Dangerous
Times
by muman613
These are dangerous times we live in. Every day we have to avoid so much ugliness or else we are pulled down into the mire. A good man guards his eyes and his ears from giving any form of attention to the temptation which swirls around him.
The Yetzer Hara constantly tries to deceive, and his arguments always sound reasonable. It is no simple matter to turn away from the offer because it seems innocent. The vulture takes advantage of his prey, knowing his weaknesses.
A modern man need only turn the television on to see the depth to which we have sunk. It is possible to pretend there is no problem, but with wisdom the issue is clear. Our culture has prostituted itself for the mighty dollar, selling sex and perversion to the masses.
The new age leads us to believe that there is no ultimate truth. As the world has gotten smaller due to technology we have also been forced to accept a wider and more accepting attitude. What has been lost is that basic ethical ideas are not unique to one culture, but ethics are a basic human requirement. We are all created in the image of the master, we all are required to have ethical conduct.
Morals can not be relative because they must be absolute. Judgment cannot be based on prejudice, it must be based on evidence. The foundations of truth cannot be changed and in order for truth to exist a moral code must have been established.
Man cannot determine what is right or wrong because he seeks to always justify his action. Even a righteous man sins, and if he is true he realizes his imperfection. People who minimize their imperfections must realize that their loving father in heaven knows his blemish. It is written: The judgment of Torah is pure, it enlightens the heart.
But just as man deals with his Yetzer Hara he also has to deal with his Yetzer Tov which is a much nicer inclination. This good inclination leads us on to do the right thing.
A servant of the master in heaven knows that no matter what occurs in the physical world, his deeds will be reckoned in the world to come. The true servant of the master sees the world of creation as a performance stage, playing out history leading toward the redemption of all of creation. Every day is a testament to his kindnesses.
The mind is calmed by thoughts of being in the divine presence. When the thoughts of heavens glory soothes the nerves they also prevent the mind from the pain of straying. We compare his presence to the light and his absence as the dark. So much pain occurs in the depth of the darkness.
It is written in Torah (Parsha Shoftim) that we must place guards at the gates of our cities. It is well known that this refers to guarding our eyes and our ears. Only through looking at the world in truth can we protect ourselves from the deception.
Some of my friends have cast the television set out of the house. They will not have it available to pollute their children. Their concerns are understandable.
In the 60's and 70's the television was not as dangerous as it is today. It may be due to the moral codes which were imposed on the television industry.
What are the messages we tell over to society through the medium of television? Imagine for a moment an alien race should receive humanities television broadcasts? Our societies morality is not on display on television, instead our basest activities and behaviors are exploited.
Can you look at the face of a murdered child and then the face of his accused murderer without feeling something? Then the scene of the grieving mother? When the media sticks itself into the most intimate of human frailties. Is this not voyeurism?
Who wants to see people giving themselves over to verbal insults because they endeavored for fame? Do they call these people American Idols? What kind of people idolize these cruel judges? Is it supposed to be humorous? Could it be another form of gladiator combat?
There are times it seems that there are so very many more questions than there are answers. Our father Abraham was famous for asking many questions and seeking the answers instead of accepting what he was told.
A time is coming when all of the promises will come true. In order to visualize this it is essential to clear the mind of all troubles. All questions don't need absolute answers at this time. The answer will be found on the path of the Torah lifestyle.
Topic: Dangerous Times - a short essay (Read 669 times)