Burning Bush by Phillip Ratner
Ariel-Ben-Avraham
Today Ariel is having quadruple by-pass surgery and we pray for a quick recovery. Commentary by Ariel Ben Avraham of Safed, Israel.
“I beseeched G-d at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:23). Moses fulfilled his transcendental mission as the zealous vigilant-guide who led the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Divine Love heard the people beseeching for freedom, and also heard His loyal servant begging for entering the Land. Moses’ attachment to Divine Service compelled him to beg for more, but his mission was already accomplished. 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in Midian, and 40 years in the desert for a total of 120 years of learning and transformation in one single memorable lifetime. Moses had the exclusive privilege to meet Love face to face, and to surrender to Him completely. His greatest desire was to see the Divine Presence fully revealed in all Creation, and he knew that this is possible only when we conquer the nations in Canaan (the lower aspects of consciousness and negative emotions), and settle in the Promised Land (the plenitude and endless abundance of Love’s ways and attributes).
Love allowed Moses to see it from the distance; and, as our Sages say, to hear is to understand and to see is to know. Moses saw and Moses knew… what else did he need to know after seeing it all? Being part of it after “You, O G-d, have begun to show Your servant Your greatness.”
(3:24), implying that our true connection with G-d begins in practical life with our mission to reveal His concealment in the world. The Promised Land also represents the realized awareness of Divine Love, therefore it is the starting point of living it fully in the material world. This realization has the power to transform darkness into Light, thus revealing Love’s concealment by materialistic illusions. The greatness of Love is His revelation in all Creation, and we see this greatness when we submit all levels of consciousness to His ways and attributes, His Glory; and that is the true life: “And you who cleave to the L-rd your G-d are alive, every one of you, this day” (4:4). Our Sages say that this day refers to the constant present tense, which is the continuous Divine Love’s sustenance.
Considering the fact that G-d, Love, is always with us because He created us and sustains us, it is up to us being aware of that transcendental Truth. Even when we live in the illusions of the material world, we have access to Him: “From there you will seek G-d your G-d, and you will find Him if you search after Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (4:29). Let’s never forget that He is the only Truth: “There is none else beside Him” (4:35, 39; 5:22). In his Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah 1:1, Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon) reaffirms this Truth saying that “this is the foundation of all foundations, and the pillar of all wisdom: to know that there is the First Being who brings all existences into being; that all existences of Heaven and Earth, and between them, derive their existence only from the Truth of His Being.”
Moses continues reiterating the Covenant between G-d, Love, and His People and warning about the consequences of following ego’s fantasies and illusions instead of cleaving permanently to Him, and he reminds Israel of the Ten Commandments (5:6-17), following His ways, and manifesting His attributes: “You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your G-d has commanded you, that you may live; and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the Land which you shall possess.” (5:29).
This is the context that precedes the most important statement of Judaism, which defines the Oneness of G-d, Love, with His Creation through the awareness of His People, Israel. It is Israel who gives complete sense to this statement, because it is Israel who is commanded to be aware of it: “Hear (understand), Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (6:4). Although this statement is made by Moses our teacher, it is actually G-d, Love, who proclaims it in the plural first person. This is the culmination of the Oneness of Israel with the Creator, and Israel as the trustee of this Divine foundation. The verse is followed by a clear explanation of this principle, because it is a dynamic statement that implies an active awareness. This explanation is the way in which we realize that awareness (6:5-25), and Love is its essential foundation. As long as we are in, for and with the Love of G-d, we will be One with Him. The verses remark the importance to be constantly aware of Love’s ways and attributes in virtually everything we do day and night. This bond of Love which exemplifies Oneness does not allow any kind of separation, because this Love only cohabits with His ways and attributes, and nothing else. As we mentioned in previous commentaries as well as in the book “God as Love”, when we choose to separate from Love, the consequences are symbolically illustrated in the Hebrew Bible as “wrath” and “vengeance” derived from “jealousy”; and it is jealousy, our zeal to cleave to Love that keeps us united to Him: “for a jealous G-d, even the Lord your G-d, is in the midst of you; lest the anger of the Lord your G-d be kindled against you, and He destroy you from of the face of the Earth.” (6:15).
Indeed, we are destroyed when we choose to live in illusion and not in His Truth: “(…) that they may serve other gods; so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and He will destroy you quickly.” (7:4), “Because you are a holy people unto the Lord your G-d: the Lord your G-d has chosen you to be His own treasure, out of all peoples that are upon the face of the Earth.” (7:6). Certainly not everyone is touched and inspired by Love to be His ways and manifest His attributes, therefore if our ancestors were chosen along with their descendants, we as One united Israel must honor this heritage by choosing back to Love: “The Lord did not set His Love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people, but because you were the fewest of all peoples.” (7:7). Let’s honor the legacy of our forefathers, let’s honor Love for the sake of Love.
