RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:COVETING BLINDS US TO OUR BLESSINGS

 

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:  JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:  COVETING BLINDS US TO OUR TRUE BLESSINGS

 

Subscribe to the Rabbi Arthur Segal Jewish Spiritual Renewal mailing list.   Jewish  Spiritual  Renewal:      Derek  Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:     Shabbat  11/19/11      Jewish  Spiritual  Renewal:      Derek  Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:     Shabbat  11/19/11     (aka  Derech  Eretz )     The JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL  class list was hosted by _Shamash:  The Jewish Network_ (http://shamash.org/ )  a service of Hebrew  College/Yeshiva. Shamash after 20 years of wonderful service is shutting its Internet portals on December 31. All of us rabbis teaching via it have to find new list services. We have chosen www.GoDaddy.com.      Shalom  my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis:      An oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat this coming weekend.      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! You can access last  week's class at  Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ: NO COVETING ,JEALOUSY or http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2011/11/rabbi-arthur-segal-jewish-spiritual_5952.html     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)     Today we will continue with CHAPTER 4 of  Talmud  Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Verse  4:4. By the way, this ends CHAPTER FOUR.     In something a bit unusual for Talmud, instead of the text having rabbis giving advice, this verse has God speaking directly to us. He is not speaking thru Moses or the Prophets as we read in the TaNaK.     ''If you have performed all My commandments with joy, My attendants will come to meet you, and even I Myself will say to you: "Let thy coming be in peace." Your eyes that never looked at property not belonging to you shall have light in darkness, as it is written [Is. lviii. 10]: "Then shall shine forth in the darkness thy light, and thy obscurity be as the noonday." Your ears that have not listened to vain talk shall hear of peace in the world to come, as it is written [ibid. xxx. 21]: "And thy ears shall hear the world behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." Your mouth that has not slandered will be coveted by those who were used to slander. Your mouth that has studied the Torah will be a blessing to those who wish to be blessed. Your hands that have kept away from robbery, what can do unto you those who do injustice? Your hands that you have not withdrawn from doing charity, what can do to you those mighty men? Your feet that have not carried you to sin, what can the angel of death do unto you?    All that is said above is a warning to you, and you may do as you please, but do not say that you were not warned.''     So let us parse this last bit of advice, Godly advice if you will, from Chapter Four of Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta.     God's attendants are angels. We are told not just to fulfill the Torah's and the Talmud's commandments but to do so with joy. Giving Tsadakkah begrudgingly, does not count for example. And where will these angels and God Himself greet us? They will meet us at the gates of Heaven.     Now this is interesting as the Talmud tells us that all Jews, all righteous non-Jews, all are going to Heaven. For those few that are so perfect that they have done every positive commandment, and avoided every negative commandment, with joy, go straight to Heaven.  The rest of us take a detour, for no more than 12 months, to Gehinnom where are souls are purified and we are re-educated.     Spiritually speaking, when we do good for others happily, and altruistically, we meet many human ''angels'' , make many friends, who welcome us each day. In fact, we feel better about ourselves and we welcome ourselves with joy and gladness to each new day.    When we covet, our eyes are obsessively focused on what we do not have and what we believe we deserve. We cannot see God's many blessings to us. Our eyes become blinded. When we understand how we are living each moment with God's abundance about us, and can thank Him for every breath we are giving, we understand what is important in life, and what is vain. We develop that third eye of enlightenment and spiritual awakening.    In this verse God promises us that if we don't listen to vain talk now, we will only hear peaceful talk in the Here After. Spiritually, if we stay away from gossip and gossipers,slanderers,and liars, in this life, we actually live a happier life, now. As the verse quotes Isaiah we will walk on the path (derek) doing the right thing, whether our journey takes us to the right or the left. We won't be distracted by conversations with people who  rationalize their bad behaviors, and want us to walk with them.    To those who don't slander, our mouth's will be envied by those who slander. Why? On one level lashon ha ra is one of Judaism's worst character defects. Gossip kills three, the Talmud teachers, the speaker, the listener, and the subject. Its akin to murder and we call it today 'character assassination.''    