Monday, May 28, 2012

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ: SHALOM HOLDS GOD'S BLESSINGS

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ: SHALOM HOLDS GOD'S BLESSINGS
 
Jewish Spiritual Renewal:
Derek Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:
Shabbat 6/23/12
(aka Derech Eretz, Derekh Eretz )
Shalom my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis:
An oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat this coming weekend to all.
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. The development of character traits and Jewish spiritual renewal transformation is called Mussar.
For those new to the class Baruch ha Ba! Welcome!
From here you will find links to preceding classes in this series. So, together we continue:
TALMUD BAVLI
TRACTATE
DEREk ERETZ ZUTA
(aka Derech Eretz, Derekh Eretz)
Today we will complete CHAPTER 10, 'The Chapter on Peace'' of Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Verses 10: 17-18. This will also have us finishing the detailed study of this Talmudic Tractate and rejoicing in a siyum, completion, ceremony.
CHAPTER X
10:17: R. Jehoshua of Sachnin said in the name of R. Levi: Great is peace, in that all the benedictions and prayers conclude with "peace." The reading of Shema we conclude with "peace," "and spread the tent of thy peace"; the blessing of the priests concludes with peace, "and give thee peace"; and the eighteen benedictions conclude: "Blessed be thou, master of peace."

10:18: Said R. Joshua b. Levi: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, You have caused me to destroy my house and to exile my children, now pray for peace and I will forgive you, as it is written [Ps. cxxii. 6]: "Pray ye for the peace of Jerusalem." Therefore he who loves peace, runs after peace, offers peace, and answers peace, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make him inherit the life of this world and the life of the world to come, as it is written [Ps. xxxvii. 11]: "But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves because of the abundance of peace."

END OF TALMUD BAVLI TRACTATE DEREK ERETZ ZUTA

Let us begin with: 10:17: R. Jehoshua of Sachnin said in the name of R. Levi: Great is peace, in that all the benedictions and prayers conclude with "peace." The reading of Shema we conclude with "peace," "and spread the tent of thy peace"; the blessing of the priests concludes with peace, "and give thee peace"; and the eighteen benedictions conclude: "Blessed be thou, master of peace."

Rabbi Jehoshua of Sachnin was a highly venerated rabbi, a healer, and his tomb in Israel is visited by Jews, Muslims and Christians who kiss the stones that make up the tomb. It is near a 3000 year old Phoenician fortress. Rabbi Jehoshua lived in the 3rd century CE. His grave is known in Arabic as Nabi as-Sideiq, and was a focus of pilgrimage from the Middle Ages through the present. The town of Sachnin is in the Galilee between Acre and Safed at it is one of Israel's towns with an Arab majority.
All of us who have been to a synagogue service hear the word shalom over and over. We pray for shalom, but how many of us become the makers of discord, strike, makloket, when we have our coffee and cake after the service? Our prayer are for naught if we cannot follow through with our own actions. How can we truly expect God to grant us peace, is we do not actively work for peace in all of our actions and words?
The Shema (Hear o' Israel) , what some call the V'Ahavtah (You shall love), ends with a call for shalom. The Amidah, the Shemoneh Esrei (18 Blessings), what the sages in the Talmud Tractate Berachot simply call ''The Prayer'' (ha Tephila) ends with a whole section of prayers for peace. Our blessings after our meals, ends with wishes for peace as does our Kaddish, used multiple times in our traditional service, and used as a prayer remembering our passed relatives and friends and at funerals. In fact, the last word of the entire Talmud is "Shalom.'' (Bavli Tractate Uktsin 3:12).
Let us concentrate on the 3 lined Priestly blessings found in Numbers 6:24 through 6:26.

Before the tribal leaders bring their offerings, Moses teaches Aaron and his sons how to bless the children of Israel. We have all heard these priestly blessings. Let's have a look now at the words and their meanings.

"May God bless you and safeguard you."

This is the first of the three priestly berachot. What does it mean to wish God's blessings upon someone? By doing so we acknowledge that all blessings come from the Almighty. Only God can assure success, abundance and good health. We insert this very prayer into our Shemoneh Esrei every day. By praying that God will bless someone and keep that person is an acceptance of the Oneness and greatness of God.

