you to me forever;
and I will betroth you to Me with rightousness,
with justice, with kindness and with mercy;
and I will betroth you to Me with fidelity
and you will know HaShem."
(Hosea 2, 21-23)
הקדמה
Introduction
It is only logical to conclude that if creation is not the product of chaos, then it is the product of an all-surpassing sublime intelligence. Even Abraham Avinu, who has been credited with having written the work known as ספר יצירהSEFER YETZIRAH The Book of Creation, looked upon creation as a building and Tradition accordingly considers the Creator to be the Master Builder. This is a very useful method of drawing closer to the substance which the CHASA''L (= the Sages, whose memory be a blessing to us) call מעשה בראשיתMA'ASSEBERESHIT the Act of Creation.
Likewise it is obviously quite clear on the one hand that every intelligent form of act must have a reason and a purpose for it's existence and that these two components are recognisable on the basis of the origin of their inherents, their organisation and function, as far as there are no obstacles, or for that matter further complications such as unknown inherents, indicernable organisations or complex functions.
Inherence, organisation and function – these are revealed matter which allow for examination, research and order by means of our senses and intellect.
On the other hand, the motivation and tools used by the Master are only vaguely recognisable, if at all, on the basis of its work. Today we can recognise the Pyramids for what they are and order a function to it on the basis of archeological finds available. However, one can only speculate on what actually motivated the Pharoahs at the time – but it cannot be proved that they all suffered from meglomania (and I don't think that this is true).
It is an undisputed fact that every created thing points to it's Creator and bears witness of Him, this also goes for אדםADAM Human Being. We are taught to look upon human beings as the crown of creation. Is this natural? What is the criteria according to which this has been established? Our Sages teach that there is no "dead" matter in the Universe, only varying forms of life:
* Mineral life
* Plant life
* Animal life
* Human life
What primarily differentiates man from beast is the free will, the ability to make a choice between a minimum of two alternatives; and the ability to speak. At first glance this does not seem logical – even animals have their own form of communication. But what is implied here is the ability to reflect one's own ego, the ability to realize oneself and to reciprocate – that is self-consciousness.
This unique ability gives witness of a "dual" intelligence:
For one thing man can think conclusively, better still he can "calculate" (חשבCHASHAW): he can grasp matter, order them and draw conclusions. We order and weigh things primararily according to their existential meaning, which then is also their obvious given value for us: We have to eat, drink and rest, we need protection from weather conditions and wild animals. We have the need to procreate. However, these basics can, for example, still the needs of even an ape: which has long been experimentally proved.
However, what man can do if he wants to, is order things differently because he can lend it a value other than the above-mentioned worth. He can rein-in his natural needs and instincts and submit to a higher value system. This goes into effect when there is no obvious purpose for a certain recognisable action, for example the burial of another person. This form of deed is called גמילות חסדיםG'MILUT CHASSADIM "Acts of Love". This was Abraham's strength. He loved to spread Joy among other people without awaiting reciprocation. For no amount of work was considered too much and no cost too high – he was the most hospitable person in the world (see the story of the visitation of the Nomadic Wanderers in Bereschit 18).
What kind of insight did he have? He knew that G'MILUT CHASSADIM Acts of Love have the highest priority with the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Abraham teaches us what it was that motivated HASHEM to create Creation – His love and joy of giving, as well as the will to love and to be known.
We can therefore summarise as follows: Man differs from beast in three things:
a) The free will, specially free choice;
b) Language, that is the conscious alter ego.
c) The Joy of G'MILUT CHASSADIM acts of love, which is also the joy of impartation.
The more we think about it the clearer the verse becomes: "G-D made man in his own image and likeness". He created ADAM not with the intentional goal that this one should become G-D, CHALILA. He made ADAM so that this one would be like G-D, which is also the meaning of the name א-דםA-DAM: א = stands for אלהיםG-D; דם = likeness - is taken from דמהDOMEH; hence א-דם- means: to be like G-D.
Consequently, we human beings occupy ourselves with the three above-mentioned subjects which go to define us as ADAM and in which we recognise the likeness and image of G-D in us. The Thora instructs us that all creatures were created through G-D's speech. That is the reason why the Sages of Israel teach us to engage in the study of לשון קודשLASHON KODESH the Holy Language through which all things were created, formed and made. If one argues that all languages were from G-D because he can speak them all, hence one could just as well occupy oneself with the same degree of success with English, Russian or Japanese; the response would be: It is correct that the Holy One, blessed be He, is omniscient and omnipotent, yet it is obvious that He has one language preference through which He has communicated from the very beginning: that is לשון עברLASHON AWAR the Primordial or Ancient Language.
