My spiritual path in simple terms as I'd like to place it in would be a train journey.
I'm not affiliated to any institution in the world but love to blindly follow the Truth that enlightens my path before me. The Truth being the Torah, or the instructions of the Most High given through Moses to Israel at Mount Sinai, which is housed in the Tanakh.
The Hebrew word "Torah" used almost 219 times in the English translation of the Tanakh, when it shows up as the word “Law”, is an erroneous translation from the original language Hebrew. The true meaning of the word is “Instruction”.
So, Torah means instruction.
A quick breakdown of the Tanakh, of which the Torah is a part:
Torah > First 5 Books of Moses
Nevi'im > Prophets
Ketuvim > Writings
The instructions of a loving, heavenly Father to His children Israel. And again, if He has called you to view yourself as Israel, as the lost-seed, you will find yourself leaning in to unravel the truth for yourselves. He is the One who does the choosing, not us.
But as for me, I don't stop for nobody!
Nor do I enter anyone else's train to get them to submit to my thoughts or words.
This post is merely a reaffirmation to myself as I attend my own school of developing thoughts, rooted very firmly in Judaism. All so that I can wisp through my pages to reconnect to my perspective pushing my roots deeper into my belief that I was called to believe in, for an unhindered train ride ahead.
Story - 1. Covid hit the world 2. Got me to stop and consider like Job 3. I studied the Torah and never left my Torah Train
Takeaway -
God allowed Covid like the pit that Joseph fell into before He exalted him to be Viceroy of Egypt. I wouldn't be surprised all the Joseph's in you used the pit in the similar manner to let God exalt you in the appointed time, but with greater understanding. This is one train that heads to the final stop, which is back to the Creator, but with wiser hearts, otherwise we can't stand before the Set-Apart-One, our Mighty Creator HASHEM. The train is always a really fascinating ride of wheels.
"A train is a mysterious metallic object on many wheels."
I'm sure it sparked a thought in you, if not, this will get you thinking. The 1st mystery, how many wheels in a train? Why are there stones strewn perfectly in between the flanks of a track and all around it, probably a bit of vegetation lies here and there too (I doubt it was meant to be that way, but just thought I'd put it in there). I was told when I was younger, that in Mumbai, our coriander stems from the darkest waters in shallowest depths, basically the gutter running parallel to the railway lines, so please watch your greens. Back to the point. This mysterious ride of wheels and a ride of steels teaches me a worldview of miniscule lessons adding up to one big giant train that doesn't let go of its track, no matter what.
The lessons that all my academics failed in timestamping my mind with, I think a breezing-through train did. Mumbai, my childhood training terrain, is known for its trains that connects places so well, that people cut of their thought-bulbs and get on the train. But I was always tempted to pull the emergency chain to stop and consider like God commanded Job in the book of Job. To ascertain the outcome, God took away his entire livelihood, family and all that a man gloats upon, in order to get him stronger in his will when He lovingly guides him back on track, which is the light of the Torah - Law and the Prophets, nothing more, nothing less. My train rides to my degree college situated in the prominent part of town and back involved some deep reflection. I used to prefer solitude as I went out and came in, in this maroon machine - the Mumbai local train. The train station was a 15-minute walk away from my house, which would make my otherwise 26-minute journey for one way, a 50-minute tedious slumbering and evil pursuit.
I needed to route optimize using a scooter to zippy-doodle the same 15-minute redundant walk to the train station and hop off in 26 minutes as it was meant to be. I'd like you to notice, I invested some fuel, but on a fuel-efficient vehicle and got to my destination that'd would be a gateway to my first high-paying job to make all the troublesome fuel cash back, in kind. God places the lighting vision to my eyes to make my steps forward to connect them backwards as every visioning mind would find the merit to envisage a path of least resistance.
This mysterious steel machine, was a fascinating ride when it's empty but a troublesome whale with many Jonah's screaming to run the opposite direction where the traffic's lower. Now taking my train of thought back to the beginning of this essay, what I call the thought junction and start to dispel the mysteries in analogical terms. # Mystery 1
How many wheels in a train?
The answer is relative. The number of wheels in my viewpoint is the daily Manna of understanding you collect to grow the number of wheels in your train. # Mystery 2
Why does coriander grow near the gutters?
Because we encourage its growth.
