In our last post we discussed how Orual transformed the three pillars of Glome society and thus made the gods beautiful. The three pillars she transformed were Glome’s government, economy, and the House of Ungit itself, and the efforts of transforming them paralleled the three tasks of Psyche. Unlike Psyche who performed her tasks with joy, Orual did them without knowing why and even without the knowledge that her efforts would bring beauty to the gods. Nonetheless, this was her destiny as pronounced by the god of the West Wind, “You also shall be Psyche.”
There is one final task of Psyche, however, that Orual sees in her vision to get beauty in a casket from the Queen of the Deadlands and bring it back to Ungit. Here Orual does not assist Psyche, she fights against her. Why?
Orual’s efforts can very much be cast, not as religious, but as Hellenizing. Her efforts were not to make the gods beautiful, but to civilize Glome. Certainly, had Orual been asked the purpose of her efforts she would have given that, or something similar, as her answer. How could it then be claimed that her efforts were for godly purposes?
Let’s pause for a moment to note that the Talmud addressed the very same question.
The Talmud foretells that at the end of time the various nations will come before the Almighty to claim how righteous they were in the toil of God’s Torah. Rome will come first before God:
The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: With what did you occupy yourselves? They say before Him: Master of the Universe, we have established many marketplaces, we have built many bathhouses, and we have increased much silver and gold. And we did all of this only for the sake of the Jewish people, so that they would be free to engage in Torah study.
However, God doesn’t buy it:
Fools! Are you attempting to deceive Me? Everything that you did, you did for your own needs. You established marketplaces to place prostitutes in them; you built bathhouses for your own enjoyment; and as for the silver and gold that you claim to have increased, it is Mine.
Is Orual any different? She too did everything for herself, to keep herself busy and not pay attention to her true nature, and certainly not for the gods!
But there is hope for Orual just as there is hope for Ungit. If, due to Orual’s actions, Glome is prepared to recognize the beauty of the gods, everything she did will be redeemed. Orual will have accomplished the purpose of beautifying the gods and be beautified herself.
The Jews could have redeemed Rome. Had they not assimilated into Roman culture, fallen to divisiveness, but rather adhered to their own religion and engaged in Torah study. Rome’s assertion that they did everything for the Jewish people would have been proven de facto. But they didn’t…
Psyche is the parallel to the Jewish people in the Talmud’s vision. It is she who must be the bearer of truth and beauty. It is she, as the one chosen by the gods, who will inspire others and catalyze the beautification of the gods.
And Psyche succeeds. She is not influenced by the philosophy of the Greeks or the materialism of the everyday world. Through her dedication and single-mindedness, Psyche brings beauty to the gods, inspiring Orual, and, presumably, the rest of Glome. The true religion is to emerge, and the divine nature will be revealed to all.
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