Power-of-Righteousness
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Throughout
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Please Note: Some alterations
or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God), having been corrected like it once was pre
the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy
4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
A brief Introduction:
In this study we are going to look at two kinds of people, those who love יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha and are ‘righteous’ and those who are ‘arrogant’ and ‘sinful’.
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The prophet Habakkuk very clearly contrasts the fate of the ‘righteous’ and the ‘arrogant’, emphasizing the reward of life for the faithful.
Let us read Habakkuk 2:4. (Please Note: All verses are from the JPS-1917 version).
“Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith”.
Let us now look at the key structural verses from the Prophets (Nevi’im) and Writings (Kethuvim) that expand directly on the theme of the righteous (Tzaddik) and righteousness (Tzedakah), maintaining the exact archaic majesty of the JPS-1917 text.
Much like Habakkuk 2:4 speaks of the righteous living by their faith, the Psalms and Proverbs repeatedly emphasize that the Tzaddik is securely held by the Almighty, especially during times of trial.
Let us read some of the Psalms
and Proverbs:
Psalm 55:23: “Cast thy burden upon יְהוָה - the LORD, and He will sustain thee; He will never suffer the righteous to be moved”.
Psalm 34:20: “Many are the hurts of the righteous, but יְהוָה - the LORD delivereth him out of them all”.
Proverbs 18:10: “The Name of יְהוָה - the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe”.
Proverbs 24:16: “For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity”.
Habakkuk draws a stark line between the “puffed up soul” and the righteous. This structural contrast is the primary heartbeat of the wisdom literature.
Psalm 1:6: “For יְהוָה - the LORD regardeth the way of the righteous; but the way of the wicked shall perish”.
Proverbs 10:2: “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; but righteousness delivereth from death”.
Proverbs 11:5: “The righteousness of the whole-hearted shall make straight his way; but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness”.
Proverbs 12:28: “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death”.
These verses highlight how the path of the ‘righteous’ aligns perfectly with the character of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.
Psalm 11:7: “For יְהוָה - the LORD is righteous, He loveth righteousness; the upright shall behold His face.”
Psalm 33:5: “He loveth righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the loving-kindness of יְהוָה - the LORD.”
Isaiah 32:17: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and confidence for ever.”
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My Closing Message: The
Transforming Power of Righteousness.
This study of Habakkuk 2:4 and the
surrounding testimony of the Tanakh reveals that Scriptural righteousness (tzedakah) is far more
than an abstract moral code. It is a dynamic, living relationship built upon unwavering trust and steadfast loyalty (emunah) to the Almighty.
While the ‘arrogant’ trust
in their own fleeting strength and ultimately falter, the ‘righteous’ find an
enduring foundation that cannot be shaken by the storms of life. As illuminated
through the words of the bards and prophets, the pursuit of righteousness is
directly linked to life, Divine protection, and preservation. It culminates in
the profound promise of Isaiah 32:17 an
enduring reality where true righteousness bears the ultimate fruit of inner
peace, quietness, and confidence for ever. To live as a ‘tzaddik’ is to walk a path anchored securely in the faithfulness of the
Creator, standing firm in every season!
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Please Note: “hebraicstudies” links are located
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This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following through a number of
our prophets...
“The More Torah,
the More Life”,
For Elohim is the One who gave us our ... “Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom =
Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD
of hosts, be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat,
as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
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