Sovereignity
If we say we believe that God is all-powerful and ever-present, how can we also say that there is a power equal to Him, in the Adversary?
So, the next obvious question is "How can a good God allow suffering and evil?"
There are 2 paths in this world which we have complete free will to choose from - the path of Godliness or the path of suffering. If we choose the path of following God, He says "good!". If we choose the other path, the one that leads away from Him, we have passively chosen suffering, and the long and hard way to reach Him.
His aim and goal by placing us in this world of Asiyah (doing) is for us to work towards and gain the tikkun (rectification) of having our soul joined back to His.
How we get there is entirely up to us.
I have to thank Rabbi Bernstein of Blessed Memory for teaching us about inside time & space and outside time & space - otherwise this concept would be too mind-boggling to grasp at all.
May we all of our own free will, choose HaShem
Amen! The adversary is there to provide us with choices ... and it began in the Garden. This too I have l learned from our beloved Rabbi Steven Bernstein. May his memory be for a blessing.
ReplyDeleteAmen indeed. Truly, he lives on in his students!
DeleteThank you Penny. It's something that I have found very liberating to know that HaShem is in complete control.
ReplyDeleteUapa
Indeed Uapa, that is so true. To take it even further, living as the Torah instructs us is the most grace-filled and freedom-filled experience of my life. The Torah is good and true, according to God and Paul (and me and many others) - I don't know how people can say it was nailed to the cross.
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