Part 2 - Torot
The Lived Religion - Book 2 - Torot
Chapter 1
1 Everything throughout the whole of creation conforms to certain basic Torot, and where there are Torot, there must be a Torah-maker,
2 there is only one set of unchangeable Torot, so there can be only One Torah-maker,
3 were it otherwise, there would have been a clash of torot, with resultant chaos and confusion, instead of order and stability,
4 the Mishpatim of Elohim are established for the benefit of man!
5 were they not set in stability, man would be nothing but the plaything of chance and the victim of chaos,
6 therefore, on the days of feast and fasting, each following in their due season, I will ever remember the obligations due to my Adon!
7 Torot and Mishpatim are essential to the progress and welfare of mankind,
8 when passions are unrestricted, and weaknesses unfenced by moral torot, various forms of vice and perversions become accepted, and sap the stamina of nations,
9 the Torah of Elohim places an obligation upon mankind to improve itself!
10 every man and woman must safeguard their heritage and raise themselves above earthly sordidness,
11 first, gain complete mastery over the body, and control every urge and desire arising from it! but this is the first step only,
12 the way and means of victory over the flesh are contained in the Torot of the Scriptures, study these diligently,
13 but remember that study and understanding without practice and performance is absolutely futile,
14 first, learn to live as you should! and only then seek to advance further,
15 Torot, though stricken on marble and set up on everlasting pillars, are but diversions for the eye and exercise for the tongue, unless graven also on the tablets of your heart, thus, you shall not fall into error,
16 man directs his life by the Torot of Elohim and the torot of men,
17 the torot of men, which are for the good of men, are to be upheld by the Man of Elohim, who shall not live for the next life alone,
18 a man does not obey Torot because they are the torot of the land, but because they accord with his nature and inclinations,
19 the true nature of man stems from the Adon-ly directive within, and is, therefore, above the edicts of kings.
Chapter 2
1 In upholding the Torot and Mitsvahs of Elohim, the chief concern should be a man's good intent: If he intends well and is diligent, he can be forgiven much,
2 but if he intends well and is thoughtless, then he shall not be looked upon so kindly;
3 remember, men do not dispense justice, they can but hope to serve it,
4 Elohim alone knows who is good or wicked within his heart, therefore, He alone can dispense true justice!
5 this is the whole Torah needful for man to direct his life: Know your nature, do your duty, and live in harmony with others; to live in harmony means doing wrong to no man,
6 understanding that to do nothing is sometimes wrong, for men are told not to remain passive before the face of evil!
7 there are punishments prescribed for wrongdoing, and much advice given to prevent it,
8 but punishment is only acknowledgement of failure,
9 wrongdoing arises from failure to deal with weaknesses,
10 failure in upbringing, failure in teaching, failure in establishing rules of conduct,
11 and failure in discipline, whether imposed by self or others;
12 when a man comes before the judges for punishment, they do more than half their duty when they condemn him,
13 they should also enquire within themselves, “Wherein have the people failed with this man? was he guided rightly or wrongly? have we no responsibility towards him?”
14 punishing a wrongdoer without seeking out the cause of his deeds is hypocritical justice!
15 if a man who walks in the darkness stumbles into a pit, is he to blame? if the light bearers be too feeble to keep men from stumbling, their light is of no value,
16 therefore, if a brother fall into a pit by the wayside, the bearers of light cannot be guiltless;
17 a nation was once made from the blood of kings, and it became great and good; the Torah of Truth was revealed to this nation and it rejoiced in the light,
18 but, in a few generations it accepted the light as being something to which it was entitled by heritage, so the nation became careless in the preservation of the light,
19 the winds of adversity came, and the light was blown out.
Chapter 3
1 As the smell of putrefaction assails the nostrils of men, so does wickedness give forth something which assails those in the other realm, wickedness is therefore an offence against them,
2 if a man threw filth over the wall into your courtyard, would you not consider this an act of hostility?
3 could any among you live in harmony with those who were insensitive to your own sensitivity?
4 the Almighty El neither rewards nor punishes, for He has established the Torah whereby each man decrees his own fate,
5 therefore, give due respect to the Torah of Elohim! walk in His Ways and bow to His Decrees! you are placed on Earth that His Purpose may be fulfilled,
6 therefore fight not against His Will, nor rebel against His Torot, lest you bring about your own destruction!
7 the Almighty El will not destroy the transgressor, for that man will destroy himself!
