בס"ד
For A Bit of Information About Me
Please see the following link: http://www.icq.com/whitepages/about_me.php?uin=302658608
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
Monday, August 02, 2004
ב"ה
The Concepts משיח and ברית חדשה In Judaism
in Light of The Dead Sea Scrolls
in Light of The Dead Sea Scrolls
Introduction
It is ironic, but true, that the final refutation of Christianity is to be found in the Dead Sea scrolls, the very source that modern Christian researchers so hoped would provide support for the tenets of their beliefs.
Indeed, many of the terms and concepts we are familiar with from Christianity are to be found in the Dead Sea scrolls and it makes little sense to deny this fact. For those who have a proclivity to do so, combined with only rudimentary knowledge of the Holy Language, it would be easy enough to interpret the terms and concepts as they are found in the Dead Sea scrolls as meaning what Christians mean by them. Orthodox Jews, for their part, would prefer to dismiss היחד as "צדוקים", which they were, or worse as "מינים", which they were not, in order not to be faced with the cognitive and religious dissonance of encountering what appears to be quasi-Christianity in their writings and having to deal with the fact that very devoted Jews wrote in those terms.
The approach to פרשנות in this work will not be another Jewish aping of "exegesis" and "hermeneutics". This will be a work of true פרשנות, i.e., examination of Hebrew text in terms of analysis of the Hebrew language based on our age-old tradition of how to read Hebrew and delve into the פנימיות of that which is written. We will reiterate and demonstrate once again, בע"ה, in the course of this work why performing החלופים is essential to understanding Hebrew text. More proofs and demonstrations of this are to be found in my works entitled נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות, and מאוצר אור החלופים: פרשת מקץ, which can both be found on:
http://tinyurl.com/5zxoy
We will be intrepid in our research. While it will be demonstrated that Christianity has misunderstood the terms and concepts that it has arrogated from Judaism, it will also be demonstrated that tenets of the Christian faith that are dismissed out-of-hand by Orthodox Judaism do indeed rest on firm religious bases. Those bases are not, to be sure, that which Christianity imagines them to be, but they are not spurious and cannot be ignored.
It has proven futile for Jews and Christians to argue the legitimacy of their faiths based on interpretation of texts. Such argumentation must, at best, conclude with: "Let's agree to disagree on how to interpret the meaning." Neither side is left either finally refuted, or finally vindicated.
For its part, Orthodox Judaism will have to surrender some of its most cherished illusions about the supremacy of the פרושים vis-a-vis הצדוקים and some of its most deeply entrenched misunderstandings of who and what משיח is and when משיח arrives if we are to return to the true understanding of משיח that we forgot.
We will examine terms and concepts that are specifically Jewish, those that are specifically Christian and those shared by both religions in light of the חלופים. In the above-mentioned works that I have written,
נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות and מאוצר אור החלופים: פרשת מקץ it has been demonstrated not only that the performance of the חלופים is sine qua non for the correct reading of תורה, but also that היחד were Masters of the חלופים, employing them in all of their writings. We will see their stunning mastery once again, בע"ה, in this work.
While מאוצר אור החלופים: פרשת מקץ was written in a predominantly rationalistic style so that scientists and mathematicians would be able to relate to the work, this work is intended for the morally/spiritually inclined and will present the material as such wholly unabashedly, unapologetically and uncompromisingly.
Let us turn, then, to the terms and concepts in light of the חלופים so that they may begin to speak for themselves.
The reader is urged to pay the חלופים presented for each term and concept the utmost attention. Each חלוף essential for a comprehensive understanding of the mega-concept, which is the numerical value that all of the חלופים for a word or phrase share. Please note the progression of one חלוף to the next. Every effort will be made to group the חלופים together such that the progression of one to the next is readily apparent.
It must be stressed that there is not "final", utmost, or uppermost חלוף for any value. Each and every one is of equal value in understanding the entire concept and each and every one is operative in any and all cases.
The חלופים exist on a level from which grammar and syntax are proceed. Most often they do not produce grammatically whole sentences, but rather reveal aspects of a mega-concept that is a given value. Despite the fact that the חלופים are usually not whole sentences following the laws of grammar with which we are familiar, for they are the building blocks language, we will see that they speak far more clearly than loquacious prose. If I were to attempt to write out all of the information that are provided by the חלופים in grammatical and syntactical prose this work would be far, far longer, but its impact would be immeasurably reduced.
There will, however, be cases in which it will be necessary to comment on some of the חלופים demonstrated. In that minority of cases a supralineal number will be found at the end of the חלוף and the comment(s) will appear after the list of חלופים for the term or concept (in the actual work, we will not use that device here).
In some cases it will be necessary to demonstrate חלופים for letters that appear as part of radicals and words, or parts of words in order to elucidate the underlying structure. For instance: חלופים for the value of the word משיח taken as a whole will be demonstrated. We will also demonstrate חלופים for ש"מ, י"ח, ש"ח, ש"י, מ"י ו-מ"ח, in order to see many levels of meaning that are operative in the word משיח.
We will demonstrate חלופים, and thus depths of such terms as:
רוח הקֹדש
משֻלש (trebled or trinity)
בתולה
אם
צלב
כפר
קרבן
ברית
ברית חדשה
הברית החדשה
and more.
Perhaps the very best place to start is with the radical י-ש-ע. Much ado has been made about the root י-ש-ע in its various inflections in the Christian tradition, and rightfully so. The concept of ישועות figures prominently in Judaism as well and is to be found a number of times in the extant Dead Sea Scrolls. We shall see some of the depths of the root י-ש-ע taken individually, and in conjunction with the letters
ה, ו, י, ל, מ, נ ו-ת that form the inflections of the root י-ש-ע. We will see that neither the Pharisaic/Rabbinic nor the Christian traditions plumbed the depths of these words or revealed their true Messianic meaning. However, it will be demonstrated that היחד did understand the root י-ש-ע, its inflections and its connections to the concept of משיח in a far more profound and holy way than did either הפרושים or the Christians.
י-ש-ע is infinitely more than the Christian "salvation"., While we will see the root used to mean "salvation" and "deliverance" in the Dead Sea scrolls, we will see that it meant far more, even when it appears to mean "salvation" and "deliverance".
The Pharisaic/Rabbinic tradition of Judaism did not, indeed could not, pass on the true מסורת of just what ישועה is. Indeed, it was the misunderstanding and partial understanding on the part of the Pharisees, and subsequently that of their students the Rabbis, that opened the door to Christianity and their taking of the concepts further afield still until they were distorted almost beyond recognition. We will, בע"ה, return to the Torah-true intent of these words and concepts as understood by נביאי ישראל and as recorded for posterity, ברוח הקֹדש, by היחד.
We will consider every inflection of the root י-ש-ע that is to be found in the extant Dead Sea scrolls. Additionally, we will consider those inflections of the root י-ש-ע in consideration of the words contiguous to them in the passages. In so doing, we will demonstrate how the depths of the concept that is 380, the value of the root י-ש-ע was woven into the ostensible meaning of the texts of היחד. We will concentrate on the forms of the root most familiar to us from the Jewish and the Christian traditions.
The concept of י-ש-ע in the Dead Sea scrolls is entirely Jewish, and upon examination of the texts of היחד will be seen to be wholly concerned with the ultimate returning to השם ישתבח שמו on the part of עם ישראל. ישועה will be seen, likewise, to be the ultimate promise of peace that will exist between ישראל and הגוים. We will encounter the concepts of ישועה that were plagiarized and distorted by the Christians in their pristine and original form.
We will, בע"ה, likewise, consider every site in the extant Dead Sea scrolls in which the appellations משיח and משוח and their inflections appear and analyze them both as discreet terms and in relation to the words contiguous to them. We must consider terms in relation to the other terms contiguous to them when considering Hebrew texts because Divinely inspired Hebrew is an alphanumeric/moral lattice and the "weave" must be perceived in order to appreciate the wonder of the work.
Let us turn, then, to our demonstration of the root י-ש-ע (a very partial sampling will be offered at this juncture):
ישע = 380 = ממש = מספר = עיר המלכה = בעבור המלכה =
למד דבר מלכה = אתם עבור המלכה = 1379 = 380…
Yes, there is a feminine element in the root י-ש-ע that has not been revealed either in the Pharisaic/Rabbinic Jewish or the Christian traditions. We will see a good deal more of this feminine Aspect.
In fact, if we look at the word ישע with a ה ידיעה or the suffix ה, indicating the possessive in the singular feminine, we see that:
ישעה = 385 = הישע = שפה = עשיה = שכינה = ישע בבשרך
1384 = 385 = ממש בבשרך …
While the concept of the female aspect of the Godly presence is certainly a central theme in Pharisaic/Rabbinic Judaism, it is not connected by them to the radical י-ש-ע or to language, as we see above. The "Kabbalah" speaks of עולם העשיה, but again, the concept is related neither to language nor to the root י-ש-ע and its Messianic meaning.
Indeed, the Female, Christians will come to see, is not one young Jewish woman who becomes pregnant with a "savior". The Female that we will become more familiar with is the female aspect of God Itself, It's relation to ישראל and to הגוים.
Yet this is not nearly all.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
קיץ ה'תשס"ד
It is ironic, but true, that the final refutation of Christianity is to be found in the Dead Sea scrolls, the very source that modern Christian researchers so hoped would provide support for the tenets of their beliefs.
Indeed, many of the terms and concepts we are familiar with from Christianity are to be found in the Dead Sea scrolls and it makes little sense to deny this fact. For those who have a proclivity to do so, combined with only rudimentary knowledge of the Holy Language, it would be easy enough to interpret the terms and concepts as they are found in the Dead Sea scrolls as meaning what Christians mean by them. Orthodox Jews, for their part, would prefer to dismiss היחד as "צדוקים", which they were, or worse as "מינים", which they were not, in order not to be faced with the cognitive and religious dissonance of encountering what appears to be quasi-Christianity in their writings and having to deal with the fact that very devoted Jews wrote in those terms.
The approach to פרשנות in this work will not be another Jewish aping of "exegesis" and "hermeneutics". This will be a work of true פרשנות, i.e., examination of Hebrew text in terms of analysis of the Hebrew language based on our age-old tradition of how to read Hebrew and delve into the פנימיות of that which is written. We will reiterate and demonstrate once again, בע"ה, in the course of this work why performing החלופים is essential to understanding Hebrew text. More proofs and demonstrations of this are to be found in my works entitled נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות, and מאוצר אור החלופים: פרשת מקץ, which can both be found on:
http://tinyurl.com/5zxoy
We will be intrepid in our research. While it will be demonstrated that Christianity has misunderstood the terms and concepts that it has arrogated from Judaism, it will also be demonstrated that tenets of the Christian faith that are dismissed out-of-hand by Orthodox Judaism do indeed rest on firm religious bases. Those bases are not, to be sure, that which Christianity imagines them to be, but they are not spurious and cannot be ignored.
It has proven futile for Jews and Christians to argue the legitimacy of their faiths based on interpretation of texts. Such argumentation must, at best, conclude with: "Let's agree to disagree on how to interpret the meaning." Neither side is left either finally refuted, or finally vindicated.
For its part, Orthodox Judaism will have to surrender some of its most cherished illusions about the supremacy of the פרושים vis-a-vis הצדוקים and some of its most deeply entrenched misunderstandings of who and what משיח is and when משיח arrives if we are to return to the true understanding of משיח that we forgot.
We will examine terms and concepts that are specifically Jewish, those that are specifically Christian and those shared by both religions in light of the חלופים. In the above-mentioned works that I have written,
נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות and מאוצר אור החלופים: פרשת מקץ it has been demonstrated not only that the performance of the חלופים is sine qua non for the correct reading of תורה, but also that היחד were Masters of the חלופים, employing them in all of their writings. We will see their stunning mastery once again, בע"ה, in this work.
While מאוצר אור החלופים: פרשת מקץ was written in a predominantly rationalistic style so that scientists and mathematicians would be able to relate to the work, this work is intended for the morally/spiritually inclined and will present the material as such wholly unabashedly, unapologetically and uncompromisingly.
Let us turn, then, to the terms and concepts in light of the חלופים so that they may begin to speak for themselves.
The reader is urged to pay the חלופים presented for each term and concept the utmost attention. Each חלוף essential for a comprehensive understanding of the mega-concept, which is the numerical value that all of the חלופים for a word or phrase share. Please note the progression of one חלוף to the next. Every effort will be made to group the חלופים together such that the progression of one to the next is readily apparent.
It must be stressed that there is not "final", utmost, or uppermost חלוף for any value. Each and every one is of equal value in understanding the entire concept and each and every one is operative in any and all cases.
The חלופים exist on a level from which grammar and syntax are proceed. Most often they do not produce grammatically whole sentences, but rather reveal aspects of a mega-concept that is a given value. Despite the fact that the חלופים are usually not whole sentences following the laws of grammar with which we are familiar, for they are the building blocks language, we will see that they speak far more clearly than loquacious prose. If I were to attempt to write out all of the information that are provided by the חלופים in grammatical and syntactical prose this work would be far, far longer, but its impact would be immeasurably reduced.
There will, however, be cases in which it will be necessary to comment on some of the חלופים demonstrated. In that minority of cases a supralineal number will be found at the end of the חלוף and the comment(s) will appear after the list of חלופים for the term or concept (in the actual work, we will not use that device here).
In some cases it will be necessary to demonstrate חלופים for letters that appear as part of radicals and words, or parts of words in order to elucidate the underlying structure. For instance: חלופים for the value of the word משיח taken as a whole will be demonstrated. We will also demonstrate חלופים for ש"מ, י"ח, ש"ח, ש"י, מ"י ו-מ"ח, in order to see many levels of meaning that are operative in the word משיח.
We will demonstrate חלופים, and thus depths of such terms as:
רוח הקֹדש
משֻלש (trebled or trinity)
בתולה
אם
צלב
כפר
קרבן
ברית
ברית חדשה
הברית החדשה
and more.
Perhaps the very best place to start is with the radical י-ש-ע. Much ado has been made about the root י-ש-ע in its various inflections in the Christian tradition, and rightfully so. The concept of ישועות figures prominently in Judaism as well and is to be found a number of times in the extant Dead Sea Scrolls. We shall see some of the depths of the root י-ש-ע taken individually, and in conjunction with the letters
ה, ו, י, ל, מ, נ ו-ת that form the inflections of the root י-ש-ע. We will see that neither the Pharisaic/Rabbinic nor the Christian traditions plumbed the depths of these words or revealed their true Messianic meaning. However, it will be demonstrated that היחד did understand the root י-ש-ע, its inflections and its connections to the concept of משיח in a far more profound and holy way than did either הפרושים or the Christians.
י-ש-ע is infinitely more than the Christian "salvation"., While we will see the root used to mean "salvation" and "deliverance" in the Dead Sea scrolls, we will see that it meant far more, even when it appears to mean "salvation" and "deliverance".
The Pharisaic/Rabbinic tradition of Judaism did not, indeed could not, pass on the true מסורת of just what ישועה is. Indeed, it was the misunderstanding and partial understanding on the part of the Pharisees, and subsequently that of their students the Rabbis, that opened the door to Christianity and their taking of the concepts further afield still until they were distorted almost beyond recognition. We will, בע"ה, return to the Torah-true intent of these words and concepts as understood by נביאי ישראל and as recorded for posterity, ברוח הקֹדש, by היחד.
We will consider every inflection of the root י-ש-ע that is to be found in the extant Dead Sea scrolls. Additionally, we will consider those inflections of the root י-ש-ע in consideration of the words contiguous to them in the passages. In so doing, we will demonstrate how the depths of the concept that is 380, the value of the root י-ש-ע was woven into the ostensible meaning of the texts of היחד. We will concentrate on the forms of the root most familiar to us from the Jewish and the Christian traditions.
The concept of י-ש-ע in the Dead Sea scrolls is entirely Jewish, and upon examination of the texts of היחד will be seen to be wholly concerned with the ultimate returning to השם ישתבח שמו on the part of עם ישראל. ישועה will be seen, likewise, to be the ultimate promise of peace that will exist between ישראל and הגוים. We will encounter the concepts of ישועה that were plagiarized and distorted by the Christians in their pristine and original form.
We will, בע"ה, likewise, consider every site in the extant Dead Sea scrolls in which the appellations משיח and משוח and their inflections appear and analyze them both as discreet terms and in relation to the words contiguous to them. We must consider terms in relation to the other terms contiguous to them when considering Hebrew texts because Divinely inspired Hebrew is an alphanumeric/moral lattice and the "weave" must be perceived in order to appreciate the wonder of the work.
Let us turn, then, to our demonstration of the root י-ש-ע (a very partial sampling will be offered at this juncture):
ישע = 380 = ממש = מספר = עיר המלכה = בעבור המלכה =
למד דבר מלכה = אתם עבור המלכה = 1379 = 380…
Yes, there is a feminine element in the root י-ש-ע that has not been revealed either in the Pharisaic/Rabbinic Jewish or the Christian traditions. We will see a good deal more of this feminine Aspect.
In fact, if we look at the word ישע with a ה ידיעה or the suffix ה, indicating the possessive in the singular feminine, we see that:
ישעה = 385 = הישע = שפה = עשיה = שכינה = ישע בבשרך
1384 = 385 = ממש בבשרך …
While the concept of the female aspect of the Godly presence is certainly a central theme in Pharisaic/Rabbinic Judaism, it is not connected by them to the radical י-ש-ע or to language, as we see above. The "Kabbalah" speaks of עולם העשיה, but again, the concept is related neither to language nor to the root י-ש-ע and its Messianic meaning.
Indeed, the Female, Christians will come to see, is not one young Jewish woman who becomes pregnant with a "savior". The Female that we will become more familiar with is the female aspect of God Itself, It's relation to ישראל and to הגוים.
Yet this is not nearly all.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
קיץ ה'תשס"ד
Sunday, August 01, 2004
B"H
NEW WORKS BY DOREEN DOTAN IN THE WORKS
NEW WORKS BY DOREEN DOTAN IN THE WORKS
I am now involved in writing the third of a series of six interrelated books. The first section of the second book מאוצר אור החלופים: פרשת מקץ can be found on: http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/HaNekudot_VeHaTeamim.html
The second section of the book will be devoted to finding the names of the Hebrew vowels in פרשת ואתחנן. An abstract of the book I am currently writing, THE FINAL REFUTATION OF XIANITY IN THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, is to be found on: http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/RefutationXianityDeadSea.html
Books that will, b'ezrat HaShem, be written thereafter are: HIDDEN THEOPHORIC NAMES AND ANGELOLOGY IN THE "WAR SCROLL" http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/TheophoricNamesWarScroll.html
Some introductory articles on yet another book, THE IMPERATIVE OF MORAL MATHEMATICS, a demonstration and exposition of an alternative mathematics and linguistics based on the alphanumerical/moral Hebrew language is to be found on: http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/ImperativeOfMoralMaths.html
Bivrhakot,
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Thursday, June 24, 2004
B"H
Part One of A New Two-Part Book by Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan Soon To Be Published
The first part will be entitled פרשת מקץ כאוצר למודי הנקדות.
I am now in editing the first part.
After completing part one, I will go about undertaking the more daunting second part of the book, which will be entitled
פרשת ואתחנן כאוצר למודי הטעמים.
Updated details of publication will be made available.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
Part One of A New Two-Part Book by Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan Soon To Be Published
The first part will be entitled פרשת מקץ כאוצר למודי הנקדות.
I am now in editing the first part.
After completing part one, I will go about undertaking the more daunting second part of the book, which will be entitled
פרשת ואתחנן כאוצר למודי הטעמים.
Updated details of publication will be made available.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Sunday, May 16, 2004
בס"ד
פתרון בעיית העגינות
כדי לפתור את בעיית העגינות עלינו להבין תחילה מדוע קיימת בעיה הלכתית. האם רצון ה' הוא כי נשים, שבעליהן הסוררים נטשו אותן או שבעליהן נעלמו, תדעכנה בבדידות וביאוש, בלי ילדים (נוספים) ולעתים תכופות גם בעוני? לשם מה נחרץ גזר דין אכזרי זה – ביחוד על אדם שלא עשה, כמסתבר, כל חטא?
הנושא העיקרי בתורה הוא השחרור המתקדם והמתמשך של האנושות מן העבדות והסבל אל החרות והשמחה. רצון ה' הוא כי בסופו של דבר, אחרי שהפנמנו כל כך את הקדושה, נהיה משוחררים לחלוטין – כי התורה תהיה הוויתנו והוויתנו תהיה התורה. לא נזדקק עוד לאמצעי ענישה כלשהם כי נגשים את התורה, ולמעשה נממש אותה בעצמותנו – ובמצב זה נשרה בשמחה בל תתואר. בינתיים עודנו במצב בלתי בשל, מפתחים את המוסר / הרוחניות שלנו; זה טבעם של בני אדם בכלל, ושל נשים במיוחד, להשתעבד בכל מיני צורות.
נשים אינן אמורות להיות כפופות לגברים, אף כי פשוטו של מקרא נראה כאילו זה כך. בניגוד למשתמע כביכול מהכתוב בתורה, תכלית הכנעת האשה לגבר היא הקפצת הנשים אל החופש. מצב הכיבוש מכוון להיות מטריד. אם חוסר הנוחות לבדו אינו מניע את הנשים להגשמתן העצמית, תגדל התעוקה עד למצב שאין לשאתו עוד.
אנו, בני אנוש, עוברים לשלב הבא בהתפתחותנו המוסרית / רוחנית רק כאשר מצבנו הנוכחי הוא בלתי נסבל לחלוטין. עד שנגיע לאותה נקודה נמצא תירוצים והסברים להיותנו במצב קיומי מופחת, מוגבל ומצומצם. אנו מתנחמים ב"לא נורא; המצב איננו רע כל כך". אנו מודרכים בפחד מהשינוי, לא באהבת החרות. אנו לכודים בהתמדה. נחוץ כוח עז מאד כדי לשנות את מסלולנו.
