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[_Quasimodo]

"The Prophet"
Chapter Fifteen, Reason And Passion:

And the priestess spoke again and said: "Speak to us of Reason and Passion."

And he answered saying:

Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against passion and your appetite.

Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul, that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.

But how shall I, unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers of all your elements?

Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul.

If either your sails or our rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas.

For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.

Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion; that it may sing;

And let it direct your passion with reason, that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes.

I would have you consider your judgment and your appetite even as you would two loved guests in your house.

Surely you would not honour one guest above the other; for he who is more mindful of one loses the love and the faith of both.

Among the hills, when you sit in the cool shade of the white poplars, sharing the peace and serenity of distant fields and meadows - then let your heart say in silence, "God rests in reason."

And when the storm comes, and the mighty wind shakes the forest, and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky, - then let your heart say in awe, "God moves in passion."

And since you are a breath In God's sphere, and a leaf in God's forest, you too should rest in reason and move in passion.

"The Prophet"
Chapter Sixteen, Pain:

And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain."

And he said:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;

And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.

And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.

Much of your pain is self-chosen.

It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.

Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity:

For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,

And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.

[Guest]

Meaning of Leviticus Chapter 25 וַיִּקְרָא
א וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, בְּהַר סִינַי לֵאמֹר. 1 And the LORD talks to Moses in mount Sinai
ב דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם, כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם--וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ, שַׁבָּת לַיהוָה. 2 Tell the Israelites when they go into the promised land to keep the sabbath.
ג שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ, וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמֹר כַּרְמֶךָ; וְאָסַפְתָּ, אֶת-תְּבוּאָתָהּ. 3 Six years sow the fields, and six years prune the vineyards, and gather in the produce.
ד וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת, שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ--שַׁבָּת, לַיהוָה: שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע, וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תִזְמֹר. 4 The seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest for the land, neither sow or prune.
ה אֵת סְפִיחַ קְצִירְךָ לֹא תִקְצוֹר, וְאֶת-עִנְּבֵי נְזִירֶךָ לֹא תִבְצֹר: שְׁנַת שַׁבָּתוֹן, יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ. 5 That which grows itself do not reap or gather -- allow the rest land to rest.
ו וְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם, לְאָכְלָה--לְךָ, וּלְעַבְדְּךָ וְלַאֲמָתֶךָ; וְלִשְׂכִירְךָ, וּלְתוֹשָׁבְךָ, הַגָּרִים, עִמָּךְ. 6But the sabbath-produce of the land shall be for food for everyone.
ז וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ--וְלַחַיָּה, אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצֶךָ: תִּהְיֶה כָל-תְּבוּאָתָהּ, לֶאֱכֹל. {ס} 7 and for cattle, and for wild animals that are in the land, shall it be food.
ח וְסָפַרְתָּ לְךָ, שֶׁבַע שַׁבְּתֹת שָׁנִים--שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים; וְהָיוּ לְךָ, יְמֵי שֶׁבַע שַׁבְּתֹת הַשָּׁנִים, תֵּשַׁע וְאַרְבָּעִים, שָׁנָה. 8 Number seven sabbaths of years -- seven times seven years; and there will be fortynine years.
ט וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ שׁוֹפַר תְּרוּעָה, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִי, בֶּעָשׂוֹר, לַחֹדֶשׁ; בְּיוֹם, הַכִּפֻּרִים, תַּעֲבִירוּ שׁוֹפָר, בְּכָל-אַרְצְכֶם. 9 Proclamation with the blast of the horn on the tenth day of the seventh month; in the day of atonement.
י וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם, אֵת שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה, וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ, לְכָל-יֹשְׁבֶיהָ; יוֹבֵל הִוא, תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם, וְשַׁבְתֶּם אִישׁ אֶל-אֲחֻזָּתוֹ, וְאִישׁ אֶל-מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ תָּשֻׁבוּ. 10 And make sacred the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof; it shall be a jubilee. Return to every man his land, and every man to his family.
יא יוֹבֵל הִוא, שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה--תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם; לֹא תִזְרָעוּ--וְלֹא תִקְצְרוּ אֶת-סְפִיחֶיהָ, וְלֹא תִבְצְרוּ אֶת-נְזִרֶיהָ. 11 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be, do not sow or gather that which grows of itself on the land.
יב כִּי יוֹבֵל הִוא, קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם; מִן-הַשָּׂדֶה--תֹּאכְלוּ, אֶת-תְּבוּאָתָהּ. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy, ye shall eat the increase of the field.
יג בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל, הַזֹּאת, תָּשֻׁבוּ, אִישׁ אֶל-אֲחֻזָּתוֹ. 13 In this year of jubilee shall be returned to every man his land.
יד וְכִי-תִמְכְּרוּ מִמְכָּר לַעֲמִיתֶךָ, אוֹ קָנֹה מִיַּד עֲמִיתֶךָ--אַל-תּוֹנוּ, אִישׁ אֶת-אָחִיו. 14 And if bought from a neighbour, or sold to neighbour, treat each other honestly.
טו בְּמִסְפַּר שָׁנִים אַחַר הַיּוֹבֵל, תִּקְנֶה מֵאֵת עֲמִיתֶךָ; בְּמִסְפַּר שְׁנֵי-תְבוּאֹת, יִמְכָּר-לָךְ. 15 According to the number of years after the jubilee buy of neighbour, according to the number of years of the crops he shall sell.
טז לְפִי רֹב הַשָּׁנִים, תַּרְבֶּה מִקְנָתוֹ, וּלְפִי מְעֹט הַשָּׁנִים, תַּמְעִיט מִקְנָתוֹ: כִּי מִסְפַּר תְּבוּאֹת, הוּא מֹכֵר לָךְ. 16 According to the number of the years shall the price increase, and according to the fewness of the years shall the price of sale be lower.
יז וְלֹא תוֹנוּ אִישׁ אֶת-עֲמִיתוֹ, וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹהֶיךָ: כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. 17 Do not wrong one another; fear God; for He is Lord.
יח וַעֲשִׂיתֶם, אֶת-חֻקֹּתַי, וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם--וִישַׁבְתֶּם עַל-הָאָרֶץ, לָבֶטַח. 18 If God's statutes, and ordinances are followed; the dwelling in the land will be safe.
יט וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ פִּרְיָהּ, וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לָשֹׂבַע; וִישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח, עָלֶיהָ. 19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and there shall be enough to eat, and dwell safely.
כ וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ, מַה-נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת: הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע, וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף אֶת-תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ. 20 And if it is asked: 'What shall be eaten the seventh year, as the Israelites may not sow, nor gather in any increase?
כא וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת-בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם, בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית; וְעָשָׂת, אֶת-הַתְּבוּאָה, לִשְׁלֹשׁ, הַשָּׁנִים. 21 God will command His blessing upon them in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth produce for the three years.
כב וּזְרַעְתֶּם, אֵת הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמִינִת, וַאֲכַלְתֶּם, מִן-הַתְּבוּאָה יָשָׁן; עַד הַשָּׁנָה הַתְּשִׁיעִת, עַד-בּוֹא תְּבוּאָתָהּ--תֹּאכְלוּ, יָשָׁן. 22 And they shall again sow the eighth year, and eat of the produce, the old store; until the ninth year, until her produce come in, ye shall eat the old store.
כג וְהָאָרֶץ, לֹא תִמָּכֵר לִצְמִתֻת--כִּי-לִי, הָאָרֶץ: כִּי-גֵרִים וְתוֹשָׁבִים אַתֶּם, עִמָּדִי. 23 And the land shall not be permanently sold; for the land is God's; the Israelites are strangers and settlers with God .
כד וּבְכֹל, אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם, גְּאֻלָּה, תִּתְּנוּ לָאָרֶץ. {ס} 24 And in all the land owned shall grant a redemption for the land be given.