8 each man ultimately decrees his own fate and receives his reward or punishment, according to the Torah, selah;
9 My Design is unrevealed to the multitude, few are the men who can understand why I planted the road to the Place of Glory with sharp stones of suffering and pain, or why life is a struggle through the thorny forest of adversity,
10 I am the Creator! in Whose Ruach-image and likeness you were fashioned, and My Torot ordained your present estate and circumstances upon Earth,
11 in My sight all men are equal, and I judge them as men and not according to their estate,
12 the rich and the poor, the highborn and the lowly, the wise and the simple all receive a fitting reward according to their labours,
13 from each is expected results according to his abilities, from some much and from others little;
14 know that only that which serves the Purpose of the Great Adonai is accounted worthy by Me,
15 obey My Mitsvahs, take heed of the Mishpatim I have made, for they conform to your needs,
16 all things are bent to the benefit of man,
17 and all that encompasses your life accord with My Direction,
18 that the soul within you may enjoy continued gracious growth from stage to stage of life's unfolding!
19 so that when the cumbersome sheath of mortal flesh is cast off, your soul may receive a just and fitting compensation under My Great Torah, in accordance with its thoughts and deeds on Earth!
20 brothers, now that you are invested with new life, open your eyes! and behold the works of The Supreme Elohim with understanding!
21 always follow the path you have been shown, so that your steps lead you towards perfection,
22 never incline towards degrading thoughts or look into the eyes of lust, for these things have led great men astray and brought down mighty ones,
23 be clean in all ways, be clean within and without, in body, thought, word, and deed,
24 work for the Adonai Most High, and He will work for you, He remembers well the man who labours on His behalf,
25 he who labours to the benefit of others works for the Great Adonai, he who improves Earth, works for Him!
26 the true temples of the Great Adonai are not structures of stone and brick, they are places of quietude in your heart and home where you listen to the awakening of your soul, as it responds to conscious contact with Him,
27 His worship is your labour among the people,
28 His praise is the song in your heart,
29 His adoration is your joy of living!
Chapter 4
1 Keep the shalom of Adonai and maintain the order of His Torah among men and women, for they are His flocks and herds, and He calls forth shepherds from among them,
2 He made Earth a workplace for man and not a pleasure garden, therefore, be you a songleader at the task,
3 He is the Mighty El! The Nameless One Whom your fathers held in awe!
4 He it was Who dissipated the darkness over the waters, Who separated the chaos, Who lifted the cloud, Who made the breezes of life to fill the nostrils of men!
5 the ways of a man are always right in his own eyes, but they deceive him, and unless he has guidance of the Torah, he is led astray,
6 but where is the Torah today? is it where it should be, inscribed on the living hearts of the people? or is it a thing written on dead scrolls? rolled up and discarded?
7 we make of our lives what we will,
8 destiny supplies us with the yarn which we weave into a pattern of beauty and utility, or tangle up into a hopeless wasteful confusion, where are the craftsman spinners today?
9 if you are ignorant of the Torah, complain not of that about which you have no knowledge, seek rather to understand its nature, and thus know the meaning of life!
10 he who understands the Torah knows why the pattern of life is as it is, why it is a design of light and shade,
11 the Torah is unchangeable and unchallengeable, and none but a fool rants against that which cannot be altered,
12 man will never find contentment until he learns to accept the Torah as it has been established, it governs the whole Earth and his life, to live in harmony with it is to live in shalom!
13 if, in your weakness and waywardness, you find the burden of the Torah intolerable, all your lamentations and wailing will not ease the load, it will do nothing but add to your distress,
14 the Torah concedes nothing to the weaknesses of men!
15 riches cannot buy life, nor can gold purchase back wasted hours, therefore, employ the future that you have left to your greatest benefit,
16 lament not that you were born or desire that life should depart, life has a purpose and meaning, even for one as miserable as you, and your obligations may not be set aside;
17 men will argue about the distinctions of words, but they would be better engaged in studying the Torah in its entirety,
18 it is immutable, it decrees the circumstances which surround your sojourn on Earth,
19 yet, it has established that by the nature of things, for all reasonable desires, all honest endeavours, and for all normal requirements, there is attainment and success!
20 the present alone is yours, and future fortunes will be dispensed by the Will of the Great Adonai in accordance with His Design,
21 therefore, you cannot know what the unborn days will bring forth,
22 as to your own soul and your future state, subject to the Torah, it is being conceived in your present thoughts and deeds.