NOTES for Deu 30:15
With careful reading of the Bible, it is not hard to see that all biblical books are permeated in one way or another by the idea of two ways: the way of good and the way of evil, the way of blessing and the way of curse, the way of salvation and the way of destruction, the way of life and the way of death. At the same time, the way of life is always connected with keeping the Torah and the commandments given by God, while the way of death is connected with refusing to keep it and with breaking the commandment. Sometimes such strictness raises a question: is it justified? After all, there are other colors in the world besides black and white. Is everything really so unambiguous? Perhaps there is some third way, a way fallen human nature is so inclined to seek? Usually the answer to this question has been sought, and is still sought, in the sphere of morality and ethics, reducing it to various systems of values. But is morality really the point? And why would God need our morality? He needs not our morality, but our heart. Following the commandments, keeping the Torah, is not a means of becoming a moral person, which is only a consequence, but a way to acquire the spiritual form that will make communion with God possible for us. Even the Decalogue is not a moral code, although outwardly it looks very much like one, but a description of the pattern of communion with God that belongs to normal, full spiritual life, insofar as the spiritual life of fallen humanity can be normal and full at all. But then there can truly be only two ways: either toward God or away from Him. There are, of course, far more directions of movement, both physical and spiritual, but there are only two ways. And God calls us to make our choice about the main thing without being distracted by what is secondary. For here it really is a matter of spiritual life and spiritual death.