Ariel Ben Avraham – JERUSALEM IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS (XI)
“Praise waits for You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow is performed.”
(Psalms 65:2)
We evoke and call for our Creator in the place where we can find Him. In this verse once more King David invites us to reflect on Zion. It is reiterated again that we find, recognize and acknowledge God in what we have in common with Him, which is goodness.
When we call God, let’s do it in goodness for the sake of goodness, for the place of His dwelling is goodness. In that place in consciousness we praise Him and make our vows to Him, which are the commitment and determination to being, having and doing goodness.
“Happy is the man whom You choose and bring near, that he may dwell in Your courtyards, be satisfied with the goodness of Your house. Sacred Your temple!” (65:5)
Many are the times when we are chosen, but few when we choose to be chosen. This verse is about choosing to be near God. We also can understand this as being happy to be chosen by the goodness others bestow on us. Certainly true happiness and joy come from living in goodness, for it is our complete fulfillment and plenitude.
This verse reminds us the sacredness of goodness as the house where we find our Creator, from whom all goodness comes. Let’s remind ourselves that a house with its courtyards represents the consciousness with which we live. All we have in that place determines who we are, what we have and do.
“I will come to Your house with burnt offerings. To You I will perform my vows.” (66:13)
Once more, God’s “house” is where our highest level of consciousness and utmost awareness of goodness meet with His goodness. Hence it is where we offer the best in us to renew and replenish it with the promise of making it prevail in what we are and do.
“A Father of the fatherless, and a Judge of the widows, is God in the habitation of His sacredness.” (68:6)
We are fatherless when there are no ruling and guiding principles for which to live. In this sense, father and mother are the sustaining, nurturing and conducting sources that give meaning to our life.
The same goes to having or lacking judgment to do what is right, proper and just, in situations when we don’t have the material and moral support to cope with life.
Let’s be aware that God’s habitation encompasses the ruling, ethical principles of His ways and attributes that we see in the goodness He wants us to live.
Ariel Ben Avraham
Kochav Yaakov, Safed, northern Galilee, IsraelAriel Ben Avraham (f. Zapata) was born in Cartagena, Colombia in 1958. After studying Cultural Anthropology in Bogotá moved to Chicago in 1984 where he worked as a television writer, reporter and producer for 20 years. In the 1990’s he produced video documentaries related to art, music, history and culture such as “Latin American Trails: Guatemala” distributed by Facets.org. Most of his life he studied ancient spiritual traditions and mysticism of major religions, understanding the mystic experience as the individual means to connect with the Creator of all. Since 2004 he studies and writes about Jewish mysticism and spirituality mainly derived from the Chassidic tradition, and the practical philosophy of the teachings of Jewish mystic sages. The book “God’s Love” is the compilation of many years studying and learning Jewish mysticism. The messages of his book are part of the content, exercises and processes of a series of seminars, lectures and retreats that he facilitates in Israel.