במצב עגינות נעשית כפיפות הנקבה בלתי נסבלת לחלוטין. עגינות איננה אמורה להיות נסבלת. עגינות איננה אמורה להתמשך. לאמיתו של דבר, עגינות איננה אמורה להתקיים כלל. היא אמורה לשמש כאמצעי זמני המקפיץ את בת ישראל לחרות רבה יותר. אם נדבר גלויות, היא אמורה להקפיץ את העגונה (שחטאה היחיד הוא אי-כנות כלפי נשמתה) אל החרות. לרוע המזל, מצב העגינות כרוך באכזריות רבה כי נשים הן אכזריות מאד, מאד – כלפי עצמן ו/או חברותיהן – אנו מקבלות את שעבודנו ומנציחות אותו; אנו מרחיקות לכת ומקריבות את בנותינו לאלילי הפחד, ההתמדה וההשלמה. כשבנות ישראל יחליטו להיות חופשיות, יסתיים מסע הסבל הנקרא 'עגינות'.
בזמננו בעיית העגונות היא פסיכולוגית גרידא. לעניות דעתי: על נשים יהודיות, הנשואות לגברים יהודיים המסרבים לתת להן גט, לצאת ולהביא לעולם ילדים כרצונן כשימצאו שותף הולם לכך. אם השותף ההולם איננו יהודי, אין עניין ממזרות כאן. אם השותף ההולם הוא יהודי, יהיו ילדיהם ממזרים – ומה בכך? ממזרים יוכלו להינשא לממזרות / גרות; ממזרות תוכלנה להינשא לממזרים / גרים. יש זוגות רבים כל כך בעולם החילוני שהתגרשו ללא גט, ואז האשה נישאה שוב ליהודי ולכן ילדיהם ממזרים, ויש גרים רבים כל כך בדורנו, עד כי עניין הממזרות הוא סוס מת. האם בטוח/ה הנך בשושלת אמהותיך עד שרה אמנו? גם אני לא. איש אינו בטוח בזה! בעתונות החרדית לפני כמה שנים היה מעשה ברב חסידי מירושלים שנסע לפולין למצוא את קבר אם-אמו. כשהגיע לשם נתברר כי על פי הרישומים היא נקברה בבית הקברות הקתולי. הוא היה בטוח שנפלה שם טעות; אך לא היתה טעות – הוא, אמו וכל אחיו ואחיותיו לא היו יהודים. סבא שלו לקח לו פולניה קתולית וחי אתה, והכל הניחו שהיא יהודיה. היא מעולם לא התגיירה, ואחרי מותה קברו אותה על פי דתה – בבית הקברות הקתולי. על הרב ההמום היה להתגייר, וכל הכתובות והגטים עליהם חתם כעד איבדו את תוקפם ונתבטלו. אם הוא חתם על גט והגרושה נישאה ליהודי, כי אז היא נשואה לשנים וילדיה ממזרים – בעוד הכל סבורים כי הם יהודים-חרדים-כשרים-למהדרין. הרי לנו: ברובנו, נוכל להיות כמעט בטוחים כי גם אצלנו יש איזה 'פספוס' לאורך השושלת (ולפי ההתנהגות, אצל רבים כל כך בקרבנו שאינם הולכים בדרך הרחמים, הצניעות והנדיבות, זה כנראה המצב) או אנחנו ממזרים.
אני מבינה כי הכתוב לעיל עשוי להישמע צורם לקורא הרגיש; סלחו לי. אני גם מאמינה כי סירובן של נשים להיכנע תחת האכזריות הכרוכה בעגינות היא דרכן היחידה להלחם בה. הדרך היחידה להלחם בעגינות היא המשך האהבה והחיים כרגיל.
דורין אלן בל-דותן
כתגובה על הנ"ל קבלתי מאדם העובד עם עגונות את זה –
תודה לך על הבעת התעניינות בנושא העגונה; נראה כי זהו באמת הפתרון לבעיה: תחושה משותפת של אהדה ואחריות לעגונות.
ואולם, עם כל הכבוד, עלי לחלוק על מסקנותיך מהסיבות הבאות:
א. מקרה יחידאי של רב ירושלמי איננו מוכיח כי איש לא יוכל להיקרא יהודי כיום. אינני סבור כי קיימת סיבה טובה כלשהי להניח כי אין אנו יהודים. ה' הבטיח לעם ישראל כי יתקיימו לעולם, ועלי לקוות כי יש ערך כלשהו להבטחתו. כמו כן, על פי הסבירות הסטטיסטית / החברתית / התרבותית, הסיכוי שלא נהיה יהודים הוא אפס. מבחינה הלכתית, קובעת ההנחה התקדימית כי "חזקה עלינו שהרוב יהודים" (האם שמעת גם את על 'הגן הכוהני' שנמצא אצל צאצאיו היהודים של אהרן?).
ב. ביחס לאפשרות בה כולנו ממזרים – גם זה אינו סביר. בעולם ההלכה המתייחסת לעניין זה מניחים אנו "זכאי כל עוד לא הורשע", והעדות המכריחה אותנו להניח כי כולנו ממזרים היא מועטת.
ג. על פי החוק היהודי אסור לגבר יהודי לשאת נוכריה או להפך; אבל אין עניין של ממזרות במקרים כאלה מסיבה אחרת.
ד. על פי החוק היהודי אסור לאשה נשואה להינשא שוב! אפילו אם לדעתך לא יהיה כל כך רע לילדים אם הם יהיו ממזרים, אין בכך כדי להצדיק את העבירה על מצווה מדאורייתא ביד אשה הנישאת לפני שקבלה גט כהלכה.
את חופשית לכתוב כרצונך בתשובה לדברי הנ"ל – חשוב לי לדעת מה דעתך.
ברוב ברכה,
גבירותי!
טיפולו של האדון המצוטט לעיל לא עזר לכן בעבר ולא יעזור לכן בעתיד. אתן, ורק אתן, חייבות לקחת את האחריות לגורלכן ולחייכן.
לא תוכלו לצאת ממלכודת העגונות כל עוד תפעלו לפי כללים אלו.
הברירה בידיכן – לצאת מהכלוב אל אור האהבה והחיים, או לעשות את המצופה מכן כנשים יהודיות ולהינמק במחשך היאוש והערירות, ולהשלות את עצמכן כי אתן מקיימות מצוות על ידי סבל.
אני מבטיחה לכן: אם הנשים שנותרו עגונות תהיינה ערוכות ומוכנות לנקוט בצעדים שהצעתי לעיל, ימצא הממסד הרבני דרכים לשחרור העגונות במקום להשאירן בחוסר ברירה מלבד אותם צעדים קיצוניים.*
הוכחה חיובית לנכונות הדברים קיימת כבר בתקדים ביטול נוהל מי סוטה.
בקשר הבא http://tinyurl.com/2op95 אנו קוראים:
"משרבו הרוצחנין, בטלה עגלה ערופה... משרבו המנאפים, פסקו המים המרים. ורבי יוחנן בן זכאי הפסיקן, שנאמר: לא אפקוד על בנותיכם כי תזנינה ועל כלותיכם כי תנאפנה כי הם [עם הזונות יפרדו – הושע, ד: יד]" (סוטה, ט: ט).
על פי מדרש המצוי בשני התלמודים (ב' סוטה, מז: ב. י' סוטה, ט: ט; מד: א) מלמדת משנה זאת כי כשההתנהגות הבלתי מוסרית בענייני מין הופכת לנורמה, המים המרים לא יוכלו עוד לבדוק את הנשואות: בעליהן של רבות מהן נאשמים באותה עבירה עצמה ולכן הם פסולים מלהזדקק למבדק. המדרש מסיק את הצורך בגברים זכאים מהפסוק בתורה המסיים את פרשת הסוטה: "ונקה האיש מעון..." (במדבר, ה: לא), ופירושו – רק לגברים הנקיים מאשמת ניאוף מותר לבדוק את נשיהם. במילים אחרות, נוהל זה הופסק בגלל חוסר ההגינות הטבוע בו: הוא ענש נשים, אך לא גברים – שחטאו באותה עבירה ממש והם עצמם יזמו את הבדיקה עבור הנשים. אולם התוספתא (יד: ב) מפרשת משנה זאת בפנים אחרות. לדברי התוספתא: "משרבו המנאפין פסקו מי המרים, לפי שאין מי המרים באין אלא על הספק; עכשיו כבר רבו הרואין בגלוי." כלומר, הניאוף היה כה נפוץ עד היותו ידוע לכל, לכן הם (חכמי הסנהדרין) לא יכלו עוד להורות על ביצועו של נוהל מי הסוטה – כי נוהל מי הסוטה היה בא "על הספק", ובמקרים רבים מדי הספק היה לודאי.
על פי גישות שונות אלה יש שני שלבים של ביאור: הגישה הותיקה המיוצגת במשנה ובתוספתא ובה מקבלים את הביטול כעובדה. המשנה מתארת תור ארוך של בעלים נזעמים המשתרך לפני שער ניקנור (שם היה טקס מי הסוטה) כדי לבדוק את נשיהם, בגלל ריבוי המקרים; על הטקס הממושך היה להתבטל, כמו נוהל עגלה ערופה. השמוש בפסוק מתוך ספר הושע תומך בדעה לפיה הניאוף נפוץ מאד, ומיחד את הנואפות באומרו כי למרות חטאן, ה' לא יעניש נשים אלה – כתוב מאלף ביותר. יושם אל לב כי הפסוק מתאר גברים המחפשים זונות, לא ניאופים. מסורת התוספתא מיוחסת לרבן יוחנן בן זכאי, תנא בן דור חורבן הבית II; היא מציעה חלופה לתיאור התור המתארך, ועדין אין בה בקורת מוסרית על הנוהל. אולם הרבנים המאוחרים יותר וכן עורכי התלמודים חשו בצורך לבאר את הביטול הנזכר במשנה בצורה אחרת לגמרי – כתגובה לצביעות בטקס המתיר לבעלים עבריינים לצאת ללא עונש בעודם 'בודקים' את נשותיהם באותה עבירה עצמה (בדיקה הכרוכה בסכנת מות). עם הזמן, כנראה, דחפו יצרי-מוסר את הרבנים לפרש את הביטול כצורך מוסרי.
ברור, אפוא, כי גם ביטול שעבוד העגונה יושג ביחסי-מין של העגונות עם גברים אחרים (לא בעליהן שנטשו אותן או נעלמו), והולדת ילדים בכלל זה, כי הן הועמדו במצב המאלץ אותן לעקוף את איסור הניאוף דאורייתא כדי לאפשר את קיום מצוות "פרו ורבו" דאורייתא; את המצווה הראשונה הזאת מסר ה' לכל אדם ויצור חי, ולכן היא קודמת בחשיבותה.
האם התנהגותן של עגונות, החיות עם גברים אהובים ויולדות להם ילדים, מתאימה להגדרת הניאוף? ודאי לא! אפילו במקרה של ניאוף מובהק ברור כי נשים אינן יוצרות קשרים עם גברים 'סתם', כדי לספק את תאוותיהן בלבד (כמו הגברים) – והתורה הכירה בכך בציטוט שהובא לעיל, אלא עושות כן משום הצורך להיות נאהבות ולהרות רק לגברים הנאהבים. קרוב לודאי כי אי-יכולת הגבר לענות על צרכיה הגופניים / רגשיים של אשה הוא הגורם לה לצאת להרפתקה מחוץ למשפחה. איזו מצווה מתקיימת בהינמקות אשה ללא אהבה לשארית חייה? כיצד יוכל גבר, המנהל לא פעם הרפתקה 'מן הצד' גם אם אשתו מספקת אותו, לשפוט את התנהגותה של אשה?
וכבר נאמר: "הלא זה צום אבחרהו, פתח חרצבות רשע, התר אגדות מוטה ושלח רצוצים חפשים, וכל מוטה תנתקו;" (ישעיהו, נח: ו).
רבים יאמרו: "המנאפות הולכות לגיהינום!"
על כך אשיב: אין ניאוף בבניית אשה את חייה מחדש אחרי ש'בעלה' הפסיק לתפקד כבעל מכל בחינה שהיא, הוא מתנכר לשמחתה ומייסר בכל דרך לא רק אותה אלא גם את ילדיו ממנה. אפשר אף לשאול: מדוע מאיימים על העגונה שהיא תלך לגיהינום? באיזו קייטנה, בדיוק, נמצאת העגונה עכשיו?
הבה נחקור את עומק דברי התורה בכנות. נגלה כי כבר הונחה התשתית לשחרור העגונה וילדיה מייסוריהם. אין צורך לחדש הלכות; עלינו רק לאזכר את אשר נכתב בתורה בלב אוהב ובהשקפה מחודשת.
מהו המעמד האמיתי של עגונה וילדיה? כשנבחן בכנות את מעמדם של העגונה וילדיה נראה עד כמה קשה להאמין שגבר יטיל סבל כזה לא רק על (ex)-אשתו-האהובה, אלא גם על ילדיו-הוא. עוד יותר מזעזעים הם העושים זאת לזמן ממושך, אחדים מהם לפרק בלתי מוגבל. מה נוכל לאמר על הרבנים והדיינים המסייעים ומעודדים עבריינים אלה? מיד נראה כי גברים הנושאים באחריות להחזקת נשיהם וילדיהן בכליאה כזאת הנם באמת מפלצות על פי התורה וכי הם, ולא ה'מנאפות', צפויים לעונש החמור ביותר הקצוב בתורה. זאת ועוד לגבי הרבנים והדיינים העוזרים לגברים הללו – התורה מבטיחה עונש קשה במיוחד גם עבורם.
בעוד האלמנה והיתום נקלעים למצבם העגום והפגיע כתוצאה מפועל אלוהי, העגונה וילדיה סובלים כל כך מידיו של גבר היכול להמשיך במעשיו בתמיכת המערכת הרבנית-דיינית. עגינות וילדי עגונות הם, אפוא, פועל ידיו של גבר המשים עצמו אלוה כדי ליהנות מתחושת נקם כוחנית. הנקימה אסורה בהחלט מהתורה (ויקרא, יט: יח). איזה חטא גדול יותר?
הנביא מביא לעם ישראל את דברי ה' בהם הוא מודיע כי לא מסר 'גט' לאשתו-כביכול. הבה נתבונן באותם פסוקים כדי להבין את הסילוף והסטיה העצומים של הגברים המסרבים לתת גטים לעגונותיהם ומטילים סבל מתמשך על ילדיהם. נקרא בישעיהו, מט: כו – "והאכלתי את מוניך את בשרם וכעסיס דמם ישכרון , וידעו כל בשר כי אני ה' מושיעך וגאלך אביר יעקב." ומיד: "כה אמר ה', אי זה ספר כריתות אמכם אשר שלחתיה או מי מנושי אשר מכרתי אתכם לו; הן בעונתיכם נמכרתם ובפשעיכם שלחה אמכם," (שם, נ: א).
ה'אם' בקטע זה היא השכינה (=ההיבט הנקבי של ה'). כמובן, אין זה רצון ה' "לשלח אותה", ופירוש הקטע: השכינה נסתלקה מעל ישראל בגלל עוונותינו. בפסוק הקודם, לפני אזכרת הגט, ראינו כי על אף חטאיהם של בני ישראל עדין הם נחשבים לילדיו של ה' והוא יילחם את מלחמותיהם נגד עושקיהם. מכאן נבין עד כמה בלתי אנושי הוא מצד גבר לגרום סבל לילדיו, במיוחד ילדים רכים שלא חטאו כלל.
מצב העגונה וילדיה גרוע בהרבה מזה של האלמנה והיתום. תחילה על העגונה וילדיה להתמודד עם הבעיה הכלכלית. תלאותיהם הכלכליות של העגונה וילדיה הן, בדרך כלל, קשות מאלה של האלמנה והיתום; אלה האחרונים בדרך כלל יורשים רכוש וכסף – דבר נדיר מאד אצל עגונה ו/או ילדיה. גרוע עוד יותר: אם הגבר שנטש את העגונה היה חייב כספים ו/או אם הוא ממשיך להסתבך בחובות, העגונה (ברוב המקרים) תאולץ לשאת גם בתשלומים אלה. ברור, אפוא, כי מצבם הכלכלי של העגונה וילדיה עלולים להיות הרבה יותר גרועים מזה של אלמנה ויתום [מעניין: אין מונח מיוחד בעברית לילדיהן של עגונה וגרושה]. בחברה בה שופטים את האדם, בדרך כלל, על פי הצלחתו החומרית – איפה נמצאים העגונה וילדיה? כל מה שנאמר בתורה לגבי אלמנה ויתומים יהיה, אפוא, נכון ביתר שאת, בחינת "קל וחומר" (=כך ועוד יותר; מדת-היקש נפוצה מאד בפרשנות התורנית), לגבי עגונה וילדיה.
העגונה וילדיה חשופים לרמות עמוקות ביותר של השפלה ציבורית; רווחת מאד הדעה (השקרית במרבית המקרים) המטילה את מלוא האשם במצב שנתהווה על כתפי העגונה עצמה. מיד נתבונן באשר אמרה התורה על המשפיל את הזולת בפומבי.
אלמנה עשויה להינשא שוב; ליתומים יש תקוה כי יבוא יום בו ישוקם מצבם והם יחיו בבית חם, נאהבים ע"י אמא ואבא-חדש, נשמרים ע"י שני הורים אוהבים וצורכיהם מסופקים להם – כראוי לכל ילד. העגונה וילדיה אינם רואים קץ לסבלותיהם. הם נתונים לחסדיו של אדם מופרע המשים עצמו אלוה לגבי גורלם של בת-זוגו לשעבר וילדיהם (האם היה הוא מופרע ביום החתונה? האם הנישואים תופסים הלכתית?). העגונה וילדיה נתונים לחסדי רבנים / דיינים המוצאים בכל מקרה של עגינות הזדמנות 'לעשות קופה' נאה. הם זוכים בסכום מופקע על חשבון סבלו של יהודי אחר. הם מצדיקים את התנהגותם הגסה והאטומה באומרם לנפשם: "עגונה זאת היתה, לבטח, רעיה בלתי נסבלת". על סמך מה, שואלת אני, מניחים הם זאת? על סמך השמצת ה-ex שלה? הרי אפילו אם אמנם ייסרה האשה את בעלה בעודם חיים יחד, רשאי הוא לגרשה (דברים, כד: א)! בנסיבות מסוימות מפסידה האשה את כתובתה, הכל לפי התנהגותה ככתוב בתורה, אך היא חייבת לקבל גט מכל מקום (שלחן ערוך, אבן העזר, עז: ב)! גברים המשאירים את נשותיהם-לשעבר עגונות ואת ילדיהם במצב נזיל גוזלים מהם הכל, אפילו את תקוותיהם.
תיארנו את מצבם של העגונה וילדי העגונה, וראינו כי הוא גרוע יותר מזה של האלמנה והיתומים מכל בחינה; הבה נתבונן בכתוב בתורה על אלמנה, יתום, והלבנת פני אדם ברבים – ומהם העונשים בתורה על עבירות מסוימות.
כתוב בתורה: "לא תגנב!" (שמות, כ: יג). אנו לומדים (בהיקש אל שמות, כא: טז) כי זהו מעיקרו איסור על חטיפת אדם (איסור גניבת רכוש נדון בתורה בהרחבה במקומות אחרים). גניבת נפש (החלק המודע של הנשמה, העצמיות) היא פשע. עד כמה, אפוא, חמור יותר פשעו של הגונב את הנשמה עצמה (הרובד העליון, חלק א-לוה), כלומר: מונע מהנשמה את האפשרות להיוולד!?
העונש על גזל הרש הוא מיתה בידי שמים. עד כמה חמור יותר מעשהו של המרושש בזדון את אשת נעוריו ואת ילדיהם והגוזל מהם את זכותם לשיקום חייהם ולניהולם באופן תקין, על פי היכולת הגנוזה בכל אדם!?
"כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון; אם ענה תענה אתו, כי אם צעק יצעק אלי שמע אשמע צעקתו; וחרה אפי והרגתי אתכם בחרב, והיו נשיכם אלמנות ובניכם יתומים;" (שמות, כב: כא–כג). לפי אחד הפירושים למובאה זאת מדובר כאן בדיינים, הנמנעים מלסייע לנדכאים אף כאשר הדבר ביכולתם, וכך מביאים על עצמם מיתה בידי שמים (ר' רש"י על אתר).
"ולא תונו איש את עמיתו," (ויקרא, כה: יז). חכמינו מבארים (בבא מציעא, נח: ב) כי המדובר כאן באונאת דברים (=התעללות מילולית-נפשית; אמירת דברים הגורמים צער לזולת), האסורה מכל וכל. כפי שראינו לעיל, נשלח הנביא ישעיהו כדי למסור לישראל: "והאכלתי את מוניך את בשרם וכעסיס דמם ישכרון , וידעו כל בשר כי אני ה' מושיעך וגאלך אביר יעקב." מתוך כל אלה למדים אנו: אונאת דברים היא חטא כה חמור עד כי נקצבה לעוברים עליו מיתה בידי שמים. ונכון הדבר, כי ייסורי נפש ורגש הם פגיעה בעצמיות, בהוויה. עד כמה חמורה יותר עגמת הנפש הנגרמת בידי גבר המסרב לתת גט לאשתו, גורר אותה מישיבת בית הדין הזאת לבאה אחריה, משמיץ אותה בכל הזדמנות, משלה אותה להאמין בכל פעם כי העניין סגור – ושוב ממאן לתתו לה!?
בהמשך אותה גמרא (בבא מציעא, נט: א) מורה לנו דוד המלך כי הבא על אשת איש [בעדים ובהתראה] מיתתו בחנק ע"י בית דין של מטה, ויש לו חלק בעולם הבא; המלבין פני חברו ברבים, אין לו חלק בעולם הבא. שוטים נוטים לחשוב כי העלבת אדם בציבור או התעללות נפשית/מילולית הן עבירות פחות חמורות מניאוף, כי אין בית דין של מטה קוצב עונש עבורן. למעשה אלה עבירות כה חמורות עד כי אין בית הדין הארצי מסוגל להקיף אותן בענישתו. יהא חוק זה ידוע למביאים על העגונה וילדיה חרפה מתמשכת!
אנו לומדים במסכת בבא בתרא (פח: ב): "אמר רבי לוי, קשה עונשן של מדות יותר מעונשן של עריות." מכאן יובן: גבר המאלץ את אשתו-לשעבר ואת ילדיו לחיות בקשיים כלכליים (הנובעים מהעגינות לעתים קרובות), גוזל את שלוות נפשם, גוזל את מעמדם החברתי, גוזל את תקוותם לעתיד טוב יותר – מביא על עצמו עונש הרבה יותר גדול מזה של העגונה העשויה למצוא לה איש אהוב וללדת לו ילדים. שוב, אל נשכח כי העונש על ניאוף הוא חנק; בעוד עונשו של המייסר אלמנה ויתום (שמעמדם, כפי שראינו, עדיף כלכלית וחברתית על זה של העגונה וילדיה) הוא מיתה בידי שמים.
