RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:MOSES:Ohev Yisrael/Lover of the Jewish people:JEWISH RENEWAL

 RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:MOSES:Ohev Yisrael/Lover of the Jewish people:JEWISH RENEWAL

 

Jewish Spiritual Renewal:Shabbat 10/10/09:Torah/TaNaK/Talmud:Ethical/Spiritual Views

 

 

This Class is Dedicated to the Blessed Memory of  Rosi Baer beloved mother of Steven and Sandy Baer who passed to Olam ha Ba recently, living till the mid 90s. May the name of Rosi Baer be for an eternal blessing, and may her family be comforted with all who mourn in Zion and Jerusalem.

 

Shalom my beloved dear Talmidim, Chaverim and Rabbanim:

 

Before I confuse any of you any more than I did this full lunar year of Torah , TaNaK and Talmud study, let me explain the calendar of Holidays for this Shabbat 10/10/09.

 

For those in the Diaspora, Friday 10/09/09 is a chol ha moed Sukkoth as well as Hoshana Rabbah. Saturday 10/10/09 is not Sukkoth, but a holiday unto itself with candles and a Sheckianu, called Shemini Atzeret. This is a Torah holiday as is Sukkoth. Monday 10/11/09 is Simchat Torah which is its own holiday, but not a Torah one nor a Talmudic Rabbinic one.

 

Simchat Torah evolved circa the 13th century in Europe when Deuteronomy was completely and the Jews decided to immediately start Genesis. It was in the 16th century when the Torah was taken out at night (the only time for non-Reform Jews), and dancing with the Torah seven times around the Bimah was done.

 

On the other hand, there are hints to Simchat Torah in the Talmud. In Bavli Tractate Megillah 31a unequivocally establishes with respect to Simchat Torah: "The next day [i.e., the day after Shemini Atzeret outside of Israel] we read Ve-zot Ha-berakha and we read as the haftara Va-Ya'amod Shlomo." 

 

So in Jewish time, Simchat Torah is a new holiday.

 

Hoshana Rabbah is the last day of Sukkoth. It is a chol ha moed. It is not a Shabbat. It is the last day of the days of Awe, so if one didn't get his/her teshuvah done to God and his/her fellows by Yom Kippur, one had another 11 days to get inscribed into the Book of Life. This is the day, that the book is sealed. We have prayers for rain. Some study all night in the Sukkah doing what we do similar on Shavuot, called Tikkun Leil Hoshana Rabbah. Torah scrolls are taken out and congregants march around the Bimah seven times.(Hakafot). The luluv is taken apart and one beats the branches on the floor five times. One then beats the luluv on a table or bench to remove the leaves.This is called Chibut Aravah.

 

Shemini Atzeret is not part of Sukkoth. It is a Shabbat. Prayers for rain are also said, and as I wrote above, candles for the Yom Tov are lit and a Sheckianu is said.

 

The next day is Simchat Torah. We finish with the last parasha of Deuteronomy and immediately start with Beresheit (Genesis). All attending are given aliyot. The Torah is carried by all the congregants taking turns around the bimah seven times. All the kids under the age of b'nai mitzvoth are given one large aliyah called ''kol ha n'arim.'' (all the youths).

 

Ok. Got that? Now in Israel and in the Reform movement, Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret are celebrated on the same day, which this year would be Saturday 10/10/09. Sunday 10/11/09 is a regular day.

 

Shemini Atzeret in the Diaspora  has its own Torah readings. This was covered in the class that had Torah readings for Sukkoth. So this class, will be the Torah readings for Simchat Torah. And the last class for this series.

 

A new class, the third for Shamash a service of Hebrew College Yeshiva, will start for the Shabbat of 10/17/09. I look forward to learning more with you. I have learned more from my talmidim then from my Rabbanim. Todah rabah...thank you.

 

For those I have not utterly confused, here is the class for Simchat Torah.

 

As we have studied the Torah, who is the main character? Certainly it is God Who grows and changes spiritually it seems as humankind grows and changes spiritually. We have seen the God of the Hebrews, change dramatically as the God of Talmudic Jewry.  If anything can be said at all, God is now wearing a no-smoting patch.

 

But one human certainly dominates the last 4 books of the five of the Chumash, and this is Moses.

 

Some Talmud: Bavli Tractates Megillah 13a: Moses has the names of Yered, Avi Gedor, Chever, Avi Socho, Yekutiel, and Avi Zenoach.

 

Sotah 12a: Moses was also known as "Tov," or "Toviah.''

