Illustration by Yoseph Savan based on The Zohar
Ariel Ben Avraham – Ecclesiastes: The illusion of vanity and the reality of love (XV)
“Be not rash with your mouth, and let your heart not be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on the earth. Therefore let your words be few because a dream comes with much concern, and the voice of the fool with many words.” (Ecclesiastes 5:1-31)
We know that thought precedes speech and action, except for those who speak and act before thinking. Usually we want our words to faithfully reflect our thoughts and intentions in order not to misrepresent ourselves, even more so when we communicate with God “who is in heaven”. Here we understand that our communication with Him must be beyond our human understanding of the divine.
“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways’, says the Lord. ‘For high have the heavens been above the earth, so high have been My ways above your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts’.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
As we said before, we must relate to God through the ways and attributes with which He wants us to emulate Him. Thus we can make this world a place for Him to dwell with [in] us.
As long as we continue living in ego’s fantasies and illusions, our thoughts, dreams, speech and actions will also reflect their vanity, vexation, frustration as the futility of a fool’s life.
“When you pronounce a vow to God, do not delay to pay, for He has no pleasure in fools; that which you vow, pay. It is better that you vow not, than that you vow and do not pay it.” (Ecclesiastes 5:3-4)
Our words and deeds reflect who we are, no matter what. Either we like it or not, ultimately we are accountable for our speech and actions to each other, including God. In this sense we are accountable to Him because we suppose to think, speak and act according to what connects us to Him.
“And I, with a voice of thanksgiving, I sacrifice to You. That which I have vowed I complete, [for] redemption is of the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9)
If we believe and pursue goodness, we are accountable to goodness and nothing else, even so if we claim to be good. If we are not able to live by this principle, we rather don’t commit to it as the verse suggests.
Ariel Ben Avraham
Kochav Yaakov, Shomron (Samaria), 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.
