There are times G‑d will put a soul in prison—often a very lofty soul, such as Joseph.
It is like being held in a vise. Squeezed with the ultimate of futility, the deepest powers of the soul break through.
Pardon my cynicism, but judging from passed and present situations prison is for those who can't get a dream team of legal beagles (remember O.J.?) or unaware of the the Biblical narrative ויברח משה. מעשה אבות סימן לבנים! Reply
I actually was jailed for 3 days, so I know what it is like, but I don't recommend it! Everyone there at first believes that their case is special and that they truly are innocent. Hardened criminals take a different view. (Later I gave community service as punishment.) So being in prison has strong psychological aspects too, which many people do not take into account. Reply
Ok, thanks very much for sharing. What did you do, may I ask? Where was it? Reply
I’m a prisoner of my own making; I knew the path I was traveling down would someday lead me toward my own destiny, but I just couldn’t stop. I was driven day after to day to hurt myself and return hurt to others, but I thought my plight to be bad and then some was ordained in G d’s big book of accounts. An easy answer to a stupid question that gave me the driving force to drive right down the road of self destruction. Until G d put the the chains on and locked me in a cage just like a raging animal, I would’ve broke lose and tore the whole world into shreds. But see I was the lucky one, G d stopped me dead on in my tracks for my own good, not for his good, but for mine; because if G d hadn’t halted my evil desires I would’ve destroyed myself, the creature he created to be more than just a caged animal. Reply
So keep away from god Reply
Prison Juice Thanks for the encouragement. I feel squeezed for the time being. Very painfully too. Reply
What if the prison being mentioned is metaphorical since we are in the Diaspora and don't live In Israel? Many times we make our own prison by not thinking through what are the consequences of an action. Other times, the prison is physical because we are not perfect beings,and an illnesses destroys plans; that is a prison too! Yet, H' gave us the way to jump the obstacles like it happened with Joseph and be rrue to ourselves despite ALL the obstacle, A life bederech is a wonderful solution because Judaism itself is not a prison.