Dual Deeds and Free Agents

Every act is a double act. Our shadows also cast shadows. Or perhaps it is the other way around: we are but shadows of a shadow. Revelations of Divinity amount to representations in silhouette (a form of negative theology). When all that we are is subsumed within this first shadow–when we and all of our deeds are but a darker shade within an initial darkness (the task of emulation and mimicry)–we may then be said to be a representation of a representation. Moreover, as an impoverished representational doubling, we are but an apparition of an original representation which is itself chimerical.

Bottom line: when we act we never act alone. The inspectors of history who subject us to interrogation inevitably question us as to whether or not we had an accomplice who aided and abetted us in every one of our ventures, our feats and fiascos. All of the evidence suggests team work–Divine and human–even if one teammate was a reluctant participant. In the interest of preserving the team, the Divine ‘clandestine companion’ opts to go along with many of the jobs even though they are executed over His strongest objections. We might imagine Him saying ‘I signed up to see this through, to be here for you. That you sometimes choose to do things that I want no part of puts me in a bind even if it is a bind that I voluntarily entered into.’ Since, it is the ultimate will of the Creator to be one with His creation, co-operation is always needed. This in turn generates a whole slew of paradoxes: when I do something, was it really me doing it? Was my silent accomplice pulling the strings and calling the shots or was I dragging Him along and forcing His hand due to our larger agreement to go on every adventure together?

I can no more resolve these questions when I am actually part of the event or act–when I am in it, up to my neck (thus leaving some hope of mental clarity) or over my head (unable to separate myself from my immediate situation to gain some perspective on the matter)–than when I am an outside observer with detached neutrality. Allegations against me (allegations which I myself sometimes make) implicate my Divine associate.

To live as ‘independent operators’ (beings with free will) we had to receive provisional  powers. Supplied with the ability to act against the wishes of our Creator, the Creator ‘minimally’ goes along for the ride. Looking for the authorizing signature that enabled us to run point on our operations, we can cite this birthright feature of Creation. However, extra clearance and increased authority are performance dependent. Evaluations are ongoing. Stay on task and operate within acceptable parameters and submit regular mission reports and the Highest up will sign off on expanded powers and privileges. Go rogue and there will be consequences (some of which will be uncomfortable). Whence, high risk (risking the relationship with the Highest authority), high return (the restoration back into good standing will have to wait until we see how the unsanctioned action ultimately plays out).

We have to assess if we are into the Boss or just the things that come out of the Boss’s mouth. If we identify with the outlook of the Boss (the game plan) but don’t care for the Boss Himself, then this attitude will become evident if a wrench is tossed into the machine and the game is changed. If, on the other hand, we really love and respect the Boss, then anything that the Boss pitches at us will be great. Not because we like it in and of itself but because of who it is coming from. I am not conditioned to only be onboard for a specific assignment or a contractual relationship that spells out the job description in the finest legaleze. I’m here to serve at the pleasure of the King. If He is into it, then I am into it, because at the end of the day, I am into Him. My devotion, in this case, clings to the Boss and not the assignment. If I really love the Boss then it is not even about the paycheck and company benefits. I don’t care what position I have, I just what to have a place–any place. I’m happy to volunteer. Even if I receive not one iota of recognition or credit whatsoever, I am content to put my all into whatever is thrown my way for the simple reason that it affords me the opportunity to be close to the Boss.

The best evidence of dual actions carrying shared responsibly (the act that we act and the act the God acts) airs in a verse from Psalms 66:5 “Go and see the works of God, awe inspiring in [His] acts towards the sons of Adam.” The ‘works of God’ which we have to go and see (to perceive by dislocation: I move into a different position and the shift allows me to grow new eyes) evokes the natural order of things. This is alluded to in that the Divine name used in this phrase is Elokim which means God manifest through nature or Divine immanence. ‘Works,’ then, implies ongoing projects–natural processes.

The second part of the verse is much more difficult to parse out. Taking it word by word: norah usually means ‘awe’ or ‘awe inspiring.’ But it can also imply dread, wonder and veneration. Norah can also mean ‘very much.’ Weaving together these definitions we may put forth a complex translation of norah as the state of overwhelming awe or dread at the heaviness of existence. The weight of our actions and the consequences that we bear for them tax our imagination. This word calls to mind the raw intensity of life where we continually lead a double life. I am acting for myself and as myself while simultaneously being a Divine agent and representative whose deeds have metaphysical resonance. All of reality is caught up in the vortex of my individual actions, all of space-time and every created entity are entangled in my choices and deeds. What could produce more dread and awe that this thought?

Alilah is an even more cryptic term which simply means ‘acts.’ The rabbinic grammarians contend that this word marks an action that is steeped in moral, ethical or spiritual instruction. Every act of this nature has specific didactic purposes. The educational value of illustrative deed further burdens me. All that I do can be held up as an example that is catalogued in the course book of life. The terror of one’s life placed under a microscope, of coming clean with full disclosure that will be one the lesson plan of study for our contemporaries and for generations to come, is certainly overwhelming and awe inspiring.

In Part Four we will continue to dig up all sorts of sub-set significations contained in the word alilah which will further enhance our translation of this verse. With them our goal will be to expose the ‘moral of the story’ and the hidden meaning of actions and events that are difficult to approach and make sense of (on their surface) throughout history.

http://www.interinclusion.org/inspirations/the-history-of-histories-part-4/

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