Adam Adam: What Does It Mean To Truly Love Your Neighbor As Yourself?
The Two Meanings Of "Adam" And The Sacred Law
"Adam, Adam" is said twice. Because one of the names "Adam" is the one worthy of receiving God's light. That is, this man lives according to the law of "love your neighbor as yourself." He makes sure that his neighbor is fed and sleeps in a safe shelter. The second "Adam" is the man who corrupts this rule. Just like the man who says, "I will play good music for my neighbor," before playing his darbuka. But this person is actually only entertaining himself. A hungry neighbor will not be entertained. In this case, the person is called out to as "Adam, Adam." The purpose of this is to ensure that he returns to the sacred law. With this illustration, we are starting a new coloring book. I do the drawings entirely by hand on paper and paint them with watercolors. Until now, we had focused on history and famous art paintings. However, from now on, we will closely get to know a culture that is new to us, but is actually very ancient.
Pınar The Veiled: Hiding From The World's Noise
I am Pınar the Veiled. I do not think I am veiled. I am a normal person who keeps to herself. But that is what my teacher called me. He gave me this name when I was in school because I was very introverted. I used a lock of my hair to cover my face like a curtain, thinking I could hide from people. My classmates called me bad names: toothy, short, gypsy, cockroach (they said this because I had darker skin than the other girls), and veiled. The last name stayed with me. Why did they think I was veiled? Because it was hard to communicate with me. One day, a girl said, âPınar, did you know the mosque imamâs wife had a baby last week?â So, I did not go to the Arabic Quran reading course. Well, it was a lie. How could I know? In small, old Anatolian neighborhoods, the mosque imam was the most important teacher. Everyone respected him. If his wife had a baby, it would be a big event for the whole neighborhood. In this case, you shouldn't go to the mosque for the Arabic Quran lesson! Additionally, the woman's stomach was not big. But I never looked at her stomach. Was I really so veiled? Boys with lace caps and girls in hijab caps laughed loudly. They stomped their feet on the floor, danced, and sang a mocking song: "Look at the toothy girl, oh my, To the mosque she didnât drop by! The imam asked, 'Where did she go?' There was no baby, who tricked her so!" Usually, people give you sweet dried black grapes when a woman has a new baby. But the girls put dirty sheep droppings in my hand. I was not a calm girl. I was very quarrelsome. If I hit someone, she would fly to another neighborhood. But I do not like noise. I told myself, "Just let it go." So, they kept doing bad things to me.
The Promised Land And The Sheep Dung Delusion
I didn't know exactly what kind of guarantee I was looking for. But look what I finally found! Physically, I only needed three things: food, safe shelter, and a group of people eager to maintain them. Just imagine all the things I was going to build upon this foundation! This was exactly the promised land for me. The boys with skullcaps, the imams, the rabbis, and those cynical girlsâthey were all searching for a guarantee, too, but a piece of sheep dung got in their way. If you had to choose between the literal sheep droppings they shoved into your hands and the promised land, which one would you pick? The dung, of course! Because the instant gratification we got from it satisfied us much faster than guaranteeing food and safe shelter for one another! You can find that kind of sheep dung on any dirt path. Building the sacred society of "Love your neighbor as yourself" makes you feel like you are waiting for the cows to come home. Still, it is necessary to stumble upon such thingsâand hold them in your handsâalong the way until you figure out exactly what you are looking for. I rolled the sheep dung between my fingers and took a deep breath of its scent, just to make sure I would never go down this road again.
The Barking Laugh And Orphan Murat's Struggle
I was on my way home from school when I heard a dog barking. Iâm not usually afraid of dogs, but I prefer to steer clear of trouble. A dog could be rabid, and if it bites you, there isn't a soul alive who can save you. So, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Then, I ducked behind a mud-brick wall and peeked out at the street. I saw those rough-looking men sitting at the kıraathane in the marketplace, roaring with laughter. That wasnât a dog barking at all! It was Davut the Foxâthe guy who gets himself thrown in jail every winter for stealing. How could I have recognized him so quickly? Because Davut the Foxâs laugh sounds exactly like a rabid dog. Murat was an orphan. He had a very old grandfather. He lived with him. His grandfather had one foot in the grave. That is why they sent Murat to an auto repair shop as an apprentice. Oh, the things Murat suffered there! Every man who came to change a car tire seemed like he was coming to the shop just to trick him. 'Murat, a fair has been set up in the marketplace, and they are giving away free döner; Murat, the mosque imam has become a woman and is walking around in a wig; Murat, a cow flew over the roof and landed on the branch of a tree.' Once, a man who wanted to get his car painted came to the shop and said: 'Murat, while you are dawdling here with a screwdriver in your hand, the Messiah has come to the neighborhood. He is going to resurrect the dead in the cemetery.' Murat said, 'Now that, I do not believe.' 'I haven't heard anyone blow the ram's horn!' The man said, 'Are you deaf?' Everyone in the shop started saying, 'I heard it too, I heard it too.' Right at that moment, the senior apprentice came in, and opening his eyes wide, he shouted: 'Murat, the Messiah has resurrected your mother and father, and they are looking for you in front of the cemetery!'
Awakening From Below And Awakening From Above
Have you thought about what Murat felt? Where is God! God is the awakening from above that aged the grandfather and turned everyone in the repair shop into a mockingbird. When we study the sacred law of "love your neighbor as yourself" every day, this is called the awakening from below. Everyone experiences the awakening from above as suffering. Those who mocked Murat could not find peace inside themselves either, the grandfather knew he would die soon, and oh, how Murat missed his mother and father. These were God's awakening from above. Establishing a good environment where there is food for everyone, safe shelter for everyone, and continuous education on "love your neighbor as yourself" is the awakening from below. Our duty is to rise up to Him before God descends among us.