המבול, כך למדנו, בא לא בגלל כל סטיות המין שאמנם התרחשו אז, אלא כאשר סטיות הצדק הצטברו בהמון, ככתוב: "...כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם, והנני משחיתם את הארץ;" (בראשית, ו: יג). התורה שבכתב אף לא הזכירה, למעשה, את סטיות המין כסיבה המפורשת ל"קץ כל בשר;" עלינו להסיק משמוש הלשון המקראי כי "מין בשאינו מינו" היה לתופעה רווחת: "אמר רבי יוחנן, מלמד שהרביעו בהמה על חיה, וחיה על בהמה, והכל על אדם, ואדם על הכל;" (סנהדרין, קח: א). רבי יוחנן לומד זאת מהפסוק: "...כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ;" (בראשית, ו: יב). השחתה מוסרית, וודאי גזלת שלוות הנפש של זולת – גרוע מזה, גזלת זכותן של נשמות להיוולד ולהגיע לרמה גבוהה יותר של א-לוהות ע"י קיום מצוות, פשעים אלה חמורים הרבה יותר מניאוף. עלינו לתפוס זאת: התורה רואה עבירות על הצדק באור שלילי יותר מאשר 'אי סדרים' ביחסי מין. המדמיינים כי חטאיו של הכובל את אשתו בעגינותה ומייסר את ילדיו הנם פחות חמורים מאלה של המנאף, חיים בטעות מרה ומפירים את מצוות התורה.
למודו של רבי לוי שצוטט לעיל (בבא בתרא, פח: ב) בדבר עונשם של המשתמשים במדות פסולות במסחר, החמור יותר מזה של הנואפים, מובא ע"י הרמב"ם (הלכות גנבה) וע"י הטור (חשן משפט, רל"ג). עלינו לזכור כי על פי התורה קשה אונאת דברים מאונאת ממון. "אמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בר יוחאי, גדול[ה] אונאת דברים מאונאת ממון, שזה נאמר בו 'ויראת מאלהיך' (ויקרא, כה: יז) וזה לא נאמר בו 'ויראת מאלהיך', ורבי אלעזר אומר, זה בגופו וזה בממונו;" (בבא מציעא, נח: ב ואילך). יעיין נא הקורא שם לדיון מפורט על היחס בין חוקי מדות פסולות, הלבנת פני אדם ברבים, מתן כבוד לאשתו של אדם וניאוף. כל בעל לב יוכל להבין, אפוא, כי גבר המתעלל לא רק באשתו-לשעבר אלא גם בילדיו-הוא – נפשית, כמו גם כלכלית – איבד את מקומו בעולם הבא. הוא מת-מהלך שהביא על עצמו מיתה בידי שמים. אשתו-לשעבר נחשבת לאדם שעבר תיקון רוחני – במדרגה גבוהה יותר מזאת שעברה האלמנה. נישואיה, למעשה, פקעו והיא מותרת לכל אדם פרט לכהן גדול. גם ילדי העגונה עברו תיקון במדרגה גבוהה מזאת של היתומים. האם העגונה וילדיה לא נרצחו נפש? "ארבעה חשובין כמת, עני ומצורע וסומא ומי שאין לו בנים, עני דכתיב 'כי מתו כל האנשים' (שמות, ד: יט), מצורע דכתיב 'אל נא תהי כמת' (במדבר, יב: יב), וסומא דכתיב 'במחשכים הושיבני כמתי עולם' (איכה, ג: ו), ומי שאין לו בנים דכתיב 'הבה לי בנים ואם אין מתה אנכי' (בראשית, ל: א);" (נדרים, סד: ב). מכאן נראה בבירור: אחרי שהומתו (=נתרוששו), עברו העגונה וילדיה טיהור מושלם מכל חטאיהם והבעל-לשעבר אינו רק רוצח; ע"י הריגת ילדיו הוא גם הרג את עצמו– כחסר ילדים הוא חשוב כמת. לפי התורה ה'בעל' הביא מוות על עצמו והאשה, אפוא, "מותרת לכל אדם".
לעיל הצלחנו להראות כי מעמד העגונה וילדיה גרוע מזה של האלמנה והיתום. לכן עונשיהם של המייסרים את העגונה וילדיה, ב"קל וחומר", יהיו קשים מאלה הקצובים לעושקי אלמנה ורוצצי יתום. יתר על כן, הגבר המסרב לתת לאשתו גט על פי דרישתה וכן הרבנים/הדיינים הממאנים לאלץ אותו לעשות כן בכל דרך מותרת, בצעו את הפשע שאין להעריכו של מניעת לידה מנשמות.
באמת, למדנו כי "שלושה סימנים יש באומה זו, הרחמנים הביישנין וגומלי חסדים;" (יבמות, עט: א). כמו כן למדנו: "כל מי שיש בו שלושה דברים הללו הוא מתלמידיו של אברהם אבינו... עין טובה ורוח נמוכה ונפש שפלה... [והם] אוכלין בעולם הזה ונוחלין העולם הבא;" (אבות, ה: יט). ייחוסו היהודי של אדם, המשאיר את אשתו עגונה ואת ילדיו במחסור, הוא בספק רב. לפיכך גם עצם נישואיה של האשה ליהודי מוטלים בספק. אם לא, הרי היא חופשיה לחלוטין. באשר לשאלת ההליכה לגיהינום בה נגענו לעיל, גם לכך נותנת המשנה תשובה ברורה (עין שם).
בדיוננו זה הראינו כי יש תקדימים למכביר, בתורה על כל רבדיה, היכולים לשמש בסיס לשחרור העגונות. כל הדרוש כדי לגשת לעניין זה ולהצליח – הוא רצון טוב.
דורין דותן, צפת
ה'תשס"ד
פתרון בעיית העגינות
כדי לפתור את בעיית העגינות עלינו להבין תחילה מדוע קיימת בעיה הלכתית. האם רצון ה' הוא כי נשים, שבעליהן הסוררים נטשו אותן או שבעליהן נעלמו, תדעכנה בבדידות וביאוש, בלי ילדים (נוספים) ולעתים תכופות גם בעוני? לשם מה נחרץ גזר דין אכזרי זה – ביחוד על אדם שלא עשה, כמסתבר, כל חטא?
הנושא העיקרי בתורה הוא השחרור המתקדם והמתמשך של האנושות מן העבדות והסבל אל החרות והשמחה. רצון ה' הוא כי בסופו של דבר, אחרי שהפנמנו כל כך את הקדושה, נהיה משוחררים לחלוטין – כי התורה תהיה הוויתנו והוויתנו תהיה התורה. לא נזדקק עוד לאמצעי ענישה כלשהם כי נגשים את התורה, ולמעשה נממש אותה בעצמותנו – ובמצב זה נשרה בשמחה בל תתואר. בינתיים עודנו במצב בלתי בשל, מפתחים את המוסר / הרוחניות שלנו; זה טבעם של בני אדם בכלל, ושל נשים במיוחד, להשתעבד בכל מיני צורות.
נשים אינן אמורות להיות כפופות לגברים, אף כי פשוטו של מקרא נראה כאילו זה כך. בניגוד למשתמע כביכול מהכתוב בתורה, תכלית הכנעת האשה לגבר היא הקפצת הנשים אל החופש. מצב הכיבוש מכוון להיות מטריד. אם חוסר הנוחות לבדו אינו מניע את הנשים להגשמתן העצמית, תגדל התעוקה עד למצב שאין לשאתו עוד.
אנו, בני אנוש, עוברים לשלב הבא בהתפתחותנו המוסרית / רוחנית רק כאשר מצבנו הנוכחי הוא בלתי נסבל לחלוטין. עד שנגיע לאותה נקודה נמצא תירוצים והסברים להיותנו במצב קיומי מופחת, מוגבל ומצומצם. אנו מתנחמים ב"לא נורא; המצב איננו רע כל כך". אנו מודרכים בפחד מהשינוי, לא באהבת החרות. אנו לכודים בהתמדה. נחוץ כוח עז מאד כדי לשנות את מסלולנו.
במצב עגינות נעשית כפיפות הנקבה בלתי נסבלת לחלוטין. עגינות איננה אמורה להיות נסבלת. עגינות איננה אמורה להתמשך. לאמיתו של דבר, עגינות איננה אמורה להתקיים כלל. היא אמורה לשמש כאמצעי זמני המקפיץ את בת ישראל לחרות רבה יותר. אם נדבר גלויות, היא אמורה להקפיץ את העגונה (שחטאה היחיד הוא אי-כנות כלפי נשמתה) אל החרות. לרוע המזל, מצב העגינות כרוך באכזריות רבה כי נשים הן אכזריות מאד, מאד – כלפי עצמן ו/או חברותיהן – אנו מקבלות את שעבודנו ומנציחות אותו; אנו מרחיקות לכת ומקריבות את בנותינו לאלילי הפחד, ההתמדה וההשלמה. כשבנות ישראל יחליטו להיות חופשיות, יסתיים מסע הסבל הנקרא 'עגינות'.
בזמננו בעיית העגונות היא פסיכולוגית גרידא. לעניות דעתי: על נשים יהודיות, הנשואות לגברים יהודיים המסרבים לתת להן גט, לצאת ולהביא לעולם ילדים כרצונן כשימצאו שותף הולם לכך. אם השותף ההולם איננו יהודי, אין עניין ממזרות כאן. אם השותף ההולם הוא יהודי, יהיו ילדיהם ממזרים – ומה בכך? ממזרים יוכלו להינשא לממזרות / גרות; ממזרות תוכלנה להינשא לממזרים / גרים. יש זוגות רבים כל כך בעולם החילוני שהתגרשו ללא גט, ואז האשה נישאה שוב ליהודי ולכן ילדיהם ממזרים, ויש גרים רבים כל כך בדורנו, עד כי עניין הממזרות הוא סוס מת. האם בטוח/ה הנך בשושלת אמהותיך עד שרה אמנו? גם אני לא. איש אינו בטוח בזה! בעתונות החרדית לפני כמה שנים היה מעשה ברב חסידי מירושלים שנסע לפולין למצוא את קבר אם-אמו. כשהגיע לשם נתברר כי על פי הרישומים היא נקברה בבית הקברות הקתולי. הוא היה בטוח שנפלה שם טעות; אך לא היתה טעות – הוא, אמו וכל אחיו ואחיותיו לא היו יהודים. סבא שלו לקח לו פולניה קתולית וחי אתה, והכל הניחו שהיא יהודיה. היא מעולם לא התגיירה, ואחרי מותה קברו אותה על פי דתה – בבית הקברות הקתולי. על הרב ההמום היה להתגייר, וכל הכתובות והגטים עליהם חתם כעד איבדו את תוקפם ונתבטלו. אם הוא חתם על גט והגרושה נישאה ליהודי, כי אז היא נשואה לשנים וילדיה ממזרים – בעוד הכל סבורים כי הם יהודים-חרדים-כשרים-למהדרין. הרי לנו: ברובנו, נוכל להיות כמעט בטוחים כי גם אצלנו יש איזה 'פספוס' לאורך השושלת (ולפי ההתנהגות, אצל רבים כל כך בקרבנו שאינם הולכים בדרך הרחמים, הצניעות והנדיבות, זה כנראה המצב) או אנחנו ממזרים.
אני מבינה כי הכתוב לעיל עשוי להישמע צורם לקורא הרגיש; סלחו לי. אני גם מאמינה כי סירובן של נשים להיכנע תחת האכזריות הכרוכה בעגינות היא דרכן היחידה להלחם בה. הדרך היחידה להלחם בעגינות היא המשך האהבה והחיים כרגיל.
דורין אלן בל-דותן
כתגובה על הנ"ל קבלתי מאדם העובד עם עגונות את זה –
תודה לך על הבעת התעניינות בנושא העגונה; נראה כי זהו באמת הפתרון לבעיה: תחושה משותפת של אהדה ואחריות לעגונות.
ואולם, עם כל הכבוד, עלי לחלוק על מסקנותיך מהסיבות הבאות:
א. מקרה יחידאי של רב ירושלמי איננו מוכיח כי איש לא יוכל להיקרא יהודי כיום. אינני סבור כי קיימת סיבה טובה כלשהי להניח כי אין אנו יהודים. ה' הבטיח לעם ישראל כי יתקיימו לעולם, ועלי לקוות כי יש ערך כלשהו להבטחתו. כמו כן, על פי הסבירות הסטטיסטית / החברתית / התרבותית, הסיכוי שלא נהיה יהודים הוא אפס. מבחינה הלכתית, קובעת ההנחה התקדימית כי "חזקה עלינו שהרוב יהודים" (האם שמעת גם את על 'הגן הכוהני' שנמצא אצל צאצאיו היהודים של אהרן?).
ב. ביחס לאפשרות בה כולנו ממזרים – גם זה אינו סביר. בעולם ההלכה המתייחסת לעניין זה מניחים אנו "זכאי כל עוד לא הורשע", והעדות המכריחה אותנו להניח כי כולנו ממזרים היא מועטת.
ג. על פי החוק היהודי אסור לגבר יהודי לשאת נוכריה או להפך; אבל אין עניין של ממזרות במקרים כאלה מסיבה אחרת.
ד. על פי החוק היהודי אסור לאשה נשואה להינשא שוב! אפילו אם לדעתך לא יהיה כל כך רע לילדים אם הם יהיו ממזרים, אין בכך כדי להצדיק את העבירה על מצווה מדאורייתא ביד אשה הנישאת לפני שקבלה גט כהלכה.
את חופשית לכתוב כרצונך בתשובה לדברי הנ"ל – חשוב לי לדעת מה דעתך.
ברוב ברכה,
גבירותי!
טיפולו של האדון המצוטט לעיל לא עזר לכן בעבר ולא יעזור לכן בעתיד. אתן, ורק אתן, חייבות לקחת את האחריות לגורלכן ולחייכן.
לא תוכלו לצאת ממלכודת העגונות כל עוד תפעלו לפי כללים אלו.
הברירה בידיכן – לצאת מהכלוב אל אור האהבה והחיים, או לעשות את המצופה מכן כנשים יהודיות ולהינמק במחשך היאוש והערירות, ולהשלות את עצמכן כי אתן מקיימות מצוות על ידי סבל.
אני מבטיחה לכן: אם הנשים שנותרו עגונות תהיינה ערוכות ומוכנות לנקוט בצעדים שהצעתי לעיל, ימצא הממסד הרבני דרכים לשחרור העגונות במקום להשאירן בחוסר ברירה מלבד אותם צעדים קיצוניים.*
הוכחה חיובית לנכונות הדברים קיימת כבר בתקדים ביטול נוהל מי סוטה.
בקשר הבא http://tinyurl.com/2op95 אנו קוראים:
"משרבו הרוצחנין, בטלה עגלה ערופה... משרבו המנאפים, פסקו המים המרים. ורבי יוחנן בן זכאי הפסיקן, שנאמר: לא אפקוד על בנותיכם כי תזנינה ועל כלותיכם כי תנאפנה כי הם [עם הזונות יפרדו – הושע, ד: יד]" (סוטה, ט: ט).
על פי מדרש המצוי בשני התלמודים (ב' סוטה, מז: ב. י' סוטה, ט: ט; מד: א) מלמדת משנה זאת כי כשההתנהגות הבלתי מוסרית בענייני מין הופכת לנורמה, המים המרים לא יוכלו עוד לבדוק את הנשואות: בעליהן של רבות מהן נאשמים באותה עבירה עצמה ולכן הם פסולים מלהזדקק למבדק. המדרש מסיק את הצורך בגברים זכאים מהפסוק בתורה המסיים את פרשת הסוטה: "ונקה האיש מעון..." (במדבר, ה: לא), ופירושו – רק לגברים הנקיים מאשמת ניאוף מותר לבדוק את נשיהם. במילים אחרות, נוהל זה הופסק בגלל חוסר ההגינות הטבוע בו: הוא ענש נשים, אך לא גברים – שחטאו באותה עבירה ממש והם עצמם יזמו את הבדיקה עבור הנשים. אולם התוספתא (יד: ב) מפרשת משנה זאת בפנים אחרות. לדברי התוספתא: "משרבו המנאפין פסקו מי המרים, לפי שאין מי המרים באין אלא על הספק; עכשיו כבר רבו הרואין בגלוי." כלומר, הניאוף היה כה נפוץ עד היותו ידוע לכל, לכן הם (חכמי הסנהדרין) לא יכלו עוד להורות על ביצועו של נוהל מי הסוטה – כי נוהל מי הסוטה היה בא "על הספק", ובמקרים רבים מדי הספק היה לודאי.
על פי גישות שונות אלה יש שני שלבים של ביאור: הגישה הותיקה המיוצגת במשנה ובתוספתא ובה מקבלים את הביטול כעובדה. המשנה מתארת תור ארוך של בעלים נזעמים המשתרך לפני שער ניקנור (שם היה טקס מי הסוטה) כדי לבדוק את נשיהם, בגלל ריבוי המקרים; על הטקס הממושך היה להתבטל, כמו נוהל עגלה ערופה. השמוש בפסוק מתוך ספר הושע תומך בדעה לפיה הניאוף נפוץ מאד, ומיחד את הנואפות באומרו כי למרות חטאן, ה' לא יעניש נשים אלה – כתוב מאלף ביותר. יושם אל לב כי הפסוק מתאר גברים המחפשים זונות, לא ניאופים. מסורת התוספתא מיוחסת לרבן יוחנן בן זכאי, תנא בן דור חורבן הבית II; היא מציעה חלופה לתיאור התור המתארך, ועדין אין בה בקורת מוסרית על הנוהל. אולם הרבנים המאוחרים יותר וכן עורכי התלמודים חשו בצורך לבאר את הביטול הנזכר במשנה בצורה אחרת לגמרי – כתגובה לצביעות בטקס המתיר לבעלים עבריינים לצאת ללא עונש בעודם 'בודקים' את נשותיהם באותה עבירה עצמה (בדיקה הכרוכה בסכנת מות). עם הזמן, כנראה, דחפו יצרי-מוסר את הרבנים לפרש את הביטול כצורך מוסרי.
ברור, אפוא, כי גם ביטול שעבוד העגונה יושג ביחסי-מין של העגונות עם גברים אחרים (לא בעליהן שנטשו אותן או נעלמו), והולדת ילדים בכלל זה, כי הן הועמדו במצב המאלץ אותן לעקוף את איסור הניאוף דאורייתא כדי לאפשר את קיום מצוות "פרו ורבו" דאורייתא; את המצווה הראשונה הזאת מסר ה' לכל אדם ויצור חי, ולכן היא קודמת בחשיבותה.
האם התנהגותן של עגונות, החיות עם גברים אהובים ויולדות להם ילדים, מתאימה להגדרת הניאוף? ודאי לא! אפילו במקרה של ניאוף מובהק ברור כי נשים אינן יוצרות קשרים עם גברים 'סתם', כדי לספק את תאוותיהן בלבד (כמו הגברים) – והתורה הכירה בכך בציטוט שהובא לעיל, אלא עושות כן משום הצורך להיות נאהבות ולהרות רק לגברים הנאהבים. קרוב לודאי כי אי-יכולת הגבר לענות על צרכיה הגופניים / רגשיים של אשה הוא הגורם לה לצאת להרפתקה מחוץ למשפחה. איזו מצווה מתקיימת בהינמקות אשה ללא אהבה לשארית חייה? כיצד יוכל גבר, המנהל לא פעם הרפתקה 'מן הצד' גם אם אשתו מספקת אותו, לשפוט את התנהגותה של אשה?
וכבר נאמר: "הלא זה צום אבחרהו, פתח חרצבות רשע, התר אגדות מוטה ושלח רצוצים חפשים, וכל מוטה תנתקו;" (ישעיהו, נח: ו).
רבים יאמרו: "המנאפות הולכות לגיהינום!"
על כך אשיב: אין ניאוף בבניית אשה את חייה מחדש אחרי ש'בעלה' הפסיק לתפקד כבעל מכל בחינה שהיא, הוא מתנכר לשמחתה ומייסר בכל דרך לא רק אותה אלא גם את ילדיו ממנה. אפשר אף לשאול: מדוע מאיימים על העגונה שהיא תלך לגיהינום? באיזו קייטנה, בדיוק, נמצאת העגונה עכשיו?
הבה נחקור את עומק דברי התורה בכנות. נגלה כי כבר הונחה התשתית לשחרור העגונה וילדיה מייסוריהם. אין צורך לחדש הלכות; עלינו רק לאזכר את אשר נכתב בתורה בלב אוהב ובהשקפה מחודשת.
מהו המעמד האמיתי של עגונה וילדיה? כשנבחן בכנות את מעמדם של העגונה וילדיה נראה עד כמה קשה להאמין שגבר יטיל סבל כזה לא רק על (ex)-אשתו-האהובה, אלא גם על ילדיו-הוא. עוד יותר מזעזעים הם העושים זאת לזמן ממושך, אחדים מהם לפרק בלתי מוגבל. מה נוכל לאמר על הרבנים והדיינים המסייעים ומעודדים עבריינים אלה? מיד נראה כי גברים הנושאים באחריות להחזקת נשיהם וילדיהן בכליאה כזאת הנם באמת מפלצות על פי התורה וכי הם, ולא ה'מנאפות', צפויים לעונש החמור ביותר הקצוב בתורה. זאת ועוד לגבי הרבנים והדיינים העוזרים לגברים הללו – התורה מבטיחה עונש קשה במיוחד גם עבורם.
בעוד האלמנה והיתום נקלעים למצבם העגום והפגיע כתוצאה מפועל אלוהי, העגונה וילדיה סובלים כל כך מידיו של גבר היכול להמשיך במעשיו בתמיכת המערכת הרבנית-דיינית. עגינות וילדי עגונות הם, אפוא, פועל ידיו של גבר המשים עצמו אלוה כדי ליהנות מתחושת נקם כוחנית. הנקימה אסורה בהחלט מהתורה (ויקרא, יט: יח). איזה חטא גדול יותר?
