[Jewish] [Mindful Torah] Bereshit: The Creation of Truth

[Rabbi Steven Nathan]

This week we begin again the annual Torah reading cycle with Parshat
Beresheet (Genesis/Beresheet 1:1-). In the parashah we read the
creation story, within which God says “Let us make adam/human in our
image…” For centuries the plural nature of this verse has been
explored. In a midrash/rabbinic legend, the rabbis imagined a
conversation between God and the angels. The angels of love, truth,
justice and peace argue about whether or not the human should be
created. Truth claims that the human should not be created because he
will lie. Peace proclaims the human should not be created because she
will make war. How does God react? God throws the angel of Truth to the
ground and in that moment when the angels are caught unawares God
created the human.

Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev questioned why God left Peace alone,
since the angel had also argued against human’s creation. His answer is
that it is each human being’s search for and r of his/her individual
truth as THE Truth that brings about war and strife. Only with Truth
cast to the ground can peace be allowed to flourish and grow.

Given the current state of our world, where so many claime that their
truth is THE truth, thereby bringing about strife, war and bloodshed, I
find this teaching to be quite poignant. I would like to share at this
time my own thoughts on this, in poetic form.

Shabbat Shalom.


The Creation of Truth … The Truth of Creation

Angels struggling
With for against
God
To create
Us
Humans
Beings
Filled with
Love
Truth
Justice
Peace
Hatred
Lies
Prejudice
War

Angels striving
One with the other
One with God
God striving
To create
Imperfect perfection
Human Being

Chaos
Turmoil
Truth
Cast down
Banished from
The heavenly garden
In that moment
God creates
Me
You
Humanity
All
At once
At one
With God

Truth and Peace
Holy coalition
Were right
We should not
Have been
Created
For we
Create
Lies
Masquerading as truth
Create
War
Masquerading as peace-seeking

God knew
How could
God not
The human
Would beget
Words
Begetting
Truths
Begetting
Lies
Begetting
Strife
Begetting
Peace
Such is the
Geneology
Of our creation

Yet
We evolve
To discover
My truth
Is not
Your truth
Is not
Their truth
Is not
The truth

Such a thing
Does not exist

Yes
The truth
Exists
It is
The one
The all
Within
The many
Creating
Each moment
Dichotomies
Like twins
Struggling
Within the womb
To become
Unified
United
One

Adonai Ehad
God is One
All is One
We are One
In Truth

That is
The essence
Of creation
Of truth
Of existence
Now
Let the angels
The humans
The divine
Understand
And create
The reality
From
The
Eternal
Dream

--
Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah at 10/15/2009 05:21:00 PM
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