כה כִּי-יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ, וּמָכַר מֵאֲחֻזָּתוֹ--וּבָא גֹאֲלוֹ, הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו, וְגָאַל, אֵת מִמְכַּר אָחִיו. 25 If a brother be poor, and sell some of his land, then shall a relative that is next in line to him come, and shall buy back that which his brother hath sold.
כו וְאִישׁ, כִּי לֹא יִהְיֶה-לּוֹ גֹּאֵל, וְהִשִּׂיגָה יָדוֹ, וּמָצָא כְּדֵי גְאֻלָּתוֹ. 26 And if a man has no one to redeem it, and he becomes rich and finds sufficient means to redeem it;
כז וְחִשַּׁב, אֶת-שְׁנֵי מִמְכָּרוֹ, וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת-הָעֹדֵף, לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר מָכַר-לוֹ; וְשָׁב, לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ. 27 then let him count the years of the sale and restore the surplus to the man to whom he sold it; and he shall be returned his land.
כח וְאִם לֹא-מָצְאָה יָדוֹ, דֵּי הָשִׁיב לוֹ--וְהָיָה מִמְכָּרוֹ בְּיַד הַקֹּנֶה אֹתוֹ, עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל; וְיָצָא, בַּיֹּבֵל, וְשָׁב, לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ. {ס} 28 But if he has not sufficient means to buy it back himself, then that which he sold shall remain in the hand of him that bought it until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee ithe land shall be returned to his possession.
כט וְאִישׁ, כִּי-יִמְכֹּר בֵּית-מוֹשַׁב עִיר חוֹמָה--וְהָיְתָה גְּאֻלָּתוֹ, עַד-תֹּם שְׁנַת מִמְכָּרוֹ: יָמִים, תִּהְיֶה גְאֻלָּתוֹ. 29 And if a man sell a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within one year after it is sold.
ל וְאִם לֹא-יִגָּאֵל, עַד-מְלֹאת לוֹ שָׁנָה תְמִימָה--וְקָם הַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר-בָּעִיר אֲשֶׁר-לא (לוֹ) חֹמָה לַצְּמִיתֻת לַקֹּנֶה אֹתוֹ, לְדֹרֹתָיו: לֹא יֵצֵא, בַּיֹּבֵל. 30 And if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be permanently his that bought it, throughout his generations; it shall not be returned n the jubilee.
לא וּבָתֵּי הַחֲצֵרִים, אֲשֶׁר אֵין-לָהֶם חֹמָה סָבִיב--עַל-שְׂדֵה הָאָרֶץ, יֵחָשֵׁב: גְּאֻלָּה, תִּהְיֶה-לּוֹ, וּבַיֹּבֵל, יֵצֵא. 31 But the houses in villages which have no walls around them shall be counted with the fields of the country; they may be redeemed, and they shall be returned in the jubilee.
לב וְעָרֵי, הַלְוִיִּם--בָּתֵּי, עָרֵי אֲחֻזָּתָם: גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָם, תִּהְיֶה לַלְוִיִּם. 32 However, the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their possession, the Levites shall have a permanent right of redemption.
לג וַאֲשֶׁר יִגְאַל מִן-הַלְוִיִּם, וְיָצָא מִמְכַּר-בַּיִת וְעִיר אֲחֻזָּתוֹ בַּיֹּבֵל: כִּי בָתֵּי עָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם, הִוא אֲחֻזָּתָם, בְּתוֹךְ, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. 33 And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold in the city of his possession, shall be returned in the jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.
לד וּשְׂדֵה מִגְרַשׁ עָרֵיהֶם, לֹא יִמָּכֵר: כִּי-אֲחֻזַּת עוֹלָם הוּא, לָהֶם. {ס} 34 But the fields of the open land surrounding their cities may not be sold; for that is their perpetual possession.
לה וְכִי-יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ, וּמָטָה יָדוֹ עִמָּךְ--וְהֶחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ, גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב וָחַי עִמָּךְ. 35 And if a brother becomes poor, and his means fail; then he shall be upheld: as a stranger and a settler shall he live with his brother.
לו אַל-תִּקַּח מֵאִתּוֹ נֶשֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּית, וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹהֶיךָ; וְחֵי אָחִיךָ, עִמָּךְ. 36 Accept no interest from him or increase; but fear God; that the brother may live with his kin.
לז אֶת-כַּסְפְּךָ--לֹא-תִתֵּן לוֹ, בְּנֶשֶׁךְ; וּבְמַרְבִּית, לֹא-תִתֵּן אָכְלֶךָ. 37 Do not charge interest, nor give him food for increase.
לח אֲנִי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר-הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם, מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם--לָתֵת לָכֶם אֶת-אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים. {ס} 38 The LORD God, brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, to give them the land of Canaan, and be their God.
לט וְכִי-יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ, וְנִמְכַּר-לָךְ--לֹא-תַעֲבֹד בּוֹ, עֲבֹדַת עָבֶד. 39 And if a brother be brcomes poor, and sells himself to his relative, he shalt not make him to serve as a slave.
