The Wages of Sin

But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads:
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Psalm 22:6

The most powerful yet unrecognized psychological dynamic is the vicious cycle of sin, scorn and denial. It can start in childhood with a small but embarrassing mistake, whether unintentional or premeditated. The offender is then subjected to painful (if mild) scorn by others. The result can be denial – pretend the embarrassing incident never happened. All traces of it are blotted from memory. If people show scorn on their face when you pass, look again – it is gone. Perhaps it was just in your head? All is well.

Jesus, King of the Jews – Danish – 1613
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Sins of the Fathers

As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

2 Samuel 6:16
The arrival of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem by a singing and dancing King David – Van Lint – 1650

David’s wife Michal knew that her father, King Saul, who was denied the honor of bringing the Ark into its everlasting home in Jerusalem, would never have conducted himself with such vulgarity. And perhaps she knew that this celebration was premature, and that David was susceptible to the same dark forces that doomed her father.

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One Way Mirror

Facebook recently permanently banned several purveyors of extremist hate and violence, including Louis Farrakhan, Laura Loomer, Paul Joseph Watson, and Alex Jones (again). They claim this is being done to keep us safe. However it only puts us at risk, because these people will now radicalize offline, much as top Nazi propagandists were radicalized while sitting in prison under Weimar ‘blood libel’ bans intended to protect the Jews. They can watch us, because in most cases Facebook allows them to view the site, but will give an error message if they try to post. Meanwhile we can continue to post and watch ourselves having fun, blissfully ignorant of what is going on outside.

Mr Bean having a little fun
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Mark of Cain: Sin and Stigma

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord.

Genesis 4:13
Cain – Edwin Roscoe Mullins (1899)
Glasgow Botanic Gardens; Glasgow, Scotland
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Next Exodus

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. – Deut. 5:15

We were given freedom, not all at once, but in stages. Even after leaving bondage in Egypt, we were still commanded to work 6 days a week. However one day was free for us to relax and enjoy and feel holy. Similarly we were given a Jubilee Year, which occurs every 50 years, on which all slaves are freed. This commandment is the origin of the Liberty Bell quote: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.”

Frederic Schopin; The Children of Israel Crossing the Red Sea – 1855
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Forget Amalek

Amalek is the mythical, eternal enemy of the Jews. It preys on the weak amongst us: “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee.” (Deut. 25:17) We are commanded to never forget the existential threat of Amalek to the Jewish peoples.


The Victory of Joshua over the Amalekites
Poussin Nicolas – 1624
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Sinat Hinam

The Women’s March saved us from the Trumpocalypse. Just a few days after the inauguration they came out by the millions to protest. Trump saw them and realized his despotic and autocratic dreams would not be realized. The marchers were an amalgam of many social and ethnic groups – blacks, gays, women, Jews, Muslims and immigrants. Yet now even as Trump shuts down the government to extort the country to accede to his abominable border wall, the Jews have embarked on a crusade against ‘antisemitism’ among the March leaders. The end result could be that democrats are weakened and give in, and after the construction is started on the wall, and immigrants are rounded up, Trump will then round up the Jews to send us back to ‘your country‘. Or even worse, he will detain us indefinitely: “We can’t send them back to Israel – the wall isn’t built yet you idiot!”


Pussyhats stave off the Trumpocalypse
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The Plot Against America

Donald Trump came to power promising to undermine and even eviscerate our most precious constitutional protections.  This included “opening up our libel laws”, “shutting down parts of the internet”, banning flag burning, monitoring Islamic institutions, opening up mental institutions, taking away due process, using torture, and many other examples.  His campaign was systematic and comprehensive, and yet when he came to power, he was thwarted at every turn.  The people spoke out against him, and our institutions are independent and resilient.  He is no longer a threat to the country, and can be kept in his box.

FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.  NOT AN ENDORSEMENT. He is an antisemite, yet he is exercising the country’s free speech muscle.  This more than anything will keep the Jews safe.

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