Genesis

בייה

There is incredible frustration with the youth, the younger generation, and the next generation of our world. They protest in favor of evil, wicked, barbaric murderers, i.e., Chamas. One has to wonder what our youth are thinking. Why are they rebelling? Why are they attacking good? Why are they embracing evil? Why are they being antisemitic towards those who are Jewish? What happened to their morality, i.e., ability to distinguish between right and wrong behavior and good and bad behavior? Our youth are a scary reflection of us!

Let’s try not to forget that we were also young once. Perhaps our parents’ and grandparents’ generations might have thought we were a bit tilted back then. How should we react to the younger generations’ rebelliousness towards good? Dear Ones, It is no mistake that God shares a reflection about youth in (Genesis 8). God explains why youth leave the path of ethical, moral, and pure living.

(Genesis 8.21) Says, ‘And [the] Lord smelled the pleasing odor; [from Noach’s Burnt Offering] and [the] Lord said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground anymore for man’s sake.’ [WHY?]

[The] Lord God Knew all along that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Parents, Grandparents, Great Grandparents, that includes us. Yet, Knowing this, [the] Lord God Allowed man from his youth to proceed until his ultimate destruction in 1656 From Creation by the worldwide flood. God did not interfere with human’s poor choices. Yet, God Warned humankind! In our previous discussion entitled ‘Closed’ in (Genesis 7) I shared that three hundred years before Chanoch’s/Enoch’s ascension into Heaven, he fathered a son whom he gave the prophetic name Methuselach. The name מְתוּשֶׁלַח consists of two words. The first two Letters of Methuselach’s name are מתMat/Met, meaning death. The last three letters of Methuselach’s name is שלח Sheh Lah Ach, meaning to send, to launch. The Words Met and Sheh Lah are connected with the letter ו Vav, meaning and. When Met And Sheh Lah Ach are joined together, their combined meaning is ‘After this child dies, destruction will be launched.’ The people of earth did NOT heed that prophetic warning. Then, one-hundred-twenty years before the worldwide flood, God Instructed Methuselach and Noach to declare to the world’s inhabitants, ‘God Says, repent of your evil ways, and He will change the death decree He has made against you.’ Five years before the flood, Noach began constructing the Tava/Ark. Sefer HaYashar (Hoboken, NJ: KTAV Publishing House, Inc., 1993) p.16-18

Our Designer/Creator indeed created humankind with self-determination. We have the option to choose. Angels were not given the opportunity of choice. Unfortunately, those living in Noach’s age made extremely poor choices that sent them into the eternal abyss. This may seem unfair. Yet, if we have self-determination/free will, that choice to live wickedly or righteously is up to each of us individually. After Chamas is annihilated, the culture of evil MUST END!! The Prophet Michah Said in (Michah 4) that in the last days, ‘nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore. (Ezekiel 33.19) Says, ‘If the wicked turns away from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live by it. Chamas has had many warnings that they have not heeded. We MUST Replace the indoctrination of evil with ‘Good Counsel. What does (Psalms 1.1-3) say? (Psalms 1.1-3) Happy is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scorners. But whose delight is in the Torah of [the] Lord, and in His Torah, he meditates day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.’ (Psalms 25.6-10) Says, ‘Good and upright is [the] Lord; therefore, He instructs sinners in the way. He guides the humble in judgment and teaches the humble His way. All the paths of [the] Lord are loving kindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.’

We MUST replace EVIL with GOOD, HOPELESSNESS with PROSPARITY, and LIES with the Truth of The Torah. That is how we change a culture.

May we use the tools of The Torah to restore, heal, and bring peace to ourselves and others. We can succeed despite past sins and mistakes. We can lift ourselves and others.

Good Sabbath.

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

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