מ כְּשָׂכִיר כְּתוֹשָׁב, יִהְיֶה עִמָּךְ; עַד-שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל, יַעֲבֹד עִמָּךְ. 40 As a hired hand, and as a settler, he shall be; he shall serve unto the year of jubilee.
מא וְיָצָא, מֵעִמָּךְ--הוּא, וּבָנָיו עִמּוֹ; וְשָׁב, אֶל-מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, וְאֶל-אֲחֻזַּת אֲבֹתָיו, יָשׁוּב. 41 Then shall he go out, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
מב כִּי-עֲבָדַי הֵם, אֲשֶׁר-הוֹצֵאתִי אֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם; לֹא יִמָּכְרוּ, מִמְכֶּרֶת עָבֶד. 42 For they are My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.
מג לֹא-תִרְדֶּה בוֹ, בְּפָרֶךְ; וְיָרֵאתָ, מֵאֱלֹהֶיךָ. 43 A brother shalt not rule over him harshly; but shall fear God.
מד וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ, אֲשֶׁר יִהְיוּ-לָךְ: מֵאֵת הַגּוֹיִם, אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיכֶם--מֵהֶם תִּקְנוּ, עֶבֶד וְאָמָה. 44 And as for slaves from nations that are around, of them shall slaves be made.
מה וְגַם מִבְּנֵי הַתּוֹשָׁבִים הַגָּרִים עִמָּכֶם, מֵהֶם תִּקְנוּ, וּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם אֲשֶׁר עִמָּכֶם, אֲשֶׁר הוֹלִידוּ בְּאַרְצְכֶם; וְהָיוּ לָכֶם, לַאֲחֻזָּה. 45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them may be bought, and of their families that are with there, may be owned.
מו וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם אֹתָם לִבְנֵיכֶם אַחֲרֵיכֶם, לָרֶשֶׁת אֲחֻזָּה--לְעֹלָם, בָּהֶם תַּעֲבֹדוּ; וּבְאַחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו, לֹא-תִרְדֶּה בוֹ בְּפָרֶךְ. {ס} 46 And may be an inheritance for decendants, to hold for a possession: of them may become bondmen forever; but over brethren among the children of Israel this will not apply.
מז וְכִי תַשִּׂיג, יַד גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ, וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ, עִמּוֹ; וְנִמְכַּר, לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ, אוֹ לְעֵקֶר, מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר. 47 And if a stranger who is a settler becomes wealthy, and a brother becomes poor beside him, and the brother sells himself to the stranger who is a settler,
מח אַחֲרֵי נִמְכַּר, גְּאֻלָּה תִּהְיֶה-לּוֹ: אֶחָד מֵאֶחָיו, יִגְאָלֶנּוּ. 48 after he is sold he may be redeemed; one of his brothers may redeem him;
מט אוֹ-דֹדוֹ אוֹ בֶן-דֹּדוֹ, יִגְאָלֶנּוּ, אוֹ-מִשְּׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֹ מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, יִגְאָלֶנּוּ; אוֹ-הִשִּׂיגָה יָדוֹ, וְנִגְאָל. 49 or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is a relativeto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be waxen rich, he may redeem himself.
נ וְחִשַּׁב, עִם-קֹנֵהוּ, מִשְּׁנַת הִמָּכְרוֹ לוֹ, עַד שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל; וְהָיָה כֶּסֶף מִמְכָּרוֹ, בְּמִסְפַּר שָׁנִים, כִּימֵי שָׂכִיר, יִהְיֶה עִמּוֹ. 50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him unto the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years; according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him.
נא אִם-עוֹד רַבּוֹת, בַּשָּׁנִים--לְפִיהֶן יָשִׁיב גְּאֻלָּתוֹ, מִכֶּסֶף מִקְנָתוֹ. 51 If there be yet many years, according unto them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.
נב וְאִם-מְעַט נִשְׁאַר בַּשָּׁנִים, עַד-שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל--וְחִשַּׁב-לוֹ; כְּפִי שָׁנָיו, יָשִׁיב אֶת-גְּאֻלָּתוֹ. 52 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall consider him; according to his years shall he give back the price of his redemption.
נג כִּשְׂכִיר שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה, יִהְיֶה עִמּוֹ; לֹא-יִרְדֶּנּוּ בְּפֶרֶךְ, לְעֵינֶיךָ. 53 As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him; he shall not rule harshly.
נד וְאִם-לֹא יִגָּאֵל, בְּאֵלֶּה--וְיָצָא בִּשְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל, הוּא וּבָנָיו עִמּוֹ. 54 And if he be not redeemed by any of these means, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, he, and his children with him.
נה כִּי-לִי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, עֲבָדִים--עֲבָדַי הֵם, אֲשֶׁר-הוֹצֵאתִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: אֲנִי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. 55 The children of Israel are God's servants; brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

