{"id":85519,"date":"2020-12-27T18:46:48","date_gmt":"2020-12-27T16:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=85519"},"modified":"2020-12-27T18:46:48","modified_gmt":"2020-12-27T16:46:48","slug":"good-v-evil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/good-v-evil\/","title":{"rendered":"Good V. Evil"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"85519","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":62571,"related_cahpter":"642","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"An imaginary dialogue\u00a0\r\n\r\n","content":"

The theme of this psalm is established in its first verse: “For the leader; \u201cAl Tashc\u1e25et (<\/span>do not destroy<\/span><\/i>.)\u201d A psalm of Asaph, a song.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAl Tashchet\u201d leads to an association with \u201c<\/span>bal tashchit<\/span><\/em>,\u201d a biblical prohibition whose literary context is the besieging of a city in the land of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

The transgression of \u201c<\/span>bal tashchit<\/span><\/em>\u201d is based upon the following verse: \u201cWhen in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, <\/span>lo tashchit<\/span><\/em> (\u201cyou must not destroy\u201d) its trees\u2026 (Deut. 20:19). This is expanded by some rabbis to apply to any wasteful action that a person undertakes anywhere, thereby \u201cdisrespecting\u201d God\u2019s creation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalm 75, though, concerns itself with a different type of \u201cpotential destruction,\u201d i.e., that of the Jewish people by God. The psalmist apprises the reader in v. 3-4, and 11 of what God is \u201cthinking,\u201d as it were, concerning the perpetrators of evil, and in v. 5-9 describing how the author attempts to remonstrate with the evil doers regarding their improper attitudes, and alert them to God\u2019s intentions for them, should they fail to repent.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the specific statements that the psalmist makes on God\u2019s behalf as well as his own, one can imagine a dialogue between the representatives of Good and Evil, with the latter continually justifying their immoral activities:<\/span><\/p>\n

God says: (v. 3) \u201cAt the time I choose, I will give judgment equitably.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They say: Divine reckoning is far off, and favoritism will be in evidence as usual.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

God says: (v. 4) \u201cEarth and all its inhabitants dissolve; it is I who keep its pillars firm. Selah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They say: The world is eternal and not subject to God\u2019s desires.<\/span><\/p>\n

The psalmist and God say: \u201c<\/span>5<\/b> To wanton men I say: \u2018Do not be wanton!\u2019; to the wicked: \u2018Do not lift up your horns!\u2019 <\/span>6<\/b> Do not lift your horns up high in vainglorious bluster. \u2026 <\/span>11 <\/b>All the horns of the wicked I will cut; but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They say: All that matters is whether one is successful, regardless of how they achieved these goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

The psalmist says: \u201c<\/span>7<\/b> For what lifts a man comes not from the east or the west or the wilderness; <\/span>8<\/b> For God it is who gives judgment; He brings down one man, He lifts up another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They say: I have worked for my success, and the fruits of my labors cannot be taken away.<\/span><\/p>\n

The psalmist says: (v. 9) \u201cThere is a cup in the LORD\u2019s hand with foaming wine fully mixed; from this He pours; all the wicked of the earth drink, draining it to the very dregs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They say: It will never come to God actually punishing me<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the goal of the psalmist might be to avoid God\u2019s destruction, it would appear that his best efforts will be thwarted as long as others remain cynical regarding belief in Divine justice.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":67678,"id":67678,"title":"is45-good and evil","filename":"is45-good-and-evil.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/one-god\/is45-good-and-evil\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"is45-good-and-evil","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":67677,"date":"2019-12-24 14:55:32","modified":"2022-07-06 07:47:35","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1483,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil-300x232.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":232,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil-768x593.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":593,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil-1024x791.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":791,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1483,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil-1200x927.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":927,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/is45-good-and-evil-544x420.jpg","home_baner-width":544,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Good V. 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