There’s no greater high than finding truth on your own.
All worlds were made, all barriers put in place, every veil over truth was hung, and the soul plummeted from its pristine height into the confusion of this harsh world—
—all for this one thing alone: That you should uncover truth on your own.
I am that Reply
The Highest High For it takes the glory of G-d to conceal things and for us, humans, to seek them out, and give Him all the glory. Reply
Truth, it is what it is Truth in itself can be seen as a relative term. When we find the truth we must be careful do not hold bias, to recognize it for what it is and not for what we want it to be. Denial is not a river in Egypt! Reply
"Trust" vs. "Tradition"
This came up in a conversation the other day. There are two concepts to distinguish:
"trust" vs. "tradition"
"trust": Trust there's a good reason to do something, even when what I see suggests otherwise, because it comes from someone/something...trustworthy.
Judaism's "messorah" is based on trust. This trust takes on extremes when we're talking about the commands of an omniscient, omnibenevolent G-d.
"tradition": Keep doing something, regardless of whether there's a reason or not. Judaism's "messorah" is not based on tradition.
"trust" leads to uncovering the truth. "tradition" often leads to deciding something's a lie. (Even when it's not).
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to: 'blind faith' - val Wow. Thank you for your post. What a compliment. (of course, truthfully, i'm lousy at reading contracts!!) maybe blind trust in G-d comes when there are no other answers. Being a simple person, it's comforting to me. Take care, anonymous! Reply
' blind faith '- val- Dec. 2 2011
Thanks for filling in a bit of a puzzle for me. I am up to snuff on faith/emunah and trust /bitachon, but i always wondered about blind faith because it just didn't sound right. When you need to read a contract, you cannot just sign it on blind faith . Even in the matter of Hashem, blind faith still doesn't do it for me. But, when you hold up your left and right index fingers and say ' blind faith ' the meaning of trust/bitachon ' appears '. At least to me.
Thanks for that little Aha ! experience. The joy of your write up is also delightful.
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truth I just love these messages! Thank you. Every day, it never fails. Mo one hears or understands me but G-d. How could they? No one can see inside but G-d; personally speaking. I feel only G-d knows, and has been there all along. Is that just my truth? For me there's no reason to question it because simply, I feel trust is everything, and hope and pray G-d gives me the wisdom to see it and know it and maybe one day be worthy. In the meantime, maybe it's 'blind faith.' but it's great. Reply
Two Torahs Dec 1 , 2011
i always just accepted the fact that this an Written Torah and an Oral Torah, The simplest difference was that nothing got lost through the generations from the Written Torah, but as the Oral Torah was handed down, information was lost. Then a fellow Judah the Prince for fear of losing the whole Oral Torah, took it upon himself to write down the huge volumes that were still known, some undertaking.
The best anecdote i was told that distinguishes the two is that The Written Torah in Hebrew means ' teaching ' and the Oral Torah in Hebrew means ' learning '. Learning that separation was important to me for a particular reason. No doubt there has to be overlap and interlocking. Who told this difference to me ? R. Tzvi. About a year ago.
Due to my learning deficiencies, i am forced to be selective in my Torah teachers. Only some can keep leading me to the waters, the waters of Torah.
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B"H for learning deficiencies.
I too, must have learning deficiencies, because I am VERY VERY selective when it comes to choosing teachers. I need teachers who lead me to drink the water, like someone said below.
I have one and only one teacher, in person. I have others whom he approves of, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe who teaches us how to see Moshiach and how to take responsibility to bring the final Geula.
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Written Torah and Oral Torah
Shalom Rabbi,
My question is why do you teach that the Written Torah and Oral Torah are the two torahs? The truth is the Torah of Moses and the future torah the Torah of Atik are the two torahs.
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The Highest High Dear rabbi, when I first read this I do not get it right away either. But you know what the Rebbe talks about the highest high and it is the deepest deep, the lowest low, the smallest small: the truth the L-rd reveals to me, nobody else does that, nobody else can claim the credit for it. In my circle we say "the world does not give it to me the world can not take it away". Indeed the truth G-d makes known to my heart alone is the highest high. Amen. Reply
and ...
' with as little bit of help from your friends "
But i get your message. Being led to water leaves but one hurdle, taking that first sip.
I'm still working on the trust factor. Faith always seemed vague, so it was nice that you made the distinction between faith and trust earlier. Trust is that iron clad cold steely resolve which leaves no room for doubt. Easy to say. i am not expecting an epiphany. But i am expecting Da'at. That would be my definition of trust. You grasp truth, make it a part of you, and you live it.
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the light is to share There's nothing I can do, on my own. Reply
truth My way with the help of God off course, !!!and some friends Reply
The Highest High Is it not prideful to believe that we can find Truth on our own, without the Almighty's help? Reply
truth
I just needed this daily wisdom!,
I did it my way!!!!!!
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yeah
and there have been several men who have uncovered it, ( or should i say that have been allowed to uncover it, it's frightening)
switching gears a bit, this opening to todays Wisdom Point, ;There is no greater elevation than having made it on your own.
um, we are each as individuals endowed with unique gifts, none of us deserved any of the gifts we have, though we can strive to learn more, this is difficult for some, but those that are able to achieve, i believe the tora makes it clear, to boast that you achieved anything on your own is foolish, we are given gifts in order to help one another not our selves, we are to look after those with short-comings, (not to be confused with a perceived weakness to refrain from willful debauchery)
Remember Rabbi, there is darkness in this world and each must find the light in the midst of it all, those that do, become part of the inner circle (not by joining theirs to one,) but adapting to the one by changing their ways,
shal'm
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It's been a long time since people responded to this. I am new. This remark by Rabbi Freeman is new. I am responding anew.
I saw "blind faith" mentioned. It was a concept I became interested in a few years ago. If anyone sees this again, I hope you get some new insight like I did, when I read this:
The TERM "Blind faith" itself seems to be a mindless tautology, and absent of critical speaking. What, for example would be its opposite, a "seeing" faith? Or an "understandable" faith? If an idea is obvious or understandable, why use the word "faith?"
American cultural implication is that faith is equivalent to ignorance, escape from thinking, or lack of critical thinking.
Hashem cannot be demonstrated and proven, isn't His acceptance based on "blind faith?" The person at odds with the believer is not more intellectual than the believer. The believer knows everything the opposing person knows, but the believer is not at an impasse.