We all have a gutter somewhere in our minds, that better remained tightly bolted in. Our mind misses the sacredness of the Torah, giving complete access to the ever-present evil inclination inside all of us to spring up some poisoned corianders that will entangle the Track's path (Torah understanding) and bring in rationalized rebellion into our lives. We just rationalize all our evil behavior contrary to the 613 commandments, giving root to some filth-seasoned coriander. Nothing clean can come out of something unclean, pigs can't leave their sty in their mind, even if they are reared in a palace. We must reconsider the coriander thoughts taking root in our minds. Also, why the stones? Envision –
The train being you. The train track being the path God has laid out for you. The stones, therefore, undoubtedly signify the blockages, distractions, counter beliefs and the opposition trying to get a grip of you to slip you up and make your life difficult and stunt your growth.
But you know what?
That's the whole beauty of the Almighty and His unforeseen plan for us. The very purpose of the stones is meant to keep the train on the track. God uses those very notorious stones to keep the train on track and prevent it from slipping up and get off-course. Just as Joseph perfectly penned -
Genesis 50:20 JPS Tanakh 1985
"Besides, although you intended me harm, God intended it for good, so as to bring about the present result—the survival of many people."
So, just like the train, ride away on the path of Torah Truth over any and all hindrances and use them all to better your character and cement your beliefs. Ride over the stones, my friend. Journey forth. A disclaimer.
If an individual strongly believes and bases his crucial life decisions upon the lying words of the serpent, his belief is null and void.
# Mystery 3
What's the train in the whole picturesque frame? The train is our mortal body, our fleshly behavior which needs to be brought in complete submission to the Torah, which is the track. Once I'm on the track, the power of One is unleashed, One God and definitive Oneness of mind. Undoubtedly, on this journey, I saw how many will arise to oppose my beliefs (Remember, the example of the stones mentioned above) but the Most High will make everything to work in His favor, although it may not appear so in the short run.
# Mystery 4
What are the stations on this ride? The stations are all the Sabbath days of rest we must observe as per Leviticus 23.
I realized a very ironic idea while thinking about this topic, that "Fast Trains Think Slow" but they seem to be going really fast to destination - "NOWHERE".
The Creator intended for us to take the Sabbath day off in the book of Genesis in the account of creation, to know our mortal fragility and exuberate gratitude and kindness this day. The tireless continuity of existence clouds our judgment, though we're trying to be super-focused and productive. This paradox of a rest day as intended by the Master setting the rules was for our own benefit so that we harvest the maximum out of the remaining 6 days of the week. I would liken this to the staring contest you must have part taken in, where in 2 people keep their eyes wide open, and stare into each other's eyes, getting the other one to flinch before him. Living without the Sabbath day of rest which is observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening only, would leave you drained out of your mind, because in God's code of creation, we were to be resting on that specific slot.
When we obey, we truly worship, when we're lawless, we're only wiring ourselves out.
Be kind to yourself my beloved reader, and let God restore your might for the coming week. Seize all days of the week working hard, but cease for one day forsaking all. For your own good and His glory, stop your train properly adjacent to every station, Friday evening to Saturday evening, the Sabbath day of our Master as He commanded in His Word. Genesis 1.5 JPS Tanakh 1985 "God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day." As per God's time, He set the universe in motion where the starting time frame of a day was evening to morning, unlike how we are used to calculating, wherein a day starts in the morning. The system of calculating days, weeks, months and years that we universally follow today is based upon the solar year sighting as per the Gregorian calendar. Every world civilization had its own way of setting times and seasons, and most of the ancient world always used the moon (lunar cycle) to set their calendar. If you're someone who likes to research, you should read up about why we follow what we follow in terms of setting time and celebrating our birthdays.
Exodus 20: 8-11 JPS Tanakh 1985
"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of HASHEM your God: you shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements. For in six days HASHEM made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; therefore HASHEM blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."
Moving on, # Mystery 5
What's the emergency chain? In rural parts of India, people tend to be so lawless that they pull the chain upon mere excitement seeing their village at a distance.
But I think that deserves a rebuke because it's mocking the rest of us patiently waiting to get to the station, to then take a cab ride or in rare cases like mine a scooter ride back home. Chain-pulling in real terms would not at all be advisable especially in a city like Mumbai as it is a very severely punishable offence and you'll be sorry you did it.
But I encourage you to pull your Torah train's chain 7 times a year as per Leviticus 23 as they're the appointed times of The God of Israel, The Creator of all flesh. You need to blow off some steam from your engine, rest your train in the car shed, to get back on track, never compromising the progress already made.