הנביא מביא לעם ישראל את דברי ה' בהם הוא מודיע כי לא מסר 'גט' לאשתו-כביכול. הבה נתבונן באותם פסוקים כדי להבין את הסילוף והסטיה העצומים של הגברים המסרבים לתת גטים לעגונותיהם ומטילים סבל מתמשך על ילדיהם. נקרא בישעיהו, מט: כו – "והאכלתי את מוניך את בשרם וכעסיס דמם ישכרון , וידעו כל בשר כי אני ה' מושיעך וגאלך אביר יעקב." ומיד: "כה אמר ה', אי זה ספר כריתות אמכם אשר שלחתיה או מי מנושי אשר מכרתי אתכם לו; הן בעונתיכם נמכרתם ובפשעיכם שלחה אמכם," (שם, נ: א).
ה'אם' בקטע זה היא השכינה (=ההיבט הנקבי של ה'). כמובן, אין זה רצון ה' "לשלח אותה", ופירוש הקטע: השכינה נסתלקה מעל ישראל בגלל עוונותינו. בפסוק הקודם, לפני אזכרת הגט, ראינו כי על אף חטאיהם של בני ישראל עדין הם נחשבים לילדיו של ה' והוא יילחם את מלחמותיהם נגד עושקיהם. מכאן נבין עד כמה בלתי אנושי הוא מצד גבר לגרום סבל לילדיו, במיוחד ילדים רכים שלא חטאו כלל.
מצב העגונה וילדיה גרוע בהרבה מזה של האלמנה והיתום. תחילה על העגונה וילדיה להתמודד עם הבעיה הכלכלית. תלאותיהם הכלכליות של העגונה וילדיה הן, בדרך כלל, קשות מאלה של האלמנה והיתום; אלה האחרונים בדרך כלל יורשים רכוש וכסף – דבר נדיר מאד אצל עגונה ו/או ילדיה. גרוע עוד יותר: אם הגבר שנטש את העגונה היה חייב כספים ו/או אם הוא ממשיך להסתבך בחובות, העגונה (ברוב המקרים) תאולץ לשאת גם בתשלומים אלה. ברור, אפוא, כי מצבם הכלכלי של העגונה וילדיה עלולים להיות הרבה יותר גרועים מזה של אלמנה ויתום [מעניין: אין מונח מיוחד בעברית לילדיהן של עגונה וגרושה]. בחברה בה שופטים את האדם, בדרך כלל, על פי הצלחתו החומרית – איפה נמצאים העגונה וילדיה? כל מה שנאמר בתורה לגבי אלמנה ויתומים יהיה, אפוא, נכון ביתר שאת, בחינת "קל וחומר" (=כך ועוד יותר; מדת-היקש נפוצה מאד בפרשנות התורנית), לגבי עגונה וילדיה.
העגונה וילדיה חשופים לרמות עמוקות ביותר של השפלה ציבורית; רווחת מאד הדעה (השקרית במרבית המקרים) המטילה את מלוא האשם במצב שנתהווה על כתפי העגונה עצמה. מיד נתבונן באשר אמרה התורה על המשפיל את הזולת בפומבי.
אלמנה עשויה להינשא שוב; ליתומים יש תקוה כי יבוא יום בו ישוקם מצבם והם יחיו בבית חם, נאהבים ע"י אמא ואבא-חדש, נשמרים ע"י שני הורים אוהבים וצורכיהם מסופקים להם – כראוי לכל ילד. העגונה וילדיה אינם רואים קץ לסבלותיהם. הם נתונים לחסדיו של אדם מופרע המשים עצמו אלוה לגבי גורלם של בת-זוגו לשעבר וילדיהם (האם היה הוא מופרע ביום החתונה? האם הנישואים תופסים הלכתית?). העגונה וילדיה נתונים לחסדי רבנים / דיינים המוצאים בכל מקרה של עגינות הזדמנות 'לעשות קופה' נאה. הם זוכים בסכום מופקע על חשבון סבלו של יהודי אחר. הם מצדיקים את התנהגותם הגסה והאטומה באומרם לנפשם: "עגונה זאת היתה, לבטח, רעיה בלתי נסבלת". על סמך מה, שואלת אני, מניחים הם זאת? על סמך השמצת ה-ex שלה? הרי אפילו אם אמנם ייסרה האשה את בעלה בעודם חיים יחד, רשאי הוא לגרשה (דברים, כד: א)! בנסיבות מסוימות מפסידה האשה את כתובתה, הכל לפי התנהגותה ככתוב בתורה, אך היא חייבת לקבל גט מכל מקום (שלחן ערוך, אבן העזר, עז: ב)! גברים המשאירים את נשותיהם-לשעבר עגונות ואת ילדיהם במצב נזיל גוזלים מהם הכל, אפילו את תקוותיהם.
תיארנו את מצבם של העגונה וילדי העגונה, וראינו כי הוא גרוע יותר מזה של האלמנה והיתומים מכל בחינה; הבה נתבונן בכתוב בתורה על אלמנה, יתום, והלבנת פני אדם ברבים – ומהם העונשים בתורה על עבירות מסוימות.
כתוב בתורה: "לא תגנב!" (שמות, כ: יג). אנו לומדים (בהיקש אל שמות, כא: טז) כי זהו מעיקרו איסור על חטיפת אדם (איסור גניבת רכוש נדון בתורה בהרחבה במקומות אחרים). גניבת נפש (החלק המודע של הנשמה, העצמיות) היא פשע. עד כמה, אפוא, חמור יותר פשעו של הגונב את הנשמה עצמה (הרובד העליון, חלק א-לוה), כלומר: מונע מהנשמה את האפשרות להיוולד!?
העונש על גזל הרש הוא מיתה בידי שמים. עד כמה חמור יותר מעשהו של המרושש בזדון את אשת נעוריו ואת ילדיהם והגוזל מהם את זכותם לשיקום חייהם ולניהולם באופן תקין, על פי היכולת הגנוזה בכל אדם!?
"כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון; אם ענה תענה אתו, כי אם צעק יצעק אלי שמע אשמע צעקתו; וחרה אפי והרגתי אתכם בחרב, והיו נשיכם אלמנות ובניכם יתומים;" (שמות, כב: כא–כג). לפי אחד הפירושים למובאה זאת מדובר כאן בדיינים, הנמנעים מלסייע לנדכאים אף כאשר הדבר ביכולתם, וכך מביאים על עצמם מיתה בידי שמים (ר' רש"י על אתר).
"ולא תונו איש את עמיתו," (ויקרא, כה: יז). חכמינו מבארים (בבא מציעא, נח: ב) כי המדובר כאן באונאת דברים (=התעללות מילולית-נפשית; אמירת דברים הגורמים צער לזולת), האסורה מכל וכל. כפי שראינו לעיל, נשלח הנביא ישעיהו כדי למסור לישראל: "והאכלתי את מוניך את בשרם וכעסיס דמם ישכרון , וידעו כל בשר כי אני ה' מושיעך וגאלך אביר יעקב." מתוך כל אלה למדים אנו: אונאת דברים היא חטא כה חמור עד כי נקצבה לעוברים עליו מיתה בידי שמים. ונכון הדבר, כי ייסורי נפש ורגש הם פגיעה בעצמיות, בהוויה. עד כמה חמורה יותר עגמת הנפש הנגרמת בידי גבר המסרב לתת גט לאשתו, גורר אותה מישיבת בית הדין הזאת לבאה אחריה, משמיץ אותה בכל הזדמנות, משלה אותה להאמין בכל פעם כי העניין סגור – ושוב ממאן לתתו לה!?
בהמשך אותה גמרא (בבא מציעא, נט: א) מורה לנו דוד המלך כי הבא על אשת איש [בעדים ובהתראה] מיתתו בחנק ע"י בית דין של מטה, ויש לו חלק בעולם הבא; המלבין פני חברו ברבים, אין לו חלק בעולם הבא. שוטים נוטים לחשוב כי העלבת אדם בציבור או התעללות נפשית/מילולית הן עבירות פחות חמורות מניאוף, כי אין בית דין של מטה קוצב עונש עבורן. למעשה אלה עבירות כה חמורות עד כי אין בית הדין הארצי מסוגל להקיף אותן בענישתו. יהא חוק זה ידוע למביאים על העגונה וילדיה חרפה מתמשכת!
אנו לומדים במסכת בבא בתרא (פח: ב): "אמר רבי לוי, קשה עונשן של מדות יותר מעונשן של עריות." מכאן יובן: גבר המאלץ את אשתו-לשעבר ואת ילדיו לחיות בקשיים כלכליים (הנובעים מהעגינות לעתים קרובות), גוזל את שלוות נפשם, גוזל את מעמדם החברתי, גוזל את תקוותם לעתיד טוב יותר – מביא על עצמו עונש הרבה יותר גדול מזה של העגונה העשויה למצוא לה איש אהוב וללדת לו ילדים. שוב, אל נשכח כי העונש על ניאוף הוא חנק; בעוד עונשו של המייסר אלמנה ויתום (שמעמדם, כפי שראינו, עדיף כלכלית וחברתית על זה של העגונה וילדיה) הוא מיתה בידי שמים.
המבול, כך למדנו, בא לא בגלל כל סטיות המין שאמנם התרחשו אז, אלא כאשר סטיות הצדק הצטברו בהמון, ככתוב: "...כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם, והנני משחיתם את הארץ;" (בראשית, ו: יג). התורה שבכתב אף לא הזכירה, למעשה, את סטיות המין כסיבה המפורשת ל"קץ כל בשר;" עלינו להסיק משמוש הלשון המקראי כי "מין בשאינו מינו" היה לתופעה רווחת: "אמר רבי יוחנן, מלמד שהרביעו בהמה על חיה, וחיה על בהמה, והכל על אדם, ואדם על הכל;" (סנהדרין, קח: א). רבי יוחנן לומד זאת מהפסוק: "...כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ;" (בראשית, ו: יב). השחתה מוסרית, וודאי גזלת שלוות הנפש של זולת – גרוע מזה, גזלת זכותן של נשמות להיוולד ולהגיע לרמה גבוהה יותר של א-לוהות ע"י קיום מצוות, פשעים אלה חמורים הרבה יותר מניאוף. עלינו לתפוס זאת: התורה רואה עבירות על הצדק באור שלילי יותר מאשר 'אי סדרים' ביחסי מין. המדמיינים כי חטאיו של הכובל את אשתו בעגינותה ומייסר את ילדיו הנם פחות חמורים מאלה של המנאף, חיים בטעות מרה ומפירים את מצוות התורה.
למודו של רבי לוי שצוטט לעיל (בבא בתרא, פח: ב) בדבר עונשם של המשתמשים במדות פסולות במסחר, החמור יותר מזה של הנואפים, מובא ע"י הרמב"ם (הלכות גנבה) וע"י הטור (חשן משפט, רל"ג). עלינו לזכור כי על פי התורה קשה אונאת דברים מאונאת ממון. "אמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בר יוחאי, גדול[ה] אונאת דברים מאונאת ממון, שזה נאמר בו 'ויראת מאלהיך' (ויקרא, כה: יז) וזה לא נאמר בו 'ויראת מאלהיך', ורבי אלעזר אומר, זה בגופו וזה בממונו;" (בבא מציעא, נח: ב ואילך). יעיין נא הקורא שם לדיון מפורט על היחס בין חוקי מדות פסולות, הלבנת פני אדם ברבים, מתן כבוד לאשתו של אדם וניאוף. כל בעל לב יוכל להבין, אפוא, כי גבר המתעלל לא רק באשתו-לשעבר אלא גם בילדיו-הוא – נפשית, כמו גם כלכלית – איבד את מקומו בעולם הבא. הוא מת-מהלך שהביא על עצמו מיתה בידי שמים. אשתו-לשעבר נחשבת לאדם שעבר תיקון רוחני – במדרגה גבוהה יותר מזאת שעברה האלמנה. נישואיה, למעשה, פקעו והיא מותרת לכל אדם פרט לכהן גדול. גם ילדי העגונה עברו תיקון במדרגה גבוהה מזאת של היתומים. האם העגונה וילדיה לא נרצחו נפש? "ארבעה חשובין כמת, עני ומצורע וסומא ומי שאין לו בנים, עני דכתיב 'כי מתו כל האנשים' (שמות, ד: יט), מצורע דכתיב 'אל נא תהי כמת' (במדבר, יב: יב), וסומא דכתיב 'במחשכים הושיבני כמתי עולם' (איכה, ג: ו), ומי שאין לו בנים דכתיב 'הבה לי בנים ואם אין מתה אנכי' (בראשית, ל: א);" (נדרים, סד: ב). מכאן נראה בבירור: אחרי שהומתו (=נתרוששו), עברו העגונה וילדיה טיהור מושלם מכל חטאיהם והבעל-לשעבר אינו רק רוצח; ע"י הריגת ילדיו הוא גם הרג את עצמו– כחסר ילדים הוא חשוב כמת. לפי התורה ה'בעל' הביא מוות על עצמו והאשה, אפוא, "מותרת לכל אדם".
לעיל הצלחנו להראות כי מעמד העגונה וילדיה גרוע מזה של האלמנה והיתום. לכן עונשיהם של המייסרים את העגונה וילדיה, ב"קל וחומר", יהיו קשים מאלה הקצובים לעושקי אלמנה ורוצצי יתום. יתר על כן, הגבר המסרב לתת לאשתו גט על פי דרישתה וכן הרבנים/הדיינים הממאנים לאלץ אותו לעשות כן בכל דרך מותרת, בצעו את הפשע שאין להעריכו של מניעת לידה מנשמות.
באמת, למדנו כי "שלושה סימנים יש באומה זו, הרחמנים הביישנין וגומלי חסדים;" (יבמות, עט: א). כמו כן למדנו: "כל מי שיש בו שלושה דברים הללו הוא מתלמידיו של אברהם אבינו... עין טובה ורוח נמוכה ונפש שפלה... [והם] אוכלין בעולם הזה ונוחלין העולם הבא;" (אבות, ה: יט). ייחוסו היהודי של אדם, המשאיר את אשתו עגונה ואת ילדיו במחסור, הוא בספק רב. לפיכך גם עצם נישואיה של האשה ליהודי מוטלים בספק. אם לא, הרי היא חופשיה לחלוטין. באשר לשאלת ההליכה לגיהינום בה נגענו לעיל, גם לכך נותנת המשנה תשובה ברורה (עין שם).
בדיוננו זה הראינו כי יש תקדימים למכביר, בתורה על כל רבדיה, היכולים לשמש בסיס לשחרור העגונות. כל הדרוש כדי לגשת לעניין זה ולהצליח – הוא רצון טוב.
דורין דותן, צפת
ה'תשס"ד
Friday, May 14, 2004
B"H
Welcome to My New ESSENES JEWISH AND REAL Web Sites
I have begun a simple web site dedicated to היחד, known as the 'Dead Sea Sect', and associated with the Essenes (HaIsi'im). There are a number of links on the site to other related sites. You can find it on:
http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/index.html
I also have a simple web site up that has links on it to my writings pertainging to היחד. It can be found on:
http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/Essenes_My_Writings.html
Please do me the pleasure and privilege of visiting the sites.
With blessings,
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
Welcome to My New ESSENES JEWISH AND REAL Web Sites
I have begun a simple web site dedicated to היחד, known as the 'Dead Sea Sect', and associated with the Essenes (HaIsi'im). There are a number of links on the site to other related sites. You can find it on:
http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/index.html
I also have a simple web site up that has links on it to my writings pertainging to היחד. It can be found on:
http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/Essenes_My_Writings.html
Please do me the pleasure and privilege of visiting the sites.
With blessings,
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
Sunday, May 09, 2004
B"H
נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות פורסם ברשת
הקריאה חינם
I am very pleased to announce that נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות
a book that eludicates that which is written in the 'Dead Sea Scrolls' as never before has been published on the net and is free of charge to the public.
You can find the book on:
http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/NekevahHaKorbanotVeHaCapparot.htm
With blessings,
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות פורסם ברשת
הקריאה חינם
I am very pleased to announce that נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות
a book that eludicates that which is written in the 'Dead Sea Scrolls' as never before has been published on the net and is free of charge to the public.
You can find the book on:
http://www.geocities.com/dordot2001/NekevahHaKorbanotVeHaCapparot.htm
With blessings,
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
Monday, May 03, 2004
ב"ה
נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות
Introduction to a Recently Completed Book
The following is the introduction to a book I just completed. The Dead Scrolls contain many wonders. If the Scrolls are read correctly, they will change the way you experience Judaism forever. You will be transported back to the time that the Cohenim served, in purity and in righteousness, in the Temples. You will come to experience Torah as they knew it. You will be liberated from the distortions and vexations of the Soul we find in Judaism as we know it today. There are many lessons that we can learn from the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. This book, הנקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות focuses on the authentic place of the female in Judaism and how she is intimately connected with the atonement brought about by עבודת הכהנים. The חילופים are, of course, in Hebrew, while the explanatory text is in English.
Details of publication will follow, please God.
All rights reserved to the author. No portion may be copied, edited or distributed without the express written permission of the author.
הנקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות
מבוא
The following revelations are not entirely unexpected, yet they startle the mind, as well as delight the heart, nonetheless. They clearly demonstrate that the attainment of joy on the part of the Jewish female was central in the purification rites that were performed in the Temples. We may infer that if the Service is to be renewed in the Third Temple the central role that the joy of the Jewish female plays must be understood and appreciated. The tradition of הפרושים (the Pharisees) and subsequently of their students, the Rabbis, teaches us that השכינה (the feminine presence of God) only rests upon an individual, or the community of ישראל, when we are in the spirit of joy in doing a mitzvah. Upon in-depth examination of the texts of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) [and there is every reason to concur with those who posit the theory that they represent the view of righteous בני צדוק (those Sadducees who remained true to the traditional religion and Temple Service)] that were recovered from the library in the area that is now known as Khirbet Qumran, we find a much more integrated understanding of the interaction of the feminine Godly Aspect, and real-life, this-worldly Jewish women than the one we are familiar with as taught by the Pharisees and their students the Rabbis. We will demonstrate, בע"ה, that the self-same texts which, on the surface appear to be pedantic reproofs, admonitions and dire warnings concerning the scrupulous keeping of the laws of purity and modesty on the part of women, are actually teachings using the very particular characteristics of Hebrew, the Holy Language, to remind those who had thrown off the yoke of תורה that no expiation for ישראל can come about without bringing joy to the hearts of the Jewish female. It is the Jewish female who suffers the effects of the sins of ישראל most immediately and piteously. This is the reason for the absolute necessity for women to be as pure in body, mind and Soul as possible in this world; it is by no means an expression of being repulsed by women or feeling superior to women in any way. It is understood that a Jewish woman cannot be joyful if she does not live in a state of purity in her thoughts, actions and service to ה' יתברך. It is also understood that if ישראל does not live in the state of moral/spiritual/societal purity described in תורה there can be no true joy for Jewish females and, thus, no expiation for the entire community. The attainment of joy by the women of ישראל is the sine qua non for purification and the pardoning of sins on the part of the entire Jewish People, as we will see. Jewish men are enjoined to do everything in their power to bring joy into the hearts of the women of ישראל, indeed this was the most important part of the rites that הכהנים performed. Jewish women are commanded to be pure so that they may be joyous – this for the sake of the entire עם ישראל. The attainment of joy on the part of the Jewish female is the highest moral/spiritual attainment on the part of the individual and the basis upon which all righteousness and holiness in Jewish society lies. While it is true that the joy of the Jewish woman is dependent upon the sanctity of כל בית ישראל, the willing of her heart to be joyful despite the sin of ישראל has a purifying effect on the entire community. The existence of the female is very difficult and can easily enough lead to sadness, even despair. Therefore, a woman who has, by force of her own will, attained the spiritual discipline necessary in order to impose joy upon her heart to serve ה' ישתבח שמו has performed the utmost that she can for the Jewish People and this brings about an eternal rectification, which affects every generation – her own, the generations before and hence - as we shall see, בע"ה. This in no wise relieves the קהלת ישראל from its responsibility of forming a Jewish society that eases this task for the Jewish female. The attaining of joy should not and need not, be a superhuman task for the Jewish woman to perform. It is preferable that her attainment of joy is a natural phenomenon occurring within Jewish society, as a matter of course, not a supernatural phenomenon occurring despite prevailing conditions.
We will demonstrate some חילופים for proper nouns, pronouns and nouns that are traditionally understood to be directly related to and/or associated with the female in particular, as well as both ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ concepts that are traditionally directly related to and/or associated with the feminine in תנ"ך and the interpretation and development of Jewish Law, as it has been handed down to us, namely הלכה. הלכה is evidently a term coined by הפרושים, that was not only not adopted by היחד, but used by them derisively when referring to the Pharisees’ methods of interpretation of תורה [see The Zadokite Fragments (also called The Damascus Document = 4Q266 2 I-II; 4Q268 1) Col. I:18. We will see that, in light of the rectification that knowledge of the חילופים brings about, the most holy is revealed in that which is normally considered immodest, defiled, impure or otherwise negative. In other words, the performance of the חילופים is that which reveals one’s inner holiness. Her inner Godliness having been revealed to her consciousness the holiness becomes a part of the outward comportment of the Jewish female. Her נשמה (Jewish Soul), mind, emotional structure and body having been unified in the conscious awareness of her holiness, the Jewish woman attains the state of joy that brings about the rectification of the entire Jewish People. This being the case, it is understood that not only is תלמוד תורה permitted to women, it is essential that Jewish women learn the depths of the secrets of תורה. That is to say, Jewish women must become experts in the techniques of the שינויים and the חילופים that bring about the purification of consciousness. It should be needless to say that it becomes incumbent upon any Jew who has learned תורה not only to comport her/himself in accordance with what one has learned, but also to teach that which one has learned in turn. Jewish women, then, it would stand to reason, are intended to be not only students but also teachers of the most profound levels of תורה.
Some חילופים will be offered in this book for some of the names of the most notable personages and concepts traditionally thought of as quintessentially male in תנ"ך. The female aspects of these ‘male’ proper nouns will become evident in light of the חילופים. We will not be considering why male and female forms exist in the structure of the Hebrew language in the course of this book.
In most cases the author will allow the חילופים to speak for themselves. The חילופים reveal knowledge vastly more effectively, and concisely, than does prose. However, when the need arises for particular clarification or comment remarks will be made, בע"ה.
