Jewish Spiritual Renewal: Derek Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:
Shabbat 01/08/11
(aka Derech Eretz )
Shalom my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis:
A oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat, Sabbath, this weekend and happy Rosh Kodesh Shevat.
We continue with our exploration into the Talmudic Tractates of Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah. (aka Derech Eretz Zuta, aka Derech Eretz Rabbah. As was mentioned, zuta is Aramaic for 'small', and rabbah is 'large'). Remember that Derek Eretz is not about Jewish ritual. It is about how we are to treat one another and what traits of character, middot, we are to try to develop. The lessons are universal and ecumenical.
For those new to the class, Baruch ha Ba! Welcome! You can access last week's class at
From there you will find links to preceding classes in this new series (new as of Simcha Torah, the holiday of rejoicing over the giving and receiving of the Torah, circa 3300 years ago at Sinai), October 2, 2010).
So. together we continue:
TALMUD BAVLI
TRACTATE DEREK
ERETZ ZUTA.
(aka Derech Eretz)
CHAPTER I.
Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Verse 1:4: If you have sustained a loss of your property, remember that Job lost his property, children, and health. Be careful about all that you see with your eyes, for the principal deception is by the eye. Be careful with your teeth (with your meals), that you should not eat too much. Do not discuss with the Sadducees, that you shall not fall into the Gehenna . When you hear others insult you, do not answer them. If people are praising you for having done a great thing, you shall nevertheless consider it of no importance.
Today we will discuss the first two sentences of verse 1:4.
Our sages start Verse Four in Chapter One with a very timely adage. While this lesson is easy to accept when things are going well in our lives, especially financially, it is much more difficult to accept when things are not going well in our lives.
To understand a truism in our minds, and then to accept it and believe it in our hearts, is one of the most difficult parts of Jewish Spiritual Renewal. "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." said Rabbi Yisrael Salanter. When our heart is connected with our mind, we have become integrated and we will know true shalom, shlema, wholeness and Oneness with God.
So this adage brings us again to living a life with an attitude of gratitude. Few of us could suffer like Job, who lost all yet did not loose faith in God, It is a powerful story. It relates the story of Job , who was not Jewish nor Hebrew. In the Midrash he is the son of Utz, who was the son of Nahor , the brother of Abraham. Job was Abraham's nephew's son.
We need to remember in these tough times that if we have lost property , livelihood, even our homes, but still have our health and family, we need to still be grateful. While it is not too often brought to our attention, most of the humans on this globe, neither have property, a steady livelihood, or even their health and families. We have members in this class from Nigeria and The Congo, who are descendents from two of the 10 lost tribes, who spend their entire daily earnings, to walk miles to an Internet 'cafe,' to log onto this class.
We need to remind ourselves of why we have a Rosh Chodesh ceremony at the start of the lunar month circa every four weeks. Our Sages teach that like the moon our lives will have periods of waxing, and periods of waning. No human ever has lived a life as a fully waxed full moon. All of us have or will have situations and challenges to over come.
So this timely part of 1:4 of Derek Eretz teaches us that while we may have lost material possessions, God, in His time, will give us the strength (koach) and cochmah (wisdom), to rebuild our lives.
The second part of 1:4 is; '' Be careful about all that you see with your eyes, for the principal deception is by the eye.'' In Judaic and Hebraic literature, the eye, is the gateway for the yetzer ha ra, the evil inclination, that part of us that wants to do our will, at the expense of others.
Our eyes allow us to see things, but do not give us the whole picture. Our eyes can also entice us and let us forget about consequences for a moment. In fact the reason why the Torah asks Hebrews to wear fringes on the four corners of their garments, usually shirts that come down to the waist, is because of our wandering eyes.
In fact the mitzvoth of wearing tzitzit, if one looks at the Hebrew and not the English, it is to protect us when our ''eyes go a whoring.'' Numbers: 15:39: ''And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring.(zohnim) אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃ )''
So we are being taught that all is not appears as it is seen. How many times have we foolishly coveted another's life style, the big house, the fancy cars, the sexy spouse, only to find out later that all was mortgaged to the hilt, and the trophy spouse was sharing her affections with her golf teacher and her tennis coach?
The rabbis are teaching us to use our minds and investigate matters and not just use one gateway, our eyes, to reach conclusions, that may be false. In a sense they are saying "Who are you going to believe, we rabbis or your lying eyes?''
At the same time they are warning us about the yetzer ha ra again.
"The strongest trick in the storehouse of the yetzer ha ra is to take what you know to be truth and make you come to have doubts about it. If you are not careful, this can cause you to come to sin even where you are spiritually strongest." (Duties of the Heart, Rabbi Ibn Pakudah, 1050 C.E. Spain). "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." (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sukkah 52a).
We discuss the aspects of this verse of Derek Eretz Zuta: of faith in God even when things do not work out well, and how to deal with our yetzer ha ra, through out the majority of chapters in The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew as well as in most chapters of A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud .
What are your ideas about faith, trust, belief and experience with God, during tough times? How does this God-experience effect your spiritual life? How have you worked on making your life placed in the loving, trusting, hands of God?
Next class, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue with Derek Eretz Zuta, with more of the fourth verse. Thank you for joining me.
For those who want a d'var Torah on Parasha Bo from A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud or http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/index.html#Compendium2
please click on:
Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: CHUMASH CANDESCENCE: PARASHA BO: EXODUS 10:01-13:16
or
http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2008/02/chumash-candescence-parasha-bo-exodus.html
Shabbat Shalom :
Rabbi Arthur Segal www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal www.jewishrenewal.info
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
Eco Judaism
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
If visiting SC's Low Country, contact us for a Shabbat meal, in our home by the sea, our beth yam.
Maker of Shalom (Oseh Shalom) help make us deserving of Shalom beyond all human comprehension!
