Discovering a Geologist While Rockin Out to Spark Seaker

“In the earth, there are so many wonderful treasures, and if you know where to dig, you’ll find gold and diamonds, and silver, and all kinds of treasures. But, if you don’t know where to dig all you’ll find is rocks, and dirt. A Rebbe (teacher) is the geologist of the soul. He can show you where to dig, and what to dig for, but the digging you must do yourself. “

Rabbi Zalman on Matisyahu’s “Spark Seaker”

I heard this quote while listening to M’s newish album and, being an analyst, I needed to know who this teacher was. So I dug and found Reb Zalaman and read some things about him, and checked him out on YouTube. Like any other teacher there were things I agreed with and things I disagreed with. One thing he said that really stood out to me was something he said with regards to possibly the most famous line from Parashat Shoftim; “tzedek tzedek tirdof” “Justice, Justice shall you pursue.” There is some famous debate as to why the word Justice is repeated. The most commonly accepeted being that we must not only seek out justice “by any means necessary”, so to speak, but that the method by which we seek justice must also be just.

I kinda like that; however, Reb Zalmans explanation was quite good as well. He said tzedek, tzedek was like a scale in that the justice we pursue must be justice for all involved. He relays a story about a friend who did some work for him who asked “how much should I charge seeing as we are friends?” and his response was “Tzedek, tzedek; it should be righteous for you, it should be righteous for me, for the sake of his name” The explanation being that G-d gets a good reputation when both people are right. Think about that, when both parties in a social transaction, especially a dispute, walk away thinking I was treated fairly, with justice and righteousness, then G-d gets the praise from all involved.

This line of reasoning is not new. In Tractate Sanhedrin 32b of the Babylonian Talmud, it says;

“R. Ashi said: The [contradictory] teachings are reconciled as above;¹²  but as for the [Scriptural] verses, one¹³  refers to a decision based on strict law, the other to a compromise. As it has been taught: Justice, justice shalt thou follow; the first [mention of justice] refers to a decision based on strict law; the second, to a compromise.”

This is a great reminder that in all of our most impassioned debates (Facebook people I’m talking to you), we must strive to remember that there are two sides to every story and sometimes both sides of an argument have valid points of view. So Avram, sometimes they can both be right.

All of this from rockin out to M while I was starting my work “day”. Go out there and find your teachers. Remember Confucius said “Walking along with three people , my teacher is sure to be among them. I choose what is good in them and follow it and what is not good and change it.”

Once again as always, I could be completely wrong about this.

Be Blessed, and go study.

Guilty as Charged

     OK I know, I know it has been over a year since I posted last. That comes mostly from not being deployed, and not having near as much time on my hands to simply think and reflect. I just read a blog post however that made me sit and think for a sec. It is a review of a chapter from a book by Boaz Michael of FFoZ fame entitled "Tent of David: Healing the Vision of the Messianic Gentile". Part of my spiritual growth since I was introduced to the Hebrew roots of my faith has been a shift from an initial fear of anything from Jewish "tradition" to seeing the beauty, wisdom, and necessity of those traditions. Unfortunately at the same time I progressed from wanting to learn and incorporate the Torah into my life, to a complete rejection of anything from the "Church". I have gradually over the last year or so come to the realization that a rejection of the traditions of the church is just as unbalanced as rejection of the "Law".

     Many Messianic Believers like to point out the presumptuousness of Christian theology in supposing that G-d had done away with the law, and that Jews who have been studying there scriptures for over 3000 years don’t have as good a grasp on those scriptures as Christians who have been studying it for at least a thousand years less.  What some of us (and I say us because I know I am guilty of this as well) have failed to realize is that it is equally as presumptuous to think that Christianity could have spread across the entire planet without the approval of The Most High. Of course we have theological differences with people on all sides of the equation. There is nothing wrong with good natured open debate. Debate is a cornerstone of Jewish learning in fact. We have to keep the vitriol out of the tone of the discussion however. Remember that this to comes from G-d. The prophet Isaiah cautioned:

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness....
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!"

Once again as always, I could be completely wrong about this.

Be Blessed.