This first of the three blessings pertains to material prosperity. We are asking God to keep His promise. The promise made in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 is a promise of successful crops and businesses, healthy flocks, and increased possessions. The Mishna teaches in Pirkei Avot 3:15 that where there is no flour, there is no Torah. The more prosperous we are, the more time we can spend studying Torah and sharing our wealth with others.

After the priest asks God to bless us, he then asks God to safeguard us. Why? Material possessions bring with them the risk of robbery, jealousy, and possibly bodily harm. We are being taught here that physical gifts are important, but they are not the be all end all of our existence. Our survival, of course, depends upon our physical needs being met, but we need much more.

We are further taught in the Midrash that the best way to garner continued blessings for our wealth is to use it for mitzvoth. The sages teach that this is the best way to thank God for His generosity and ensure continued blessings.

Bringing it home to modern day life, we can interpret this blessing to mean that God wants you to be prosperous. He wants you to be wealthy! Not to impress your friends; not because "he who dies with the most toys wins." God wants you to be rich so that you have the means and the time to do His work.

Surely you've heard some version of the adage: "Nobody ever asked a poor man for a job." There is a good reason for this; it requires wealth to be in a position to employ others, enabling them to sustain themselves and prosper so that they are better able to do His work.

"May God illuminate His countenance for you and be gracious to you."

In the book of Proverbs (6:23) we read, "The commandments are a lamp and the Torah is a light." We are blessed to be able to comprehend the wisdom of the Torah and of God's gift of creation.

Having already been given wishes for prosperity, we are now able to go beyond the elementary requirements of survival, says Rabbi Sforno of sixteenth-century Rome. The second blessing is a spiritual one based on inspiration and hope from the knowledge of the Torah.

The word "countenance" literally means "face" in Hebrew. God is incorporeal, and we are taught that only Moses saw God face to face. We are being blessed to have the ability to understand God's purpose for us in His universe. This is similar, according to Rabbi Raphael Hirsch, to having the ability to read one's attitudes by reading facial expressions. When we understand God we will appreciate His gifts and truly know what to do with them. This is the "light" of the Torah. The study of Torah helps us learn of Gods "face."

The concept of being in God's grace is a fascinating one. There are those who believe that we Jews lost divine favor circa 35 C.E. The Midrash Sifre states that this means we wish for God to let our fellows look upon us with grace. It is written that a "person can have a host of personal attributes, but unless his fellows appreciate and understand him, his relationship with them will not be positive." The quality of being liked by others is called grace.

The Or ha Chaim (Rabbi Chaim ben Attar of eighteenth-century Italy) says that this is a prayer asking for other nations to like and understand us. The Rambam says that this means Israel, or we as individuals, should find favor in God's eyes.

"May God lift his face to you and establish peace for you."

This third blessing is a wish for God's compassion, forgiveness and the granting of shalom. Rashi says that the blessing asks God to suppress his anger against us even if we have sinned. We cannot look at another while feeling anger toward them. We pray that God will always look directly at us and not turn his back toward us.

In Talmud Bavli Tractate Rosh Hashanah 17B, the proselyte Bloria asks how God can show mercy to somebody undeserving. The Kohan Yose answers that God mercifully forgives sins committed against Him. He refuses to show favor to those who sin against their fellow man unless they first placate and obtain forgiveness from the victim.

This is a major point where Judaism and Christianity part company. Judaism believes that we are born into God's grace and can maintain this grace only through repentance to God and to those that we have hurt. Our grace has to be continually earned.

The Midrash teaches that the gates for our repentance, our Jewish Spiritual Renewal, are always open. Christianity says we are born into a state of sin, and only accepting Jesus puts us into a state of grace, which we keep regardless of our actions as long as we still believe.

The last phrase of wishing us peace is how the blessing is sealed. Without peace, internally and externally, we cannot enjoy God's bounty. In the very last words of the entire Talmud (Bavli Tractate Uktsin 3:12), Rabbi Shimon ben Chalefta said, "God could find no container that would hold Israel's blessings as well as peace." He quoted Psalm 29:11 in which we end our Blessing after the Meal: "God will give might to his people. God will bless his people with peace."