 

Berachot 3b-4a: Moses's ability to calculate exact Midnight, and his altering of his prophecy to prevent others' error.

 

Megillah 13a: Moses's supremacy in wisdom, Torah and prophecy.

 

Sukkah 52b: Moses as one of the 7 "Shepherds" - King David, flanked on the right by Adam, Seth and Methuselah, and on the left by Avraham, Yaakov and Moses.

 

Megillah 19b: God showing Moses the future interpretations of the text of the Torah.

 

Megillah 19b: Moses was told of the Mitzvah of Reading the Purim Story.

 

Yuma 86b : Moses's defense of the Jews, that Ha Shem gave them too much to handle responsibly.

 

Menachot 65a: Moses's love for the Jewish people; he was an "Ohev Yisrael - Lover of the Jewish people." 

 

 Sotah 11a: Bilaam , Job and Yitro were Pharaoh's advisors. Bilaam said to kill the Jewish babies, and so he was killed. Job was silent and so he was doomed to suffer. Yitro rebelled and fled, and so he merited to have children who would sit on the High Court [Sanhedrin].

 

Sotah 13b: Moses climbed Mount Nebo (Har Nevo) on the day of his death in a single bound.

Sotah 13b-14a : The impossibility of finding Moses's grave, despite all of the biblical signs of where it is.

Sotah 13b-14a : A failed attempt by the Romans to find Moses's grave.

 

Makkot 24a: Moses prophesied that the Jews would live in peace as long as they would live like Yaakov; Amos came along and said, "That blessing is over; who can be like Yaakov?":

Moses prophesied that the Jews would not find rest in exile; Yirmiyah came along and said, "God will provide them with rest in their exile".

Moses prophesied that God would punish children for [continuing] the sins of their parents; Ezekiel  came along and said that people die only for their own sins.

Moses prophesied that the Jews would be lost among the nations; Isaiah came along and said that God would blow a great horn and bring them back.

 

Temurah 15b-16a: When Moses was dying, he told Joshua to ask any remaining questions. Joshua responded that, as it is written in the Torah, he had never left Moses' side. Immediately, Joshua forgot 300 laws, and 700 uncertainties developed in his mind. The people wanted to kill Joshua. God said to him, "It would not be possible to teach these laws to you; distract the people with war, instead.''
Three thousand laws were forgotten during the mourning for Moses. The people asked Joshua to ask God to re-teach them, but he refused because the Torah is "not in Heaven." Samuel and Pinchas refused, too, arguing that a prophet is not permitted to institute anything new.
Seventeen hundred Talmudic analyses were forgotten during the mourning period for Moshe, and Othniel ben Kenaz  re-taught them.  

 

The Jewish people do not receive a new prophecy to clarify the missing material.  Instead, Othniel uses human reasoning to work out the law. This is the first person to use Talmudic pilpul.

 

But the Hebrew people had no need for Talmudic law. They were satisfied with the written Torah, so the Talmud teaches. Only when Hebrews became Jews in Babylonian exile (and then Persian), did they accept the Oral Law (Talmudic Rabbinic Judaism).  So the Talmud gives a much later date for the full flowering of the Oral Law.  A famous gemarah (Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 88a) states that at Sinai God coerced the Jewish people to accept the Torah.  The gemarah states that we had an excuse for lack of observance until the free acceptance of the covenant during the Purim episode.  The Midrash Tanchuma ( on parasha Noach) teaches that coercion was only needed for the Oral Law.  The Israelites were happy to accept the Written Law but did not want the work and responsibility that comes with the Oral Law.  Only at the time of Purim did the Jews joyously accept this burden, according to the Talmud.

 

Remember the Rabbis of the Talmud ,in order to establish legitimacy, had to state that the Oral Law, came from God to Moses on Sinai and was passed to them to be used when the prophesied exile came.  In fact as we have shown in this class, Hebraism gave way to a new religion, Talmudic Rabbinic Judaism and a Judaism that changes and adapts.

 

A true closing to any year long class of the Torah, TaNaK and ethical and spiritual teachings of the Talmud  would begin with:

"In the beginning of God's Creating the heavens and the earth…"

You will recognize this as the first verse of Genesis, the beginning of the Torah. In truth, the Torah has no epilogue because it never really ends. As soon as we have read the final verse of Deuteronomy, we turn the page to the beginning, Genesis, to continue the journey.

Similarly, when we finish a Tractate of Talmud, or a great text, we have a Siyum celebration. At that time we do a D'var, a Jewish book report if you will, then we immediately begin study of the next Tractate or another great text.

