Over and over in this class we have been shown that by doing God's most simple will, our life will lose its angst, fears, worries, anxieties, resentments, grudges, hates and jealousies. We will no longer covet. We will be rid of our character defects, selfishness, self-centeredness, self-seeking, low self-esteem, self-pity and confusion. Our life will no longer lack meaning and we will no longer be at odds with others. We become integrated in true shlema, shalom.
Some Torah: Lev.19:18: "Love your fellow as yourself. " This oft quoted verse is an extension of another verse, said by Jews in every worship service. And it is:
Some more Torah: Deut 6:5: "And you shall love the Lord your God..."
Some TaNaK: Job 31:12: "A part of God above." Loving your fellows is loving God, for one's fellow contains within himself a "part of God above" By loving one's fellow, the innermost part of him, one loves God. The way we Jews treat another human being with love, honesty, altruism and without fear of rejection, is the highest Jewish Ethical and Spiritual Avodah, service, to God.
Some more 20th Century Jewish thought: Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, founder of Reconstructionist Judaism: "Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting the bull not to charge you because you are a vegetarian." Believe me, I know this. But it doesn't stop me from responding with love to those who try to goad me into an argument. I smile. If I feel I need to say something, I will say "thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.''
Some 18th Century Jewish thought: The Ba'al Shem Tov: "The virtue of angels is that they cannot deteriorate; their flaw is that they cannot improve. Humanity's flaw is that we can deteriorate; but our virtue is that we can improve."
And the month of Elul, as we have been discussing for the past few weeks, as well as the whole process of Jewish Spiritual Renewal is for self improvement.
Some 19th Century Jewish thought: Rabbi Yisrael Salanter: "It is harder to change one bad character trait than to learn the complete Talmud. It is just as great a distance from knowing something to not knowing something as is the distance from knowing something in your head alone to internalizing it into your heart...As long as one is still alive, one can still work on perfecting himself." When your heart is connected with your mind, you have become integrated and you will know true shalom, shlema, wholeness and Oneness with God.
Some Talmud: Bavli Tractate Sukkah 52a: "The yetzer ha ra starts as thin as a spider web strand and if one does not conquer it, it grows thicker than a cart rope...The bigger that one spiritually is, the bigger his yetzer ha ra is."
Some Medieval Spanish Golden Age Jewish thought: Duties of the Heart, Rabbi Ibn Pakudah, 1050 C.E.
Some Torah: Deut. 21:10: reads, "Kee saytzay la milchomo al oyvecho - when you go out to war against your enemies." Hebrew, depending on whether one is addressing one person or more than one has separate singular and plural forms of expressing "you." In this verse Moses is talking to the Hebrew people. Moses should use the plural "saytzu" (you go out) as if he were speaking to many, but the Torah uses the singular "saytzay" (you go out) as if Moses were talking to only one person. The commentaries explain that the Torah is saying that the basic war in life is the individual's war against his number one enemy, the yetzer ha ra within. The yetzer ha ra strives to keep each person's Jewish Spirituality down by keeping his ego alive. The yetzer ha ra has the individual do his own will. This leads one to negative actions due to character defects. This leads one farther away from God and mitzvoth.
Some 14th Century Jewish Ethical Thought: The anonymous author of Orchos Tzadikim said that happiness and joy is "calm in the heart without any sense of wound." As we have learned, grudges and resentments are an acid eating way at the container (us). If we are still holding on to any resentments, this is the time of year for Jews to rid ourselves of them.
Some more Talmud: Bavli Tractate Pirkei Avot 4:1: "Who is truly rich? The one who rejoices with what he has." We will find happiness and joy by understanding our purpose in this world, to love God and His children, and to do mitzvoth for them, and to "serve God with happiness" (Psalms 100:2). Its not about ''one dying with the most toys, wins.''
Some Midrash: Bamidbar Rabba:. "Shalom is the only pipeline through which blessing comes down to earth from Heaven." When we do not have inner peace, when we are always striving, worrying, resenting, we are blind to all of God's blessings granted to us. We see the world as a cup half full, and not as a cup overflowing with God's abundance.
