The Method of the Torah
The Torah is a self-developing system granted to humanity through the single, unified system of reality, which is infused with love and bestowal. This divine system offers a structured approach for human beings to transcend their inherently egocentric, self-serving, self-justifying, and exploitative nature — a nature that starkly contrasts with the laws and principles governing reality’s life-creating and life-nurturing processes.
Through the wisdom and guidance of the Torah, we are first invited to recognize our deeply ingrained selfish tendencies. This recognition is essential because it reveals how our egocentric nature is fundamentally opposed to the harmonious and altruistic principles underlying the single, interconnected system of reality. By becoming aware of this disparity, we can begin the transformative journey toward aligning ourselves with the universal laws of love and bestowal.
The Torah provides practical methods for this transformation through various actions and exercises designed to be performed with like-minded, mutually committed individuals. Within such a group, we can practice the singular law that the Torah requires: connecting to one another through absolute and pure love and bestowal. This connection mirrors the behavior of healthy cells in a living organism, which exist solely to ensure the organism’s survival and optimal functioning. Similarly, our collective goal is to sustain and enhance the vitality of the human collective as an integrated whole.
The seemingly physical commandments of the Torah symbolize diverse scenarios and pathways through which we can confront our inherently selfish and hateful tendencies. These commandments are not merely external rituals but represent deep, symbolic instructions for inner work. By engaging with these commandments, we identify and correct our selfish inclinations, gradually developing the capacity to “love others as we instinctively love ourselves.”
It is crucial to delve into the deeper, symbolic meanings of these commandments. They represent practical actions and states of being that we must experience and cultivate through mutual connections. Together, we strive to achieve selfless and unconditional love, consciously aspiring to rise above our egocentric and exploitative nature. This effort is undertaken with the singular intention of recognizing, attaining, and justifying the singular, benevolent, and life-creating force governing reality. By becoming similar to this force, we align ourselves with its qualities of love and bestowal.
The system of the Torah enables us to draw upon and harness unique developmental forces from the all-encompassing and all-powerful structure of reality. These forces empower us to achieve a supernatural state of love and unconditional service — qualities that transcend and counteract our inherent nature. Through the Torah’s guidance, we begin to feel how this divine love neutralizes the instinctive hatred and rejection that separate us. It facilitates and enables connections between individuals, allowing us to exist solely for the sake of one another.
This transformation is sharp and undeniable. It becomes evident that our newfound ability to connect and serve one another does not stem from our inherent nature but from the higher qualities of love and bestowal that we have acquired through the diligent and proper practice of the Torah. These qualities are not innate but are bestowed upon us by the governing system of reality as a result of our conscious efforts and dedication.
Ultimately, through the correct mutual practice of the Torah, we achieve the profound act of covering the inherent “unfounded hatred” within us with the love we have learned and received from the system. By clothing ourselves in the Torah and accepting its perfectly loving and bestowing qualities, we reveal the singular, loving, and governing force of reality that dwells within the Torah itself.
This revelation is not merely a spiritual accomplishment but a practical necessity for human survival. In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, the only viable path forward is to align with the Torah’s method of covering hatred with love. By doing so, we ensure the harmony, sustainability, and flourishing of humanity within the integrated natural system to which we all belong.