Service Unto Hashem

(by Christopher Fredrickson from Brutal Planet and Chumash HaShavuah)

Our Master King Messiah Yeshua said, "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40) AENT.  
Often we seek complete observance of Torah and consecration unto Hashem.  We try and soak up as much knowledge as we can.  For many it is reading the Scripture, for some it is researching web pages, for others it is surfing YouTube and subscribing to subscription based services, for others it is researching publications from Torah commentators new and old.  Yet the thing we find during this time is our brain may be full of a wellspring of knowledge and we may even find a little wisdom.  But the fact is we try and run faster because we  still have a huge hole within our nefesh.  We feel something is missing but we think it equates to more knowledge is needed and more research, more meditation on the Scripture and so on.  

Now let us look at two Hebrew words that show a mutual dependency on the lav and the mem.  Am I condemning knowledge?  God forbid, may it never be said.  Rather we must realize the mind and the heart are co-dependent.  Is it any coincidence that the word for "king" in hebrew is "melech" and the word for fool is "lemech"?  How is this significant?  One must ask how does one use the heart for Torah service unto Hashem?  One must first get past them self.  Cause we also see the hebrew word for intellect is "molech" which is the same as melech with different vowel markers.  But how does one become "intelligent"?  Well if one uses the knowledge given to them, great or small, but they then apply the issues of the lav "heart" with the knowledge of the mind then we see we are in order of the "mem" "lamed" in the formation of the same letters in melech, molech and the opposite of lemech.  Meaning if we put the intellect first and tie it with the heart "lav" then a person has intellect and wisdom and he is a king.  Yet, if he relies upon first his own intuition and his heart then expects the knowledge to come later, then he is lemech because he put the lamed first and he is a fool.  Though a person may lack in knowledge, the knowledge he does have he is expected by the Creator, may He be exalted, to apply it through the matters of his heart.  And not solely through his mind alone cause the heart and the mind are interconnected.  This is why the word "moech" without the lamed showing the loss of the influence of the heart is the word signifying a person who is evil because of lack of compassion,.  


This plays into the simple premise of doing Torah for the sake of Hashem as opposed to for the sake of self.  Torah for the sake of self signifies both moech and lemech.  It brings about evil with the heart is not applied, and when a person thinks not of the feelings of the person with whom they are arguing with they are only putting their heart first wishing to satisfy their own id and have a sense of accomplishment by wining someone over to our side by using their zealousness with a lack of intellect.  Because the brain is not thinking, "how can this conversation end up?  Could this be a positive witness and is there a chance I am being a negative witness and turning them off to the truth?".  This is why using one's limited intellect is essential to their message and it passing through the heart before it comes out of their mouth or through their hands.  In Judaism we realize the way to fulfilling the knowledge of what we have learned at any point in our walk is through service to Hashem through serving our brethren.  This fact is clear given that the Scripture says over 200 times, Elohai Avraham Elphai Yitzak ve Elohai Ya'akov (The God of Abraham the God of Issac and the God of Jacob), we always start with Avraham Avenu first?  Why do we start with Avraham and not Noach?  Why not Adam?  Why not Moshe Rabbeynu?  Because service to Hashem is dependent upon the attributes of these three starting with Avraham Avenu.  Avraham was the encompassment of chesed (loving kindess), though Avraham was not a foolish man.  We see he was a servant to all, in fact he stopped mid prayer 3 days after his circumcision when the pain was at it's worst to serve meals to three men walking up the road with whom he didn't even know.  One may argue because of this the shekinah was more so over Avraham because he didn't finish in prayer and put his faith in Hashem into action.  And he did so by serving three strangers.  

Thus this shows that service to friends, family and most importantly strangers is the true fulfillment of mitzos because of the fact it is not done for the sake of intellect alone, but rather it is a gateway to Hashem through serving His creation when we filter through with the matters of the heart.  For a person can think they are fulfilling the mitzvos if they are diligent in the way in which to do so and research it.  Yet I would contest they fulfilled no such mitzvos, because if it is not done for the sake of Hashem and is done for the sake of self then one is serving self as opposed to Hashem.  This is why charity and chesed are the cornerstones of our faith, because it is proof not only to others but to ourselves that the heart is working and that we are not evil because of a lack of compassion, but rather that we are kings.  And in the Semitic mind, in Judaism, a king and a husband and a rabbi and a priest are all the same under one banner, and that banner is the understanding that we do what it is we do out of servitude and not self glorification.  Servitude is the thing that should be the staple of our faith and I am sad to say I think we have dropped the ball in this matter and it is time to turn this ship around in that direction so we may properly serve Hashem and help others to serve Him.  In Yeshua's name, Omein. 

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