So, my friends, in the last two weeks of Elul, review or finally do your Chesbon ha Nefesh, (your inventory of your soul), find those character defects that separate you from others and hence from God objectionable, and God to take them from you by doing your own Tashlik ceremony, make teshuvah to everyone you have a resentment to, for as we have learned, there are few human disagreements that are truly one -sided. Apologize for your side of the street. Don't mention their side, even if they are 99% wrong. If they don't accept your amends, or refuse to see you, send a letter. Make this Selicoth and this Rosh ha Shana and this Yom Kippur really count. All of this is set down in an easy to follow method in: (001) The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal - Rabbi Arthur Segal . If anyone is having trouble financially affording this $19.99, email me privately at RabbiASegal@aol.com and we have a Jewish Philanthropist , whose life has changed because of this path, and will anonymously get you the book as well as its companion: (002) A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud - Rabbi Arthur Segal . For gratis, I will work with anyone by email, or phone (if in the USA), walking this path of transformation with you.
May we all merit to live Spread over by a Sukkah of Shalom (ufeross aleinu sukkat shelomekha***) and may "All Israel (and the World) be fit to dwell in one Sukkah." (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sukkah 27b).
(***from our evening Hashkiveinu beracoth.)
Shabbat Shalom:
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Parashot Nitzavim and Vayeilech: Deuteronomy 29:09-31:30
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"You Know it Ain't Easy, Its Often Unkind; But You Better Have to Make up your Mind"
Parasha Nitzavim gets its name from the Hebrew word for "standing." Moses renews God's covenant with
Parasha Vayeilech tells of Moses' 120th birthday. He is about to leave the people of
"I have placed life and death before you, blessing and curse, and you shall choose life." (Deut. 30:19). With only three portions left to conclude the Chumash, some of our leader's final words to us are to "choose life." We have the choice. It is always in our control. We had it in the Garden of Eden, and we had it throughout history. The Torah has shown us time and time again how bad choices bring about disastrous results. Sometimes these calamitous sequella show up generations later. The Torah is "a tree of life to those that cling to it."
The parasha insists that Torah be accessible to all. "It is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in heaven...it is not across the sea...the matter is very near to you...in your mouth and in your heart." (Deut. 30:11-14). In Talmud Tractate Niddah 30B we are taught that a fetus is taught Torah in the womb and is caused to forget it at birth. What were the sages teaching?
The instructions in the Torah about how we are to behave to one another, even when read for the first time, ring true. The rabbis are saying that when we are born, we have inside us the intrinsic knowledge to know good and to be good. A small child knows when he or she is being naughty. As we get older, we learn to rationalize the things we do that are not good. When we rationalize to ourselves, we lie to ourselves. Whether the lie is "everyone cheats on their taxes, so why can't I?" or "one little piece of pie won't ruin my diet," lying to ourselves seems part of the human condition. But we also truly know that it is wrong. Moses is telling us to continually stay focused, be rational, and make choices that promote life, goodness, and harmony. But Moses knew human nature well. He predicted that the Israelites would return to sin, and soon after Joshua's death, they did (Judges 2:7).
Knowing that we sin, the Torah gives us a way for growth. The Hebrew word for sin (chet) means to "miss the mark." It is an archery term. We are not condemned or damned for eternity when we fall short of our goals. We can say we are sorry to others, and to ourselves, and vow to do better. The Hebrew word for sorry is selicha. You'll hear this word in
Selichot are penitential prayers. They are traditionally recited before the morning service during the last week of month of Elul. They are also said between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. When a sacrifice was brought to the
The traditional service is a collection of liturgical poets who lived during the millennium following the close of the Talmudic era (circa 500 C.E. to 1500 C.E.). Originally, the service had groups of biblical verses, which emphasized the 13 attributes of God, which we are to emulate. As the years moved on, the service adapted the sound of most other services with multiple kaddishes. Psalm 145 was added, as was a confessional. In
All of us have struggles. As my dear friend Lisa Segal (no relation, but a wonderful Cantor and woman) wrote, "How we respond to our struggles is what truly matters." We have discussed many times that the Torah teaches us to help one another deal with life's hardships. Sometimes, the way to choose life has unfortunately been to choose death. The life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer lends us some modern insights into Selicoth.
When
Jewish and Christian scholars evaluate Bonhoeffer's legacy differently. To Christians, his resistance against the Nazis and his writings offered new ethics to the Protestant church. Some Jewish scholars contend that Bonhoeffer acted out of patriotism on behalf of his church and not for the sake of the Jews.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on February 4, 1906 in
A group of German Christians, called Deutsche Christen, was the voice of Nazi ideology within the
Bonhoeffer's opposition to this Aryan anti-Semitic Deutsche Christen was not based upon disagreement with the Nazi's racial policies, but upon the group's repudiating Church policy as defined in the Gospel. It was a battle of Church independence from Nazism. The church avoided the deeper issue of the rights of German Jews. Many of the church leaders who were against the Deutsche Christen were in favor of the Nazi Aryan policies.