The Or ha Chaim wrote that peace is not just harmony among people. Peace is the "balance between the needs of the body and the needs of the soul." Universally, it is the balance between the infinite Holy elements and the earthbound human, mundane elements.

Peace, shlema, wholeness, integration is so important, that without it, we cannot fully enjoy life's blessings.

Let us end Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta with: 10:18: Said R. Joshua b. Levi: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, You have caused me to destroy my house and to exile my children, now pray for peace and I will forgive you, as it is written [Ps. cxxii. 6]: "Pray ye for the peace of Jerusalem." Therefore he who loves peace, runs after peace, offers peace, and answers peace, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make him inherit the life of this world and the life of the world to come, as it is written [Ps. xxxvii. 11]: "But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves because of the abundance of peace."

We begin and end this Chapter 10, The Chapter on Peace with adages by Rabbi Joshua ben Levi. Of the two Rabbis mentioned in Chapter One, Rabbi Joshua is the second, and his name ends the chapter.

R' Joshua starts by telling Israel that God said that they caused Him to destroy the Temple and to exile them. He is referring to the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in 70 CE and the eventual Diaspora starting in 135 CE.

The sages teach, when we read between the lines, that it is not God punishing us. We cause our own punishments by our bad behaviors. Our egos and our wills bump into the wills and egos of others and makloket, the absence of peace, occurs. The Talmud tells us over and over that when bad things happen we are to look inside ourselves for the reason, not outside (Talmud Tractate Bavli Berachot 5a).

The Talmud tells us that Jerusalem was destroyed because of sinat chinam, baseless hatred among Jews.[Talmud Bavli Tractate Yoma 9b]. They actually give an example of a party snub as the proximate cause of the Romans storming the city walls and gates.

Bar Kamtza , literally meaning son of a small thing, which is smaller than a small thing, gets an invitation to a party. He goes. The host tells him the invitation is for Kamtza, not for him. He is embarrassed. He is now all dressed up and no where to go.The gruffly tells him to leave. He begs to stay for his honor's sake. He offers to pay for his own meal. He is still told no. He offers to pay for half the cost of the party. He is still told no. He offers to pay for the whole party and is told no. Meanwhile while Rabbis are watching this event unfold and 'stand idly by.'

A bit later in a peace effort, the Roman governor wants to send an unblemished calf to the Temple for the Hebraism sacrifice. Somehow Bar Kamtza is asked to bring this calf. Bar Kamtza cuts a marking into the calf, making it blemished. The priests received the calf, see the blemish, and reject the Roman's peace offering. The rabbi say to the priests, the Roman's peace offering is more important than you following a rule in the Torah. The priests stuck to their rules.

The Romans found out, and when Bar Kamtza tells them that Jews at this party were planning a rebellion, the Romans decided to break thru the walls and gates. [Talmud Bavli Tractate Gittin 55a - 56b]

The Temple was destroyed, eventually Jerusalem, and many towns in Judea. This was done not by Divine decree but because people did not live in peace with one another, had hatred toward one another, and because some lived by the letter of the law, and not the spirit of the law.[Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Metzia 30b].

Rabbi Joshua is teaching us if we pray for peace, but more importantly : love peace, run after peace, offer peace, and answer peace, we will have peace!

What is meekness? It is not what many think it means in the Torah. It is not weak. The Hebrew word translated "meekness" is anav meaning "depressed (figuratively), gentle in mind and circumstances (especially saintly), and humble. It means truly living in God's world, being at peace with it, and knowing what things we can control, and what things we cannot. We have a skin of Teflon and loose that skin of Velcro. We know what things we can let go, and what things for which, usually few, we have to fight. We understand we make our best efforts but the results are not in our domain and we do not get attached to results. We understand that God gives us what we need, we have no need to covet or be jealous, and are happy with others' successes. ''Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.'' [Num. 12:3]. Meek in this Talmudic sense means spiritually connected.

When we are spiritually connected, we are serene, and live in an ''abundance of peace.''