As I discussed in The Handbook of Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation of the Modern Jew, (001) The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal - Rabbi Arthur Segal we never master prayer and we never master meditation techniques, though we hope to get better at it each day and grow spiritually. The same is true for Torah and Talmud study. We learn something new from the texts each time we study them.

"Turn the Torah over and study it from all sides for everything that is in it; look deeply into it for it is a self-contained guide to life, all of the world's wisdom is in it…" said Rabbi Ben Bag Bag. And Rabbi Ben Hei Hei said: "No pain, No gain…The reward is in proportion to the exertion" (Talmud Tractate Pirkei Avot 5:26). I'll bet you never thought that Talmudic wisdom could be found in even in a sweaty weight room!

If this year long class has helped you realize that Judaism is about a God of love, mercy, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and grace, and that we should treat all His children with these gifts each day, then you have learned much. Remember though, you have only just begun.

May we continue to grow spiritually and may the spark of God inside all of us, grow to be an Aish Ha Torah - a fire of Torah!

"I have given you a good teaching. Do not forsake My Torah" (Proverbs 4:2).

 

Shabbat Shalom and happy Holidays:

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
Eco Judaism
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
 

 

Parasha Vezot Ha'berachah: Deuteronomy 33:01-34:12

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
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"Death Don't Have No Mercy In This Land"

This is the last portion of the Chumash. Moses blesses each of the tribes of Israel individually. But did Moses bless all twelve? When he is through with his farewell blessings, Moses ascends Mount Nebo, sees the land of Israel from the mountaintop and dies. Who buries Moses? If the entire Torah was traditionally believed to have been given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, did he write the last verses describing his death as well? Upon Moses' death, Joshua takes over the reigns of leadership. To learn more, we invite you to read more.

Like Jacob centuries before him, Moses blesses each of the twelve tribes. Like Jacob, Moses' words are both blessings and prophecies. The Hebrew word v'zot (and this) is how Moses begins his blessings. This is the same phrase that Jacob uses to end his blessings (Gen. 49:28). The Midrash says that this is to show continuity of the people from their earliest times as individual sons of Jacob to the time soon to come, when they will enter the Promised Land and become a nation after wandering in the desert for 40 years. Moses used this same phrase when he began his summation of the Torah in Deuteronomy 4:44. Ramban (Nachmonides of thirteenth-century Spain) says that this symbolizes that it was the ethics of Torah that carried Israel through its past journeys, and Torah ethics will continue to carry Israel through its future trials.

This portion is read on Simchat Torah. As already mentioned, it is the last of the Chumash. As soon as we finish it, we immediately cycle back to the beginning; Genesis, the first book of the Torah. This symbolizes that our people can never consider the ethics taught in the Torah to be completed. Our study, as well as our living ethically, continues year in and year out.

This Shabbat's Haftarah, taken from the first chapter of the book of Joshua, is the book of the Holy Scriptures that follows Deuteronomy. In this Haftarah, Joshua solidifies his leadership and the Jews pledge loyalty to him by saying, "all that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go." This is reminiscent of the words said by the Israelites in the desert to Moses: "We will do and we will listen." While the ethics of the Torah are unchanging in a circular pattern, Jewish history and our adaptation to the times must be linear.

Moses is called "a man of God" (Deut. 33:01). His last act on earth, knowing that he would die, was to bless his people. Rabbi Yaakov David says that homiletically, Moses is asking the leaders of the tribes to not only be strong and wise, but to be honest and kind as well. Moses calls the Torah a heritage (Deut. 33:04). It is to be transmitted from generation to generation. It is not an inheritance. One can do what one wishes to do with an inheritance. A heritage is something valuable and special that is handed down to succeeding generations. The rabbis in Talmud Tractate Pesachim 49B take the Hebrew word for heritage, change one consonant and one vowel, and read the new word as "married." Israel and the Torah are married.

The Twelve Tribes are blessed by Moses. Ephriam and Menassah are combined as Joseph, who was their father but did not have his own tribe. Simeon is left out. Ibn Ezra, of the 12th-century, says that this is because Jacob has castigated Simeon in Genesis 49:05, and because the sinners in the orgy at Baal Peor were Simeonites (Num. 25:03). Ramban disagrees. He says that the Twelve Tribes are always listed as twelve. Usually Levi is deleted, as this tribe is landless. But Moses wished to bless Levi, as their task of transmitting Torah values was extremely important. He therefore had to omit a tribe and chose Simeon. He omitted Simeon, as their population was small. According to the critical theory of Biblical authorship, Simeon was incorporated into a part of Judah as early as in Joshua's time (Josh. 19:02). By the time of Deuteronomy's writing after the return from the exile in Babylon, this tribe was all but forgotten.