Bonhoeffer opposed the Deutsche Christen, saying that they surrendered Christian precepts to Nazi ideology. He said if non-Aryan Christians could not be in the German Protestant church, he would start a new church, called the "
In his essay The Church and the Jewish Question, published in 1933, Bonhoeffer called upon the church to defend the Jews. He did so not because of moral or humanitarian concerns, but because the church needed the Jews to accept Jesus. He says the homecoming of Jesus happens "in the conversion of
Theologically, Bonhoeffer still felt the Jewish question would be resolved if all the Jews converted and Judaism no longer existed. This was against the Nazi and Deutsche German view of exterminating anyone with Jewish blood and not accepting their conversion or their grandparents' conversion. Bonhoeffer's struggle became more with his own church than with the Nazis. He enlisted help from churches outside of
However, when Bonhoeffer's sister asked him to conduct a Christian funeral for her husband's brother who, like her husband, was a converted Jew, Bonhoeffer succumbed to pressure from his church superintendent and refused. By November 1933, he regretted this decision and apologized to his sister. He turned down a parish post in
For the next two years, Bonhoeffer taught quietly at the seminary of his
During the period from 1938 to 1940, Bonhoeffer's philosophy changed. For the first time he described Judaism using the same terminology as he used for Christianity. He said that in God's eyes the church and synagogue were equal. He said that Jews were the brothers of Christians, and that that Jews were the "children of the covenant." These were radical statements. The regular Protestant movement in
After the November 9, 1938 Kristallnacht, Bonhoeffer protested the Church leaders who said that this pogrom was "the curse which has haunted Jews since Jesus' death on the cross." Bonhoeffer rejected this vehemently and said it was sheer violence revealing Nazism's godless face. Bonhoeffer then organized his members. Pastor Heinrich Gruber helped 2000 Jews escape
In 1939, Bonhoeffer's other brother-in-law, Hans von Dohnanyl, became a high- ranking member of the German Military Intelligence under Admiral Wilheim Canaris. Secretly, Dohnanyl was a member of the resistance. Dohnanyl told Bonhoeffer that war was imminent. Bonhoeffer left for
Bonhoeffer became a double agent for the resistance by working for his brother-in-law at German military intelligence. The Nazis thought Bonhoeffer would use his church connections to help the Reich. Instead, he helped the resistance gain support as he traveled in
When Jewish deportation started on October 15, 1941, Bonhoeffer wrote detailed memos about it that were smuggled out of Germany on October 18th. Dohnanyl and Canaris, while running the German intelligence office, ran Operation Seven. This secret project smuggled 11 converted Jews and 3 Jews to Switzerland. Using Jews in the Intelligence under the Nazis was not unusual. Hitler himself ordered Canaris to use Jews as spies and send them to the United States. Canaris was happy to oblige. The only orders he gave the Jewish spies was to escape as soon as they got out of Germany. The Gestapo discovered this operation by a trail of money leaving Germany to help the refugees. They arrested Dohnanyl and Bonhoeffer in 1943 on charges of corruption. Later they realized they were smuggling Jews.
In July 1944, an attempt by Canaris's group to kill Hitler failed. It was only after the conspirators' arrest that the Nazis learned of Bonhoeffer's true involvement. He was hung at Flossenburg concentration camp in April 1945, together with his brother Klaus, Canaris, his brother-in-law Dohnanyl, and others.
In his essay Who Stands Firm, Bonhoeffer wrote, "Only the one for whom the final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all these, when in faith and sole allegiance to God he is called to obedient and responsible action: the responsible person, whose life will be nothing but an answer to God's question and call."
This parasha says that all of us are "standing today" (Deut. 29:9). Our covenant with God was sealed not just with those standing with Moses circa 3,300 years ago, but "with whoever is not here with us today" (Deut. 29:14). Our covenant is binding upon unborn generations. We have a choice whether to accept Torah's ethical teachings or not. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is an example of a man who, after some starts and stops, decided to choose life. He gave up his own life for the greater good.
Let us determine to do our best to choose life-affirming actions. Let us work toward tsaddakah (justice) and chesed (kindness). As the prophet Isaiah says, "For Zion's sake, I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be still, until her righteousness shall go forth like a bright light." (Is. 62:01).
