RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:SHOFTIM:ELUL:ECO-JUDAISM:Is.51:17:Awaken yourself:Kotzker Reb

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:SHOFTIM:ELUL:ECO-JUDAISM:Is.51:17:Awaken yourself:Kotzker Reb

Jewish Spiritual Renewal:Shabbat 8/22/09:Torah,TaNaK,Talmud:Ethic,Spiritual View

Shalom my beloved Chaverim v Talmidim: K'siva V'chasima Tovah!!!

A few days before the Shabbat that for which this class is, comes Rosh Chodesh Elul. (August 19, 2009, at sundown). So it is another lunar month. Why mention it? And how does it dove tail with the Parasha of this Shabbat called Judges.

The Maharal (Rabbi Judah Loeb of 16th Century Prague), writes that once we enter the month of Elul, anytime a person writes a letter to someone, it is incumbent upon the writer to somehow allude to the fact at the beginning of the letter that he wishes and hopes that the person have a good year. Others write that expressing these wishes can be done at the end of the letter as well. The standard blessing is "K'siva V'chasima Tova," literally "A good writing and sealing," meaning that the person should be written, so to speak, in the Book of Life, the Book of Good, and be sealed in that book as well.

Elul is the month preceding Tishrei, and the first of Tishrei is what many call the Jewish New Year. So that we don't loose the spiritual aspect of this Holy Day, allow me to remind us that we have four Jewish New Years in Judaism, and this one, is actually the celebration, not of Jews or Hebrews (that is in Nissan, the first month, circa Passover), but of the birth of humankind. We are to be reminded that we all have one set of human parents, we all have one Divine Parent, and hence we are all brothers and sisters and need to treat each other with love, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. [Talmud Bavli Tractate Rosh Ha Shana 10b-11a]

If Rosh ha Shana is the first of Tishrei, then God began His creating of the world, 5 days before in Elul. Hence for this and other reasons, Elul is an important month.

Some Talmud: Talmud Bavli Tractate Rosh Ha Shana 10b :''The World was created by God on the twenty-fifth of Elul,'' according to Rabbi Eliezer.

But here is the big surprise!! Ready. If Judaism has 4 new years, and one is one the First of Tishrei to celebrate mankind's birth in the 7th month, and another is to celebrate our people's birth in Nissan, the first month, and another is to celebrate trees and fruits and their tithing on the 15th of Shevat, the fifth month, what is the 4th New Year?

Some Torah and Talmud: Lev: 27:32 and Talmud Bavli Tractate Rosh Ha Shana 1:1 : Well Happy New Year! Yep its the first of Elul. It is the new year for animals and vegetables. Yep, similar to Tu B'Shevet, One Elul is a tithe day, but also a day for us to remember to treat all of God's creatures with kindness, and not pollute the earth.

Some TaNaK: Numbers 14:37: "The men who gave a bad report concerning "The Land" died in a plague before God." It was on the 17^th of Elul, that the spies who gave the tragic and catastrophic report about Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel).

Some more Talmudic sage advice: Rabbi Elazar son of Parta said, "Come and see how great is the negative power of evil speech and consequently the greatness of the punishment that it brings! We learn this lesson from the spies. For they slandered only trees and stones (the Land of Israel) - how much worse is the punishment if someone slanders a human being!"

So in Elul, we self judge, doing a moral inventory, aka chesbon ha nefesh. ''chesbon ha nefesh'' "rabbi arthur segal" - Google Search .Directions for doing such in a modern way are included in detail in _Rabbi Arthur Segal : (001) The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal . In Aramaic, Elul means 'search.'

Some more TaNaK: Song of Songs: 6:3 "Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li" . ''I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine.'' Jewish brides say this to their groom under the Kupah. "Elul" has been interpreted as an acronym, with its Hebrew letters "Aleph," "Lamed," "Vav," "Lamed" representing the words from the Song of Songs. While it is read by many as a love poem, and a 'hot' one at that, the Talmudic rabbis included in our TaNaK as it can be read as a poem of love of God and Israel. Hence Elul is a time for us, who have not done so, to Renewal ourselves Jewishly and Spiritually in a step by step process that will effect change and growth.

Some more TaNaK: Isaiah 55:6 : "Seek God when He is at hand; Call upon Him when He is near." God to me, and I hope to you, is always near. ''The gates of renewal are always open'', the Midrash Lamentations Rabbah 3:43: 9, teaches. But to the Kabbalists, they believed that God is especially near during the 40 days from One Elul till Yom Kippur.

