A Friend I Have Lost

I lost my friend Geoff.  No, it is not that he is dead, or I don’t know if he is because I have ceased my communication with him.  Frankly, I left him for two reasons; firstly, the immediate one is when he blew marijuana smoke in my son’s face, at a time when he was so young that he could barely stand, and was just barely walking.  Secondly, it was time for me to grow up, and that was incompatible with having Geoff as a friend.  Geoff was fun when I was young, but there came a time when my recklessness needed to cease.  Geoff smoked a lot of dope, marijuana, but I did not, and it has been many years since I have, and when I did it was only like once a year.  So, I could no longer tolerate his dope smoking.  Additionally, I have sworn off alcohol, especially since its free radicals lead to aging, and one of Geoff’s ambitions was to have enough money to be an alcoholic.  Whenever, Geoff used to get money, he was completely irresponsible with it, spending it all on drugs.

3rd Criticism of Intelligent Design: It is not obvious that Gd is involved in creating us from nothing.

Yah is a spark of divine wisdom that creates the idea of the universe incomplete as if the universe is an idea in the mind of Gd, as we humans may create ideas without bounded form in our mind. For instance, the mathematical concept of infinity was created by a human. Elokim is as the vessel that is the body for the creativity, housing the divine image, making it conform to the rules of the universe.

An idea is as pure electricity. It is a bolt of lightning within the mind. It's body is exceedingly light in weight despite the power of the bolt. It has virtually no mass, and is almost completely Yah. An example of these bolts of lightning in our mind is that for example, Gd has given each of his holy ones an image of the Temple in Jerusalem.  We see this image in our minds eye because it has been given to us by Hashem.

Conversely, for every heavenly idea, and for every heavenly idea implemented there is a converse sefirot that would be ungodly ideas in the mind of Gd, and unGodly ideas, such as ideas of perhaps new ways to package pornography. These horrible ideas are also in the mind of Gd though these people are sinners. They must atone for their sins. Yet, Gd is tolerant of horrible ideas, ideas which are the converse of love in the heavenly spirit.

So, we see the tolerance of Gd negating Hashem's good and upright ways.  We wish he could speak to us before it is too late, or before we are to old.  Yet, so many of us have bought the ideas of false gods, especially in these times, the Christian gods (God the Son, God The Father, and God the Holy Spirit), as Jesus was certainly not Gd, and was a good teacher at best, but was most likely the anti-christ.

We wonder why can't Gd save all of us, and why can't we all go to heaven?  Wouldn't a loving G-d want that for us?  Yet, there is no escape from Hashem.  We can not escape him even in the grave, and this is because Gd must bring us to our lowest low before we are ready to accept His divine plan, which is the complete opposite as his plan for tolerance of sin.  The aim is that through presenting us with His maze, the universe, that we will all come to worship him and do good for the sake of Hashem, fearing him reverently.

2nd Criticism of Intelligent Design: It is not obvious that Gd is involved in creating us from nothing.

The universe has properties. Some of those properties, the ones that make sense on paper are constrictive. They do not make sense under the most extreme analysis. There are always impurities, and it is impossible to make something completely pure. When we call something pure it is because it has met standards, such that it is pure enough. This is where the Ayn Soph comes in. The Ayn Soph fills the gaps that are generated by Elokim's divine utterances and derivatives of the utterances which make up reality. Elokim is compeletely concealed, which explains why one may see logic or reason is all there is in the universe. We must learn that we do not have all the answers in the most concrete way, that then Elokim, meaning the constrictive aspects of the universe become apparent. Thus, the name Elokim describes that Gd is asociable with logic and reason, while the name Ayn Soph describes the exact opposite aspect of Gd.
What's more we need not believe that we shall run out of ideas due to the name of Gd, which describes Him as infinite creativity.  That name is Yah, and through immitation of His good and upright ways, we may tap into this creativity, in the same way that Aaron drew water from a rock.  Yah means that the Torah and its commentaries will never end, and that our knowledge of the universe will never cease to grow.  So, even though the universe is constricted, as Elokim is a name of Gd, it is also equally expansive as Yah is a name of Gd, and as above it is also equally impossible to purify religion into complete restriction, such as logic and reason, due to the name of Gd that is Ayn Soph. 

