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RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUALITY:BORROWER WHO DOES NOT RETURN IS A THIEF
Jewish Spiritual Renewal:Shabbat 7/4/09:Torah,TaNaK,Talmud:Spiritual,Ethical Views
Shalom my beloved Chaverim v' Talmidim:
I hope this week was good and pleasant for all of you, reminding you of the abundance of God's blessings for you, even when things do not work out the way that you would wish them to be, and that you were still able to maintain an attitude of gratitude.
Below are comments from your fellows.
We have a double portion to study for the Shabbat of Independence Day (USA) weekend, and the second parasha is called Chukat. A chuk is a mitzvah, a commandment, that Hebrews did, even though they hadn't a clue why it was commanded. The first parasha is about Ba'alam's talking ass. Its neat stuff to study with a lot of spiritual and ethical lessons.
Some Talmud Bavli Tractate Pirkei Avot 4:2: "The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah and the wages of sin is sin." As Jews, we do not do mitzvoth to score Brownie points. We are to do good, because it is good, and by doing good, we become better people. As better people, the likelihood of others causing us harm is less.
When we sin, we cause ourselves harm. We step on the toes of others, and they will retaliate.
Now, just because one is a vegetarian doesn't mean the bull will still not charge. But statistically good leads to good. Of course, as my wife reminds me, in some towns, 'no good deed goes unpunished.'
Some more Talmud: The Talmud Bavli Tractate Kiddushin 39b relates that Rabbi Yaakov once witnessed the tragic death of a young man who, at that very moment, was engaged in fulfilling the two very mitzvoth for which the Torah promises "long life."
"Honor your father and your mother," reads the fifth of the Ten Commandments, "that your days be lengthened, and that good befall you." The one other mitzvah for which the Torah specifically promises reward is shiluach hakan ("dispatching the nest"): "If you happen upon a bird's nest ... and the mother bird is sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, do not take the mother bird along with the young. Send away the mother bird, and you may then take the young for yourself, that good may befall you and that your days be lengthened."
And yet, here was a man who was fulfilling both the commandments simultaneously. At his father's request, he had climbed a ladder to chase away a mother bird from her nest and collect the chicks. But no sooner had he done so than he slipped from the ladder and fell to his death.
"Where are this person's `long days'?'' asked Rabbi Yaakov. "Where is the `good' he was promised?
"Honor your father and your mother," reads the fifth of the Ten Commandments, "that your days be lengthened, and that good befall you." The one other mitzvah for which the Torah specifically promises reward is shiluach hakan ("dispatching the nest"): "If you happen upon a bird's nest ... and the mother bird is sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, do not take the mother bird along with the young. Send away the mother bird, and you may then take the young for yourself, that good may befall you and that your days be lengthened."
And yet, here was a man who was fulfilling both the commandments simultaneously. At his father's request, he had climbed a ladder to chase away a mother bird from her nest and collect the chicks. But no sooner had he done so than he slipped from the ladder and fell to his death.
"Where are this person's `long days'?'' asked Rabbi Yaakov. "Where is the `good' he was promised?
The sages knew that reward and punishment is not Divine in the sense that many of us learned it Hebraically as kids, and then rejected it, along with doing mitzvoth. The long life and/or good that comes from mitzvoth is not Divinely granted. It is just that its more likely that we will have happier lives doing good, than we would if we do poorly. We can fall off our ladders and die regardless of what personalities we have.
Hence "Rabbi Yaakov," concludes the Talmud (ibid), "is of the opinion that there is no Divine reward for mitzvoth in this world."
Some more Talmud: Bavli Tractates Bava Batra 88a and Bava Metzia 78a. "One who borrows and does not return is a thief.'' The Talmud goes to discuss the con man, one who behind folks backs, knows he is not going to pay back a loan, yet never tells them about it, until he has ''departed.'' The Talmud calls this ''stealing a person's mind...g'nayvot hada'at'' (Bavli Tractate Chullin 94a). This is the worse kind of theft as it ''steals a person's heart.'' We put our trust in someone, and they abuse it. Even worse, if one paints him or herself to be a zaddik or a leader of the Jewish community, and does this, it is called Chillul Ha Shem, a desecration of God's name. We have hollowed out God's name by our actions.