Some more TaNaK: Jeremiah 31:20: ''Return, O Maiden of Israel, return to these cities of yours!" The Zodiac sign of the month of Elul, is the "Maiden,", or Virgo (Virgin ), because of the verse. This month is set aside for return to God and Repentance for those of us who have been lax.

An aside: Astrology has been a part of Judaism since we brought it into our religion when we developed Judaism in Babylon. Our expression "Mozel tov," means ''good constellations. '' Zodiac symbols abound in ancient synagogues in gorgeous mosaics.

Some Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 56b: "Ayn Mazal L'Yisrael ," "Israel's fate is not determined by the stars." Judaism believes in freedom of choice. Our fate is not determined by what time of the year we are born. And those who believe so, the Talmud says, are practicing idolatry, which they name "Avodat Kochavim U'Mazalot''," Worship of the Stars and the Signs of the Zodiac."

For those of us who are blessed to have a full time synagogue, starting on Rosh Chodesh Elul, and every morning except Shabbat, the shofar is blown. Its spiritual purpose is to awaken us to return to good ways, to make peace with our fellows, to get rid of resentments, to open our doors and our Temples to everyone, whether they seem to be less observant than we are or more so.

Some TaNaK: Is. 51:17: "Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself!"

We begin the process, sometimes painful, of making amends to those we have harmed, if we haven't done so daily.

Some TaNaK: Ps 27:1: ''The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life---of whom shall I be afraid? '' We read this every day during Elul. If you look at the whole Psalm it gives us answers for the rough times in life. King David was beset by real enemies and lashon ha ra.

A friend on the other side of the continent, a Rabbi with a deep faith in God, and liberal, was telling us about how some in his town dislike him because of his faith. They actually thought his faith, his understanding of Judaism, was detrimental to their more liberal Beit Knesset. He remembered the story of the Kotzker Rebbe when he was told some folks didn't like him. "Thank God,'' the Rebbe said, "I was afraid that they would.''

Other people's opinions of us, assuming we are doing the best we can in God's eyes, are none of our business. And do we really want to associate with those who gossip and hate? The Kotzker Rebbe saw this as a blessing. And so did my friend. He knows that Rabbis doing their job correctly are going to comfort the uncomfortable, but also discomfort the comfortable. If his teachings aren't causing some folks to rebel, because they hear the truth, but their yetzer ha ra finger points at him for their woes, then he knows he isn't teaching.

A Movie quote from ''Cast a Giant Shadow'': ''Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: The last time I was in Temple I was 13 years old. I made a speech and got 42 fountain pens. I don't have to go again. I've got enough fountain pens. '' Judaism does not demand prayer in a shul, especially if the shul has a 100+ people and one loses his concentration and kavenah. Judaism does ask that we pray and meditate at home or even when we walk. For Jews, prayer is self judgement, literally where the word Tephila is derived. Hence we are our own Judges. We don't take the inventory of someone else, and we don't judge others, and certainly we don't convict them with gossip. All of us are defective and all of us need spiritual growth. But we don't need to collect fountain pens in the process.

Some Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Metziah: ''Do not reproach your neighbor with a fault which is also yours.''

Some more Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth :'' We are blind to our own faults. '' This is why we do a chesbon ha nefesh, in writing.

Last bit of Talmud Bavli Tractate Yoma:'' The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) atones not for sins of man against man, until the sinner makes his peace with his victim.'' Many of us go to Yom Kippur services. We beat our chests and read a list of communal sins. We leave still having our defects of character with us, our exclusiveness, our gossiping, and worship the idols of our big homes, our fancy cars, and loving those only whom we choose to love, but not all of our fellows. Why? Because we are ''blind to our own faults.'' We have never done a chesbon ha nefesh, and never have found our ways to be objectionable, and when we ask God to remove them in a Tashlik ceremony, they again are communal sins, not ones we have personally owned, and its a useless ritual.

If you want to do better this year, you have the time. I will, as always, help anyone for gratis.

Rabbi Arthur Segal : (001) The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal .

Shabbat Shalom and K'siva V'chasima Tovah!!!

Rabbi Arthur Segal
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Parasha Shoftim: Deuteronomy 16:18-21:09

Rabbi Arthur Segal
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"Here Come da Judge"

This portion reviews the rules about the Israelites' court system, as well as the penalties for idol worship, rebelling against the authority of the Torah, and witnesses who lie under oath. The parasha also sets down rules for our future kings and rules of warfare, including the basis of our modern conscientious objector status.