Let us begin, or continue, by doing good within our homes, workplaces and synagogues. Let us begin our own Jewish Spiritual Renewal. www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org . Let us "beat down the highway, clear it of stone, and raise a banner over all the peoples" (Is. 62:10) that will bring about Tikun Olam (repair of the world) speedily in our days.
Shabbat Shalom:
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| Rabbi Arthur Segal reveals the path to Jewish Spiritual Renewal - and happiness in troubled times...
YES, it is possible. Even when the world seems to be turning upside-down, you can follow a simple, step-by-step process that will have you loving life every day no matter what is going on around you. It's no secret, but nobody's been talking about it for generations...until now.In His New Book:
"The Handbook To Jewish Spiritual Renewal by Rabbi Arthur Segal has given me the foundation to approach each day with honesty, reverence, hope and gratitude. I feel like I am having a personal conversation with a wise prophet with a jovial sense of humor." Diane Weinberg, Shalom. My name is Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal, and in my years of rabbinic counseling I've met an awful lot of fellow Jews who are short on faith that Judaism can deliver the happiness and joy that it promises, especially in these turbulant times. Their emotions run the gamut: sadness, loneliness, bitterness; fearfulness of what the future holds for them. Some are just downright cynical and angry. But I found the way out. That's why I became a rabbi after retiring from my dental practice; to help others up the path to a life of joy and freedom that I couldn't find in "normative" Judaism. I want to show you that path today. "You lead the spiritual practices of the entire program and offer our followers a unique spiritual opportunity." Hune Margulies, Ph.D. Reclaim Your Spirituality...And Your Life
In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I distill teachings from our sages that have been passed along for thousands of years, along with lessons from the Torah and the Talmud. But unlike other Jewish spiritual texts that you may have read, or sermons you may have heard, this book presents these lessons in a concise, easy-to-read, easy-to-follow life transformation process that you can follow step-by-step at your own pace. And it is written in plain English with relevance to the modern world. I even threw in a few jokes to make it fun! This is stuff we were not taught in Hebrew school or in most synagogues, but it is what Judaism is really all about. "Wonderful stuff! I'm savoring it, bit by bit." Samuel Hughes, Senior Editor In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, you will learn:
A Question for YouLet me ask you a question: Are you enjoying life like the people in the cartoon at the top of this letter?Or, do you spend your days worrying about the economy... ...in conflict with friends, family, and co-workers... ...stressed out about the future? If the latter sounds like you I'm not surprised. As I said earlier, I counsel many fellow Jews who are in the same boat, and they look to their Jewish faith to find a happier life. However... Some have trouble understanding what they read in the Torah and how it relates to their own lives. Others find that their synagogues are more about social climbing and fundraising and less about spiritual awakening. Many simply give up, believing that Judaism has failed them, and they walk away from their Jewish faith. In my book, The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I will show you that true Judaism has not failed them...or you...and that you can return to your Jewish faith and enjoy your life to its fullest, even when the news of the day keeps going from bad to worse. "I couldn't have written the book or expressed my pain and concern for the Jewish people returning to Judaism. Thank God that He put this desire in your heart." Janelle Vechi It's simpler than you may think, and you don't have to become a rabbi as I did. To give you an idea what I am talking about, here is an excerpt from The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew: We become so far removed from God, our loving Sovereign Parent, that when we pray, (if we pray at all), we pray to meet an immediate need. We desire an immediate fix, rather than to seek renewal (return) and the wisdom to work toward renewal. We are satisfied for a moment if our trivial need is met. We therefore never achieve happiness in the long term. We are constantly searching and striving for our secular notions of success and happiness. While in this all-too-common state our egos "lock horns" with the egos of others, putting us in a sustained state of human conflict and resentment.