Our discussion of the subject of the joy of the Jewish female and its central role in purification of the individual and of עם ישראל as a whole must necessarily be perfunctory and partial. The subject matter is so great that we are moved to paraphrase in regard to the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) the eloquent quote attributed to Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai praising his teachers (seeמסכת סופרים פרק ט"ז, הלכה ח' ): “If all the skies were to become parchments, all the trees quill pens, and all the oceans ink” we could not begin to give justice to the depth and holiness of the subject or give thanks to אלה-י ישראל for revealing this knowledge to היחד and their painstaking devotion in passing it, in turn, to us. We must make do with a glimpse into the Holy of Holies. It behooves the author to express her profound gratitude and indebtedness to the authors and preservers of the Scrolls found in the library in what is today known as Khirbet Qumran for the knowledge they lovingly learned, preserved and transmitted to us. Surely I had been learning the חילופים for years before reading the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ and many of the חילופים presented in this book were learned directly from תנ"ך and תושב"ע, according to the Pharisaic-Rabbinic tradition, as well as classical Jewish commentary and ‘mystical’ writings. Having learned from the Rabbis we can better appreciate the richness of the treasure that is ‘the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. We are enjoined to honor and praise our teachers and mention them by name in accordance with הלכה. Yet, despite many years of exertions in my studies, it was not until encountering the terms and concepts in the Scrolls found at ‘Qumran’ that I was able to see with exquisite clarity what the Pharisaic-Rabbinic tradition was relating confusedly, with stuttering speech and halting step. Only by reading the works of some of בני צדוק who actually served in the Temple in accordance with the tradition handed down to them since the time of צדוק בן אחיטוב, הכהן הגדול, ז"ל in the days of King David (see שמ"ב ט"ו : מ-כ"ד and דברי הימים א' ה : ל"ח) and who understood the meaning of the service they were performing, was I able to see that bringing about the joy of women is the actual expiation and purification rites themselves. Surely the holiness and healing properties of joy is central to the understanding of all schools of Judaism. Yet nowhere in the Pharisaic-Rabbinic tradition did I ever encounter the comprehensive and immediately apprehensible integration of the understanding of the Godly and the this-worldly in the expiating effect of joy, particularly that of women, for the sake of כלל ישראל and indeed all the Gentiles as well, that I found in the texts written and preserved by the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד).
My gratitude is extended to all of the scholars without whose monumental labors of love we could not be privy to that which is contained in the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’.
In our times, and apparently during the ages we are aware of, few sought, and seek, the depths of the secrets of life if they have not been profoundly pained, deeply scarred and left utterly confused and filled with rage at a world that seems cruel and without purpose. Only those who have fallen, or have been thrown into, the maw of the abyss of sadness and from there cry out to ה' יתברך are taught the secrets of joy and purification. It is to the most broken, to the weakest and most helpless ones, that ה' יתברך שמו reveals Itself. This need not be so. Suffering need not, indeed should not, be the sine qua non for the revelation of ה'. In our times it would seem that those who seek God experience recurring cycles of revelation of joy and then abysmal sadness, followed by greater, clearer revelations of joy, then deeper depths of despair and despondency still, followed by yet another, higher revelation of joy and so on. When a person has made ה' their every strength and refuge that person is left utterly bereft during the periods when ה' hides Its face so that we may seek more urgently. Such is the way of the world now. It is a function of our own cruelty that we must experience pain to reach out to HaShem. It is certainly not HaShem’s Will that it be that way, although provisions are made for this stage in spiritual development in Torah. Upon consideration we see that induction into a higher state of morality/spirituality/consciousness via the portal of suffering is not a very effective way to grow morally/spiritually at all. The way is fraught with danger and many become less moral and spiritual as a result of their pain, rather than more. Some must hit “rock bottom” before they begin to search for God. After two thousand years of dispersion in the Diaspora, and having experienced every kind of hell imaginable, we have not been spiritually perfected, or even bettered. The opposite may indeed be true. This is reason enough to question whether what the Pharisaic/Rabbinic traditions teaches about the galut is sound. It is reason enough to call the commonly held belief that the Diaspora is a “tikkun” into serious doubt. If we are honest with ourselves we must come to the unsettling conclusion that all of the pain of the Diaspora is an unnecessary tragedy.
If there be one central purpose for the writing of this book it is so that the moral/spiritual path of pain will no longer be the way of the world, for it is not a necessary state. In fact, it is detrimental to our spiritual development. It is entirely possible, and desirable, that our moral/spiritual growth and development will proceed from one state of joy to the next greater state of joy. This is the true p’shat of: העדתי בכם היום את-השמים ואת-הארץ החיים והמות נתתי לפניך הברכה והקללה ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה אתה וזרעך.
דברים ל:יט. May HaShem bless this work so that it may serve as a minor contribution to the revelation of how to attain a world characterized by greater happiness and wisdom. In fact, it is due to profound ignorance of Torah that we have been taught by our Rabbis that pain is the portal through which we must pass on the way to Godliness. That teaching, exaggerated and further distorted has come to haunt, torment and even torture us in the form of Christianity, which persecuted us throughout so many generations and still continued to vex us, yet we have not learned the error of our ways. We have sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind, and we do not see that our own misinterpretation of Torah has come back at us like a boomerang. Not only have we not learned the error of our ways, we take perverse pride in having performed the mitzvot under the worst of conditions, as though this is what HaShem desires from us.
One of the purposes of this work is to describe the type of Jewish society and approach to תלמוד תורה that are characterized by joy as a commonplace experience. It is entirely possible that we could be born into an ambience of joy and from that starting point progress from one level of joy and Godly inspiration to the next. Jewish society should not be structured such that the experience of rapture is rare, one in which we experience epiphanies here and there. תלמוד תורה should be a continuous experience of bliss and wonder at the greatness of ה'. The ‘Dead Sea Sect’ lived in this society and knew this way of תלמוד תורה. They describe them to us in the Scrolls they lovingly preserved and left to posterity. We would do well to heed their instruction.
There aren’t enough words of thanks and praise that I can offer to אלקי ישראל for having bestowed the knowledge contained in the Scrolls upon our ancestors, and upon us. There is no estimating the blessing of finding the writing of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) even as אל-הינו ואל-הי אבותינו was gathering and returning the scattered of our People to our Holy Land. Truly אל-הינו fulfills the promises made to our ancestors and to us. May our learning and doing of the mitzvot, as taught to us in the Scrolls, be our gift of praise and thanksgiving to אלקי ישראל who teachesתורה לישראל in every generation and gives every generation the ability to teach those who live with them, come after them, as well as to elevate the Souls of those who came before. May the memory of our forebears, our revered and holy teachers, protect us. May we express the love, honor, awe and blessings for them that they so richly deserve by learning that which they exerted themselves mightily to learn, to preserve and pass on to us, i.e., the Laws of all that pertains to טהר and טמא, as is in accordance with the command of ה' יתברך to עם ישראל as taught to us by the Prophet Y’chezki’el (see יחזקאל מ"ד:כ"ג).
It is my position that only scholarly Jews steeped in Jewish Law and learning in the Holy tongue, who are willing to read the texts without prejudice, allowing the authors of the Scrolls to speak for themselves should be on the team of those attempting to interpret the content and the Hebrew of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. The understanding of this bound-to-be-unpopular position is requested of the readers, Jewish and Gentile alike. It is certainly not a matter of mere bigotry, nor a lack of respect for the many great contributions to the research of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ that Gentiles have made, and that we pray will continue to make. Perhaps an analogy will help the reader understand why the author takes so unyielding a stance on this issue. (The following analogy was chosen only because the historic development of Buddhism from Hinduism is analogous in some ways to that of the historic development of Christianity from Judaism. It is not meant to cast aspersions upon Buddhists in any way, Heaven forfend! Neither do I mean to imply any sort of similarity between Judaism and the development of any other religion): Were a library hitherto unknown to be found in India, for instance, containing fragments of Scrolls, written mostly in Sanskrit, which carbon dating showed to originate from somewhere between the 7th or 8th Centuries BCE, some perhaps earlier, until the 5th or 4th Centuries BCE, that do not mention Gautama Buddah at all (Gautama Buddha was born in the 6th Century BCE), but speak exclusively of classical Hinduism before the advent of Buddhism, we would be appalled if Buddhist scholars were to attempt to interpret the Scrolls to prove that they are actually of Buddhist origin. The claim would be all the more incredulous if it could be reasonably demonstrated that some of the Scrolls are copies of manuscripts that were composed much earlier. If a country other than India were to arrogate the Scrolls by subterfuge, sell them outside India to foreign scholars, some of whom were professedly hostile to Hinduism and prevent native Hindu Indian scholars and experts in ancient Sanskrit access to them, the honest seekers of truth in the Hindu religious world, and the international academic world alike, would cry out against the injustice. If the foreign scholars were to monopolize publication of interpretations of the Scrolls, as well as hold them in their sole possession for decades, the reaction of religious and academic scholars, Hindu and non-Hindu alike, would be that of the profoundest outrage. All this, and more, was done with the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. Tremendous damage was done, and is still being done, by Christian “scholars” who publish books and articles about the Scrolls irresponsibly and with the express purpose of furthering a Christian agenda. It will take many years before the misleading misinformation they published about the Scrolls will be reversed. It is because of their publications that many Orthodox Jews associate the Dead Sea Scrolls with Christianity and will not so much as consider their worth. This researcher and author, for one, works absolutely independently so as not to have to be financially or professionally beholden to any non-Jewish scholastic institutions or in need of research funds that come from non-Jewish sources.
In sharp contradistinction, the author’s special appreciation is extended to the many Gentile scientists and technical specialists whose tireless efforts have contributed and continue to contribute immeasurably to the research of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. The author respects the wisdom of the Gentile researchers who recognize the fact that only Jewish scholars who are fluent in the Hebrew language and intimately familiar with Jewish Law are able to understand the depths of the meaning of the Scrolls, and who do not attempt to engage in פרשנות של התורה, but rather support our work by way of scientific and technical contribution. Foreign approaches to religious texts, i.e. “hermeneutics” and “exegesis”, are inappropriate and inapplicable to תלמוד תורה. Fine examples of healthy, balanced and mutually respectful cooperation between Jews and Gentiles in studying the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ are the analyses of the texts carried out by experts in digital imaging, Carbon dating and chemical analysis of the types of ink used to write the Scrolls.
Interpretation of sacred Hebrew texts must be an area of study reserved only for Jews who have devoted their lives to the study of Jewish sources in the Holy Tongue, who do not reject the content of the Scrolls out of hand on the basis of the fact that they are not of Pharisaic provenance, and are willing to surrender the idea that Pharisaic Judaism is “superior” to that of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) in all matters.
Paleographic analysis of Hebrew texts is not a mere matter of studying types of letters that appear in Hebrew texts, comparing them with like types of scripts and then attempting to put them into an historical framework on the basis of those comparisons. Not only are the basic shapes of the Hebrew letters traditionally understood to be physical expressions of the spiritual/moral phonemes that are the building blocks of consciousness and with which the worlds are created (see מסכת שבת, דף ק"ד, עמ' א'), the variations of those shapes are traditionally understood to contain and relay profound meanings as well. It is for this reason that the traditional scripts of ספרי תורה vary among the Jewish ethnic groups. We cannot, with any certainty, posit that given Hebrew writing styles are characteristic of certain eras, each era succeeding the one before it in time, time being conceived of as a ray, and eras being conceived of as segments of the ray. Rather, Hebrew writing styles are expressions of schools of פרשנות, each purposefully developed, each relaying very specific information that the others do not. Let us not assume, as does Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, that those who copied and composed the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ were less able to calculate “chronology” than we (please see RECLAIMING THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, published by Doubleday, text copyright 1995 by Lawrence H. Schiffman, The Exodus to Qumran, pg. 91). Their experience of time was very different than ours. They were far more adept at reading and understanding the Hebrew תורה and plumbing its depths than we. It is, then, necessarily true that their concept of, relation to and command of time was vastly greater than ours as we as we can see from the following חילופים:
זמן = 747 = מקראות = להבין
One of the lessons that the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ impart is that time is created in accordance with the moral/spiritual level upon which one learns תורה and that it behooves us too to learn how to create a more flexible and benign concept of time than we do. We are invited by the authors, copyists and redactors of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ to learn to relate to time as they did, that is, as a function of תלמוד תורה, not to attempt to artificially, and one should say quite unsuccessfully, make the Scrolls conform to the currently agreed upon conception and experience of time. It would serve us well to understand that the גלות we are in is precisely our ignorance of how to read עברית. We are hardly in a position to determine how and what the members of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ were capable of perceiving or how they came to their conclusions and understanding. Their consciousness was fully steeped in the Holy Language. It is ours to humbly learn from them, not to attempt ‘heroic’ means to bring their writings into compliance with our worldview. Once again: זמן = 747 = מקראות = להבין. We must pay Carbon dating and other techniques of dating objects their due respect, but not skew our understanding of the Scrolls to conform to them. (The very word chronology is a clarion warning for us to beware of employing this way of thinking and analyzing when we are concerned with Hebrew texts. Chronology is a word compounded of the name of a pagan god and a way of thinking that comes from a tradition that was so abominable to devout Jews that they were willing to risk their lives rather than have it become part and parcel of their system of Biblical interpretation. It is far more likely that those who authored and copied the Scrolls found at Khirbet Qumran we not unaware of “chronology”, as conceived of by the Greco-Romans, rather they were vehemently opposed to apprehending events “chronologically”. בע"ה we will see some חילופים for the word שנים = נשים further on in this book.)
Orthography of Hebrew texts, as we shall see in this book, בע"ה, is firmly subsumed under פרשנות and thus must not be left to those outside of our holy tradition to make determinations about. A classic example of far-fetched orthographic ‘analysis’ of Hebrew on the part of a Gentile is GESENIUS’ HEBREW GRAMMAR. The book, however, is a masterpiece of compilation of cites of ‘variant’ spellings and forms. While Gesenius’ conjectures as to why the forms he considered anomalous exist can be fairly discarded wholesale, we must respect his keen eye for detail and we are indebted to him for the painstaking labor he invested in compiling the cites. We can, and should, employ the work of Gentiles in our studies, but we must be careful not to adopt their modes of thinking about the Hebrew language. Neither should we be tempted to employ their methods of “hermeneutics” and “exegesis” in understanding תורה in order to make the scholarly impression expected in the established academic community.
Inestimable damage has been done to Jewish scholarship and reconstruction of the Judaism of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) by Gentile scholars who tortured the Scrolls into saying what they do not and published their interpretations widely. The problem of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ being associated with Christianity is compounded by the political/religious hegemony of the Pharisees who much maligned any but other Pharisaic Jews by subsuming them all under the global pejorative term "מינים" and who, evidently, attempted to “archive” all texts that they themselves did not write and/or approve of into oblivion.
Blessed are they who approach the study of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ with openness, humility and with the sacred awe they so richly deserve, as well as with a willingness to incorporate the teachings found in the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ into a fuller, richer, more comprehensive, more authentic and less paltry form of Judaism than the one that has been bequeathed to us for these more than two thousand years by the Pharisaic/Rabbinic tradition. May they rejoice in their portion for their exertions. May their portion be large, full, rich and satisfying.
The Internet does not always avail us of the presentation of the Hebrew punctuation marks. For this reason we will write in כתיב מלא when explaining matters in order to ensure that the meaning is clear to the reader. The words חלופים and שנויים will appear here spelled חילופים and שינויים due to this constraint. As we shall see throughout the course of this book the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ inform us that there is traditional justification in adopting the practice of writing in כתיב מלא. We shall, בע"ה, discuss the frequent use of the letter ו' in place of the punctuation mark חלם in the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. For instance, the name ישרון is never written with two ווי"ן in תנ"ך, yet we find the name written ישורון in fragment 4Q503 29-32viii6. We understand, then, that the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) inherited a tradition of writing words with the addition of the letter ו' as perfectly acceptable and correct spellings of words, not only in place of the punctuation mark חלם, but also in place of the punctuation mark קבוץ. Perhaps the justification for doing so is the appearance of the name זבלון written variously throughout תנ"ך. We may infer, however, that there may be preferred spellings in Hebrew. The name זבלון is an excellent example of this. Although the name זבלון, punctuated with a קבוץ and then a שורק, is not the form used an overwhelmingly large number of times in תנ"ך, or even in חומש for that matter, it is the form that is used in ספר בראשית when ה' יתברך שמו tells us why Z’vulun’s mother, לאה, calls him זבלון when he is born. That is to say, the mega-concept זבלון coming into creation appears in the form of the name being punctuated first with a קבוץ and then with a שורק. Additionally, זבלון punctuated first with a קבוץ and then with a שורק is the only form of the name that appears in ספר דברי הימים.)
Within the demonstrations of theחילופים either כתיב מלא or כתיב חסר will be employed as dictated by the value of the חילוף .
The symbol “*” before a word or phrase within the demonstrations of the חילופים will come to tell us that an explanation of the חילוף will follow the last of the חילופים presented for that particular value. In some cases there will be more explanations given for more than one חילוף for a given value. In those cases the חילופים being explained will have one, then two, then three and so on stars before them “*’, “**”, “***”…
Although great care has been taken in the writing, editing and re-editing of this book it is well nigh inevitable that there will be typing errors in a piece such as this, no matter how careful one is in the work. The author requests the reader to alert her to any errors in the text and to pose any questions that may arise as to the correctness of any given חילוף.
*******************************************************************
דורין אלן בל-דותן
ת"ד 503
צפת 13104
טלפון: 972-4-6925590
דוא"ל: DoreenDotan@gmail.com
-או- dordot2001@yahoo.com
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan
P.O. Box 503
Tzfat, Yisra’el 13104
Phone: 972-4-692-5590
Cell Phone: 051-412031
E-mail: DoreenDotan@gmail.com OR dordot2001@yahoo.com
נקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות
Introduction to a Recently Completed Book
The following is the introduction to a book I just completed. The Dead Scrolls contain many wonders. If the Scrolls are read correctly, they will change the way you experience Judaism forever. You will be transported back to the time that the Cohenim served, in purity and in righteousness, in the Temples. You will come to experience Torah as they knew it. You will be liberated from the distortions and vexations of the Soul we find in Judaism as we know it today. There are many lessons that we can learn from the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. This book, הנקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות focuses on the authentic place of the female in Judaism and how she is intimately connected with the atonement brought about by עבודת הכהנים. The חילופים are, of course, in Hebrew, while the explanatory text is in English.
Details of publication will follow, please God.
All rights reserved to the author. No portion may be copied, edited or distributed without the express written permission of the author.
הנקבה: הקרבנות והכפרות
מבוא
The following revelations are not entirely unexpected, yet they startle the mind, as well as delight the heart, nonetheless. They clearly demonstrate that the attainment of joy on the part of the Jewish female was central in the purification rites that were performed in the Temples. We may infer that if the Service is to be renewed in the Third Temple the central role that the joy of the Jewish female plays must be understood and appreciated. The tradition of הפרושים (the Pharisees) and subsequently of their students, the Rabbis, teaches us that השכינה (the feminine presence of God) only rests upon an individual, or the community of ישראל, when we are in the spirit of joy in doing a mitzvah. Upon in-depth examination of the texts of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) [and there is every reason to concur with those who posit the theory that they represent the view of righteous בני צדוק (those Sadducees who remained true to the traditional religion and Temple Service)] that were recovered from the library in the area that is now known as Khirbet Qumran, we find a much more integrated understanding of the interaction of the feminine Godly Aspect, and real-life, this-worldly Jewish women than the one we are familiar with as taught by the Pharisees and their students the Rabbis. We will demonstrate, בע"ה, that the self-same texts which, on the surface appear to be pedantic reproofs, admonitions and dire warnings concerning the scrupulous keeping of the laws of purity and modesty on the part of women, are actually teachings using the very particular characteristics of Hebrew, the Holy Language, to remind those who had thrown off the yoke of תורה that no expiation for ישראל can come about without bringing joy to the hearts of the Jewish female. It is the Jewish female who suffers the effects of the sins of ישראל most immediately and piteously. This is the reason for the absolute necessity for women to be as pure in body, mind and Soul as possible in this world; it is by no means an expression of being repulsed by women or feeling superior to women in any way. It is understood that a Jewish woman cannot be joyful if she does not live in a state of purity in her thoughts, actions and service to ה' יתברך. It is also understood that if ישראל does not live in the state of moral/spiritual/societal purity described in תורה there can be no true joy for Jewish females and, thus, no expiation for the entire community. The attainment of joy by the women of ישראל is the sine qua non for purification and the pardoning of sins on the part of the entire Jewish People, as we will see. Jewish men are enjoined to do everything in their power to bring joy into the hearts of the women of ישראל, indeed this was the most important part of the rites that הכהנים performed. Jewish women are commanded to be pure so that they may be joyous – this for the sake of the entire עם ישראל. The attainment of joy on the part of the Jewish female is the highest moral/spiritual attainment on the part of the individual and the basis upon which all righteousness and holiness in Jewish society lies. While it is true that the joy of the Jewish woman is dependent upon the sanctity of כל בית ישראל, the willing of her heart to be joyful despite the sin of ישראל has a purifying effect on the entire community. The existence of the female is very difficult and can easily enough lead to sadness, even despair. Therefore, a woman who has, by force of her own will, attained the spiritual discipline necessary in order to impose joy upon her heart to serve ה' ישתבח שמו has performed the utmost that she can for the Jewish People and this brings about an eternal rectification, which affects every generation – her own, the generations before and hence - as we shall see, בע"ה. This in no wise relieves the קהלת ישראל from its responsibility of forming a Jewish society that eases this task for the Jewish female. The attaining of joy should not and need not, be a superhuman task for the Jewish woman to perform. It is preferable that her attainment of joy is a natural phenomenon occurring within Jewish society, as a matter of course, not a supernatural phenomenon occurring despite prevailing conditions.
We will demonstrate some חילופים for proper nouns, pronouns and nouns that are traditionally understood to be directly related to and/or associated with the female in particular, as well as both ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ concepts that are traditionally directly related to and/or associated with the feminine in תנ"ך and the interpretation and development of Jewish Law, as it has been handed down to us, namely הלכה. הלכה is evidently a term coined by הפרושים, that was not only not adopted by היחד, but used by them derisively when referring to the Pharisees’ methods of interpretation of תורה [see The Zadokite Fragments (also called The Damascus Document = 4Q266 2 I-II; 4Q268 1) Col. I:18. We will see that, in light of the rectification that knowledge of the חילופים brings about, the most holy is revealed in that which is normally considered immodest, defiled, impure or otherwise negative. In other words, the performance of the חילופים is that which reveals one’s inner holiness. Her inner Godliness having been revealed to her consciousness the holiness becomes a part of the outward comportment of the Jewish female. Her נשמה (Jewish Soul), mind, emotional structure and body having been unified in the conscious awareness of her holiness, the Jewish woman attains the state of joy that brings about the rectification of the entire Jewish People. This being the case, it is understood that not only is תלמוד תורה permitted to women, it is essential that Jewish women learn the depths of the secrets of תורה. That is to say, Jewish women must become experts in the techniques of the שינויים and the חילופים that bring about the purification of consciousness. It should be needless to say that it becomes incumbent upon any Jew who has learned תורה not only to comport her/himself in accordance with what one has learned, but also to teach that which one has learned in turn. Jewish women, then, it would stand to reason, are intended to be not only students but also teachers of the most profound levels of תורה.
