Bahir 33-34

What happens to your thoughts once they are envisioned and then you meditate on these visions? What is your relationship then to these thoughts. How are you connected to these thoughts in the moments that follow their coming forth? In this next verse another teaching follows an admonition to look deeper.

'33. They said to him: It is written (Lamentations 2:1), "He threw the beauty of Israel from heaven to earth." From here we see that it fell. He replied: If you have read, you did not review, and if you reviewed, you did not go over it a third time. What does it resemble? A king had a beautiful crown on his head and a beautiful cloak on his shoulders. When he heard evil tidings, he cast the crown from his head and the cloak from his shoulders.'

Here is the JPS version of Lamentations 2:1, 'How hath the Lord covered with a cloud the daughter of Zion in His anger! He hath cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and hath not remembered His footstool in the day of His anger. ' Consider now the thing itself and how much you want that very thing be it health wealth or wisdom. The anger that arises is not only a distraction but it is the cause of all blockages that intervene between you and your experience of the thing itself. The beautiful crown and beautiful cloak are the visions you have so wonderfully brought into being. What is Israel? This next part is perhaps the most important piece in this understanding. What is your reality and what do you accept as true in your world? How can you then change your mind to accept the things you would like to see in your world? This is known as the focus of the almighty upon the acceptance of the truth about who you are. This almighty is the length and breadth of the will you are uisng to maintain and grow your focus. It is both intimate and selective. It brings to you that which you embody as yourself. This is in essence the meaning of Israel. It is the transformation of the self by the infinite through our connection both above and below to our highest aspirations. This is how we live and move and have our being. It is the consciousness that what we think is ours to embody. This can be no disconnect here. It is in the natural order of things. Relate to that which you have been thinking of in the highest of all possible attitudes,the attitude approaching reverence. You are given these visions by connection and it is through connection too that you experience these ideas taking place as experiences in your life. Do not deny yourself the good that you are making by identifying with it. In the above verse our King has a choice to make. Either he is a victim to the passing events and reacts by tossing away his treasures, or he is active in his events and makeshis life the way he needs it to be and uses his treasures for increasing both his good and the good of those around him. Our King has to take responsibility for his actions and thoughts just as we all do. In Lamentations 1:3 'Judah is gone into exile because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest; all her pursuers overtook her within the straits.' Without the savior which is our ability to change our mind Israel in this passage is subject to the karma of her actions. In Lamentations chapter 3 near the end the author remembers the one but does this in a backwards way not knowing how to keep the faith and high watch which would have taken Israel back into their promised land. The secrets are not mentioned here as they appear elsewhere. We however carry the secret of eternal life within our hearts and mind each day. When we arise we can remember to affirm this eternal life and know that this life is ours to embody and to enjoy our good through.

Let's continue the thought of finding our good in the next verse 34.

'34. They asked him: Why is the letter Cheth open? And why is its vowel point a small Patach? He said: Because all directions (Ruach-ot) are closed, except for the North, which is opened for good and for evil. They said: How can you say that it is for good? It is not written (Ezekiel 1:4), "And behold, a stormy wind coming from the north, a great cloud and burning fire." Fire is nothing other than fierce anger, as it is written (Leviticus 10:2), "And fire went out from before God, and it consumed them and killed them." He said: There is no difficulty. One case is speaking of when Israel does the will of God, while the other is speaking of when they do not do His will. When Israel does not do His will, then the fire comes close [to destroy and punish]. But when they do God's will, then the Attribute of Mercy encompasses and surrounds it, as it is written (Micah 7:18) , "He lifts up sin and passes over rebellion."

'When Israel does the will of God,' more aptly put we shall say when we act in the will of God. We act in the will of God when we take our highest thoughts and meditate upon them. We take our thoughts of life and life and accomplishment see them through. The will of Good can only be good. Their discussion of evil becomes a side trip which the students are concerned with but the master pushes aside to find the good in this verse. We must do what is right in terms of our following our highest thoughts. This means to listen to our heart and to really focus on what we want. No other may make these decisions for you. If you think about the things you've have problems with it is because you weren't listening to what was right, exactly right for you. When you act in your own behalf because of your firm conviction that this feels right to you in terms of seeing your good, you will always find harmony in your life.