RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: LIVE JOYOUSLY, DON'T OVER INDULGE

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:  LIVE JOYOUSLY, DON'T OVER INDULGE

 

by Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal,

Bluffton Sun Newspaper,

September 4, 2013

 

Shalom and Peace:

Today we continue with a bit more of Jewish Ethics (Great is Peace - Derek Eretz 5:2 ).

''Talk little, laugh little, sleep little, indulge little in pleasure, say little 'yes' and little 'no.''' 

 

Talmud Pirkei Avot 1:15 (Chapters of the Fathers),  teaches us ''to say little and do much.'' The more we say, the more we are likely to offend.

 

The same is true of laughter. There is a time and place for jovial behavior, but unless we are visiting with the dybbuk (ghost) of Lenny Bruce it is best to keep our laughter under control.

 

The rabbis disapproved of sloth. They knew that for most people, idle time becomes the yetzer ha ra's, the ego's, workshop. To oversleep or spend one's day in bed was not a middah, trait, they wanted to foster.

 

Jewish meals and holiday dinners begin with wine. Passover Seders include four full cups of wine per person (Pesachim 10:1). At Purim, the holiday based on the Book of Esther,  Rabbi Rava says one is commanded to become so intoxicated that one cannot tell the difference between 'Barukh Mordekhai, Arur Haman,' 'Blessed be Mordechai, and Cursed be Haman' (Megillah 7b).

 

The rabbis were not opposed to pleasure; they
want us to live joyously. They ask us not to indulge, not to overdo, because they want us to learn personal boundaries and limits.

 

Immediately following Rava's opinion in the Talmud comes a story to illustrate the point. Rabbah and R' Zeira meet for Purim Seudah (the feast on the afternoon of Purim). They get drunk, and Rabbah cuts R' Zeira's throat (literally, ''Rabbah butchers him''). The next day, Rabbah prays on R' Zeira's behalf, and he is brought back to life.

 

A year later, Rabbah asks, "Would you like to have Purim Seudah with me again this year?" R' Zeira replies, "No. One cannot count on a miracle every time" (Megillah 7b).

 

The Talmud teaches us to let our ''righteous yes be a yes, and our righteous no be a no'' (Bava Batra 49b). In the above verse , because they are concerned about the pitfalls of making vows, they instruct us to limit our yeses and nays. They remind us that our best intentions to keep a promise can be thwarted by unforeseen events or circumstances. It is advisable to add to a promise the phrase, "God willing."

 

Rabbi Arthur Segal is an international lecturer, author, and teacher. Visit him at www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org . Follow him on FaceBook at 'Arthur L Segal', on Twitter at RabbiASegal, or his blog at http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com . Email at RabbiASegal@aol.com .

 

RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.com/books www.FaceBook.com/Arthur.L.Segal www.FaceBook.com/RabbiArthurSegalJewishSpiritualRenewal www.RabbiArthurSegal.blogspot.com
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
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

 

RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.com/books www.FaceBook.com/Arthur.L.Segal www.FaceBook.com/RabbiArthurSegalJewishSpiritualRenewal www.RabbiArthurSegal.blogspot.com
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
Hilton Head Island, SC; Bluffton, SC; Savannah, GA