The definition of language points to a certain biblical character and a decisive event in the history of man. We are referring to עבר EWER who had two sons by the names of Peleg and Jaktan, as is written in Bereshit 10, 25: "And to Eber were born two sons: The name of the first was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and the name of his brother was Joktan". What is meant by this verse is that in Peleg's generation, as a result of the sin of the errection of the Tower of Babel, G-D confused the One common language of all mankind into 70 languages or language "offsprings" and He split them according to the number of descendants through (Noach's sons') - Shem, Japhet and Ham. Only Ewer and his decendants retained LASCHON EWER, the language of Ewer also known as the Ancient Language (which was before the language confusion) in remembrance and for their usage, through which they differed from all other nations even then. This explains why it is important for the Thora to impart that Abram (who at that point had not yet been named Abraham) was a Hebrew, as is written in Bereshit 14,13: "Then there came a fugitive and told Abram, the Ivri (Hebrew)..." In this connection, the purpose is revealed as to why G-d lead Abram straight to Cana'an – it was the piece of land that was promised to the Hebrews from the very outset; as Joseph HAZADDIK the Righteous One, remonstrates in Bereshit 40,15: "for they have stolen me out of the Land of the Hebrews". The Hebrews not only retained their language but also their remembrance of One G-D, which is why HASHEM sent forth Moshe Rabbeinu, Aharon and the Elders of Israel to Pharoah with the following words in Shemot 3,18: "You and the Elders of Israel shall come to the king of Egypt and say to him, "HASHEM the G-D of the Hebrews, has happened upon us. And now, please let us go on a three-day journey in the Wilderness, and we shall bring offerings to HASHEM, our G-D".
There is a further reason as to why we should occupy ourselves with the study of LASHON KODESH: This language forms a person's conscious awareness and his thought processes. The language confusion that took place then is not only a historical event, but also a power that The Eternal One, blessed be He, allows to permeate for as long as humanity refuses to repent.
How does it give expression to itself?
A short look at history shows, that according to the Power, Imperium or Rule or segments thereof that dominated Man at any given time, it is recognisable that their language and their culture always played a prominent part. According to the Thora, the Arameans were the first major power to let their language triumph over all the other languages of the nations which they placed under their rule, with the exception of Israel; although Aramaic was used as the colloquial language, beside Hebrew, by those who returned from the Babylonian Diaspora גלות Galut. Aramaic has remained even today as one of the languages of the Jewish Sages. This was followed by Greek and Latin, Mandarin ruled the Middle Kingdom and Spanish in all of Latin America except for Brazil. Today of course, English is the political Lingua Franca of the world, the global economy as well as the sciences. Languages permeate one another, foreign words are adapted along with new forms taken from other cultures and religions. Language confusion is striding ahead faster than ever before in this era of global communication
One example suffices to show the extent to which language confusion goes. The definition of "God": During ancient times, when the the second Temple still stood, the nations knew that there was one Creator, even though they had no relationship to Him because of their idolatrous ways. However, it was during the period of Yeshua's ministry that the monotheistic faith of Israel began to spread increasingly, so much so that Jerusalem became an important cultural centre and drew large crowds of pilgrims annually. If one takes the important trade-routes of those times into consideration, one sees that many of the main connections from North to South (from Europe to Africa via the Meditterean coast) and from East to West (from India or Persia to Europe through the route from Damascus via the habour town of Acre) led through Israel, which apart from a rise in cultural tourism also saw a flourish in economic success. It was not without reason that Herodes saw fit to build new cities and a new habour (Ceasarea) as well as to remove the second Temple and erect a new one extending over 144.000 square metres, one that was larger and far grander, on its site; through which the Jewish culture and religion increased enormously in influence within the Roman Empire. Hatred, envy and fear of losing their powerful status to a "softer" lifestyle as the motivator for destroying Jerusalem, should not be undermined. It was understood that whoever triumphed over the Holy City would attain world dominance – a view held since Nebuchadnezar. Titus was not appeased by burning down the Temple alone, he first tore down the Curtain to the Holy of Holies and raped a woman right there before doing so.
The new way of the Jewish faith that was proclaimed by Paul in the name of Yeshua HaMelech HaMaschiach at a time when the Herodian Temple still stood, opened and paved the way for the sanctification and Divine Service of G-D for all believing people (read Acts 15). Even after the destruction of the Temple, the influence of the Jewish culture and Israel's religious outlook spread so rapidly, so much so that it was the same hatred and sheer calculated power that led to the split of the Roman congregation from Jerusalem, which finally led to it's fall. The Council of Nicea marked a turning point in history. It was there that the western European clergy together with the Bishop of Rome decided to redefine the meaning of G-D's revelation at Mt. Sinai (Shemot 20) – the Man Christ was likened in image to be G-D. A few decades thereafter the definition of G-D was widened to the take in the Hypothesis of the "Holy Ghost".
Hence, it is now obvious that there is a huge need and much more than that – there is an urgency to resurrect the Holy Language along with it's terms and definitions, and to set it free from the dungeon of the Ghetto of Hate; in order to let the Wisdom of G-D illuminate the Way of our Lord Yeshua HaMelech HaMaschiach again unto Eternal Life.
In conclusion, I repeat and summarise: In G-d's free will and without expectation of any form of reciprocation and in an act of self-acknowledgement He created Creation, in order to spread Joy abroad and to rejoice in the Joy of His Creation. In other words, so that He may rejoice in the Joy of Man – ADAM – in recognising and knowing G-D. As is written:
„and I will betroth you to me forever; and I will betroth you to Me with rightousness, with justice, with kindness and with mercy; and I will betroth you to Me with fidelity and you will know HaShem."
(Hosea 2, 21-23)