"Justice, justice, shall you pursue." (Deut. 16:20). These are five words, which if everyone followed, our task of Tikun Olam (repair of the world) would be finished. The pursuit of justice has been a challenge to all people. Some groups choose to ignore it all together. The Hebrew word for justice is "tsaddakah." This is the same word commonly translated as "charity" that we read about in the prior Torah portion. Being a judge ("shofet" in Hebrew, from which this parasha derives its name) is holy work. Eyewitnesses must be examined carefully. Circumstantial evidence and logical conjecture is not admissible in court. Bribes cannot be taken. Our judges must be truthful judges, just as we bless God as the "truthful judge" when a tragedy occurs.

The same holiness is demanded from our kings. Our kings were obligated to write their own Torah scrolls and carry them with them at all times (Deut. 17:18-20). They were also obligated to study it daily. The Kabbalists study the Hebrew word "melech" (king). They say it alludes to three words: moach (brain), lev (heart), and kaveid (liver). The liver filters the blood before sending it to the heart. The heart refines the blood further before sending it to the brain. Before our kings reached a decision, they had to go through a process of intellectual and spiritual refinement.

Even our witnesses in court have a holy obligation to be truthful. If a witness lies, he is punished with the same penalty that the defendant was in jeopardy of receiving if found guilty. Even if there are 100 witnesses and one is found to lie, all of the witnesses' testimonies are disregarded. There were no lawyers or prosecutors. The witness brought the charges and the judges examined all parties. Imagine if our court system today had these same rules. Plaintiffs would think twice about bringing trumped-up charges or frivolous lawsuits against defendants, and corrupt trial lawyers would have no arena in which to enrich themselves by deceiving juries with their twisted interpretations of the rule of law. Our kings had to go to the front lines of the battle if they declared war. Imagine how few wars there would be if our modern presidents and prime ministers had to go out into battle with the youth of their societies.

"Appoint for yourselves judges and police at all of your gates." (Deut.16:18). Why did the Torah add the word "lecho," which means, "for yourselves?" The Mishna Pirkei Avot 2:18 says that we should not do evil before ourselves. We must constantly oversee our own actions. In a previous parasha we were called a kingdom of priests. We also have an obligation to be a kingdom of honest judges, watchful policemen, and just kings. Another explanation goes deeper. Many times, others laud us, yet we are painfully aware of our own shortcomings. We should not let ourselves become blinded by praise. "And you shall not take bribery, for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise, and twists the words of the righteous." (Deut.19:19). We must be self-judges, always policing ourselves.

"Where should our judges sit?" asks the Shla'h HaKadosh (Rabbi Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz, Prague 1600). He writes that a person has seven gates: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth. We should guard our mouths from speaking loshan ha ra (derogatory speech). We should be careful of what we listen to and how we look at things in life. We need to continually pursue this personal goal.

Talmud Balvi Tractate Nedarim 32B says we find that "At the time the evil inclination takes control, there is no one to remind you of the good inclination." Anyone who has been on a diet knows this only too well! We certainly have an obligation to judge and correct ourselves before judging others.

The Talmudic rabbis ask why the word justice is repeated, and what does it mean to pursue justice? Pursue implies an ongoing endeavor. Tractate Sanhedrin 32B gives two answers. "You shall follow an eminent court of justice." and, "Follow scholars to their academies." They argue that the best way to avoid the need for justice is to learn Torah and follow its ethics. But the sages go on to say that the first mention of justice means a decision based on strict law, while the second word means to compromise with leniency. They say the best justice is situational and subjective. They say the best judges will find equitable solutions to complex practical situations. This is the pursuit of justice. Mandatory sentencing laws are not part of Jewish legal tradition. Daf 46A goes so far as to say, "I have heard that the court may pronounce lenient sentences even where not warranted by the Torah, not with the intention of disregarding the Torah, but in order to safeguard the spirit of the Torah."

There are times when the law must be set aside in order to uphold the law. Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 63A says that in order to do God's work, you must sometimes void the Torah laws. For the world to exist, the second justice of compromise and mercy needs to be pursued as well. "Jerusalem was destroyed because they gave judgments therein in accordance with strict Torah law... they based their judgments strictly on the Torah and did not go beyond the letter of the law." (Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Metzia 30B). This is why Hillel's liberal view always won over the strict view of Shammai (Tractate Eruvin 6B). Strict adherence to any law can be destructive.