Criticism of Intelligent Design: It is not obvious that Gd is involved in creating us from nothing.

Persons, places, and things could all be creating themselves from nothing.  For example, in the instance of persons, both Hassidic literature, and the biological concept of metabolism teach that we are as flames, as both humans and flames consume oxygen and burn fat.  If we don't eat we can lose weight, and even our bodies may shut down regardless, such that we may perceive ourselves as creating ourselves from nothing via eating and breathing, and that Gd has no say whatsoever in how we are created from nothing.

There is no evidence to support intelligent design.  There is evidence of order, even to the extent that we are all here.  However, that order may have arisen from the turnings of chaos.  That is chaos need not be static, but that from chaos, given enough time, the universe would evolve chaotically to be the way it is from chaos alone.  The Rebbe is said to have stated if we are here on earth, it is because we have a mission to fulfill, such that none should say, "I am without purpose," but this is just a sign of organization which may have arisen as a result of chaos.  That is though it sounds like a very tall tail given enough time, chaos may have given birth to an ordered universe.  The choice is ours.  Do we believe chaos created order, or do we believe Gd created order.  Many scientists believe that the idea of Gd is absurd, and choose to believe that all the order of the universe essentially arose from chaos because scientists usually believe the universe is so old this sort of order could have arisen from it.

I do believe Gd sustains the universe in the same way that Gd may choose to have mercy or Gd may choose to have judgment, such that though Gd is the Giver of the Law it is up to us to uphold it via choices involving justice and mercy, but again the existence of justice and mercy could have evolved from chaos, or they might be the result of Gd.  Much of Torah Law is possible to derive from this universe without the aid of a Deity.  For example, if everyone murdered each other, then there would be no people left, and even other species rarely kill another member of their same species due to an innate desire to protect genes of family members or even cousins, etc.

The hidden nature of Gd is such that we can’t derive his existence is because Gd chooses Himself to be concealed, such that an atheist may learn about the universe, but miss out on faith because of His concealment.  Elokim means that the world is constricted to the point that scientists fail to see the residue of Gd's speech of the 10 divine utterances of which is the kinds of ore that reality consists of. That is that everything in reality is a derivative of the 10 divine utterances.  If it were obvious to everyone that we should have faith in Hashem, then this would not be counted as a good deed, as it would completely obvious and not challenging in our lives.

One reason I believe faith is reasonable is that we find that there are gaps in our understanding that require wisdom, and thus we say that the Ayn Soph permeates nature preventing it from crumbling on its own rigidity in ideas such as the problem of purity and the periodic table, or that in order to get somewhere we need to first travel half of the distance, and that it takes an idea that is beyond complete comprehension, infinity, such that we must infinately travel half the distance in order to actually get where we are going.

At the core of everything, is divine filler, which I would define as or Ayn Soph, which is more difficult to describe than nailing Jello to the wall. Or Ayn Soph is the reason why we can have imperfect logic that really works in the real world.  Clearly, the universe has many properties.  In Judaism, I am able to have knowledge of them in the same way that in science, I am able to say, "Close enough."

Fearing Gd in the Truest Sense When Petitioning Hashem in Prayer

Before we petition the L-rd in prayer, our hearts should be striken with fear of Gd, as we are requesting a change to reality, and in fact questioning if our L-rd's oversight of the universe is insufficient.

It is this way: sometime the Torah records the sins of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the religion.  We know in Torah that it is a sin to marry sisters, and yet Jacob married the sisters Leah, and then Rachel.  This was out of Hashem's grace, and nothing else.  When or if someone tries to recreate the idea of Jacob's marriage to sisters, it is but an abomination.

