A Guide for the Religious Instruction of Jewish Youth | Page 9

immediate
influence of his celestial Father; this independence, however, cannot be
accomplished before he has succeeded in subduing his sensual appetites,
and has bent them to follow the divine direction. Thus acting, he will
not remain a passive spectator of the vicissitudes which accelerate or
retard the fulfilment of that which the Divine wisdom purposed as the
final aim of the creation, but, through the immortal spirit transfused in
him, he will feel impelled to take some active part in the great work of

the ultimate universal perfection, and to associate his own will to the
will of the Creator.
XXXV. The relation between God and man is a tie of love. God being
goodness itself, this finds a more extensive field for its manifestation in
the rational creature than in any other. On the other hand, man,
possessed of a spiritual soul, is superior to matter, and is capable, more
than the other terrestrial beings, of receiving within himself an
abundance of the Divine benevolence, which diffuses itself throughout
the universe in exact proportion to the various aptitudes of the
recipients. It is precisely in consequence of the understanding with
which man is endowed, and of his aptitude to nourish love for the
supreme Being, that he has been elected, from among all terrestrial
creatures, to enter into a more intimate relation with God, and to
co-operate, in as much as lies in his power, to the accomplishment of
the divine plan.
XXXVI. The plan of the Creator is immeasurably profound, and
therefore inscrutable. Nevertheless, in so far as it is permitted to the
human mind to penetrate it, and as it has pleased the Divine mercy to
reveal it, we know with certainty that it is all directed to diffuse
happiness and beatitude over all creatures, in proportion to their
respective capabilities of participating in them, and to guide all beings
towards that end, which, in the scheme of the universe, was
pre-ordained by the Infinite Wisdom as the best. Now, the inanimate
portion of the creation progresses unconsciously in the way ordained by
Providence, obeys physical immutable laws, and is, therefore, only a
means to a more exalted end. But the moral being, who has
self-consciousness, resolves on action after deliberating upon what he
thinks best, and carries out his resolve with free will; he is, then,
himself the aim of his life. Therefore, to lead this being towards his
own destination, it was proper not to subject him to restraint under laws
of necessity, otherwise the freedom of his will would have been
destroyed; it was only necessary to enlighten him, to place before him
some fundamental truths, capable of dispelling all doubts from his
mind, and detaching him from errors and superstitions, and thus to
offer him means and inducements sufficient to direct his attention and

will towards the end designed by the Divine wisdom.
XXXVII. It is these truths, offered as means and inducements, that
constitute the essence of revelation. Through revelation, man was made
acquainted that God created the universe out of nought, that He governs
it with His wisdom, and can work every change which He deems
suitable; that He created man in the Divine image, that is, with an
immortal soul, capable of receiving within itself the Divine idea, of
conceiving its sublimity, and carrying it into effect. Through revelation,
man learnt that God is One, omnipotent, holy, of infinite forbearance
and mercy, and an inexhaustible source of pure love; that He created as
a stock of all the human family a single individual (to proclaim thereby
the principle of universal brotherhood and mutual love between all the
members of that family); that He desires to be loved, worshipped, and
served by it, with purity of heart, with elevation of spirit, and with
unflinching constancy. Through revelation, we are taught to use wisely
the earthly gifts, and to turn their material enjoyment into a subject for
edification and the glorification of God; to exercise right, justice,
rectitude, charity, piety, and humility; we are also taught that God
judges the human actions, punishes those who contravene His will, and
is disposed to pardon the sins of those who feel a true repentance. And,
lastly, through revelation, an invitation is tendered to man to elevate his
mind to the Creator, to imitate Him, to approach Him through
self-sanctification; and a perspective is opened before his mind's eye of
an interminable future of beatitude beyond the grave, as the ultimate
goal of his longings, and a just reward to his virtuous conduct.
XXXVIII. When an individual, after long and serious meditations, and
through a concourse of favourable circumstances, acquires a
comprehension of this divine plan, and conceives it in its fullest extent
and excellence, he will feel an irresistible attraction towards such a
contemplation, and an