[_Quasimodo]

Thanks, Ludwigm, for posting "THE TRAGEDY OF MAN". I especially like the Hungarian version (I wish I could read it).

It seems that Nipper has decided to post in Hebrew as well as archaic English. It would be a little confusing since Hebrew reads right to left, but I can't read it either (I wonder if Nipper can?), so I guess it doesn't matter.

[_Quasimodo]

"The Prophet"
Chapter Seventeen, Self-Knowledge:

And a man said, "Speak to us of Self-Knowledge."

And he answered, saying:

Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.

But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge.

You would know in words that which you have always know in thought.

You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.

And it is well you should.

The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;

And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.

But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure;

And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.

For self is a sea boundless and measureless.

Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."

Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."

For the soul walks upon all paths.

The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.

The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

"The Prophet"
Chapter Eighteen, Teaching:

Then said a teacher, "Speak to us of Teaching."

And he said:

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of our knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.

The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm nor the voice that echoes it.

And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither.

For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.

And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.

[_LittleNipper]

Leviticus 26:1-46
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 `Ye do not make to yourselves idols; and graven image or standing image ye do not set up to yourselves; and a stone of imagery ye do not put in your land, to bow yourselves to it; for I [am] Jehovah your God.

2 `My sabbaths ye do keep, and My sanctuary ye do reverence; I [am] Jehovah.

3 `If in My statutes ye walk, and My commands ye keep, and have done them,

4 then I have given your rains in their season, and the land hath given her produce, and the tree of the field doth give its fruit;

5 and reached to you hath the threshing, the gathering, and the gathering doth reach the sowing-[time]; and ye have eaten your bread to satiety, and have dwelt confidently in your land.

6 `And I have given peace in the land, and ye have lain down, and there is none causing trembling; and I have caused evil beasts to cease out of the land, and the sword doth not pass over into your land.

7 `And ye have pursued your enemies, and they have fallen before you by the sword;

8 and five of you have pursued a hundred, and a hundred of you do pursue a myriad; and your enemies have fallen before you by the sword.

9 `And I have turned unto you, and have made you fruitful, and have multiplied you, and have established My covenant with you;

10 and ye have eaten old [store], and the old because of the new ye bring out.

11 `And I have given My tabernacle in your midst, and My soul doth not loathe you;

12 and I have walked habitually in your midst, and have become your God, and ye -- ye are become My people;

13 I [am] Jehovah your God, who have brought you out of the land of the Egyptians, from being their servants; and I break the bars of your yoke, and cause you to go erect.

14 `And if ye do not hearken to Me, and do not all these commands;

15 and if at My statutes ye kick, and if My judgments your soul loathe, so as not to do all My commands -- to your breaking My covenant --

16 I also do this to you, and I have appointed over you trouble, the consumption, and the burning fever, consuming eyes, and causing pain of soul; and your seed in vain ye have sowed, and your enemies have eaten it;

17 and I have set My face against you, and ye have been smitten before your enemies; and those hating you have ruled over you, and ye have fled, and there is none pursuing you.

18 `And if unto these ye hearken not to Me, -- then I have added to chastise you seven times for your sins;

19 and I have broken the pride of your strength, and have made your heavens as iron, and your earth as brass;

20 and consumed hath been your strength in vain, and your land doth not give her produce, and the tree of the land doth not give its fruit.

21 `And if ye walk with Me [in] opposition, and are not willing to hearken to Me, then I have added to you a plague seven times, according to your sins,

22 and sent against you the beast of the field, and it hath bereaved you; and I have cut off your cattle, and have made you few, and your ways have been desolate.

23 `And if by these ye are not instructed by Me, and have walked with Me [in] opposition,

24 then I have walked -- I also -- with you in opposition, and have smitten you, even I, seven times for your sins;

25 and I have brought in on you a sword, executing the vengeance of a covenant; and ye have been gathered unto your cities, and I have sent pestilence into your midst, and ye have been given into the hand of an enemy.

26 `In My breaking to you the staff of bread, then ten women have baked your bread in one oven, and have given back your bread by weight; and ye have eaten, and are not satisfied.

27 `And if for this ye hearken not to Me, and have walked with Me in opposition,

28 then I have walked with you in the fury of opposition, and have chastised you, even I, seven times for your sins.

29 `And ye have eaten the flesh of your sons; even flesh of your daughters ye do eat.

30 And I have destroyed your high places, and cut down your images, and have put your carcases on the carcases of your idols, and My soul hath loathed you;

31 and I have made your cities a waste, and have made desolate your sanctuaries, and I smell not at your sweet fragrances;

32 and I have made desolate the land, and your enemies, who are dwelling in it, have been astonished at it.

33 And you I scatter among nations, and have drawn out after you a sword, and your land hath been a desolation, and your cities are a waste.

34 `Then doth the land enjoy its sabbaths -- all the days of the desolation, and ye in the land of your enemies -- then doth the land rest, and hath enjoyed its sabbaths;

35 all the days of the desolation it resteth that which it hath not rested in your sabbaths in your dwelling on it.

36 `And those who are left of you -- I have also brought a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a leaf driven away hath pursued them, and they have fled -- flight from a sword -- and they have fallen, and there is none pursuing.

37 And they have stumbled one on another, as from the face of a sword, and there is none pursuing, and ye have no standing before your enemies,

38 and ye have perished among the nations, and the land of your enemies hath consumed you.

