There’s really only one choice in life – to either portray or to betray your true self.
Many people think that God is some “guy in the sky,” who is telling us what to do. But our sages teach us that God is the Soul of our souls, God is our higher self. Therefore, the word of God – which is the Torah – is not coming from a stranger far away, but from our higher self. Whether we listen to the word of God or not, is not simply about obeying, it’s about either portraying or betraying our true self.
It says in the Book of Numbers (32:23), “Your sin will find you.” What does this mean?
Most people think that they are going to be punished by God for their transgressions, but, in fact, it is their own transgressions that will punish them. In other words, you are not punished for your sins, you are punished by your sins.
When you do not listen to the voice of God, which is the voice of your higher self, you are essentially betraying yourself. The goal of life is for you to be the best you that you can be – which means being more closely connected to your true self – and the teachings of the Torah are there to enable you to achieve this goal.
To disobey the will of God is to betray yourself. To obey the will of God is to portray your true self. Being true to yourself is its own reward.