THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Thus, having wisely instructed us to etch His commandments upon our hearts, and recognizing the profound distress of our minds, He also mandates that these precepts be engraved, so to speak, onto a surface, as well as upon the doorposts; in addition, the writings of the law adorned with divine revelation are to be placed upon the right hand. Moreover, He deems it important that the garments should bear tassels and threads dyed in jachon. But how do these tassels and jachon-hued threads serve to remind us of God’s commands? Do you not acknowledge that ancient prophets spoke of the law in a veiled manner, inscribing it in shadows? I concede that is true.
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The presence of jachon threads attached to the hands and arms symbolizes our call to contemplate heavenly matters and to keep in mind the laws from above. To the Indians, if I am not mistaken, the stone known as jachonte is thought to possess a body that is ethereal, a blend of light and darkness, resembling a fluid form that appears both quivering and flowing. In this way, the law has wisely ordained that the jachon threads should adorn not just the garments but also the hand, as if to declare: Let the law be your mental robe and the raiment of your intellect, a divine checker and the guiding principle for righteous actions! The hand signifies the action itself; thus, what we do in accordance with the law is surely beyond reproach and does not belong to the realm of evil. Consequently, the Pharisees enhanced their scrolls and broadened their phylacteries, as described in Matthew 23:5, signifying their commitment to the right hand. However, Christ mockingly rebuked them for their actions, which stemmed from a spirit of servitude rather than a true remembrance of the law. Hence, it is indeed possible, while ostensibly adhering to the law, to engage in lawlessness if one misapplies it. Solomon seems to articulate this well: “Do not make yourself too wise; why should you ruin yourself?” (Ecclesiastes 7:16). It is, therefore, essential to inscribe the Divine commandment upon the mind and heart; the advantageous nature of this practice is vividly highlighted by the psalmist David, who notes of the righteous, “The law of his God is in his heart, and his feet shall not stumble” (Psalm 36:31). Thus, it is evident that one who upholds the Divine law in their thoughts will be securely grounded and steadfast in virtue. Precisely so. Therefore, a diligent and sustained attention to the law guides one toward righteousness, or what is equivalent to being pleasing to God, dispelling a certain gloom and fog of forgetfulness from the human soul.