39 `And those who are left of you -- they consume away in their iniquity, in the lands of your enemies; and also in the iniquities of their fathers, with them they consume away.

40 `And -- they have confessed their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they have trespassed against Me, and also, that they have walked with Me, in opposition,

41 also I walk to them in opposition, and have brought them into the land of their enemies -- or then their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and then they accept the punishment of their iniquity, --

42 then I have remembered My covenant [with] Jacob, and also My covenant [with] Isaac, and also My covenant [with] Abraham I remember, and the land I remember.

43 `And -- the land is left of them, and doth enjoy its sabbaths, in the desolation without them, and they accept the punishment of their iniquity, because, even because, against My judgments they have kicked, and My statutes hath their soul loathed,

44 and also even this, in their being in the land of their enemies, I have not rejected them, nor have I loathed them, to consume them, to break My covenant with them; for I [am] Jehovah their God; --

45 then I have remembered for them the covenant of the ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations to become their God; I [am] Jehovah.'

46 These [are] the statutes, and the judgments, and the laws, which Jehovah hath given between Him and the sons of Israel, in mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses.

[_Quasimodo]

"The Prophet"
Chapter Nineteen, Friendship:

And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."

Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

"The Prophet"
Chapter Twenty, Talking:

And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking."

And he answered, saying:

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.

And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.

For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words many indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone.

The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape.

And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand.

And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words.

In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence.

When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.

Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear;

For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered

When the color is forgotten and the vessel is no more.

[_LittleNipper]

God says not to craft idols or set up engraved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in the land so that they may be worshipped. There is but one God. Keep the Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for God's sanctuary.
If you follow God's decrees and are careful to obey His commands, He will send the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. God promises that such will eat their fill and live securely in the land.
God will give peace in the land, and the inhabitants will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. God will rid the land of wild animals and keep enemies away. In fact, the inhabitants will chase down enemies and slaughter them with weapons. Five will chase a hundred, and a hundred of will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath the weapons of the righteous.
God will look favorably, making the righteous fertile and multiplying such people. God will fulfill the covenant. Such will have a surplus of crops that they will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! God will exist among such righteors, and God will not despise them. God will walk among them. The Lord God, brought Israel out of the land of Egypt so they would no longer be Egyptian slaves. God broke the yoke of slavery.

However, if Israel does not listen to God or obey all the commands, and break God's covenant by rejecting His decrees, treating His regulations like atheists, and refusing to obey God's commands, God will punish. God will bring sudden terrors upon you—wasting diseases, (such as HIV) and burning fevers that will cause the eyes to fail and life to ebb away. Crops will be planted in vain because enemies will eat them. God will turn against such, and they will be defeated by their enemies. Those who hate Israel will rule, and they will run even when no one is chasing them!
If, in spite of all this, Israel still disobeys, God will punish them seven times over for their sins. God will break the proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze. All work will amount to nothing, for the land will yield no crops, and the trees will bear no fruit. If even then Israel remains hostile towards God and refuses to obey, God will inflict disaster on such seven times over for the sins. God will send wild animals that will destroy the children and livestock. The population will dwindle, and the roads will be of no value... God will send armies against such to carry out the curse of the covenant broken. God will send a plague to destroy them in the towns, and enemies will conquer them. God will destroy the food supply, so that ten women will need only one oven to bake bread for their families. They will ration the food by weight, and though ther is food to eat, they will not be satisfied. If in spite of all this such still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward God, then God will fully vent. God will punish them directly seven times over for the sins. They will eat the flesh of their own sons and daughters. God will destroy the pagan shrines and knock down places of worship. God will leave lifeless corpses piled on top of lifeless idols, and will despise them. God will make the cities desolate and destroy places of pagan worship. God will take no pleasure in offerings that would be a pleasing. Yes, God himself will devastate the land, and enemies who come to occupy it will be appalled at what they see. God will scatter the Israelites among the nations and bring out His sword against them. The land will become desolate, and the cities will lie in ruins. hen at last the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years as it lies desolate while they are in exile in the land of enemies. Then the land will finally rest and enjoy the Sabbaths it missed. As long as the land lies in ruins, it will enjoy the rest never allowed it to take every seventh year while living in it.
Those of who survive, God will demoralize in the land of such enemies. They will live in such fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send them fleeing. they will run as though fleeing from a sword, and they will fall even when no one pursues them. Though no one is chasing you, you will stumble over each other as though fleeing from a sword. You will have no power to stand up against your enemies. They will die among the foreign nations...
But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying God and being hostile toward Him. When I have turned their hostility back on them and brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their stubborn hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins. Then God will remember His covenant with Jacob and His covenant with Isaac and His covenant with Abraham, and God will remember the land. For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected God's regulations and despised God's decrees.