On the spiritual level, we all know that one who slanders and gossips about person "A" to us, will eventually to the same about us, when we are not in the room with the gossiper. Gossipers may think they have friends, and temporarily they do, because there are those who love to hear gossip as much as there are those who love to tell gossip. However eventually, these people turn on each other. So when the slanderer hits bottom, he will wish he had the mouth on one who never did lashon ha ra.    The next part is interesting. It tells us that if we studying Torah, we will we be a blessing to those who want Torah. It doesn't tell us that by studying Torah we will be a blessing to all. In fact, the sad truth is, is that when we become God centered and spiritually awakened, we have less friends. Hanging out at the bar on St. Paddy's day doesn't cut it for us any more. Listening to gossip at the Oneg Shabbat is a turn-off for us. But for those who want we have, blessed new friendships are forged.    If we have not been a thief, we are protected from other criminals. If we have given Tsadakkah to the poor, we are immune from those who think they are mighty. If we have never sinned, all the Angel of Death can do to us is shuffle us off to Olam Ha Ba.    A month of so ago, I got my wallet pick pocketed in the Roma Termini train station. I lost about 300 Euros, circa $400. I've never been a thief. But I didn't feel the loss. Getting a new driver's license is taking calls and paper work, but emotionally, I did not feel robbed. I still felt protected. The lost money, which was for meals and taxis, was made back by the ''kindness of strangers'' (angels) over the next few weeks, who gave us rides and invited us into their homes and Sukkoth for meals.    When we give Tsadakkah we are doing acts of righteousness and justice. Those who abuse their power and position, be they shul board members, or government politicians, are thwarted by our acts. When we learn to give, learn to do without, learn to be humble, no one with this pseudo power, when compared to the Omnipotent One, can truly hurt us.    Then the verse and chapter ends with God talking to us as a parent talks to a child: ''All that is said above is a warning to you, and you may do as you please, but do not say that you were not warned.''    We know God has made us with free will, Bechira. Bechira, free choice, is a fundamental concept within Judaism. As the Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 8:1-5 points out, without the concept of bechira , the entire nature and purpose of Torah falters. Only because of the human being's free choice, can we be held responsible for our actions and thus receive reward and punishment. Furthermore, it is only because of bechira that the very concept of mitzvah can exist, for how could God command if we did not have, through our free choice, the possibility of listening and following the command. Free choice, though, is a concept that is most difficult to understand.    If we truly believed in God's existence and that He gave us the mitzvoth, do we really have free will? When someone holds a gun to our head and says 'do such and such,' is our will really 'free'?    The last part of this verse is reminiscent of the tochecha, warning, (Lev. 26:3-46; Deut.28:1-69), and to many, presents a similar challenge. In the face of these repercussions, especially the negative ones for violations, could a person possibly choose to transgress?      In fact we Jews are not to accept anything on Blind Faith. We will always doubt, because we have ego, our yetzer ha ra. And it is these moments we will not be perfect. As Proverbs says, a righteous person fall, misses the mark, sins if you will, seven times a day. Doubt in Jewish jurisprudence is defense against punishment. This is why two witnesses seeing a crime 'about to occur,' must warn [hatra'ah] the sinner, quoting chapter and verse. If no two witnesses have done this, there is no conviction.    As Rabbi Hecht writes: ''We have the alternative to listen to God and receive reward. We have an equal alternative, given fully that we accept the existence of God and know the punishment for transgressing, not to listen. There is a strong drive to simply not wish to listen to God.''     It is this drive that Derek Eretz, and Mussar's character development, with ego-deflation, addresses.     We discuss the middot, character traits, of proper speech, Tsadakkah, not coveting, et .al.,throughout the majority of chapters in  ''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 ) .    What are your ideas about free will?  How has learning Talmud's Derek Eretz helped you in your  interpersonal  relationships? How  has understanding the spiritual and ethical teachings of  Judaism helped you live a more joyous life?     Next class, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue with Derek Eretz Zuta, Chapter FIVE. Thank you for joining me.   For those who want a d'var Torah on Parashot Chayei Sarah from '''A  Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and  Talmud '' (http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/index.html#Compendium2 )  please  click  on:   Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:Chayei Sarah:ZOHAR or  http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2008/11/rabbi-arthur-segaljewish-renewaljewish_15.html         Shabbat Shalom: Rabbi Arthur Segal_  www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org_ (http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org/ )  Jewish Renewal_  www.jewishrenewal.info(http://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!           © 2011 Rabbi Arthur Segal Jewish Spiritual Renewal

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