It is the same way with Abraham.  Abraham stood before the Creator of the universe and pleaded that Sodom would not be destroyed.  Abraham petitioned G-d, which is completely audacious, and yet Gd did not annihilate Him because Abraham had proved himself worthy of Gd’s love through not sacrificing his son Isaac.

To those of us who take prayer lightly, I really feel that this is almost as the way a child perceives the world.  A child does not know what to fear, and must learn fear.  Thus, for those that petition Gd lightly, I believe His response is distant.  However, for Abraham and those who know Gd; great fear of Gd is upon them when they pray.

The Torah Is Against Incest, Not For It!

While the Torah does permit marriage of one’s first cousin, it does not indicate that this is the most ideal situation, as there are many incest taboos of which we can extrapolate incest is not best.  Marriage of closer cousins is also closer to being sinful when we look at the big picture the Torah presents us.  Thus, if anything we should be able to extrapolate that when marrying, the further the genetic link between partners, the better, although this is not the only consideration.  Jews are a clan, and likewise to maintain a sense of identity, Jews should marry someone who is familiar with Judaism, and at least have a partner that embraces Jewish endeavors.

On the Age of the Universe: I haven’t a clue as to the age of the universe, but…

We can extrapolate from science that there is a created order.  This is not a world of which miracle chaos has no part, and yet there is a periodic table and various physical equations where we feeble humans can gain grandiose opinions of ourselves, especially if we have an aptitude for such things.

From the perspective of some it is uncertain whether something intelligent created that order (or not), or if that order was created intentionally by an Intelligent Being.

I believe the universe was created by Gd, as it would be odd for humanities obsession to with Gd to be accident, if there was no Gd.  If the universe is indeed ordered, as the scientists say, then naturally worship is part of that order, as what else could it be?

Thus, my opinion: Gd grants grace to scientists like Richard Dawkins despite their atheism, as they still approach their work in the way that is pleasing to Gd, emulating Him voraciously in their discipline they resemble an all consuming fire, giving purpose to an atheist.

Sorry Need to Post Corrections

Sorry Need to Post Corrections:
For the past several years I had thought the Hamilton clan was Scottish Highlanders, when in fact the Hamilton Clan is a Lowland clan.
I have tried to change what blogs that I found that had errors.  However, I suspect I have not found them all, and because I have posted so much to the internet, I probably will never fully be able to change all of my mistakes.

Very Sorry,

Craig

The Holocaust Gives Strong Reason Why We Should Fear Gd

Many folks claim that because of the holocaust that they can not believe that Gd is loving.
The faithful say that he was hanging in the gallows along with his precious Jews.  However, the Bible does indicate that fear is an important part of one's relationship with Gd.

From www.jewfaq.org, it is said among the 613 commandments of the Torah that, "To fear Him reverently (Deut. 6:13; 10:20)," is an affirmative commandment for men, and it is counted as the 4th commandment according to Chafetz Chayim's Concise Book of Mitzvot and I'm guessing that it is listed 4th due to its importance to Jews, where faith is considered the first most important affirmative commandment required for Jewish men, but not forbidden to Jewish women.

We have many reasons to fear Gd.  However, for this generation, and hopefully for several more, the power of Gd to allow the destruction his own people should strike fear into the hearts of every man, woman, and student.  This fear is natural, and required.

The question is if those who say, "Never again," are stating it from a secular point of view (likely).  Really, we need for fear that is more than just awe.  We need to understand that we should fear Gd, especially if we choose sin because our deeds are always under the Gd’s magnifying glass.  It is much more important to have true fear because we know that something such as the Holocaust can happen.

If one fears Gd, if he is about to sin, he does not hide it, for he knows that Gd can see him wherever he goes.  And, thus it is such that sometimes folks sin, even those who fear that their very existence it dependent on Gd.  I, myself, know this for at times I have eaten pork.  However, when I have done this, I am quite fearful that Gd will punish me for it.  I can't explain why I have sometimes done it, other than doing so seems to have felt compatible with my animal instinct.  However, it is my hope that I never eat pork again.  And, yes, I realize I may fail at this, and there are other things I may fail at as well, such as masturbation.