HOWEVER, despite all this, God will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. God will never cancel His covenant with them by wiping them out, for God is Lord their God. For their sakes God will remember the ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom He brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of all the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.

[_Quasimodo]

"The Prophet"
Chapter Twenty one, Time:

And an astronomer said, "Master, what of Time?"

And he answered:

You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable.

You would adjust your conduct and even direct the course of your spirit according to hours and seasons.

Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing.

Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness,

And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.

And that that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space.

Who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?

And yet who does not feel that very love, though boundless, encompassed within the centre of his being, and moving not form love thought to love thought, nor from love deeds to other love deeds?

And is not time even as love is, undivided and paceless?

But if in you thought you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all the other seasons,

And let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing.

"The Prophet"
Chapter Twenty two, Good And Evil:

And one of the elders of the city said, "Speak to us of Good and Evil."

And he answered:

Of the good in you I can speak, but not of the evil.

For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?

Verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts, it drinks even of dead waters.

You are good when you are one with yourself.

Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil.

For a divided house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house.

And a ship without rudder may wander aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink not to the bottom.

You are good when you strive to give of yourself.

Yet you are not evil when you seek gain for yourself.

For when you strive for gain you are but a root that clings to the earth and sucks at her breast.

Surely the fruit cannot say to the root, "Be like me, ripe and full and ever giving of your abundance."

For to the fruit giving is a need, as receiving is a need to the root.

You are good when you are fully awake in your speech,

Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without purpose.

And even stumbling speech may strengthen a weak tongue.

You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.

Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping.

Even those who limp go not backward.

But you who are strong and swift, see that you do not limp before the lame, deeming it kindness.

You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good,

You are only loitering and sluggard.

Pity that the stags cannot teach swiftness to the turtles.

In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you.

But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea, carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest.

And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore.

But let not him who longs much say to him who longs little, "Wherefore are you slow and halting?"

For the truly good ask not the naked, "Where is your garment?" nor the houseless, "What has befallen your house?"

[_LittleNipper]

Leviticus 27:1-34
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When a man maketh a wonderful vow, by thy valuation the persons [are] Jehovah's.

3 When thy valuation hath been of the male from a son of twenty years even unto a son of sixty years, then hath been thy valuation fifty shekels of silver by the shekel of the sanctuary.

4 And if it [is] a female -- then hath thy valuation been thirty shekels;

5 and if from a son of five years even unto a son of twenty years -- then hath thy valuation been of the male twenty shekels, and for the female, ten shekels;

6 and if from a son of a month even unto a son of five years -- then hath thy valuation been of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy valuation [is] three shekels of silver;

7 and if from a son of sixty years and above -- if a male, then hath thy valuation been fifteen shekels, and for a female, ten shekels.

8 `And if he is poorer than thy valuation, then he hath presented himself before the priest, and the priest hath valued him; according to that which the hand of him who is vowing doth reach doth the priest value him.

9 `And if [it is] a beast of which they bring near an offering to Jehovah, all that [one] giveth of it to Jehovah is holy;

10 he doth not change it nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; and if he really change beast for beast, -- then it hath been -- it and its exchange is holy.

11 `And if [it is] any unclean beast of which they do not bring near an offering to Jehovah, then he hath presented the beast before the priest,

12 and the priest hath valued it; whether good or bad, according to thy valuation, O priest, so it is;

13 and if he really redeem it, then he hath added its fifth to thy valuation.

14 `And when a man sanctifieth his house, a holy thing to Jehovah, then hath the priest valued it, whether good or bad; as the priest doth value it so it standeth;

15 and if he who is sanctifying doth redeem his house, then he hath added a fifth of the money of thy valuation to it, and it hath become his.

16 `And if of the field of his possession a man sanctify to Jehovah, then hath thy valuation been according to its seed; a homer of barley-seed at fifty shekels of silver;

17 if from the year of the jubilee he sanctify his field, according to thy valuation it standeth;

18 and if after the jubilee he sanctify his field, then hath the priest reckoned to him the money according to the years which are left, unto the year of the jubilee, and it hath been abated from thy valuation.

19 `And if he really redeem the field -- he who is sanctifying it -- then he hath added a fifth of the money of thy valuation to it, and it hath been established to him;

20 and if he do not redeem the field, or if he hath sold the field to another man, it is not redeemed any more;

21 and the field hath been, in its going out in the jubilee, holy to Jehovah as a field which is devoted; to the priest is its possession.

