Perfect Vision

Each month of the year is associated with a sense. The sense of the month of Tamuz is sight.

The month of Tamuz is the time of the year to rectify our sense of sight.

The rectification of sight (on the spiritual plane, which manifests on the physical plane as good eyesight) entails two complementary poles: Seeing Divine providence in our lives and seeing the good in each other.

"I shall see God [in the land of the living]" ([אראה יה [בארץ החיים) is interpreted to mean that I shall express thanksgiving to God for His providence over me.

Providence (in contrast to what appears to be pure chance and deterministic causality) is often alluded to by the term "synchronicity." There is more to what happens to us in our lives than what meets the (external) eye. There is involvement from the outside. If there is involvement then someone cares, and that someone is God. He cares for our wellbeing, both physically and spiritually. He is always working miracles in our lives, which for the most part we do not see. Tamuz is the month to begin to see.

Every human being has both good and bad. Tamuz is the month to nurture the inner sense to concentrate solely on the good in the other (of God it is said that although He sees our iniquity He doesn't concentrate on it, but rather concentrates on our good. We must learn from God.) This is referred to a possessing a "good eye" (which is the source of both receiving blessing and blessing others). The more we observe the good in others (and repress the bad) the more we bring out in them their latent good.

It is said that God created us with two eyes to see the good in others (with the right eye) and to be critical of ourselves, to see what requires rectification (with the left eye). This is a necessary state of balance, for without recognizing the bad in ourselves we cannot appreciate the good in others.

With regard to Divine providence we also need two eyes, one (the right eye) to see the revealed wonders that God does with us and one (the left eye) to see that things that happen to us which do not appear good are also for our eternal good (they actually derive from a higher level of good than do the revealed wonders).

Our faith that all that befalls us is for our eternal good (for all comes from God who is the essence of good) transforms the apparent bad into revealed good. Ultimately, both eyes become one. In Kabbalah, this phenomenon is referred to as reaching the level of "the Ancient One" (עתיקא) of whom is said, "there is no left in the Ancient One, all [both right and left, as they evolve in lower levels] are right." What appeared bad now manifests as the greatest good – "all is right."

And so with regard to observing ourselves and others. Ultimately, all becomes right – upon rectifying our bad we no longer need to look at ourselves at all. We only see the good in everything (the right eye), including ourselves as an inseparable part of everything (the left eye), for everything reflects God, the Creator.

Photo by Ewan Robertson on Unsplash