Today I am writing a blog on Jewish religion, not on Hindu religion. You must have heard the name of Moses who brought Ten Commandments to this world. So this blog is about the same Moses. This story of Moses is from Falasha literature of Ethiopia. Falasha are the Israel Jews living in Ethiopia. It is long time ago, about 3000 years before, South-western Arabian queen Maqeda (or Queen Sheba) went to see Solomon. Later they had a son from that meeting. Queen Sheba named him Menelik. Queen Sheba was the queen of Ethiopia also. Later Solomon sent some of his people of Israel to help Menelik to rule his country Ethiopia. Those Israel people who came to Ethiopia initially were called Falasha (foreigners) in Ethiopia, although this term was coined in 15th century by the then King of Ethiopia.
They live near Lake Tana, the source of River Blue Nile, speak Agaw language. They worship in Geez language and their worshiping place is called Masjid (mosque)
Falasha have developed their own literature - some biblical and some non-biblical, and it has its own very special important place in Ethiopian literature, although it is very little.Among the non-biblical literature there is one Mota Muse (The Death of Moses) also. Edward Ullendorff has translated this piece in English. This story is based on the same translation. This story describes the death of Moses as how Falasha know about his death. I love this story very much.
It is such a beautiful that it reminds me several basic tenets of Hinduism at different points. That is why I am presenting this story here. Read it and think over it. It is a bit long story that it is presented in three parts.
Moses Meets the God
Once Moses went to pray on Mount Sinai. There he prayed and opened the Book of Torah. He found five things in that book which he could not understand. God appeared before him and said - "Moses, I myself have written these so I know their meaning. I tell you their meaning, listen to it and try to understand it. The first thing is that at the time of living outside of one's own country, being in poverty, being hungry, getting something in plenty, being happy, being sick, being poor and being sorrowful, who thinks that there is some God who is with me, I will guide him. Because I am God whose seat is at the highest.
The second thing is, who has faith in me, he passes his life comfortably and is worthy of my immediate kindness. The third thing is, he who commits sins happily and smilingly, I take him towards the fire of Gehenna (Hell) weeping and crying. The fourth things is, he who gets lots of wealth, and he does not accept that he has got it by God's grace, rather he says that he has earned it himself, I throw him in the fire of Gehenna at the time of deluge. And now you listen to the fifth thing, to whom I have created , if they do not worship me sincerely and do not say that "You are our master", then I cannot show them any kind of my grace. If they do not believe that only I have created these Earth and sky, Heaven and Hell, day and night and Sun and Moon; and they do not believe this also that only I sit on my throne above the sky, I cannot show my grace to them."
Hearing all this Moses said - "I have read in your book that You asked the Earth and sky whether they believe in you or not, and they said - "O Master, Yes we believe in You. But if they had said that we do not believe in You, what would You have done with them?" God said to Moses - "I would have chosen the tiniest animal of the world, whether it was of the Earth or of the sea; and nobody would have known where it lived, and to whom I alone could search; I would have sent the same immediately to destroy them. Then they would not have been seen even like a mustard seed fallen on the Earth."
Moses said - "O Master, Now I ask you by your that name which is not known to anybody else except me, that tell me the day on which you will take my life?" God said - "Listen Moses, what I say to you. Till now there has been no human being born to whom I have told the day of his death, even not to those prophets who has been born before you, nor to those angels who live with me. But Moses, I will surely tell you this I will take your life on Friday." And God disappeared.
Death of Moses-2 Death of Moses-3
Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com
In our philosophy, GOD does not speak, do or see anything; though it is true that noone knows about his death, how , when and where
ReplyDelete