Some Midrash Rabbeinu Yonah: ''One who suffers pangs of hunger for material wealth is like a pauper who never has enough. Those who are satisfied with their lot, however, enjoy life and find it a constant celebration.''
Some more Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 1:34 : "One who has one hundred wants two hundred."
Some more Talmud Bavli Tractate Pirkei Avot 4:1: "Who is truly rich? One who is happy with his lot."
In our society, and in societies past, the yearning for treasure, has caused many a person jail, embarrassment, shunning, or even an early death. Greed comes from coveting, and coveting is a sin in the "Big Ten'' because it assumes that we know better than God, for what God has granted us. We want more.
As the Talmud says "we are all burned by our neighbor's canopy.''[ Bavli Tractate Bava Batra 75B]. Our neighbor has a Jaguar, and we have a Chevy and its not 'fair.' So first we bad mouth those of whom we are jealous . "I spent $100,000 to go to school, and he didn't. He has a Jag but I have only a Chevy. I am real and he must be fake." And soon we feel we are entitled to get that $100,000 plus interest, back.
Some Chofetz Chaim: ''Often, a person who lives above his means suffers enormous stress which can cause illness and endanger his life. This can happen when he reaches a point where he can no longer maintain his high standard of living. In place of the "honor" which the yetzer ha ra had convinced him to pursue and which to his mind he had attained, he now receives a double measure of scorn and ridicule from those who are steeped in materialism and are capable of maintaining their standard. This is his punishment in this world for the sin of gezel (theft).''
This is all a symptom of spiritual illness which comes from separation from God. Lashon ha ra, while considered murder by the sages, is also considered theft by the rabbis, as one is stealing the name of some one else. As we see above, 'the wage of sin is sin.' One sin leads to another sin. Gossipers usually turn out to have other defects of character, which is why in the Torah, they had to announce themselves, by calling out that they were 'unclean.'
As we learn in Rabbi Arthur Segal : (001) The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal when folks gossip, they are usually discussing their own faults, that they toss onto others, rather than looking in the mirror, and working on them.
"My faith in my Creator — that is my treasure".[Steipler Gaon] A person's faith in God is the treasure that allows him to be satisfied with his lot. Jews who believe, have faith, have trust, have experience in God, do not become Bernie Madoff's or their 'mini-me' equivalents.
So please do not be angry at those who have disappointed us. We must pray for them that they learn to put their life and will into the hands of their loving and forgiving God, and allow Him to run their life, and give up their ego, and the defects of character . All of us, in one way or another, have defects, as Proverbs tells us that even a tzadak sins seven times a day, and there has never been a human without sin.
A life without God, is a miserable life: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:EGO EDGES GOD OUT:LIFE WITHOUT GOD:JEWISH SPIRITUALITY:JOY:
Shalom uvracha:
Rabbi Arthur Segal
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Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
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 Click to Order | THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal distills millennia of sage advice into a step-by-step process to reclaim your Judaism and your spirituality in a concise easy-to-read and easy-to-follow manner. If you find yourself wishing for the strength to sustain you through the ups and downs of life; if you want to learn how to live life to its fullest without angst, worry, low self-esteem or fear; or if you wish that your relationships with family, friends and co-workers were based on love and service and free of ego, arguments, resentments and feelings of being unloved...this book is for you. Price: $19.99 254 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge |
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 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 |
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(001) The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal
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In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal distills millennia of sage advice to reclaim your Judaism and your spirituality.
- Price : $19.99
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(002) A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud
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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 show the true Jewish take on what the Torah is trying to teach us.
- Price : $24.99
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(003) Tzadakkah Bundle
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The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal and A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud. Purchase both books as a set, and I will donate a portion of the sales price in your name to the tzadakkah of your choice. -- Rabbi Segal
- Price : $44.98