Some חילופים will be offered in this book for some of the names of the most notable personages and concepts traditionally thought of as quintessentially male in תנ"ך. The female aspects of these ‘male’ proper nouns will become evident in light of the חילופים. We will not be considering why male and female forms exist in the structure of the Hebrew language in the course of this book.
In most cases the author will allow the חילופים to speak for themselves. The חילופים reveal knowledge vastly more effectively, and concisely, than does prose. However, when the need arises for particular clarification or comment remarks will be made, בע"ה.
Our discussion of the subject of the joy of the Jewish female and its central role in purification of the individual and of עם ישראל as a whole must necessarily be perfunctory and partial. The subject matter is so great that we are moved to paraphrase in regard to the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) the eloquent quote attributed to Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai praising his teachers (seeמסכת סופרים פרק ט"ז, הלכה ח' ): “If all the skies were to become parchments, all the trees quill pens, and all the oceans ink” we could not begin to give justice to the depth and holiness of the subject or give thanks to אלה-י ישראל for revealing this knowledge to היחד and their painstaking devotion in passing it, in turn, to us. We must make do with a glimpse into the Holy of Holies. It behooves the author to express her profound gratitude and indebtedness to the authors and preservers of the Scrolls found in the library in what is today known as Khirbet Qumran for the knowledge they lovingly learned, preserved and transmitted to us. Surely I had been learning the חילופים for years before reading the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ and many of the חילופים presented in this book were learned directly from תנ"ך and תושב"ע, according to the Pharisaic-Rabbinic tradition, as well as classical Jewish commentary and ‘mystical’ writings. Having learned from the Rabbis we can better appreciate the richness of the treasure that is ‘the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. We are enjoined to honor and praise our teachers and mention them by name in accordance with הלכה. Yet, despite many years of exertions in my studies, it was not until encountering the terms and concepts in the Scrolls found at ‘Qumran’ that I was able to see with exquisite clarity what the Pharisaic-Rabbinic tradition was relating confusedly, with stuttering speech and halting step. Only by reading the works of some of בני צדוק who actually served in the Temple in accordance with the tradition handed down to them since the time of צדוק בן אחיטוב, הכהן הגדול, ז"ל in the days of King David (see שמ"ב ט"ו : מ-כ"ד and דברי הימים א' ה : ל"ח) and who understood the meaning of the service they were performing, was I able to see that bringing about the joy of women is the actual expiation and purification rites themselves. Surely the holiness and healing properties of joy is central to the understanding of all schools of Judaism. Yet nowhere in the Pharisaic-Rabbinic tradition did I ever encounter the comprehensive and immediately apprehensible integration of the understanding of the Godly and the this-worldly in the expiating effect of joy, particularly that of women, for the sake of כלל ישראל and indeed all the Gentiles as well, that I found in the texts written and preserved by the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד).
My gratitude is extended to all of the scholars without whose monumental labors of love we could not be privy to that which is contained in the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’.
In our times, and apparently during the ages we are aware of, few sought, and seek, the depths of the secrets of life if they have not been profoundly pained, deeply scarred and left utterly confused and filled with rage at a world that seems cruel and without purpose. Only those who have fallen, or have been thrown into, the maw of the abyss of sadness and from there cry out to ה' יתברך are taught the secrets of joy and purification. It is to the most broken, to the weakest and most helpless ones, that ה' יתברך שמו reveals Itself. This need not be so. Suffering need not, indeed should not, be the sine qua non for the revelation of ה'. In our times it would seem that those who seek God experience recurring cycles of revelation of joy and then abysmal sadness, followed by greater, clearer revelations of joy, then deeper depths of despair and despondency still, followed by yet another, higher revelation of joy and so on. When a person has made ה' their every strength and refuge that person is left utterly bereft during the periods when ה' hides Its face so that we may seek more urgently. Such is the way of the world now. It is a function of our own cruelty that we must experience pain to reach out to HaShem. It is certainly not HaShem’s Will that it be that way, although provisions are made for this stage in spiritual development in Torah. Upon consideration we see that induction into a higher state of morality/spirituality/consciousness via the portal of suffering is not a very effective way to grow morally/spiritually at all. The way is fraught with danger and many become less moral and spiritual as a result of their pain, rather than more. Some must hit “rock bottom” before they begin to search for God. After two thousand years of dispersion in the Diaspora, and having experienced every kind of hell imaginable, we have not been spiritually perfected, or even bettered. The opposite may indeed be true. This is reason enough to question whether what the Pharisaic/Rabbinic traditions teaches about the galut is sound. It is reason enough to call the commonly held belief that the Diaspora is a “tikkun” into serious doubt. If we are honest with ourselves we must come to the unsettling conclusion that all of the pain of the Diaspora is an unnecessary tragedy.
If there be one central purpose for the writing of this book it is so that the moral/spiritual path of pain will no longer be the way of the world, for it is not a necessary state. In fact, it is detrimental to our spiritual development. It is entirely possible, and desirable, that our moral/spiritual growth and development will proceed from one state of joy to the next greater state of joy. This is the true p’shat of: העדתי בכם היום את-השמים ואת-הארץ החיים והמות נתתי לפניך הברכה והקללה ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה אתה וזרעך.
דברים ל:יט. May HaShem bless this work so that it may serve as a minor contribution to the revelation of how to attain a world characterized by greater happiness and wisdom. In fact, it is due to profound ignorance of Torah that we have been taught by our Rabbis that pain is the portal through which we must pass on the way to Godliness. That teaching, exaggerated and further distorted has come to haunt, torment and even torture us in the form of Christianity, which persecuted us throughout so many generations and still continued to vex us, yet we have not learned the error of our ways. We have sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind, and we do not see that our own misinterpretation of Torah has come back at us like a boomerang. Not only have we not learned the error of our ways, we take perverse pride in having performed the mitzvot under the worst of conditions, as though this is what HaShem desires from us.
One of the purposes of this work is to describe the type of Jewish society and approach to תלמוד תורה that are characterized by joy as a commonplace experience. It is entirely possible that we could be born into an ambience of joy and from that starting point progress from one level of joy and Godly inspiration to the next. Jewish society should not be structured such that the experience of rapture is rare, one in which we experience epiphanies here and there. תלמוד תורה should be a continuous experience of bliss and wonder at the greatness of ה'. The ‘Dead Sea Sect’ lived in this society and knew this way of תלמוד תורה. They describe them to us in the Scrolls they lovingly preserved and left to posterity. We would do well to heed their instruction.
There aren’t enough words of thanks and praise that I can offer to אלקי ישראל for having bestowed the knowledge contained in the Scrolls upon our ancestors, and upon us. There is no estimating the blessing of finding the writing of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) even as אל-הינו ואל-הי אבותינו was gathering and returning the scattered of our People to our Holy Land. Truly אל-הינו fulfills the promises made to our ancestors and to us. May our learning and doing of the mitzvot, as taught to us in the Scrolls, be our gift of praise and thanksgiving to אלקי ישראל who teachesתורה לישראל in every generation and gives every generation the ability to teach those who live with them, come after them, as well as to elevate the Souls of those who came before. May the memory of our forebears, our revered and holy teachers, protect us. May we express the love, honor, awe and blessings for them that they so richly deserve by learning that which they exerted themselves mightily to learn, to preserve and pass on to us, i.e., the Laws of all that pertains to טהר and טמא, as is in accordance with the command of ה' יתברך to עם ישראל as taught to us by the Prophet Y’chezki’el (see יחזקאל מ"ד:כ"ג).
It is my position that only scholarly Jews steeped in Jewish Law and learning in the Holy tongue, who are willing to read the texts without prejudice, allowing the authors of the Scrolls to speak for themselves should be on the team of those attempting to interpret the content and the Hebrew of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. The understanding of this bound-to-be-unpopular position is requested of the readers, Jewish and Gentile alike. It is certainly not a matter of mere bigotry, nor a lack of respect for the many great contributions to the research of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ that Gentiles have made, and that we pray will continue to make. Perhaps an analogy will help the reader understand why the author takes so unyielding a stance on this issue. (The following analogy was chosen only because the historic development of Buddhism from Hinduism is analogous in some ways to that of the historic development of Christianity from Judaism. It is not meant to cast aspersions upon Buddhists in any way, Heaven forfend! Neither do I mean to imply any sort of similarity between Judaism and the development of any other religion): Were a library hitherto unknown to be found in India, for instance, containing fragments of Scrolls, written mostly in Sanskrit, which carbon dating showed to originate from somewhere between the 7th or 8th Centuries BCE, some perhaps earlier, until the 5th or 4th Centuries BCE, that do not mention Gautama Buddah at all (Gautama Buddha was born in the 6th Century BCE), but speak exclusively of classical Hinduism before the advent of Buddhism, we would be appalled if Buddhist scholars were to attempt to interpret the Scrolls to prove that they are actually of Buddhist origin. The claim would be all the more incredulous if it could be reasonably demonstrated that some of the Scrolls are copies of manuscripts that were composed much earlier. If a country other than India were to arrogate the Scrolls by subterfuge, sell them outside India to foreign scholars, some of whom were professedly hostile to Hinduism and prevent native Hindu Indian scholars and experts in ancient Sanskrit access to them, the honest seekers of truth in the Hindu religious world, and the international academic world alike, would cry out against the injustice. If the foreign scholars were to monopolize publication of interpretations of the Scrolls, as well as hold them in their sole possession for decades, the reaction of religious and academic scholars, Hindu and non-Hindu alike, would be that of the profoundest outrage. All this, and more, was done with the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. Tremendous damage was done, and is still being done, by Christian “scholars” who publish books and articles about the Scrolls irresponsibly and with the express purpose of furthering a Christian agenda. It will take many years before the misleading misinformation they published about the Scrolls will be reversed. It is because of their publications that many Orthodox Jews associate the Dead Sea Scrolls with Christianity and will not so much as consider their worth. This researcher and author, for one, works absolutely independently so as not to have to be financially or professionally beholden to any non-Jewish scholastic institutions or in need of research funds that come from non-Jewish sources.
In sharp contradistinction, the author’s special appreciation is extended to the many Gentile scientists and technical specialists whose tireless efforts have contributed and continue to contribute immeasurably to the research of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. The author respects the wisdom of the Gentile researchers who recognize the fact that only Jewish scholars who are fluent in the Hebrew language and intimately familiar with Jewish Law are able to understand the depths of the meaning of the Scrolls, and who do not attempt to engage in פרשנות של התורה, but rather support our work by way of scientific and technical contribution. Foreign approaches to religious texts, i.e. “hermeneutics” and “exegesis”, are inappropriate and inapplicable to תלמוד תורה. Fine examples of healthy, balanced and mutually respectful cooperation between Jews and Gentiles in studying the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ are the analyses of the texts carried out by experts in digital imaging, Carbon dating and chemical analysis of the types of ink used to write the Scrolls.
Interpretation of sacred Hebrew texts must be an area of study reserved only for Jews who have devoted their lives to the study of Jewish sources in the Holy Tongue, who do not reject the content of the Scrolls out of hand on the basis of the fact that they are not of Pharisaic provenance, and are willing to surrender the idea that Pharisaic Judaism is “superior” to that of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) in all matters.
Paleographic analysis of Hebrew texts is not a mere matter of studying types of letters that appear in Hebrew texts, comparing them with like types of scripts and then attempting to put them into an historical framework on the basis of those comparisons. Not only are the basic shapes of the Hebrew letters traditionally understood to be physical expressions of the spiritual/moral phonemes that are the building blocks of consciousness and with which the worlds are created (see מסכת שבת, דף ק"ד, עמ' א'), the variations of those shapes are traditionally understood to contain and relay profound meanings as well. It is for this reason that the traditional scripts of ספרי תורה vary among the Jewish ethnic groups. We cannot, with any certainty, posit that given Hebrew writing styles are characteristic of certain eras, each era succeeding the one before it in time, time being conceived of as a ray, and eras being conceived of as segments of the ray. Rather, Hebrew writing styles are expressions of schools of פרשנות, each purposefully developed, each relaying very specific information that the others do not. Let us not assume, as does Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, that those who copied and composed the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ were less able to calculate “chronology” than we (please see RECLAIMING THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, published by Doubleday, text copyright 1995 by Lawrence H. Schiffman, The Exodus to Qumran, pg. 91). Their experience of time was very different than ours. They were far more adept at reading and understanding the Hebrew תורה and plumbing its depths than we. It is, then, necessarily true that their concept of, relation to and command of time was vastly greater than ours as we as we can see from the following חילופים:
זמן = 747 = מקראות = להבין
One of the lessons that the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ impart is that time is created in accordance with the moral/spiritual level upon which one learns תורה and that it behooves us too to learn how to create a more flexible and benign concept of time than we do. We are invited by the authors, copyists and redactors of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ to learn to relate to time as they did, that is, as a function of תלמוד תורה, not to attempt to artificially, and one should say quite unsuccessfully, make the Scrolls conform to the currently agreed upon conception and experience of time. It would serve us well to understand that the גלות we are in is precisely our ignorance of how to read עברית. We are hardly in a position to determine how and what the members of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ were capable of perceiving or how they came to their conclusions and understanding. Their consciousness was fully steeped in the Holy Language. It is ours to humbly learn from them, not to attempt ‘heroic’ means to bring their writings into compliance with our worldview. Once again: זמן = 747 = מקראות = להבין. We must pay Carbon dating and other techniques of dating objects their due respect, but not skew our understanding of the Scrolls to conform to them. (The very word chronology is a clarion warning for us to beware of employing this way of thinking and analyzing when we are concerned with Hebrew texts. Chronology is a word compounded of the name of a pagan god and a way of thinking that comes from a tradition that was so abominable to devout Jews that they were willing to risk their lives rather than have it become part and parcel of their system of Biblical interpretation. It is far more likely that those who authored and copied the Scrolls found at Khirbet Qumran we not unaware of “chronology”, as conceived of by the Greco-Romans, rather they were vehemently opposed to apprehending events “chronologically”. בע"ה we will see some חילופים for the word שנים = נשים further on in this book.)
Orthography of Hebrew texts, as we shall see in this book, בע"ה, is firmly subsumed under פרשנות and thus must not be left to those outside of our holy tradition to make determinations about. A classic example of far-fetched orthographic ‘analysis’ of Hebrew on the part of a Gentile is GESENIUS’ HEBREW GRAMMAR. The book, however, is a masterpiece of compilation of cites of ‘variant’ spellings and forms. While Gesenius’ conjectures as to why the forms he considered anomalous exist can be fairly discarded wholesale, we must respect his keen eye for detail and we are indebted to him for the painstaking labor he invested in compiling the cites. We can, and should, employ the work of Gentiles in our studies, but we must be careful not to adopt their modes of thinking about the Hebrew language. Neither should we be tempted to employ their methods of “hermeneutics” and “exegesis” in understanding תורה in order to make the scholarly impression expected in the established academic community.
Inestimable damage has been done to Jewish scholarship and reconstruction of the Judaism of the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) by Gentile scholars who tortured the Scrolls into saying what they do not and published their interpretations widely. The problem of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ being associated with Christianity is compounded by the political/religious hegemony of the Pharisees who much maligned any but other Pharisaic Jews by subsuming them all under the global pejorative term "מינים" and who, evidently, attempted to “archive” all texts that they themselves did not write and/or approve of into oblivion.
Blessed are they who approach the study of the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ with openness, humility and with the sacred awe they so richly deserve, as well as with a willingness to incorporate the teachings found in the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ into a fuller, richer, more comprehensive, more authentic and less paltry form of Judaism than the one that has been bequeathed to us for these more than two thousand years by the Pharisaic/Rabbinic tradition. May they rejoice in their portion for their exertions. May their portion be large, full, rich and satisfying.
The Internet does not always avail us of the presentation of the Hebrew punctuation marks. For this reason we will write in כתיב מלא when explaining matters in order to ensure that the meaning is clear to the reader. The words חלופים and שנויים will appear here spelled חילופים and שינויים due to this constraint. As we shall see throughout the course of this book the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ inform us that there is traditional justification in adopting the practice of writing in כתיב מלא. We shall, בע"ה, discuss the frequent use of the letter ו' in place of the punctuation mark חלם in the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. For instance, the name ישרון is never written with two ווי"ן in תנ"ך, yet we find the name written ישורון in fragment 4Q503 29-32viii6. We understand, then, that the ‘Dead Sea Sect’ (היחד) inherited a tradition of writing words with the addition of the letter ו' as perfectly acceptable and correct spellings of words, not only in place of the punctuation mark חלם, but also in place of the punctuation mark קבוץ. Perhaps the justification for doing so is the appearance of the name זבלון written variously throughout תנ"ך. We may infer, however, that there may be preferred spellings in Hebrew. The name זבלון is an excellent example of this. Although the name זבלון, punctuated with a קבוץ and then a שורק, is not the form used an overwhelmingly large number of times in תנ"ך, or even in חומש for that matter, it is the form that is used in ספר בראשית when ה' יתברך שמו tells us why Z’vulun’s mother, לאה, calls him זבלון when he is born. That is to say, the mega-concept זבלון coming into creation appears in the form of the name being punctuated first with a קבוץ and then with a שורק. Additionally, זבלון punctuated first with a קבוץ and then with a שורק is the only form of the name that appears in ספר דברי הימים.)
Within the demonstrations of theחילופים either כתיב מלא or כתיב חסר will be employed as dictated by the value of the חילוף .
The symbol “*” before a word or phrase within the demonstrations of the חילופים will come to tell us that an explanation of the חילוף will follow the last of the חילופים presented for that particular value. In some cases there will be more explanations given for more than one חילוף for a given value. In those cases the חילופים being explained will have one, then two, then three and so on stars before them “*’, “**”, “***”…
Although great care has been taken in the writing, editing and re-editing of this book it is well nigh inevitable that there will be typing errors in a piece such as this, no matter how careful one is in the work. The author requests the reader to alert her to any errors in the text and to pose any questions that may arise as to the correctness of any given חילוף.
*******************************************************************
דורין אלן בל-דותן
ת"ד 503
צפת 13104
טלפון: 972-4-6925590
דוא"ל: DoreenDotan@gmail.com
-או- dordot2001@yahoo.com
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan
P.O. Box 503
Tzfat, Yisra’el 13104
Phone: 972-4-692-5590
Cell Phone: 051-412031
E-mail: DoreenDotan@gmail.com OR dordot2001@yahoo.com
Monday, April 26, 2004
B"H
Becoming One With God
We can't actually become absolutely One with God. No matter how
advanced we get in spirituality/morality/wisdom we always find that
God is far beyond what we can grasp even at the highest levels of our
Souls.
I have also written that it is not desirable that we become utterly
nullified in God because if we were to do so then we would only
perpetuate the existing "situation" of God being all alone in Its
exaltedness. In order to do God the *service* of having a creation to
relate to we must suffer the burden of being imperfect, and thus
retaining something of a separate existence, or more correctly, to
retain the illusion of a separate existence. This is a very great
sacrifice on our part and very precious to God. Understand this.
How then do we bridge this dilemma? We become One with God in Its
love for those who struggled for righteousness sake and became as
pure as they could while retaining just the impurities needed to
remain in this world.
When we read the written works of those who became holy and read
about their actions in this world we cannot but help to love them
dearly and wish to become like them. This is more than simple
observation of them, it is actually partaking in their spirit and
participating in the imprint they made in this world. By loving
those who became holy we become One with God's love for them.
Know that it is considered idol worship to actually worship saints,
or to pray to a saints, no matter what their achievement, no matter
how great their stature. Idol worship is forbidden to all the
Children of Adam, not only to "monotheists". All human beings are
commanded to pray only to God the Ineffable. This is true whether you
call That Brahma or The Father, The Great Spirit or any other
designation. One is to pray only to God the Absolute. Every other
form of prayer will cause you spiritual/moral/mental/emotional
damage, even if it appears that it has an immediate positive effect.
In fact, effects that occur as a result of prayer to anything or
anyone other than God the Ineffable always come from a tainted
spiritual source and will always lead you astray.
However, by filling your consciousness with the written works and
stories of the deeds of the holy ones and sages in your various
traditions and by praying to God to help you internalize their
teachings and become a part of what they effected in the created
world you become part of the love of God for them and you will yet
experience God enlivening them eternally, blessing them and praying
for them - these are the meditations of the Divine Mind and the
Divine Heart which bring all existence into being.
With blessings,
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
Becoming One With God
We can't actually become absolutely One with God. No matter how
advanced we get in spirituality/morality/wisdom we always find that
God is far beyond what we can grasp even at the highest levels of our
Souls.
I have also written that it is not desirable that we become utterly
nullified in God because if we were to do so then we would only
perpetuate the existing "situation" of God being all alone in Its
exaltedness. In order to do God the *service* of having a creation to
relate to we must suffer the burden of being imperfect, and thus
retaining something of a separate existence, or more correctly, to
retain the illusion of a separate existence. This is a very great
sacrifice on our part and very precious to God. Understand this.
How then do we bridge this dilemma? We become One with God in Its
love for those who struggled for righteousness sake and became as
pure as they could while retaining just the impurities needed to
remain in this world.
When we read the written works of those who became holy and read
about their actions in this world we cannot but help to love them
dearly and wish to become like them. This is more than simple
observation of them, it is actually partaking in their spirit and
participating in the imprint they made in this world. By loving
those who became holy we become One with God's love for them.
Know that it is considered idol worship to actually worship saints,
or to pray to a saints, no matter what their achievement, no matter
how great their stature. Idol worship is forbidden to all the
Children of Adam, not only to "monotheists". All human beings are
commanded to pray only to God the Ineffable. This is true whether you
call That Brahma or The Father, The Great Spirit or any other
designation. One is to pray only to God the Absolute. Every other
form of prayer will cause you spiritual/moral/mental/emotional
damage, even if it appears that it has an immediate positive effect.