A bunch of pitstops before the last stop.
From the days of old, all mighty kings chose a few appointed times a year to come out and embrace the people of their kingdom.
The Hebrew word for Appointed Times in the Torah is the word - Moadim.
It's appointed because it's a day or days set for that very particular day or days.
For instance, if you have a job interview on 25th June, 2023 at 10.00am, you have to show up on 25th June, 2023 at 10.00am.
You'd be disqualified if you show up any time after that or before since the time is set as per the one in authority.
Similarly, the Creator, who is in-charge of every man, has His own set-apart appointed times.
We are obliged to observe the days he set in their original times and honor Him with our actions of obedience and submission. He's the One in supreme control, whom we can't see, but if we have the sense and capability to obey the instructions of our earthly bosses and masters, I don't think we have an excuse. A dramatic pause always helps to recalibrate the best of us who are deceived to be on the best path that appears quite meritorious at times, but it's always a good thing to keep second guessing our ways, if we truly are on track. Similarly, our Creator through Moses has laid down a charter, where the world isn't going to make it obvious for you to follow in on the appointed times of our King. But you need to be vigilant and pull the chain, from Passover to the Feast of Tabernacles. My beloved reader who's inclined to ponder and praise, Remember the interconnectedness of the Tanakh and don't be derailed, the Creator shall meet you right where you're struggling, provided you seek Him wholeheartedly.
Thank our God for all the mighty things He's done for us in times past, in all our personal Exodus’ out of any kind of bondage or of constriction, as we popularly know to be the Egypt's of our lives. So remember Pull the Chain, and time it in accordance with Leviticus 23. # Mystery 6 Why must we not worship the train? Because He said so. Anyone other than the Creator Most High, who is Echad (One).
Exodus 20: 2-6 JPS Tanakh 1985 "I HASHEM am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me. You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I HASHEM your God am an impassioned God, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject Me, but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments."
LOVE HIM = KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
Simple.
# Mystery 7
What are the headlights? They are your beaming and ever-growing spectacle of understanding between your frontlets - Frontlet definition? a decorative band, ribbon, or the like, worn across the forehead: The princess wore a richly bejeweled frontlet. Adorn yourself in like manner with the instruction from the Torah, and live your life relinquishing all chaos, fear, lies, and disorder. The book of Psalms is one of my favorite books in the Tanakh. I was thinking to myself out of curiosity: Which is the longest Psalm? The answer is Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is a great specimen of our forefather King David's and his train-ride with the Master. The headlights to his train are quite clearly described in the verse 105:
Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light for my path.
Finally, what's the final station? After a tireless long stride, from a fast train to pushing yourself like a mere cart on the tracks, your fatigued heart shows you the whole point of all the stations and chains that were pulled, you constantly question the mysterious final stop. The answer: If all ends well, and we stay on our track with ultimate certainty not straying away to the right or to the left, we will join in the banquet of our King, the Creator of all Creation. Just as a junction is the connecting point and the source of many routes. Our Creator has scattered all the children of Israel into different parts of the world. We are the lost seed, who have distanced ourselves from straying away to the worldly and fleshly ways of life contrary to His Commandments. But nevertheless, if we get back on the right train and right track, He'll most certainly bring back help us in our resurgence by placing us supernaturally on the very track that leads us back home to Him.
Ezekial 36:24-28 JPS Tanakh 1985
"I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your fetishes.
And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh; and I will put My spirit into you. Thus I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully to observe My rules. Then you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people and I will be your God."
He will gather His scattered seed to Mount Zion where we will all join the King of Glory, Hashem Our God.
Joel 2:12-13 JPS Tanakh 1985
“Yet even now”—says HASHEM — “Turn back to Me with all your hearts, And with fasting, weeping, and lamenting.” Rend your hearts Rather than your garments, And turn back to HASHEM your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in kindness, And renouncing punishment. Parting statement.
Hope you enjoyed my train ride.
This is my own perception of the Hebrew Scriptures; it may differ from your perception, and I have penned these words strictly for myself and my family.
We have built our beliefs out of reading the Tanakh first-hand for ourselves, and by undertaking deep research online to specific words and topics in Hebrew.
All Peace. Good luck, constructing your Torah-based mental illustration of a train ride, to keep you from derailing, because there is no other truth.
And from time to time, don’t forget to pull the chain!
Your wordy friends, A & J
