Human Responsibility | Part Four

Human Responsibility | Part Four

At bottom, though, our spiritual standing ultimately depends on G-d either “shining His countenance” upon us or “withholding” it from us. For, the more G-d shines His countenance upon us, the purer and more perfected we become, while the more it’s withheld from us, the less pure and perfect we become.

But the truth of the matter is that either phenomenon depends on us and our decisions since G-d Himself doesn’t withhold His countenance of His own volition but only in response to our turning away from Him. Hence, it’s our deciding to draw close to Him or not that determines the outcome.

We manifest His shining His countenance upon us by fulfilling His mitzvahs 3 and deny ourselves it by sinning, measure for measure. It’s the mitzvah system that enables that manifestation, in that each time we engage in it we expose ourselves to a greater illumination of G-d’s countenance, while each time we ignore it we allow it to be withheld to a degree and we demean our beings.