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"Listen my child to the
instruction of your father There are two general ways through which the lessons of life are learned. We learn things academically through books and school and we learn things intuitively, through our experiences in life. One way of learning teaches us about the world surrounding us on the outside; the other way of learning teaches us about what is going on inside us, our feelings and our true thoughts. We human beings learn in both these ways. Both methods teach us about very different realities. We need to learn in both ways in order to fully acquire what we need to know to live full and healthy lives. Metaphorically speaking these two ways of receiving knowledge are to us as the father and mother of the human mind/soul. As our physical moms and dads are responsible for our physical birth, so the two modes of human learning are the proverbial parents of our minds. Instruction (musar) and guidance (torah) are not the same thing. Instruction comes from our father and guidance comes from our mother. This is a secret of the inner workings of the mind and the learning of true knowledge. It is also manifest in the relationship that one is supposed to have with one’s physical parents. Instructions teach us how to use a thing. Whenever we buy something new, it usually comes with a set of instructions. We read the instructions to learn about our new item and how best to care for it or operate it. Being that the item is external to us, it is not part of us, we do not have inherent, intuitive knowledge about it; we cannot look within ourselves for the answers of how best to use this new thing. We must learn from an outside source how to properly interact with this new outside thing. This is instruction. Guidance, however, is very different. Anyone can offer advice and almost everyone does. Yet, there is something deep within us that, in essence, feels the difference between the right direction and wrong direction offered us by another. Something inside of us knows how to discern the difference based upon an entirely different criteria that external technical operating instructions. The human heart is never understood by an operator’s manual. We human beings do not come with written instructions for use. These are things we each have to learn by ourselves. When we intuitively heed that which we know within ourselves, this is true guidance. External instruction is the metaphorical father of our minds and guidance is the metaphorical mother. We need to pay attention to both. We need to learn about our outside world and how best to interact with everything in it and we need to pay attention to ourselves, our needs, feelings and intuitions, to best ascertain what is right for us as individuals. There are some external interactions that we should be involved with, and some we should entirely avoid. External instruction can only inform us of some of these, but the full list of what is right and wrong for the individual is etched within the soul. One must learn to know one’s true self, then find, and maintain one’s true place in the world. No external source can reveal this knowledge, for no external source can ever possibly know the reality of one’s inner being. In this world, we are all spiritual children. There is so much for us to learn. Our human mind does have an owner’s manual of sorts, but it is not a book in print. Rather, it is a book etched within our hearts. This book is the Living Torah of HaShem. One who learns the written Word learns instruction. Yet, one must take these Words to heart and feel the very truth within them. This personal embrace and emotional bond with the Written Word is the inner guidance and touch of the Torah of our inner Mother. There is no warmer and more enveloping embrace than that of a mother. Torah is the mother of our souls, when we allow ourselves to fall into Her warm embrace we feel safe, protected, and loved. This is how we receive guidance through the maze of life and instructions about the rules of the game. Therefore, we are advised to listen.
Comments? Questions?
Yeshivat Lev Torah -
Collel Benei N'vi'im |
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