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DEUTERONOMY — 30:19 choose

DEUT1621 In the face of suffering and loss, there are two fundamentally different questions an individual or nation can ask, and they lead to quite different outcomes. The first is, "What did I, or we, do wrong?" The second is, "Who did this to us?" It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the fundamental choice governing the destinies of people. The latter leads inescapably to what is today known as the victim culture. It locates the source of evil outside oneself. Someone else is to blame. It is not I or we who are at fault, but some external cause. The attraction of this logic can be overpowering. It generates sympathy. It calls for, and often evokes, compassion. It is, however, deeply destructive. It leads people to see themselves as objects, not subjects. They are done to, not doers; passive, not active. The results are anger, resentment, rage, and a burning sense of injustice. None of these, however, ever leads to freedom, since by its very logic this mindset abdicates responsibility for the current circumstances in which one finds oneself. Blaming others is the suicide of liberty. Blaming oneself, by contrast, is difficult. It means living with constant self-criticism. It is not a route to peace of mind. Yet it is profoundly empowering. It implies that, precisely because we accept responsibility for the bad things that have happened, we also have the ability to chart a different course in the future. Within the terms set by the covenant, the outcome depends on us. That is the logical geography of hope, and it rests on the choice Moses was later to define in these words: [this verse]. One of the most profound contributions Torah made to the civilisation of the West is this: that the destiny of nations lies not in the externalities of wealth or power, fate or circumstance, but in moral responsibility – the responsibility for creating and sustaining a society that honors the image of God within each of its citizens, rich and poor, powerful or powerless alike. The politics of responsibility are not easy. The curses of Leviticus 26 are the very reverse of comforting. Yet the profound consolations with which they end are not accidental, nor are they wishful thinking. They are testimony to the power of the human spirit when summoned to the highest vocation. A nation that sees itself as responsible for the evils that befall it is also a nation that has an inextinguishable power of recovery and return.

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DEUTERONOMY — 30:19 choose

DEUT1619 Freedom of Will In The Torah. While the concept of freedom is found in the Torah primarily as an implicit presupposition of human responsibility, there are some rather explicit references to this principle in addition to the assurance to Cain: "And thou mayest rule over it." Moses concludes his farewell address to the people of Israel with the ringing: [this verse]. God Himself does not interfere in the human choice and takes no responsibility for the consequences that follow: "Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good" (Lamentations 3:38). But God is not "neutral" in terms of the human struggle. To be good is to want to do good for others. So that God wants to see man choose the good. "Oh that they would have such a heart as this always, to fear Me and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them, and their children for ever" (Deuteronomy 5:26).

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DEUTERONOMY — 30:19 life

DEUT1633 "Therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed."--[this verse] It is the religious duty of every individual to keep fit and to refrain from practices which endanger health and shorten life. This obligation is a corollary of the general prohibition of waste and needless destruction of living creatures or inanimate useful articles. The instruction to safeguard one's health and life is additionally based on several theological rationales. In view of the biblical declaration that man was created in the image of God, any injury to one's body can constitutes an assault upon its divine aspect and hence an affront to the Almighty. The belief that parents create the body of their offspring but that it is God who implants the soul (Berachot 60b) further contributed to the tenet that life must be preserved and that suicide is a crime against God. Man owns his body, but he is merely the custodian of the soul which resides within him. Only God can decide when the soul is to depart the body. ... The philosophic explanation of the interaction between the soul and the body provided another basis for the principle of the preservation of life. The soul which is implanted in a human body is pure, without any blemish. That is the gist of the morning prayer recited upon waking: "My God, the soul which thou hast planted in me is pure.… thou preservest it in me, and thou shalt someday take it from me" (Berachot 60b). According to the teachings of Kabbalah, the soul is tainted by the corruption of the body. Biblical references to sin and impurity are frequently addressed to the soul: "If a soul sin through error" (Leviticus 4:2), "If a soul sin and commit trespass against the Lord" (Leviticus 5:21). ...When the body atones for its sins, the purity of the soul is restored. The willful destruction of one's body precludes an eventual purging of the soul of its acquired flaws, forcing it to return to heaven in a state of impurity. Aside from doctrinaire considerations, there is a universal consensus that life is man's most precious gift. (Continued at [[DEUT88]] Deuteronomy 4:9 watch BLOCH 242-3)

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DEUTERONOMY — 30:19 life

DEUT1634 If we are creatures of the Almighty, we are also His servants, created to do His bidding. Perhaps we are not ready to choose wisely and prudently if offered a choice, to prepare well [i.e., for the world-to-come--AJL] in this ante-chamber. We are still obliged to, as His servants. He directs us to do what is ultimately best for us. "Choose life" [this verse]. He commands us: choose a way of life in this world that will let you live in the Hereafter. Every moment of life that we are granted is a free, unearned gift. It is too precious to waste through foolish or evil choice. Nor can we argue later or plead for extra time, another chance. When the summons comes to depart this life, we cannot claim that it is premature or untimely. It is our royal duty to be at the ready.

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DEUTERONOMY — 30:20 attach

DEUT1637 The Three Branches of Wisdom. Wisdom can be divided into three parts: (1) the science of created things, namely, natural science, which deals with the natural and accidental properties of material bodies; (2) mathematics, which includes arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music; (3) theology, which is the knowledge of God, may He be exalted, and the knowledge of His Torah as well as of other subjects understood by the intellect, such as the soul, the intellect, and the spiritual beings. These fields of study, with their various divisions, are gates -- opened for man by the Creator, may He be exalted -- through which one can come to understand the Torah and the world. Some of these sciences are more vital for understanding the Torah, whereas others are more vital for worldly uses. Those which are more vital for worldly matters are the lower science (natural science) and the intermediate science (mathematics). These two sciences teach [us] of all the secrets of this world, of its uses and benefits that we may gain from it, as well as the different skills and crafts which are necessary for meeting physical needs and for the acquisition of various worldly goods. But the field of study which is essential to the Torah is the most lofty of all sciences, namely, theology, and it is our duty to learn this wisdom, in order to understand and realize the Torah. To study it in order to attain worldly benefit, however, is forbidden, as stated by our Masters: “It was taught: ‘To love Hashem your God, to obey His voice, and to attach yourself to Him’ (Devarim 30:20) -- [this means] that a person should not say: ‘I will study so as to be called a scholar; I will learn so as to be called ‘Rabbi’; I will learn in order to be one of the authorities in the Academy.’ Rather, learn out of love, and in the end honor will come .... Carry out the words [of the Torah] for the sake of the deed [itself]; study them for their own sake, and do not make of them a crown to win fame with, or an axe to cut with (Nedarim 62a).

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