The sages in Talmud Bavli Tractate Gittin 59b teach: ''The whole of Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.''"Shalom ha gadol" – peace is the greatest of virtues (Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 10a).
Thank you the honor of studying my commentary on Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta and look forward to you continuing with our commentary on Derek Eretz Rabbah. I pray for all of us that we be as Rabbi Hillel (c.100 BCE) asked of us :"Be like the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures and bringing them close to the Torah and God and one another." (Talmud Bavli Tractate Pirkei Avot 1:12).
HADRAN ALACH DEREK ERETZ ZUTA: WE WILL RETURN TO YOU DEREK ERETZ ZUTA

These middot, character traits, of living in shalom, and being coming spiritually connected are discussed throughout ''The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew'' ' (http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/ ) as well as in most chapters of ''A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud'' (http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/

index.html#Compendium2 ) .
How has learning Talmud's Derek Eretz helped you in your interpersonal relationships? Are you learning to live in shalom and be in shlema? How has understanding the spiritual and ethical teachings of Judaism helped you live a more joyous life?
Next class, Baruch ha Shem, we will begin Talmud Bavli Derek Eretz Rabbah. It is a bit more lively with stories of rabbis in interesting situations and the lessons learned.
Thank you for joining me.
For those who want a d'var Torah on Parasha Korach from '''A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud'' please click on Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUALITY : KORACH :DON'T BE DIVISIVE ,QUARRELING or http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2011/06/rabbi-arthur-segal-jewish-spirituality_6852.html.
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Shabbat Shalom:

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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!!

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BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS


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THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A PATH OF TRANSFORMATION FOR THE MODERN JEW

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THE PATH AND WISDOM FOR LIVING AT PEACE WITH OTHERS: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD TRACTATES DEREK ERETZ ZUTA AND RABBAH: VOL. 1

LOVE PEACE AND PURSUE PEACE: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD TRACTATES DEREK ERETZ ZUTA AND RABBAH: VOL. 2



THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A PATH OF TRANSFORMATION FOR THE MODERN JEW


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A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD


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THE PATH AND WISDOM FOR LIVING AT PEACE WITH OTHERS: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD TRACTATES DEREK ERETZ ZUTA AND RABBAH: VOL. 1


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LOVE PEACE AND PURSUE PEACE: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD TRACTATES DEREK ERETZ ZUTA AND RABBAH: VOL. 2


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JEWISH WEDDINGS

JEWISH WEDDINGS OFFICIATED BY RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: TRADITIONAL, INTERFAITH, CO-OFFICIANT, DESTINATION

"One of the Joys of being a Rabbi," says Rabbi Arthur Segal," is working closely with the bride and groom and officiating at their wedding." He can do this with couples living near by or with couples having a destination wedding in the greater beautiful Hilton Head Island area.

Rabbi Arthur Segal helps develop a custom ceremony with the couple so that each word in the ceremony rings true to them. His ceremonies can range from the very traditional to what ever the couples desires. Rabbi opines that this is the couple's special day, and to treat each wedding as unique.

For those who are having an interfaith wedding, Rabbi takes special care to respect both traditions, again with total input from the couple. He will be pleased to co-officiate at weddings, using non-Trinitarian language.

Rabbi Arthur Segal also will do recommitment marriage ceremonies with the same care as he does weddings.

Rabbi will work closely with the wedding planer and/or caterer to make sure the wedding is seamless, and the bride and groom can totally enjoy themselves on their special day.

Rabbi Arthur Segal is available, and actually prefers, to be at the rehearsal, to ensure all is going smoothly, and to get to know the bridal party, and family, before the actual wedding day.

For those that wish to have a Ketubah, rabbi will work closely to make sure everyone's name has correct calligraphy on the document, in English and Hebrew, so the signing ceremony is flawless.

For a beautiful gallery of Ketubahs go to JudaicConnection.com (My couples receive a $15 shipping discount)

Rabbi Arthur Segal tries to limit his weddings to Hilton Head, SC, Bluffton, SC, Palmetto Bluff, SC, Savannah, GA, and Charleston, SC, but has been known to make himself available elsewhere, even out of the USA. He will also conduct weddings and recommitment ceremonies on cruise ships.

In keeping with Jewish ethics, if the couple resides in Rabbi Arthur Segal's town, Rabbi will ask, unless there are some special circumstances, if the couple has first asked the local pulpit rabbi to officiate.