What the sages were trying to teach us is that it is dangerous when a person or a religious movement no longer uses Torah to relate to God and His children, but rather worships the law itself. This is "Tor-idolatry." The letter of the law becomes the god. One's relationship with God is obscured as the relationship with his fellow man is flawed. King David said it best in Psalm 85:11-12, "Loving kindness and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other. Truth shall spring from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from the heaven." Like the Kabbalistic tree of the Ten Sefirot, we as a society must learn to balance justice with righteousness, and mercy with strictness.

Any reading of the Torah will show there are numerous ways of incurring the death penalty. Picking up sticks on Shabbat is a sure way to die. Our rabbis write that the courts are obligated to look at every facet of a case, and if one iota of contradiction exists, they must declare the defendant innocent. Any court putting a man to death more than once in every seven years (some sages say seventy years) is considered a "bloody court." We should not be looking for ways to accuse people, but for ways to help people stay upright and honest.

Society's obligation to prevent crime is made crystal clear in this parasha. If a dead man is found outside a city, the elders of the village were commanded to bring a sacrifice to the site (Eglah Arufah). They, not the priests in the Temple, had to perform the sacrifice. The elders of the town had to say, "Our hands did not spill this blood, and our eyes did not see it." (Deut. 21:7). The Talmud very clearly states that the elders were at fault because they did not see him and failed to provide him with food, housing, and an escort. Tractate Sotah 38B sums up needless deaths in a society succinctly, "The need for the Eglah Arufah is only because of stinginess." Our politicians – all citizens as well – have an obligation to actively contribute to the wellbeing of all in our society and not merely refrain from doing harm.

Even our rules of warfare had true justice in them. Newlywed soldiers, or those with new homes or vineyards that they not yet had enjoyed, were allowed to go home. Soldiers who were faint of heart were excused from battle so as not to scare other soldiers, as well as to be merciful. Sincere overtures of peace must be offered to the enemy before any battle. To show us that the ends do not justify the means in war, it was forbidden to harm fruit trees in the course of battle (Deut. 20:01-20). Thus in war we are to be reminded that life, symbolized by a fruit-bearing tree, is not cheap. "All's fair in love and war" is not a Jewish tradition.

Our Shabbat's Haftarah from Isaiah says, "Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself!" (Is. 51:17) and "Wake up! Wake up! Shake the dust from yourself!" (Is. 52:01-02). Isaiah begs us to herald in "peace...good...and salvation" (Is. 52:07) and to "Turn away! Turn away!" (Is.52:11) from injustice and contamination.

Shabbat Shalom:

Rabbi Arthur Segal
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A Short Snap Shot of Rabbi Arthur Segal

Rabbi Arthur Segal: United States; I am available for Shabbatons, and can speak on various aspects of Jewish history, (from the ancient past to modern day, and can be area specific, if a group wishes), Spirituality, developing a Personal Relationship with God, on the Jews of India and other 'exotic' communities, and on Talmud, Torah and other great texts. We have visited these exotic Jewish communities first hand. I adhere to the Mishna's edict of not using the Torah as a ''spade'', and do not ask for honorariums for my services. I am trans-denominational and renewal and spiritually centered.; I am available to perform Jewish weddings, and other life cycle events, ONLY IF, it is a destination wedding and the local full time pulpit rabbi is unavailable, or if there is no local full time pulpit rabbi, or it is in my local area and all of the full time pulpit rabbis are unavailable.; My post-doc in Psych from Penn helps tremendously when I do Rabbinic counseling. My phone number and address will be made available once I am sure of one's sincerity in working with me.; Rabbi Segal is the author of three books and many articles on Torah, Talmud and TaNaK and Jewish history. His books are : The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud, and Spiritual Wisdom of our Talmudic Sages. The first two are published by Amazon through their publishing house, BookSurge.; For information on how to purchase these, please contact RabbiSegal@JewishSpiritualRenewal.net and visit WWW.JewishSpiritualRenewal.Net. OR CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW.; Todah Rabah and Shalom uvracha. Rabbi Arthur Segal ,( Dr. Arthur Segal )RabbiASegal@aol.com .

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

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

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

(002) A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud

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

(003) Tzadakkah Bundle

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