This is not the Jewish way to live; but most of us cannot find the way out. In this book, I will give a map to the tools of the process in simple terms and in language easily understood, to turn your life around to a much more pleasant state. If you follow the map faithfully and honestly, you will find that the journey is life-changing and life-affirming. "Nice Rabbi Segal! Thank you! Peace." Deepak Chopra's Intent.com What Would You Say Something Like This is Worth?Think about it… The teachings of the Torah and the Talmud all distilled into an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-follow step-by-step process that will help you:
I know it sounds priceless and in reality…it is. But I sincerely want to share what has helped me and countless others with you. In other words, I want to show you the path to the happy and joyous life that your were meant to live. So I want you to have The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew for only $19.99. "The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal is an invaluable resource for anyone who is searching for more in their life. I was involved with organized Jewish religion, but something was always missing. Using this guide, and taking each chapter to heart, has transformed my views and put me on the track my life is supposed to be on, filled with love, trust and emunah (faith). Thanks Rabbi Segal!" Ben Pincus Like I said, I've been where you are: in a life missing spirituality; seemingly unable to cope with life's difficulties; and unable to find peace and inner shalom. But I found it and now I want to share with you the path that I have found and passed on to others with consistent success. It took me many years of work and study, and rabbinic ordination. But it didn't have to. And it doesn't have to for you. You can travel the same path that I did, but you can do it in only 254 pages!We are living in a historically turbulent time. Economic uncertainty, political corruption, threats of aggression, and religious conflict are everywhere. I know that I would find it difficult to find comfort without the peace and inner shalom that I have found through Jewish Spiritual Renewal. Please join me now. |
 Click to Order | A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal dissects each of the Torah's weekly sections (parashot) using the Talmud and other rabbinic texts to show the true Jewish take on what the Torah is trying to teach us. This companion to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew brings the Torah alive with daily relevance to the Modern Jew. All of the Torah can be summed up in one word: Chesed. It means kindness. The Talmud teaches that the Torah is about loving our fellow man and that we are to go and study. The rest is commentary. This compendium clarifies the commentary and allows one to study Torah and Talmud to learn the Judaic ideals of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and peace. A must read for all Jews and deserves a place in every Jewish home. Price: $24.99 494 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge |
"Very informative and timely. It allows many people to benefit from Torah lessons, where many of them may not otherwise have an opportunity receive such content."
Mauricio Benzipporah
Founder, Beta-Gershom Organization
A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud dissects each of the Torah's weekly sections (parashot) using the Talmud and other rabbinic texts to interpret its lessons.
Rabbi Daniel Ben Shmuel
A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud brings the Torah alive with daily relevance to the Modern Jew.
All of Torah can be summed up in one word: Chesed. It means kindness. The Talmud teaches that the Torah is about loving our fellow man and that we are to ''go and study.'' The rest is commentary.
A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud clarifies the commentary and allows one to study the Torah and the Talmud to learn the Judaic ideals of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and peace.
It is a must read for those seeking Jewish Spiritual Renewal and is the ideal complement to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew.
Here is an excerpt from A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud:
Since each parasha is the weekly Torah portion, you may read each of the chapters in the book during the course of a week while also reading the actual Torah portion. By doing so, you will learn a modern Jewish Spiritual view of each Torah portion. At the same time, your world will be open to the ethical teachings of the Talmud.
While many read the Torah as a history book, or a deed to land, or see it as a boring book full of legalisms and ritual for a priesthood that no longer exists, this book aims to show you the spiritual ethical lessons in each parasha. In a sense this book will hopefully help you enjoy reading and understanding the Five Books of Moses, what we call Chumash from the Hebrew word for "five." You may even discover that you want to continue your study with the Talmud and other Jewish texts.
Leslie Palma-Simoncek
Staten Island Advance
Complete your journey UP the path to Jewish Spiritual Renewal with a better understanding of the Torah's lessons through A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud for only $24.99...
...certainly a small amount to pay for the priceless wisdom contained within the Torah and the Talmud.
You can purchase each book individually, but if you purchase them together as a set, I will donate a portion of the sales price in your name to a tzadakkah of your choice, such as your synagogue. Think of it as your first act of loving kindness in your spiritually renewed life!
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 Click Image to Enlarge | THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew |
 Click Image to Enlarge | A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD |
About Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal
Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal's love of Judaism and his Ahavath Israel led him on his personal quest for Jewish Spiritual Renewal, beginning his studies after retirement from a successful oral medicine practice. Rabbi Segal graduated cum laude with BA and DMD degrees, Specialty, and Post-Doctoral studies in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in the 1970s. He is an author in these chosen fields as well.
Rabbi Segal teaches classes on Jewish Spiritual Renewal and The Spiritual and Ethical Teachings of the Torah, TaNaK and Talmud via the Shamash online program. He teaches Torah, Talmud, and other great texts, such as Duties of the Heart by Ibn Pakudah of 1050 C.E. Spain, to adults in his hometown. Rabbi Dr. Segal does rabbinic counseling using the step-by-step process of Jewish Spiritual Renewal to help his fellow Jews achieve a spiritual life.
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©2009 Dr. Arthur Segal, P.A. d/b/a Rabbi Arthur Segal
Page header image is courtesy of Steve Greenberg (greenberg-art.com)