--

BAR OR BAT MITZVAH

DESTINATION BAR OR BAT MITZVAH CEREMONIES

A bar or bat mitzvah is a special occasion not only for the young man or young woman, not only for the family, but for Judaism. Without learned children, our religion with its rich traditions would not survive.

Our sages tell us that the children played a very important role in the fact that God gave us the Torah.

Before God gave the Torah to the Jewish people, He demanded guarantors that the Torah, which up until then was in God's possession, in the spiritual realm, will be studied and cherished.

Jews made a number of suggestions which were rejected by God. Only when they declared, "Our children will be our guarantors" did God accept and agree to give them the Torah.

Giving our children a Torah education from a very early age is essential to the survival of Torah and Judaism.

With this is mind, the optimum way to prepare and become a bar or bat mitzvah is with study with your rabbi in your synagogue.

More and more people, 60% of American Jews, are not affiliated with synagogues. This is not because they are being frugal, or not spiritually aligned with Judaism. Polls and research shows they cannot tolerate the sinat chinam, the baseless hatred, and harsh politics, that occurs in many temples.

So many have destination Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, and the Hilton Head , SC area is a wonderful place to do so, as families can join in this safe and beautiful environment. I have also conducted Bar and Bat Mitzvah services on cruise ships. I was the first rabbi to conduct both Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies on the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.

As I do with weddings, I will put together an intimate service that can include parents, siblings, grandparents, other relatives and friends.

If one is doing a destination Bar or Bat Mitzvah the optimum is to have all of the study done and completed in your home town with face-to-face learning with your rabbi. Then I can spend some time via phone with the young person, and parents, to ensure all runs smoothly, and conduct the destination ceremony.

The other way of course, is when I do teaching over the phone and via email weekly, with the student.

If one wants me to prepare their child for a bar or bat mitzvah and the child lives locally, I will first ask them to consult my town's local pulpit rabbi.

Rabbi Arthur Segal can also conduct Bar or Bat Mitzvah services for adults who did not do this ceremony when they were young teenagers. Rabbi Arthur Segal, an ordained rabbi with semikah, will sign and present a official certificate of becoming a bar or bat mitzvah, an important Jewish document.

In all ways a destination Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a joy that all will remember and cherish!

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SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE & INDIVIDUAL STUDY AND CONVERSIONS

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE & INDIVIDUAL STUDY AND CONVERSIONS

Rabbi Arthur Segal is available for mashpi'ah (spiritual guidance) both in person or via the telephone. He has helped countless people gain their full potential in life, breaking down limit setting barricades such as fears, ego issues, resentments, including addictions. He aids in one's transformation via Jewish Spiritual Renewal.

Aside from his Semikah rabbinic ordination, Rabbi Doctor Arthur Segal has done post-doctoral studies in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. (Note: When rabbi does spiritual guidance, he is doing so in the role of spiritual rabbi, and not as a psychologist.

Rabbi Arthur Segal is also available for individual or group study, that is beyond what one finds at a typical synagogue. He will teach and help his talmidim (students) learn Talmud, Midrash, Kabballah's Zohar, TaNaK, and many of our great texts such as Duties of the Heart, by R'Ibn Pakudah, or The Path of the Just, by the Ramchal.

This can be done in person, joining an on going class, or individually, face-to-face, or via telephone.

Rabbi Arthur Segal will also prepare and teach one for conversion to Judaism with the final steps, being done with a Bet Din ( a Jewish Court of Three), in his home town of Hilton Head Island, SC, with a moving traditional ceremony using the pristine Atlantic Ocean as the mikvah.

One can decide to have a Destination Conversion and Joyous Occasion, (Simcha) by inviting family and friends. Study is a minimum of one year or more, depending on one's pre-existing knowledge.

Rabbi Arthur Segal also has a free on-line class always on some aspect of Jewish Spiritual Renewal, now studying Derek Eretz, how we live with our fellows in peace. Please follow this link: Subscribe to the Rabbi Arthur Segal Jewish Spiritual Renewal mailing list.

Rabbi Arthur Segal looks forward to helping anyone at the level they with which they are comfortable.

 
Rabbi Arthur Segal www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org
Jewish Renewal www.jewishrenewal.info
Jewish Spiritual Renewal http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com
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Posted by Rabbi Arthur Segal at 12:42 PM