Walking, Standing, Sitting a Downward Spiral
For August 28th 2022
Tehillim - Psalms 1:1
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֢ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב׃
"The following traits make a person most praiseworthy: That he did not follow the ideas or conduct of wicked people, and he did not stand in the path of sinners - he avoided being in their company even for a short while in order to avoid their nagetive influence - and he certainly did not sit and settle himself in the company of those who make fun of others."
Happy is the man who refines his character and his spiritual qualities so that he has a share in the Coming World.
You should not go along with wicked people, people who doubt G-d's commandments and make up all kinds of fabrications and reasons so that they can satisfy their own worldly lusts and needs.Their view of good and evil is determined by their own desires:
"I want...".
Listening to their thoughts, even fleetingly in the loop, can make you be influenced in a wrong way. This influence can make you stay in their presence more often, perhaps even make friendships. Because you are now no longer fleetingly interacting with their thoughts in the loop, but staying in their presence, you are no longer just standing, listening to their advice and counsel,
"you should..."
but become more and more a part of your own thoughts.
"It's not so bad if I once...".
As soon as there is no longer any active thought about what is good or evil, the ungodly person decays into a sinner.
Being able to choose between good and evil becomes more difficult as worldly desires become more attractive.
Your character becomes coarsened, your spiritual qualities diminish to the level that you sit down and laugh at the people who are occupying themselves with G-d, refining their character and their spiritual qualities. If you stand you can still easily walk away from a situation if you sit, your view of right and wrong is so impaired that it is incredibly difficult to stand up and change your path.
"I do... what I want".
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
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