When injustice is considered justice, and when justice is considered injustice

The way God made us, three basic dispositions – represented by Abraham Isaac and Jacob exist:

These are, love, justice and compassion.

However two of them also have a counterpart in the world of evil, represented by the offsprings who engaged/engage in evil, who came from Abraham and Isaac, namely, Yishmoel and Eisav.

Let’s examine this very very important paradigm, for it so easily becomes a situation where what is injustice is considered justice and what is justice is considered injustice.

Let’s start with Abraham and contrast him with Yishmoel.

Abraham is the epitome of unconditional love, he opened up a free hotel, offering free food, education, a free bed to all, personally attending to them!

By contrast his son Yishmoel was the epitome of selfish love – his interactions with others (to this very day) are never altruistic – it’s all “what’s in it for me?” there is no crime he is not willing to commit if it furthers his selfishness!

Now let’s look at Isaac and his son Eisav.

Isaac is the epitome of self-justice i.e. self-discipline, never cheating anyone, striving for the highest standards of integrity!

While his son Eisav is the epitome of viciousness, as the verse states, “by your sword shall you survive,” he slits the throat of all who disobey his rule, swallowing countries, continents, cultures, by the sword – anything that denies his perceived goals, he is willing to slay mercilessly.

In truth, though these are great archetypes, in a very real way they apply to each and everyone of us; for these archetypes are in essence there as lessons for us to emulate and reject.

Are we not similar both to Yishmoel and Eisav, are we not guilty of being willing to sacrifice others for our selfish instincts? and at the same time are we not overly critical of those who do evil, be willing to slay them on our own holy war or righteous indignation?!

And this where Jacob, the master of discernment, the master of truth, the master of humility enters!

For Jacob gave birth to twelve righteous sons who though were not perfect, were compassionate, were the forebears of a nation that till this very day excels in compassion, goodness and kindness! for the mistake – if we may say so, for the purpose of education – of Abraham and Isaac, was, in their conviction – in their onesideness toward either love or justice, when in truth, balance, and discernment – not a one size fits all approach is reality – especially, as living in this world, no two situations are alike!

It is much easier for us to either be a liberal or a conservative – you focus on your preference, be it liberty, or righteousness, and consider the other side as freaks – but the truth is never so simple, for both liberty and righteousness are necessities, the trick is of course, when to apply liberty and when to deny it, when to apply righteousness and when to not!

This is the ability of Jacob who through using his mind, understood that when it comes to oneself and one’s children one must apply righteousness for we are all responsible to God and to our own souls to be righteous people, but when it comes to others, first and foremost we must respect their liberty, their dignity, and hence compassion i.e. lovingly doing what’s in their best interest, including preaching righteousness, if the motive that it’s for THEIR SAKE, applies! Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom – let your email find you!