In fact, effects that occur as a result of prayer to anything or
anyone other than God the Ineffable always come from a tainted
spiritual source and will always lead you astray.
However, by filling your consciousness with the written works and
stories of the deeds of the holy ones and sages in your various
traditions and by praying to God to help you internalize their
teachings and become a part of what they effected in the created
world you become part of the love of God for them and you will yet
experience God enlivening them eternally, blessing them and praying
for them - these are the meditations of the Divine Mind and the
Divine Heart which bring all existence into being.
With blessings,
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
With the help of God
Human Rights
In anticipation that someone will answer that believing whatever one
will is a basic human right and constitutes the basis of democracy
and freedom, I should like to offer you this alternative vision. It
is my hope and prayer that you will see that this vision of human
rights offers freedoms vastly greater than the pittances being
allowed you now. The piece is a bit long. Glean what you will. It
contains a good deal of what I intended to say to you when the idea
of beginning this group was placed in my heart and mind. Having
given this piece over I can stay my conscience in holding my peace -
at least for awhile ;0).
HUMAN RIGHTS
Much is spoken about human rights and human rights violations. There
is an inherent problem with this approach to trying to create a just
world for humans to live in that is conducive to the actualizing of
human potential. Even for the most "humanistic" among us, hearing
the word "human" conjures up associations of that which is flawed
and temporal . For those among us who are of a less generous spirit,
the word "human" arouses visions of that which is barely more than
animal, that which can be exploited and abused, that which is to be
preyed upon. Of course there are those who feel free to decide who
is human and to what degree. The concept of human rights is
vulnerable to being usurped by secular "humanist" who have their own
agenda for the future of Humankind, as will be discussed shortly. At
worst, the really unsavory among us can perpetrate all kinds of
perversions of justice even as they hide behind the banner of "human
rights". It seems clear that appealing to our gentler sentiments with
the subject of "human rights" is doomed to failure. We are in need
of an unequivocal concept that cannot be distorted or used cynically
and opportunistically.
When secular humanitarians speak about "human rights" they are
convinced that they are well-meaningly edging the world toward a
scenario in which everyone is making a good enough living to have
access to enough creature comforts so as to be a bit dulled and
lethargic and not be a nuisance or a threat to those who are getting
really rich at their expense. They want to create a world of
willing, salary slaves who are making enough money to indulge their
passions and fantasies, and thus be addicted to them. In the body of
this paper I hope to demonstrate that this is in fact a regime of
extreme cruelty and is in disharmony with everything that we were
brought into existence to accomplish. We are not intended to reach
the zenith of human potential as envisioned by secular humanists. We
are intended to actualize the GODLINESS which is inherent in each and
every one of us. Preventing a Human Being from actualizing his/her
GOD-SELF, keeping people unaware that this SELF exists, is a terrible
torment, indeed, even if the means of prevention is considered
pleasant and desirable by the individual who prefers to be a slave to
his/her lower Self.
Keeping one's own SELF enslaved, is the gravest infidelity that one
can commit.
When the slaveholder acts cruelly to the slave he causes the slave to
contemplate escape. What merit can be found in the slave who, being
able to walk out free, chooses to remain and be the chattel of
another, even though he serves in a palace? Although it is true that
there are Souls that take it upon Themselves to experience all manner
of hardships in order to bring the Light of GOD to the nether worlds,
these are not the most advanced Souls spiritually. It is possible to
achieve the same wisdom by higher means.
True kindness resides in educating and encouraging the Human race
from our birth to believe in GOD, in Ourselves and in Each Other. It
means making each person know that they are participating in the
great unfolding of the INFINITE. True kindness towards our children
resides in seeing to it that every avenue for spiritual advancement
is open to them and preventing anything from impeding that
advancement. We need to protect our children from falling prey to
those who would hinder their enjoyment of, or interfere with, the
spiritual journey by addicting them to gross physical and emotional
stimulation.
We also have the problem of defining what exactly are "Human rights".
Questions like the following arise: Does every human have the right
to a home? Does every human have the right to adequate food and
hygiene? Does every human have the right to be literate? Does
every human have the right to be healthy and free of pain? Does
every human have the right to reproduce? Do these rights extend to
all humans under all circumstances? Why is it that we see that GOD
has commissioned nature to take these "rights" from some humans? Why
is it hat GOD has given us the power to torment one another? What
are we to say about those humans who willingly give up some or all of
these "rights"? These questions confound the mind because we are
trying to understand what a Human is, and what a Human's rights are
in a secular, materialistic and even mechanical way. We then fall
into the trap of imagining the questions to be of an academic,
intellectual nature. The issues as to what Humans need and whether
these needs can be satisfied and how become crystal clear when we
conceive of what a Human being is clearly.
Actually, a Human has only one right. That is the right to spiritual
evolution. The right to attain the highest possible level of GOD IN
HUMAN FORM that that particular Human can, in that particular
lifetime is the only right that one has. This is the only reason
that we Humans exist at all. And the reason for this is very simple -
we Humans are GOD as IT is manifesting in Self-awareness in time and
space. I will say that again for the secular and the religious alike-
WE ARE GOD ITSELF BECOMING. Our one and only right is the right to
attain the level of GOD ITSELF BEING as well as GOD BECOMING. All
that we need, as GOD incarnate, in order to evolve from GOD BECOMING
to GOD BEING AND BECOMING are our needs as Human beings and
everything that we need to fulfill our purpose will flow to us
naturally once we have consciously dedicated ourselves to this
purpose. We will have to make a concerted effort to attain or
purpose, but will not be in a rat race, having that disturbing
feeling that our Herculean efforts are Sisyphean. Could the answer be
so simple? Yes. One of the very worst addictions we suffer from
when we are in the state of being unenlightened as to our own and
others GODLINESS is addiction to creating problems and then trying to
solve them. Intellectuals love the various wheels created in their
heads by this. Business people love the wheels of wheeling and
dealing created by this. Do-gooders love feeling necessary because,
after all, if there was no human misery, how could they be such do-
gooders? All this is busywork that keeps us from our goal. All this
is vanity and utter nonsense.
Once the above is clearly understood and internalized a lot of
questions dissolve into meaninglessness. When we realize that in
the presence of a Human Being we are in the presence of GOD ITSELF,
that we are being given the gift of witnessing how the UTMOST arrives
at being the UTMOST and that this is true of Ourselves as well, then
we cannot but relate to one another appropriately – with love and
awe and identification and the sincere desire to aid one other on our
shared way toward our goal of attaining the level of GOD BEING as
well as GOD BECOMING.
GOD ITSELF descends to the level of a Soul, which in turn forgets WHO
It is and creates a world to descend into. The Soul has many
adventures in that world for the purpose of becoming a more accurate
version of GOD incarnated. If a Soul is on the level where it
believes that there is merit in suffering and is not yet willing to
eschew the illusions of suffering, the Assembly of Sages of the
Higher Worlds will take a unanimous decision to allow that Soul to be
born into suffering until the Soul renounces suffering as unnecessary
and futile. That is the reason that there are those who are born in a
body or with a mind that causes them an inordinate amount of
suffering. The decision to be born as such must be ratified on the
highest levels of Wisdom. The Assembly of Sages in the Highest Worlds
allows a Soul to take on a defective physical vehicle for the express
purpose of advancing a Soul to the understanding that suffering is of
no avail. No one can make the decision for someone else in this
world that it is for the person's "good" to be maimed, persecuted,
tortured, abandoned, exiled, isolated or otherwise tormented. While
in this world we simply do not have the collective wisdom necessary
to be able to understand these matters. Therefore, we have no right
to hurt one another, but must act in accordance with the guidelines
of compassion as they have been passed down in the Holy written and
oral traditions of all Peoples. We have no right whatsoever to
create socio-economic misery just as we have no right whatsoever to
cause physical mental, emotional or spiritual injury.
There are some Humans who will instinctively know that for a
specified time in their lives, or even for their entire lives, they
must practice asceticism. Or, they must do so because the written
and/or oral tradition of their People requires that they do so if
they wish to advance spiritually. Such people will fast, live in the
most meager of conditions, deprive themselves of an intimate
relationship with another and procreation. Again, one can make these
decisions for oneself, but even then only in accordance with the
ancient agreed-upon tradition of ones People. The various traditions
relating to asceticism were handed down to each People by its own
Prophets, who were entrusted by the Assembly of Sages in the Higher
Worlds to teach their People those practices which are specific to
that People in order to bring them to the fulfillment of their
specific expression of GOD incarnated. No one outside the culture or
acting on his or her own understanding has the right to enforce
starvation, or deprivation of clean, decent, hygienic and healthful
living conditions, education or procreation on another living
being. It is known too, that all of the great world religions warn
against extreme asceticism and self-maiming. God enjoins us to enjoy
the world in holiness and in a circumspect manner as prescribed by
the Sages of every culture who have been named by the Assembly of
Sages in the Higher Worlds to be the keepers of the welfare of their
Peoples in accordance with the varying spiritual needs as they exist
and express themselves in different cultures.
Every culture has the absolute right to It's autonomous existence and
every individual in every culture has his/her right to existence.
Just as every color has it's natural and necessary right to existence
in the spectrum, so every culture represents a "frequency" of
spiritual "light" in the human spectrum and is absolutely essential
for the Divine to be revealed clearly. The taking away of the right
of existence from a person is the exclusive right of GOD or by those
acting in accordance with GOD's laws as they express themselves in
the long-standing religious traditions of the People to which an
accused person belongs. A death sentence must be carried out only by
the Sages of the condemned person's own culture, who, having taken a
joint decision to terminate that personality's existence, come to
that decisions because and only because the condemned person has been
found guilty of a sin that cannot be rectified in this world and
demands that the Soul be given a new opportunity to rectify the sin
in a different world. The Sages of the condemned person's own People
must carry out the execution of the death sentence and they must
declare an oath in public that they are taking the full
responsibility for what they are doing upon themselves, both in
Heaven and on Earth, and that their Souls will carry the full
responsibility for the decision and the action. A life cannot be
ended in any another way by Human agency. In those cultures which
have no established guidelines for death penalties, it may be
understood that the People of that culture are incapable of
committing any sin which cannot be rectified in this world, or are
capable of rectifying any sin they may commit in this world or are
still caught in the wheel of transmigration and will rectify their
sin in another configuration. Such persons may not be put to death
under any circumstances.
The success of those who are acting against the realization of GOD's
plan for this world is based on the following points:
1) They are organized.
2) We allow them to succeed because of our own
erroneous, but widely-held belief that suffering is meritorious and
the path to purification of ourselves and others.
3) We think that once having sinned we are irreparably damaged and
don't turn to God for help, feeling ashamed and disgraced.
4) We entertain a mentality of scarcity.
5) We envy and worship the rich and powerful.
It seems proper to address each of these issues in detail, as a great
deal of happiness or sorrow will come about as a result of our
putting these demons to rest.
1) There are many people in this world who genuinely love peace and
pursue peace. But they imagine themselves to be isolated or are
working in groups that hold views which prevent them from working
with others outside of the group on spiritual matters. If one holds
to the religious view that only the way s/he believes is true
Godliness, obviously the ability of that person to give oneself over
to the critical mass necessary to change this world is greatly
limited. We have been instructed, by the Wise in every culture that a
critical mass of People, working in concerted effort, toward the end
of the rectification of this World is necessary for the rectification
to come about in actuality. Even though spiritual giants have walked
the face of the earth, the rectification has not yet come about
because the cooperation necessary has not yet been attained. This
cooperation is in fact very difficult. We must respect that there are
beliefs and traditions that others cannot give up. There are
traditions and beliefs that we cannot give up, if we are to retain
our integrity as a child of a given People. All of our souls
contracted to take on certain beliefs when we were born into the
People we were born into. We must find, then, a way to think
paradoxically. We need to be able to join together in our common
desire to create a GOD-centered world, which requires that we fully
respect one another, but not relinquish the very religious
differences necessary for the whole spectrum of Godliness to exist.
We need to hold tenaciously on to that which makes us the distinct
expression of GOD that we are, even as we find those areas in which
it is permitted for us to surrender to that which is universal
GODLINESS in all of us. Even though this attainment is a difficult
one, indeed; it is also essential because GOD loves organized,
concerted efforts. This is why those who are not spiritually evolved
are yet able to succeed so long as they form organizations. We,
therefore, too must be able to form an organization of Souls
dedicated to the creation of a GOD-centered world. The alternative to
this is to live under the influence of organizations dedicated to
their own agendas. Please note: There is no intention of belligerence
in this type of organization whatsoever.
2) Unfortunately, many of us have been taught that there is
spiritual value in suffering and that suffering cleanses us of our
sins. We willingly allow ourselves to be humiliated, enslaved,
debased and otherwise tormented socio-economically. The idea that
GOD takes sadistic pleasure in Human suffering is attributing
perversion to GOD! If ever there was a carefully calculated mentality
devised to keep the masses down, this is it. GOD's premiere Self-
expressions are Love and Joy. God loves Joy. In the Chassidic
tradition of Judaism it is taught that the presence of GOD can only
rest on a person performing a GODLY precept in Joy. Let's throw the
masochism out the window.
3) We've been told that rectification of sin is so difficult as to
be well-nigh impossible. We think of GOD as a petty person, who
holds grudges and is unable to forgive. Or, perhaps, we're so ashamed
of having sinned that we think we're beyond hope. Know that the inner
essence of the request for forgiveness is the meditations of GOD on
forgiveness. By asking for forgiveness You are actually GOD ITSELF
bringing forgiveness into being. Not understanding more than a very
few words in Sanskrit, I could hear this clearly in Rajender
Krishan's transliteration of Aarti-the Hindu Daily Prayer (see this
web site www.boloji.com/hinduism/aarti.htm). While those who do
understand Sanskrit intend to praise GOD and beseech It (conceived of
as "Him") to be enlightened in reciting the Aarti. This is clear from
the translation of the prayer which Rajender Krishan offers on the
same web page. When one attributes meanings to words one finds it
difficult to hear the words as they are being uttered by GOD in the
realms above the intelligible. It is at these levels that forgiveness
is being brought into existence. Everything that exists in the
phenomenal world is mirrored in the Supernal worlds. The selfsame
prayers and meditations and chants that we pronounce are being
pronounced by GOD. By erasing the meanings of the words from our
minds, no matter how lofty, and just pronouncing the sounds, we erase
the imagined duality between Ourselves and GOD. One who can do this
is no longer under the influences that lead to reincarnation.
There is no need to fear that forgiveness of sins
comes only after many incarnations. *Know that reincarnation exists
only on a particular band of the entire spectrum of existence.*
Reincarnation exists on the levels of consciousness where beings
create the illusion of space/time and conceive of development in a
restricted way and we imagine that certain forms of existence are
preferable to others. When we want to keep ourselves distant from
other sentient beings or from ourselves in other configurations and
levels of consciousness, we create the illusion of space/time as the
medium in which this distancing is accomplished. We restrict our
understanding of development to mere value judgements. This is the
outcome of our ethnocentrism, prejudice and feelings of superiority
and inferiority toward other sentient beings. One of the advantages
of being in control of the emotions which are the progenitors of
ethnocentrism, prejudice, aversions, fear and delusions of
superiority and inferiority, is being loosened from the shackles of
worry that we'll be reincarnated as a so and so, whatever the bias
may be.
Rectification of sin is most effectively and
directly brought about by prayer. By using our GOD-like faculty of
speech, we jump over the band of existence on which reincarnation
occurs and we bring down forgiveness from very high levels of
Holiness.
Forgiveness too is powerful enough to jettison us
out of the sway of the spheres that keep us transmigrating. If we
are strong enough to forgive, really forgive, ourselves as well as
others, we have become strong enough spiritually to be impervious to
the forces of reincarnation. Clearly, praying for the welfare of
those who we imagine have harmed us creates a harmonic effect of
these two most powerful spiritual tools – prayer and forgiveness and
together they rectify and transform everything our Soul has
experienced. There is a Jewish prayer in which we declare to God that
we forgive anyone who has harmed us in any incarnation, we ask for
forgiveness in turn and pray that God will not punish anyone on our
account. It is a powerful prayer because it rectifies all of what
our Soul experiences in the present, past and future and elevates us
to the levels of Being beyond those governed by transmigration.
Saying prayers for the welfare of others, while
concentrating not on the meaning attributed to the words, but only
on the sounds and vibrations we are producing is most powerful.
Reciting prayers while concentrating only on the sounds and
vibrations being produced by the one/s saying the prayer is not
praying mindlessly by rote. It is praying on the level from which GOD
vivifies that which we are praying for and imbues it with the ability
to abide in this world. It is a very desirable level of prayer to
attain. Below this level words have meanings and therefore
perception is limited and constricted in one world in which laws are
immutable, phenomena are fixed. Here we experience GOD as Other and
that it why we pray to It in second or third person. Above this
level there is no differentiation, intelligibility or separation
whatsoever. We are at the level of the All in the All, all worlds
that exist at lower levels as distinguishable entities are
nullified/existent at once. There is no possibility for creating an
apprehensible, substantial, enduring world of any kind. Neither is
there any possibility of rectification of any world. The aim is
neither to obliterate the worlds nor to be caught in worlds the laws
of which hold us in thrall. The golden mean is to reach the level
where phenomena are being called into existence and are being imbued
with durability, but are not set in one possible interpretation.
4) We may believe that there are just so many resources in the
world, and GOD is not benevolent enough to see to it that those
resources to go around. We think it's really a big deal for GOD to
have to feed six billion people. Here we are conceptualizing GOD as
a petty tyrant. Pray for everything that you need. That means
everything - no matter how trifling the thing seems to you. There
are people who think of GOD as the head of a corporation, or as a
V.I.P. - they pray only for the big things. This too boils down to
anthropomorphizing the Divine.
5) This point is really an obfuscation of our senses, a vexation of the spirit
and a frittering way of precious energy. There isn't a moments' peace for those
who envy. As long as we secretly (or not so secretly) harbor the desire
to be like the people that are making our spiritual and material
lives intolerable, then we cannot become free from their sphere of
influence. Only when we want nothing of what they offer to tantalize
and addict us can we become free. When we stop waiting for our time
to arrive, when we can be the "cream of society" and experience the
dubious thrill of deluding ourselves that we control people's fates,
then they can do nothing to affect our fates.
*Know that the rich and powerful, the warlike and the politically shrewd have
only that which we allow them to have - that which we confer upon them.* The
tragedy of envy is that
the one who envies yearns bitterly for what s/he already has. The
object of the envy is an embodiment of an aspect of the Soul of the
envious and s/he doesn't even know it. The most effective way to deal
with a negative power is to have compassion upon it. To find within
Ourselves that which is creating it and liberate it from being
created in so deformed a way. Know that more than the oppressed need
to be liberated from oppression, the oppressors need to be liberated
from the insane drive to oppress. Their suffering is truly pathetic.
In order to accomplish our own liberation and that of our oppressors
we need to relate to our own consciousness as a beloved but unruly
child, who needs to be trained in self-discipline. There is nothing
to fear, hate, envy or be entranced by at all in any of these
embodiments of that which is in our own Souls and which we are
projecting onto emptiness. Neither is their any reason to allow their
existence to determine our courses of action. Everything that we
attribute to those whom we think control us, who we envy, who we
idolize are the very characteristics of our own Being. All of it –
omnipotence, beauty, wealth, power and more is within us. It only
appears to be standing outside ourselves in the form of others
because we are not aware of, no less in control of, our GODLY
creative abilities. BE these characteristics, but in GOD-
CONSCIOUSNESS, instead of projecting them onto empty space and then
quaking in fear and imagined helplessness or being enthralled by your
own beauty while thinking that beauty belongs to someone else, or
being consumed with envy of that which you possess in abundance so
great as to give it away, of slaving for a living even as it is You
creating all that is.
The above point demands elaboration. A
god is created when we project that which is inside of us onto one
specific point. This point becomes a personification. We worship
that personification, feel at the mercy of its caprices, propitiate
it, build temples and shrines to it at great expense and with much
labor, sacrifice all to it, even our children, and believe that it
bestows of its powers on us, we thus beseech its mercy. This is
idolatry. But this essay is not a diatribe against polytheistic
religions. The writer of this essay is well aware that the
enlightened sons and daughters of "polytheistic" religions know the
ONE AND ONLY. This is a critique of the bogus imitations of
monotheistic religions, and of most economic, social and political
regimes. Those who call themselves monotheists, even as they beg
foundations and government officials for money are idolaters. Those
who confer powers upon governments and industrialists are practicing
idolatry.
It seems logical and reasonable enough to assume that social, political and
economic problems are solved by putting intelligent social, political and
economic programs into practice. These programs are, of course, planned by the
intellectual
elite, implemented by the political elite and funded by the
economic elite. There's one drawback with this – it's never worked.
It never will it work. The planners, implementers and financiers
alike are being driven by their own egos. Even when they are well-
meaning, there is yet an element of ego in all they do. They, in
order to continue to do their "good", and be important, require the
continued dependence of unfortunates to be the recipients of
their "goodwill". Insatiability has always characterized gods. The
last thing they want is for suffering to be eradicated from its root;
they'd be out of a job! The illusion that one is helpless in the face
of his/her destiny and the illusion that a rich and powerful body
can "rescue" the "less fortunate" work hand in hand to perpetuate the
very real ugly specter of human misery which these illusions create .
This is the basis of the myth of the Hydra. You cut off one slimy
social, economic or political head and two grow back in its place.
The only way to do away with human ills
is to declare to all Mankind the real truth: YOU ARE GOD. START
ACTING LIKE IT. Every human ill and suffering comes from the fear of
admitting this Truth to Ourselves. We prefer to suffer the tortures
of the damned than to accept our Godliness. HOW LONG?! We have only
to believe in God and in Ourselves. The wisdom necessary to envision,
formulate and provide all the necessary means and conditions for all
peoples to express that aspect of GOD which they came into this world
to embody exists with us. That wisdom will descend to the lower
worlds from the higher worlds as a waterfall if we allow it to.
In the final analysis we see that we are really concerning ourselves
with God's right to existence in this world. When understood this
way see the colossal arrogance, and understand the ultimate futility
in trying to prevent this.
