Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:
Psalms 86: 1: “Bow down thine ear O Lord hear me; For I am poor and needy. Do preserve my soul, for I am holy; O thou my God save thy servant who trusts in Thee.”
Do you ever feel like your soul is under attack. Like Shakespeare said: “When sorrows come they come not single spies but in battalions.” Hamlet, Act IV Scene V. I mean like old Job, one messenger after another comes with bad news and your soul is so troubled you cry our like David: “O Lord preserve my soul.” David, however, adds one other thing: “For I am holy.” The word for “holy” is “chasad” which means righteous. Hey, I’m righteous, I am saved, born again, washed in the blood, bless be the ties that bind and all that. So why does my soul not feel preserved?
I look outside and groan, it is not raining, I guess I need to mow the lawn. Another bother. I can’t figure it, if God created grass to grown, why not let it grown. Seems to me this grass cutting stuff is just to keep the lawn mower manufacturers and landscapers in business. But when you can’t afford to pay someone to mow your lawn, another bother.
So I am mowing the lawn, feeling pretty sorry for myself when standing in the middle of my lawn is Resh. “Go on,” I shout, “Get out of here, I don’t need you around right now.” Resh just stood his ground grinning at me. “Look,” I continue, “You and your friends make me out to be just as loony as that guy who predicted the rapture last Saturday, and where were you, I could have used a good rapture, but here I am mowing the lawn when I could be feasting at that marriage supper of the….” “I have something I want to show you.” said Resh calmly. “Oh, you do, do you? Well if you don’t move you will end up in my clipping bag just a bunch of shinning little glowing slivers.” I start to chase Resh across the lawn and notice my neighbor staring at me. Well, let him stare, he probably has me pegged as one of those wacky people who expected the world to end last… Oh my gosh where did my looking glass come from, wait, hold it….”
Before I could stop I and my lawn mower went right through it. My lawn mower became buried in a foot of snow and I in just my T-shirt am freezing. I struggle over to a pole sticking out of the ground, it has a sign on it. “North Pole.” Great, I’m in the North Pole of Esoteric Land freezing. I notice Resh sitting on top of the pole. Well, that’s makes sense, Resh does represent the top of something.
“Hey Resh, what gives, I’m freezing.” Resh pointed off in the distance and there I saw the sun. It look so warm and comfortable. I started off toward the sun. Resh, called out: “Wait a minute, you can’t…” but I was on my way. As I approached the sun I noticed it kept getting dimmer and I was not getting warmer. I turn around and there is Resh standing there shaking his head. “You are like all the other scholars who believe Shin is a descendant from the ancient hieroglyphics which used the sun as one of it’s pictures. Although there may be some basis to it, actually the shin with it’s three points is a picture of the glory of God. It’s three points are like a sparkler which is what the light on the face of Moses was like and the light that Paul saw on the road to Damascus and the light that some see on the face of the righteous or the pure in heart.” “Oh, you mean like a halo,” I suggest. “Yes,” said Resh only it is not a little circle over one’s head, it is a sparkling, flashing light and that is what the Shin represents.” “Ok, then why don’t I see it on you?” I question. “Because,” answered Resh patiently, “You are not pure in heart.”
“Don’t tell me I’m not pure in heart.” I shout back. “I’m saved, born again, washed in the blood, bless be the tie that binds and all that.:” “Well” answered Resh, “You can be saved, born again, washed in the blood, bless be the ties that bind and all that, but that doesn’t make you pure in heart. You see that is why the Shin is fading as you approach, you are not pure in heart.” “Well, what am I missing” I demand.
“You’re missing me!” I turn and there is Teth smiling at me. Teth goes on to explain: “I represent goodness or harmony with God. You are not in harmony with God right now. You feel abandoned, useless, not accomplishing anything. You are not getting the recognition you feel you deserve, you are getting older and dreams are fading. These feelings are not in harmony with God. Yet, you call out to Him to preserve your soul, but you fail to say like David: ‘I am holy’ or righteous or totally in harmony with God. Only when you are in harmony with Him will Shin take it’s rightful place with us.”
I suddenly found myself back mowing the lawn. I stop and think: “What did Teth mean about Shin taking his rightful place. Then I remembered. The Hebrew word for “preserve”, or “guard and protect” is Shin, Teth, Resh (shatar). The protection of the glory of God (Shin) will come only from those who are in harmony (Teth) with God and that only comes from – I get it. It comes from the Resh who represents repentance. If I repent of my self centered, selfish, poor me motives, I can then be in harmony with God who will ShaTaR or preserve my soul.
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