Soul
Guide
“The
rabbis tell us the soul is a mirror of God within us. The soul fills the body, just
as God fills the world. The soul outlasts the body, just as God outlasts the
world. The soul is one in the body, just as God is one in the world. The soul
sees but is not seen, just as God sees but is not seen.
The
soul is the god of the body. God is the Soul of the world.”
Naomi
Levy (Einstein and the Rabbi: Searching for the Soul, p.31, Flatiron Books,
2017)
This is
as good a description of the soul as I have seen anywhere. I picture my own
soul as a small angel sitting on my shoulder; unfortunately, there is a small devil
sitting on the other shoulder. The angel advises me as to what pleases God, and
the devil tries to tempt me into doing mischief and defying the angel. I must
tell you, it’s a crapshoot as to who wins most of the time. Understanding that
we all have two sides to us (actually, we have many more) helps us to
comprehend the human spirit.
When we
are presented with a questionable choice, a “bing” can be heard in the
universe, and the little angel and little devil appear on our shoulders. “Shall
I have that piece of pie, or not? Shall I flirt with the boss, or not? Shall I
take that small item from the drugstore, or not?” We all have our temptations,
and our small demon will always encourage us to indulge them. Most of the time,
unless we are truly deprived and in need, we will walk away, and the angel will
rejoice. But we also know in our heart of hearts that if we confront a situation
in which we or someone we love is threatened, we will not walk away. We will,
in fact, do what is necessary to survive and to protect. We have that
potential, and realizing it sometimes helps us to be less judgmental of others.
Our
soul is of God, and like God, will sometimes lead us to do things that we would
not otherwise do—sometimes dangerous things. I think of all the people in
Europe during World War II, who helped Jews escape, or who took the risk of sheltering
them in their homes. Also, the abolitionists who helped slaves escape by way of
the underground railroad. They were ordinary human beings with all the same
frailties as you and me, but they listened to the dictates of their souls and
found the courage to do what was required.
We can
choose to ignore the guidance of our souls, but we will do so at our own risk.
We can opt for the world’s blessings, or for the soul’s blessings. We will
sleep better (most of the time) if we fulfill the requests and follow our soul’s
directions, but we DO have a choice. The small devils of the world will reward
us if we turn away, and that is an appealing, shiny thing. However, the pressure
from the soul will become weightier and more present within us if it is ignored.
You see, it is the soul’s job to prepare you and me, for returning to the world’s
soul. To God’s soul. And the lighter our soul is, the easier that journey will
be. You will know you are on the right path when you feel at peace with your
choices. Being at peace is the result of living from your soul. And it makes your little
angel very happy.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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