Bible & Kabbalah: The Hardening of Pharoah's Heart

Written by Rabbi Michael Ozair


Continued from page 1

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Since Light is impartial, does this justify Pharoah's position? Absolutely not.

The Zohar (3:47b) states, "The greatest revelation of G-dliness isrepparttar Light that emerges from Darkness." Thus we see that not only is there value to darkness - but when we attempt to draw Light out from it, it becomesrepparttar 126689 GREATEST display of G-dliness.

Reb Tzadok HaCohen addsrepparttar 126690 following insight regarding darkness:

"The (Hebrew) word for darkness - choshech can be read in two different ways,(depending on whether we readrepparttar 126691 interchangeable middle letter as a shin or a sin) A dot onrepparttar 126692 right side will give usrepparttar 126693 word choshech-darkness. A dot onrepparttar 126694 left will yieldrepparttar 126695 word chosech-to withhold. What then is darkness butrepparttar 126696 withholding of Light?"

If darkness isrepparttar 126697 withholding of Light, our job inrepparttar 126698 world then becomes to reveal it.

A good place to begin is within ourselves.

"Every time you find yourself at conflict with a part of yourself that is self sabotaging -the Pharoah part - remember thatrepparttar 126699 force of might that is behind this destructive part is really an unconscious and misdirected power, a "hardening" of G-d. When you unravelrepparttar 126700 hardened heart, you will discover thatrepparttar 126701 intention is pure andrepparttar 126702 power is G-dly, and thus, transformable." - Rabbi Avraham of Trisk (Magen Avraham)

What happens to those, such as Pharoah, who do not seek to "unravelrepparttar 126703 hardened heart"?

When one does not take a personal accountability of their resistances to change, it is inevitable that plagues break out. It took 10 plagues until Pharoah,repparttar 126704 archetype of resistance, was able to surrender torepparttar 126705 inevitable change that awaited him.

This introduces us to our Second Law -repparttar 126706 Law of Accountability.

SECOND LAW - LAW OF ACCOUNTABILITY

In order to understandrepparttar 126707 Metaphysics behindrepparttar 126708 Law of Accountability we need to further understand what our role is in dealing with Light and Darkness.

According to Judaism's mystical tradition, when we encounter darkness, we have an option by which we are held accountable: to either push it away or to transform it. The difference isrepparttar 126709 following:

"When light PUSHES AWAYrepparttar 126710 darkness, eventually another darkness shall come. Whenrepparttar 126711 darkness itself is TRANSFORMED into light, it is a Light that no darkness can ever again oppose. It is a higher grade of Light" (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson zt"l -repparttar 126712 late Lubavitcher Rebbe).

The Pharoah ofrepparttar 126713 Torah text not only neglects to transform his darkness into light, or even push it away, but resists it, and thus becomes further hardened by it, as a result.

Again, this Pharoah part of ourselves is in truth a Divine part of ourselves but one that remains blocked and unevolved.

The greaterrepparttar 126714 resistance torepparttar 126715 Moshe (Moses) liberating force within,repparttar 126716 more we witness on ourselves strange behaviors, violent demonstrations of wrath, and crazy outbreaks of irrationality - in other words - plagues.

PHAROAH'S FATE - THE LAW OF CORRECTION

The universe shows us that our daily encounters inrepparttar 126717 world will persuade us to embrace our inner contradictions, challenge us to make compromises while offering usrepparttar 126718 reward of wholeness if we surrender to Reality.

Like Pharoah, when we resist what we perceive as an opposition or threat to our reality, we inevitably attract and must face conflict.

Like Pharoah, when we are unable to take appropriate actions, we inevitably becomerepparttar 126719 victims of Life's correction.

Like Pharoah, whatever we refuse to embrace about ourselves will ultimately deprive us of our peace.

G-d indeed hardens Pharoah's heart and indeed punishes him. But G-d is notrepparttar 126720 one to blame for it. Pharoah is.

The text implies that duringrepparttar 126721 first five plagues, Pharoah hardened his own heart. It was not untilrepparttar 126722 end ofrepparttar 126723 plagues thatrepparttar 126724 text changes to "G-d hardening Pharoah's heart".

This is because although we are given free choice in this universe, it is only up to a point.

In Kabbalah we have what is called, "The Law ofrepparttar 126725 Vessel" or "Law of Correction" which means,repparttar 126726 universe (Vessel) has within it a self correcting mechanism. When anything reaches an extreme,repparttar 126727 Universe corrects it by brining it back into balance. When a body gets too cold, it shivers. When it gets too hot, it sweats. Likewise, according torepparttar 126728 Law ofrepparttar 126729 Vessel, if someone decides to do harm of their own volition, they are given free reign to do just that (which isrepparttar 126730 nature of free choice), but there'll come a point where their ability to freely make their own wrongful moral and spiritual choices will be taken away from them, and both that person and their acts of evil will be undone. Therefore, as our Sages have taught, our Universe is comprised of a delicate balance, perfect in its own way, of both Mercy and Justice - Chesed and Gevurah.

Inrepparttar 126731 meantime, let us continue moving forward with honesty, humility and a willingness to be advocates for G-d's Light. Tomorrow still holds many seas to cross, a wilderness to wander, and a Promised Land that awaits both you and I.

Blessings, Rabbi Michael Ozair http://www.KabbalahCoach.com

Rabbi Michael Ozair is a spiritual life coach, counselor, teacher and consultant. He can be reached at coach@kabbalahcoach.com or by visiting his site at KabbalahCoach.com




Controversial role of religious scholars in pakistan

Written by MUHAMMAD UMAIS NOMANI


Continued from page 1

Many ofrepparttar custom repugnant torepparttar 126688 teachings of Islam are still being followed as components of our religion.

Our ulema have let majority of Muslims ignorant with regard to their rights and responsibilities under Islamic laws. They should have beenrepparttar 126689 first to raise their voice forcefully against these utter violations of Shariah.

Author belongs to religious family for nomani family and he is getting education from KARACHI UNIVERSITY(KU)


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