22 `And if the field of his purchase (which [is] not of the fields of his possession) [one] sanctify to Jehovah --

23 then hath the priest reckoned to him the amount of thy valuation unto the year of jubilee, and he hath given thy valuation in that day -- a holy thing to Jehovah;

24 in the year of the jubilee the field returneth to him from whom he bought it, to him whose [is] the possession of the land.

25 And all thy valuation is by the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs is the shekel.

26 `Only, a firstling which is Jehovah's firstling among beasts -- no man doth sanctify it, whether ox or sheep; it [is] Jehovah's.

27 And if among the unclean beasts, then he hath ransomed [it] at thy valuation, and he hath added its fifth to it; and if it is not redeemed, then it hath been sold at thy valuation.

28 `Only, no devoted thing which a man devoteth to Jehovah, of all that he hath, of man, and beast, and of the field of his possession, is sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to Jehovah.

29 `No devoted thing, which is devoted of man, is ransomed, it is surely put to death.

30 And all tithe of the land, of the seed of the land, of the fruit of the tree, is Jehovah's -- holy to Jehovah.

31 `And if a man really redeem [any] of his tithe, its fifth he addeth to it.

32 `And all the tithe of the herd and of the flock -- all that passeth by under the rod -- the tenth is holy to Jehovah;

33 he enquireth not between good and bad, nor doth he change it; and if he really change it -- then it hath been -- it and its exchange is holy; it is not redeemed.'

34 These [are] the commands which Jehovah hath commanded Moses for the sons of Israel, in mount Sinai.

[_LittleNipper]

My understanding of Leviticus 27:1-34

The Lord tells Moses to give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate someone to the Lord by paying the value of that person, here is the scale of values to be used. A man between the ages of twenty and sixty is valued at fifty shekels of silver. A woman of that age is valued at thirty shekels of silver. A boy between the ages of five and twenty is valued at twenty shekels of silver; a girl of that age is valued at ten shekels of silver. A boy between the ages of one month and five years is valued at five shekels of silver; a girl of that age is valued at three shekels of silver. A man older than sixty is valued at fifteen shekels of silver; a woman of that age is valued at ten shekels of silver. If desiring to make such a vow but one cannot afford to pay the required amount, take the person to the priest. He will determine the amount to pay based on what one can afford. If a vow involves giving an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the Lord, any gift to the Lord will be considered holy. One may not exchange or substitute it for another animal—neither a good animal for a bad one nor a bad animal for a good one. But if exchanging one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy. If vows involve an unclean animal—one that is not acceptable as an offering to the Lord—then one must bring the animal to the priest. He will determine its value, and his assessment will be final, whether high or low. If buying back the animal, one must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. If someone dedicates a house to the Lord, the priest will come to assess its value. The priest’s assessment will be final, whether high or low. If the person who dedicated the house wants to buy it back, he must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. Then the house will again be his. If someone dedicates to the Lord a piece of his family property, its value will be assessed according to the amount of seed required to plant it—fifty shekels of silver for a field planted with five bushels of barley seed. If the field is dedicated to the Lord in the Year of Jubilee, then the entire assessment will apply. But if the field is dedicated after the Year of Jubilee, the priest will assess the land’s value in proportion to the number of years left until the next Year of Jubilee. Its assessed value is reduced each year. If the person who dedicated the field wants to buy it back, he must pay the value set by the priest, plus 20 percent. Then the field will again be legally his. But if he does not want to buy it back, and it is sold to someone else, the field can no longer be bought back. When the field is released in the Year of Jubilee, it will be holy, a field specially set apart for the Lord. It will become the property of the priests. If someone dedicates to the Lord a field he has purchased but which is not part of his family property, the priest will assess its value based on the number of years left until the next Year of Jubilee. On that day he must give the assessed value of the land as a sacred donation to the Lord. In the Year of Jubilee the field must be returned to the person from whom he purchased it, the one who inherited it as family property. One may not dedicate a firstborn animal to the Lord, for the firstborn of cattle, sheep, and goats already belong to God. 27 However, one may buy back the firstborn of a ceremonially unclean animal by paying the priest’s assessment of its worth, plus 20 percent. If not, the priest will sell it at its assessed value. However, anything specially set apart for the Lord—whether a person, an animal, or family property—must never be sold or bought back. Anything devoted in this way has been set apart as holy, and it belongs to the Lord. No person specially set apart for destruction may be bought back. Such a person must be put to death. One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy. If one wants to buy back the Lord’s tenth of the grain or fruit, one must pay its value, plus 20 percent. Count off every tenth animal from herds and flocks and set them apart for the Lord as holy. One may not pick and choose between good and bad animals, or substitute one for another. If exchanging one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute will be considered holy and cannot be bought back.