Let's grow out of our spiritual childhood and take responsibility for
that which we experience. It avails nothing to cry out to the idols
that we have created to save us from ourselves. Let us stop
imagining that GOD is like us when we are unenlightened and begin
recognizing that We are the Divinity in Human form when we are
enlightened. Let's stop relating to GOD only in the third person and
begin to refer to GOD in first, second and third person. As has been
taught: I AM THAT, YOU ARE THAT AND ALL THIS IS THAT.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
Human Rights
In anticipation that someone will answer that believing whatever one
will is a basic human right and constitutes the basis of democracy
and freedom, I should like to offer you this alternative vision. It
is my hope and prayer that you will see that this vision of human
rights offers freedoms vastly greater than the pittances being
allowed you now. The piece is a bit long. Glean what you will. It
contains a good deal of what I intended to say to you when the idea
of beginning this group was placed in my heart and mind. Having
given this piece over I can stay my conscience in holding my peace -
at least for awhile ;0).
HUMAN RIGHTS
Much is spoken about human rights and human rights violations. There
is an inherent problem with this approach to trying to create a just
world for humans to live in that is conducive to the actualizing of
human potential. Even for the most "humanistic" among us, hearing
the word "human" conjures up associations of that which is flawed
and temporal . For those among us who are of a less generous spirit,
the word "human" arouses visions of that which is barely more than
animal, that which can be exploited and abused, that which is to be
preyed upon. Of course there are those who feel free to decide who
is human and to what degree. The concept of human rights is
vulnerable to being usurped by secular "humanist" who have their own
agenda for the future of Humankind, as will be discussed shortly. At
worst, the really unsavory among us can perpetrate all kinds of
perversions of justice even as they hide behind the banner of "human
rights". It seems clear that appealing to our gentler sentiments with
the subject of "human rights" is doomed to failure. We are in need
of an unequivocal concept that cannot be distorted or used cynically
and opportunistically.
When secular humanitarians speak about "human rights" they are
convinced that they are well-meaningly edging the world toward a
scenario in which everyone is making a good enough living to have
access to enough creature comforts so as to be a bit dulled and
lethargic and not be a nuisance or a threat to those who are getting
really rich at their expense. They want to create a world of
willing, salary slaves who are making enough money to indulge their
passions and fantasies, and thus be addicted to them. In the body of
this paper I hope to demonstrate that this is in fact a regime of
extreme cruelty and is in disharmony with everything that we were
brought into existence to accomplish. We are not intended to reach
the zenith of human potential as envisioned by secular humanists. We
are intended to actualize the GODLINESS which is inherent in each and
every one of us. Preventing a Human Being from actualizing his/her
GOD-SELF, keeping people unaware that this SELF exists, is a terrible
torment, indeed, even if the means of prevention is considered
pleasant and desirable by the individual who prefers to be a slave to
his/her lower Self.
Keeping one's own SELF enslaved, is the gravest infidelity that one
can commit.
When the slaveholder acts cruelly to the slave he causes the slave to
contemplate escape. What merit can be found in the slave who, being
able to walk out free, chooses to remain and be the chattel of
another, even though he serves in a palace? Although it is true that
there are Souls that take it upon Themselves to experience all manner
of hardships in order to bring the Light of GOD to the nether worlds,
these are not the most advanced Souls spiritually. It is possible to
achieve the same wisdom by higher means.
True kindness resides in educating and encouraging the Human race
from our birth to believe in GOD, in Ourselves and in Each Other. It
means making each person know that they are participating in the
great unfolding of the INFINITE. True kindness towards our children
resides in seeing to it that every avenue for spiritual advancement
is open to them and preventing anything from impeding that
advancement. We need to protect our children from falling prey to
those who would hinder their enjoyment of, or interfere with, the
spiritual journey by addicting them to gross physical and emotional
stimulation.
We also have the problem of defining what exactly are "Human rights".
Questions like the following arise: Does every human have the right
to a home? Does every human have the right to adequate food and
hygiene? Does every human have the right to be literate? Does
every human have the right to be healthy and free of pain? Does
every human have the right to reproduce? Do these rights extend to
all humans under all circumstances? Why is it that we see that GOD
has commissioned nature to take these "rights" from some humans? Why
is it hat GOD has given us the power to torment one another? What
are we to say about those humans who willingly give up some or all of
these "rights"? These questions confound the mind because we are
trying to understand what a Human is, and what a Human's rights are
in a secular, materialistic and even mechanical way. We then fall
into the trap of imagining the questions to be of an academic,
intellectual nature. The issues as to what Humans need and whether
these needs can be satisfied and how become crystal clear when we
conceive of what a Human being is clearly.
Actually, a Human has only one right. That is the right to spiritual
evolution. The right to attain the highest possible level of GOD IN
HUMAN FORM that that particular Human can, in that particular
lifetime is the only right that one has. This is the only reason
that we Humans exist at all. And the reason for this is very simple -
we Humans are GOD as IT is manifesting in Self-awareness in time and
space. I will say that again for the secular and the religious alike-
WE ARE GOD ITSELF BECOMING. Our one and only right is the right to
attain the level of GOD ITSELF BEING as well as GOD BECOMING. All
that we need, as GOD incarnate, in order to evolve from GOD BECOMING
to GOD BEING AND BECOMING are our needs as Human beings and
everything that we need to fulfill our purpose will flow to us
naturally once we have consciously dedicated ourselves to this
purpose. We will have to make a concerted effort to attain or
purpose, but will not be in a rat race, having that disturbing
feeling that our Herculean efforts are Sisyphean. Could the answer be
so simple? Yes. One of the very worst addictions we suffer from
when we are in the state of being unenlightened as to our own and
others GODLINESS is addiction to creating problems and then trying to
solve them. Intellectuals love the various wheels created in their
heads by this. Business people love the wheels of wheeling and
dealing created by this. Do-gooders love feeling necessary because,
after all, if there was no human misery, how could they be such do-
gooders? All this is busywork that keeps us from our goal. All this
is vanity and utter nonsense.
Once the above is clearly understood and internalized a lot of
questions dissolve into meaninglessness. When we realize that in
the presence of a Human Being we are in the presence of GOD ITSELF,
that we are being given the gift of witnessing how the UTMOST arrives
at being the UTMOST and that this is true of Ourselves as well, then
we cannot but relate to one another appropriately – with love and
awe and identification and the sincere desire to aid one other on our
shared way toward our goal of attaining the level of GOD BEING as
well as GOD BECOMING.
GOD ITSELF descends to the level of a Soul, which in turn forgets WHO
It is and creates a world to descend into. The Soul has many
adventures in that world for the purpose of becoming a more accurate
version of GOD incarnated. If a Soul is on the level where it
believes that there is merit in suffering and is not yet willing to
eschew the illusions of suffering, the Assembly of Sages of the
Higher Worlds will take a unanimous decision to allow that Soul to be
born into suffering until the Soul renounces suffering as unnecessary
and futile. That is the reason that there are those who are born in a
body or with a mind that causes them an inordinate amount of
suffering. The decision to be born as such must be ratified on the
highest levels of Wisdom. The Assembly of Sages in the Highest Worlds
allows a Soul to take on a defective physical vehicle for the express
purpose of advancing a Soul to the understanding that suffering is of
no avail. No one can make the decision for someone else in this
world that it is for the person's "good" to be maimed, persecuted,
tortured, abandoned, exiled, isolated or otherwise tormented. While
in this world we simply do not have the collective wisdom necessary
to be able to understand these matters. Therefore, we have no right
to hurt one another, but must act in accordance with the guidelines
of compassion as they have been passed down in the Holy written and
oral traditions of all Peoples. We have no right whatsoever to
create socio-economic misery just as we have no right whatsoever to
cause physical mental, emotional or spiritual injury.
There are some Humans who will instinctively know that for a
specified time in their lives, or even for their entire lives, they
must practice asceticism. Or, they must do so because the written
and/or oral tradition of their People requires that they do so if
they wish to advance spiritually. Such people will fast, live in the
most meager of conditions, deprive themselves of an intimate
relationship with another and procreation. Again, one can make these
decisions for oneself, but even then only in accordance with the
ancient agreed-upon tradition of ones People. The various traditions
relating to asceticism were handed down to each People by its own
Prophets, who were entrusted by the Assembly of Sages in the Higher
Worlds to teach their People those practices which are specific to
that People in order to bring them to the fulfillment of their
specific expression of GOD incarnated. No one outside the culture or
acting on his or her own understanding has the right to enforce
starvation, or deprivation of clean, decent, hygienic and healthful
living conditions, education or procreation on another living
being. It is known too, that all of the great world religions warn
against extreme asceticism and self-maiming. God enjoins us to enjoy
the world in holiness and in a circumspect manner as prescribed by
the Sages of every culture who have been named by the Assembly of
Sages in the Higher Worlds to be the keepers of the welfare of their
Peoples in accordance with the varying spiritual needs as they exist
and express themselves in different cultures.
Every culture has the absolute right to It's autonomous existence and
every individual in every culture has his/her right to existence.
Just as every color has it's natural and necessary right to existence
in the spectrum, so every culture represents a "frequency" of
spiritual "light" in the human spectrum and is absolutely essential
for the Divine to be revealed clearly. The taking away of the right
of existence from a person is the exclusive right of GOD or by those
acting in accordance with GOD's laws as they express themselves in
the long-standing religious traditions of the People to which an
accused person belongs. A death sentence must be carried out only by
the Sages of the condemned person's own culture, who, having taken a
joint decision to terminate that personality's existence, come to
that decisions because and only because the condemned person has been
found guilty of a sin that cannot be rectified in this world and
demands that the Soul be given a new opportunity to rectify the sin
in a different world. The Sages of the condemned person's own People
must carry out the execution of the death sentence and they must
declare an oath in public that they are taking the full
responsibility for what they are doing upon themselves, both in
Heaven and on Earth, and that their Souls will carry the full
responsibility for the decision and the action. A life cannot be
ended in any another way by Human agency. In those cultures which
have no established guidelines for death penalties, it may be
understood that the People of that culture are incapable of
committing any sin which cannot be rectified in this world, or are
capable of rectifying any sin they may commit in this world or are
still caught in the wheel of transmigration and will rectify their
sin in another configuration. Such persons may not be put to death
under any circumstances.
The success of those who are acting against the realization of GOD's
plan for this world is based on the following points:
1) They are organized.
2) We allow them to succeed because of our own
erroneous, but widely-held belief that suffering is meritorious and
the path to purification of ourselves and others.
3) We think that once having sinned we are irreparably damaged and
don't turn to God for help, feeling ashamed and disgraced.
4) We entertain a mentality of scarcity.
5) We envy and worship the rich and powerful.
It seems proper to address each of these issues in detail, as a great
deal of happiness or sorrow will come about as a result of our
putting these demons to rest.
1) There are many people in this world who genuinely love peace and
pursue peace. But they imagine themselves to be isolated or are
working in groups that hold views which prevent them from working
with others outside of the group on spiritual matters. If one holds
to the religious view that only the way s/he believes is true
Godliness, obviously the ability of that person to give oneself over
to the critical mass necessary to change this world is greatly
limited. We have been instructed, by the Wise in every culture that a
critical mass of People, working in concerted effort, toward the end
of the rectification of this World is necessary for the rectification
to come about in actuality. Even though spiritual giants have walked
the face of the earth, the rectification has not yet come about
because the cooperation necessary has not yet been attained. This
cooperation is in fact very difficult. We must respect that there are
beliefs and traditions that others cannot give up. There are
traditions and beliefs that we cannot give up, if we are to retain
our integrity as a child of a given People. All of our souls
contracted to take on certain beliefs when we were born into the
People we were born into. We must find, then, a way to think
paradoxically. We need to be able to join together in our common
desire to create a GOD-centered world, which requires that we fully
respect one another, but not relinquish the very religious
differences necessary for the whole spectrum of Godliness to exist.
We need to hold tenaciously on to that which makes us the distinct
expression of GOD that we are, even as we find those areas in which
it is permitted for us to surrender to that which is universal
GODLINESS in all of us. Even though this attainment is a difficult
one, indeed; it is also essential because GOD loves organized,
concerted efforts. This is why those who are not spiritually evolved
are yet able to succeed so long as they form organizations. We,
therefore, too must be able to form an organization of Souls
dedicated to the creation of a GOD-centered world. The alternative to
this is to live under the influence of organizations dedicated to
their own agendas. Please note: There is no intention of belligerence
in this type of organization whatsoever.
2) Unfortunately, many of us have been taught that there is
spiritual value in suffering and that suffering cleanses us of our
sins. We willingly allow ourselves to be humiliated, enslaved,
debased and otherwise tormented socio-economically. The idea that
GOD takes sadistic pleasure in Human suffering is attributing
perversion to GOD! If ever there was a carefully calculated mentality
devised to keep the masses down, this is it. GOD's premiere Self-
expressions are Love and Joy. God loves Joy. In the Chassidic
tradition of Judaism it is taught that the presence of GOD can only
rest on a person performing a GODLY precept in Joy. Let's throw the
masochism out the window.
3) We've been told that rectification of sin is so difficult as to
be well-nigh impossible. We think of GOD as a petty person, who
holds grudges and is unable to forgive. Or, perhaps, we're so ashamed
of having sinned that we think we're beyond hope. Know that the inner
essence of the request for forgiveness is the meditations of GOD on
forgiveness. By asking for forgiveness You are actually GOD ITSELF
bringing forgiveness into being. Not understanding more than a very
few words in Sanskrit, I could hear this clearly in Rajender
Krishan's transliteration of Aarti-the Hindu Daily Prayer (see this
web site www.boloji.com/hinduism/aarti.htm). While those who do
understand Sanskrit intend to praise GOD and beseech It (conceived of
as "Him") to be enlightened in reciting the Aarti. This is clear from
the translation of the prayer which Rajender Krishan offers on the
same web page. When one attributes meanings to words one finds it
difficult to hear the words as they are being uttered by GOD in the
realms above the intelligible. It is at these levels that forgiveness
is being brought into existence. Everything that exists in the
phenomenal world is mirrored in the Supernal worlds. The selfsame
prayers and meditations and chants that we pronounce are being
pronounced by GOD. By erasing the meanings of the words from our
minds, no matter how lofty, and just pronouncing the sounds, we erase
the imagined duality between Ourselves and GOD. One who can do this
is no longer under the influences that lead to reincarnation.
There is no need to fear that forgiveness of sins
comes only after many incarnations. *Know that reincarnation exists
only on a particular band of the entire spectrum of existence.*
Reincarnation exists on the levels of consciousness where beings
create the illusion of space/time and conceive of development in a
restricted way and we imagine that certain forms of existence are
preferable to others. When we want to keep ourselves distant from
other sentient beings or from ourselves in other configurations and
levels of consciousness, we create the illusion of space/time as the
medium in which this distancing is accomplished. We restrict our
understanding of development to mere value judgements. This is the
outcome of our ethnocentrism, prejudice and feelings of superiority
and inferiority toward other sentient beings. One of the advantages
of being in control of the emotions which are the progenitors of
ethnocentrism, prejudice, aversions, fear and delusions of
superiority and inferiority, is being loosened from the shackles of
worry that we'll be reincarnated as a so and so, whatever the bias
may be.
Rectification of sin is most effectively and
directly brought about by prayer. By using our GOD-like faculty of
speech, we jump over the band of existence on which reincarnation
occurs and we bring down forgiveness from very high levels of
Holiness.
Forgiveness too is powerful enough to jettison us
out of the sway of the spheres that keep us transmigrating. If we
are strong enough to forgive, really forgive, ourselves as well as
others, we have become strong enough spiritually to be impervious to
the forces of reincarnation. Clearly, praying for the welfare of
those who we imagine have harmed us creates a harmonic effect of
these two most powerful spiritual tools – prayer and forgiveness and
together they rectify and transform everything our Soul has
experienced. There is a Jewish prayer in which we declare to God that
we forgive anyone who has harmed us in any incarnation, we ask for
forgiveness in turn and pray that God will not punish anyone on our
account. It is a powerful prayer because it rectifies all of what
our Soul experiences in the present, past and future and elevates us
to the levels of Being beyond those governed by transmigration.
Saying prayers for the welfare of others, while
concentrating not on the meaning attributed to the words, but only
on the sounds and vibrations we are producing is most powerful.
Reciting prayers while concentrating only on the sounds and
vibrations being produced by the one/s saying the prayer is not
praying mindlessly by rote. It is praying on the level from which GOD
vivifies that which we are praying for and imbues it with the ability
to abide in this world. It is a very desirable level of prayer to
attain. Below this level words have meanings and therefore
perception is limited and constricted in one world in which laws are
immutable, phenomena are fixed. Here we experience GOD as Other and
that it why we pray to It in second or third person. Above this
level there is no differentiation, intelligibility or separation
whatsoever. We are at the level of the All in the All, all worlds
that exist at lower levels as distinguishable entities are
nullified/existent at once. There is no possibility for creating an
apprehensible, substantial, enduring world of any kind. Neither is
there any possibility of rectification of any world. The aim is
neither to obliterate the worlds nor to be caught in worlds the laws
of which hold us in thrall. The golden mean is to reach the level
where phenomena are being called into existence and are being imbued
with durability, but are not set in one possible interpretation.
4) We may believe that there are just so many resources in the
world, and GOD is not benevolent enough to see to it that those
resources to go around. We think it's really a big deal for GOD to
have to feed six billion people. Here we are conceptualizing GOD as
a petty tyrant. Pray for everything that you need. That means
everything - no matter how trifling the thing seems to you. There
are people who think of GOD as the head of a corporation, or as a
V.I.P. - they pray only for the big things. This too boils down to
anthropomorphizing the Divine.
5) This point is really an obfuscation of our senses, a vexation of the spirit
and a frittering way of precious energy. There isn't a moments' peace for those
who envy. As long as we secretly (or not so secretly) harbor the desire
to be like the people that are making our spiritual and material
lives intolerable, then we cannot become free from their sphere of
influence. Only when we want nothing of what they offer to tantalize
and addict us can we become free. When we stop waiting for our time
to arrive, when we can be the "cream of society" and experience the
dubious thrill of deluding ourselves that we control people's fates,
then they can do nothing to affect our fates.
*Know that the rich and powerful, the warlike and the politically shrewd have
only that which we allow them to have - that which we confer upon them.* The
tragedy of envy is that
the one who envies yearns bitterly for what s/he already has. The
object of the envy is an embodiment of an aspect of the Soul of the
envious and s/he doesn't even know it. The most effective way to deal
with a negative power is to have compassion upon it. To find within
Ourselves that which is creating it and liberate it from being
created in so deformed a way. Know that more than the oppressed need
to be liberated from oppression, the oppressors need to be liberated
from the insane drive to oppress. Their suffering is truly pathetic.
In order to accomplish our own liberation and that of our oppressors
we need to relate to our own consciousness as a beloved but unruly
child, who needs to be trained in self-discipline. There is nothing
to fear, hate, envy or be entranced by at all in any of these
embodiments of that which is in our own Souls and which we are
projecting onto emptiness. Neither is their any reason to allow their
existence to determine our courses of action. Everything that we
attribute to those whom we think control us, who we envy, who we
idolize are the very characteristics of our own Being. All of it –
omnipotence, beauty, wealth, power and more is within us. It only
appears to be standing outside ourselves in the form of others
because we are not aware of, no less in control of, our GODLY
creative abilities. BE these characteristics, but in GOD-
CONSCIOUSNESS, instead of projecting them onto empty space and then
quaking in fear and imagined helplessness or being enthralled by your
own beauty while thinking that beauty belongs to someone else, or
being consumed with envy of that which you possess in abundance so
great as to give it away, of slaving for a living even as it is You
creating all that is.
The above point demands elaboration. A
god is created when we project that which is inside of us onto one
specific point. This point becomes a personification. We worship
that personification, feel at the mercy of its caprices, propitiate
it, build temples and shrines to it at great expense and with much
labor, sacrifice all to it, even our children, and believe that it
bestows of its powers on us, we thus beseech its mercy. This is
idolatry. But this essay is not a diatribe against polytheistic
religions. The writer of this essay is well aware that the
enlightened sons and daughters of "polytheistic" religions know the
ONE AND ONLY. This is a critique of the bogus imitations of
monotheistic religions, and of most economic, social and political
regimes. Those who call themselves monotheists, even as they beg
foundations and government officials for money are idolaters. Those
who confer powers upon governments and industrialists are practicing
idolatry.
It seems logical and reasonable enough to assume that social, political and
economic problems are solved by putting intelligent social, political and
economic programs into practice. These programs are, of course, planned by the
intellectual
elite, implemented by the political elite and funded by the
economic elite. There's one drawback with this – it's never worked.
It never will it work. The planners, implementers and financiers
alike are being driven by their own egos. Even when they are well-
meaning, there is yet an element of ego in all they do. They, in
order to continue to do their "good", and be important, require the
continued dependence of unfortunates to be the recipients of
their "goodwill". Insatiability has always characterized gods. The
last thing they want is for suffering to be eradicated from its root;
they'd be out of a job! The illusion that one is helpless in the face
of his/her destiny and the illusion that a rich and powerful body
can "rescue" the "less fortunate" work hand in hand to perpetuate the
very real ugly specter of human misery which these illusions create .
This is the basis of the myth of the Hydra. You cut off one slimy
social, economic or political head and two grow back in its place.
The only way to do away with human ills
is to declare to all Mankind the real truth: YOU ARE GOD. START
ACTING LIKE IT. Every human ill and suffering comes from the fear of
admitting this Truth to Ourselves. We prefer to suffer the tortures
of the damned than to accept our Godliness. HOW LONG?! We have only
to believe in God and in Ourselves. The wisdom necessary to envision,
formulate and provide all the necessary means and conditions for all
peoples to express that aspect of GOD which they came into this world
to embody exists with us. That wisdom will descend to the lower
worlds from the higher worlds as a waterfall if we allow it to.
In the final analysis we see that we are really concerning ourselves
with God's right to existence in this world. When understood this
way see the colossal arrogance, and understand the ultimate futility
in trying to prevent this.
Let's grow out of our spiritual childhood and take responsibility for
that which we experience. It avails nothing to cry out to the idols
that we have created to save us from ourselves. Let us stop
imagining that GOD is like us when we are unenlightened and begin
recognizing that We are the Divinity in Human form when we are
enlightened. Let's stop relating to GOD only in the third person and
begin to refer to GOD in first, second and third person. As has been
taught: I AM THAT, YOU ARE THAT AND ALL THIS IS THAT.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)