Soon to Be

“And the earth was without form and void…”

Genesis 1:2

What is concealed,

will soon be revealed.

The things that G-d has hidden

in our heart of hearts,

eternity, divinity, and wisdom

will be brought to our awareness

in tandem with an acceptance

of the ancient narratives,

the noble pioneers,

and faithful prophets

of His word.

—– —– —–

The banquet of Heaven

awaits all who are called

to feast upon Leviathan,

the doomed serpent of old,

whose boldness and deception

has plunged the world into darkness,

bringing chaos and turmoil

that taints the soil

of G-d’s creation.

—– —– —–

The nations shall not prevail

over the directive of Shomayim,

nor succeed in turning the moral clock

backwards, unto  tohu va’vohu –

formless and void.

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Harmony of Opposites

tiferes – harmony, beauty, peace, sanctity

Sometimes life may seem
like a high-wire balancing act,
without a safety net.
We juggle in mid-air,
all of the peoples stares,
we imagine upon us.

When we realize
that no one has perfected
themselves to the extent
wherein harmony reigns,
constantly within and without,
we can accept the nuances
inherent in our existential walk,
across time, from one year to another,
while harmonizing the opposites
of our personalities, with the help
of Providence & Divine Insight.

In consideration of the nearly polar opposites of chesed (loving-kindness) and gevurah (judgment), tiferes (harmony) has the potential to infuse these two “emotional attributes,” into a blend of synergistic harmony that has as its substance, the beauty of moderation, balance, and right amounts of the elements necessary, to bring about reconciliation with all things.

This is why tiferes, seems to me, to be akin to ahavah (love); although, it is traditionally associated with compassion. Incidentally, what is the relationship between love and compassion? Todd Rundgren sang that love without compassion is nil. “Even love has turned bad, [if] it was love without compassion” (Todd Rundgren, Compassion). Is there any truth to be found in his claim?

There is self-love, love of objects (especially our own possessions), love of pleasure, and love of the merely satisfying as opposed to love of virtue. Compassion permits us to love others with a certain degree of selflessness, and has the ability to negate our selfishness, and break down the separateness between ourselves and others. Something for the world to consider…

Thoughts Coalesce

Being aware

of separating the essential

from the nonessential,

making the right choices for myself,

and recommendations for others,

when I am able to do so –

this should compel me

to also guard my thoughts,

and watch my behavior –

an outward reminder

of the inner struggle.

—– —– —–

Perhaps, this panoply

of food allergies that plague

millions of people, like myself,

and the current disarray of society

are indications of the sickness within,

the disengagement of ancient truths,

no longer held within us

as a foundation to build upon;

the mild-mannered way

the good-natured person,

succumbing to the rants and raves

of a wild contagion

manifest in cancel culture,

and tearing society

apart at the seams.

—– —– —–

And, who will stitch and sew

together the remnant

of our tattered psyches,

except for the One

who can mend broken hearts,

and heal the wounds

that plague the soul?

—– —– —–

All of these externalities –

chaos, division, a lack of compassion,

an overall tendency toward

an underlying pervasive nihilism –

an outer manifestation

of the inner malaise

that corrodes from within,

unless we begin to search ourselves

for the solace inside of us

that can only be found

where we make space

for He who dwells within us,

and invite Him in.

The Shoreline

Setting aside selfish sentiments,

to focus attention on the divine,

unearthing hidden resentments –

compelling the soul to transcend over time.

Like the waters on the beach,

receding into the blue ocean,

I would swim as far as I could to reach

a distant shore, where ancient memories blend

with a future envisioned by the prophets,

who saw the distant hope on the horizon,

and directed us to seek, as wisdom saw fit,

the entrance into the kingdom.

—– —– —– —– —–

The currents challenge us to navigate,

while the waves crest high with foam;

and, our arrival can only be estimated

by the tears that fall as we roam.

The promise of a place reserved,

beckons to us from that golden shore,

as we are called to rely on our faith,

to guide us through the door.

Our lives, akin to all who hear the call,

to enter into the ark of refuge,

provided by the One who created all,

to transcend the dystopian deluge.