Zebulun and Issachar are mentioned together. Zebulun engaged in successful maritime commerce and supported Issachar, who devoted time to study and teaching Torah (I Chron. 12:32). Rashi says that this symbiotic relationship is codified by halakah (Jewish law). A rich man, with no time for study, can pay someone to study and they both will get credit for fulfilling the commandment to study Torah. In spiritual Jewish philosophy, this goes against the spirit of studying Torah to make us better people. We study Torah ethics and do good deeds because it the correct way to be, and not to garner God's favor.

In Deuteronomy 34:05, Moses dies. There are eight more verses of the Chumash. The rabbis debate who wrote these. In Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Batra 15B there are two opinions: Joshua wrote these eight lines, or God dictated these words to Moses, who wrote them with tears from his eyes, rather than with ink. The Vilna Gaon, of 18th-century Lithuania, says both rabbis of the Talmud are correct. Moses got the entire Torah from God. The part that had to do with his death came as one long stream of letters. He says that the Hebrew word "dimah" can mean either "tear" or "mixed-up." The Gaon says Moses wrote the letters, but Joshua made them into intelligible words. I must inject a personal note here. Whenever I read about Moses dying, I get tears in my eyes. While alive, Moses is called a man of God. When he dies, he is called a servant of God (eved Adonai; Deut. 34:05). In death, he is completely in Heaven's realm. As a living being, he is a man, able to make choices and able to make errors.

We are told that Moses dies "by the mouth of God" (Deut.34:05). Rashi says that this means Moses dies by a divine kiss. The rabbis of the Talmud discuss all the various ways one can die. They decide that this is the best of all the ways to die. While the text says that God buried Moses, some rabbis argue that Moses buried himself. Another tradition says that Moses' grave was ready for him since the evening of sixth day of the creation at precisely twilight of the first Shabbat (Pirkei Avot 5:06). Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah 13A says that the verse, "and no one knows his burial place to this day," means that Moses himself did not know where it was. No one is to know where it is even now, so as not to make it into a shrine.

The rabbis discuss another interesting point. Verse 34:08 says, "the children of Israel bewailed" Moses' death. They juxtapose this with how the Torah says Aaron was mourned. Numbers 20:29 says Aaron was mourned "by the entire house of Israel." The rabbis say that Moses was mourned by men to whom he taught the law. The sages say that all the men, women, and children mourned for Aaron because he taught them love, kindness and how to pursue peace. Aaron was known to go throughout the camp transforming friends and families who had disagreements into having loving and amicable relationships with each other again.

In Tractate Sotah 14a, Rabbi Simlai notes that the Torah ends with an act of kindness (chesed); God burying Moses. The Torah also begins with an act of chesed in Genesis 3:21 when God clothed Adam and Eve. The Talmud records that chesed is the founding principle of the Jewish people and of what we call ethical monotheism. Abraham's mission was preaching chesed toward one another.

The Talmud teaches that chesed is associated with spiritual perfection and is the most important aspect of the Torah. "Chesed is the unifying factor of creation," says rabbi Pinchas Winston. If one masters the trait of kindness, one masters the traits for building relationships. Abraham and his original religious philosophy believe that the world was created for chesed and for loving, kind relationships with each other. King David reiterated this idea in Psalm 89:03: "A world of chesed You created."

Imitating God is a higher spiritual experience than doing rituals or even talking to God, as we learned when we read about Abraham stopping his conversation with God to care for three strangers. When one makes chesed a high priority in life, one is doing one's best to resemble God. God says in Genesis 1:03, "Let there be light (or)." Abraham is called a light in the Midrash. The Midrash also says, "when Moses was born he filled the house with light." We know that God calls light good. We know of Abraham's many acts of kindness, but what was Moses' major act of kindness? Moses, the Midrash says, did a "chesed shel emet" (true kindness).

While the Jews were busy collecting gold from the Egyptians just prior to the Exodus, Moses found Jacob's coffin, which was buried in the Nile River, and brought it to the surface. He carried it with him for forty years and instructed Joshua to bury Jacob in Shechem.

Why is this called an act of true kindness? The sages say it is an act that can never be repaid. Because of this one act, the Midrash says, Moses merited burial by God Himself. It was not due to the teaching of the 613 commandments. It was not due to bringing Israel out of slavery and through the desert safely to the banks of the Promised Land. It was not due to being shomar Shabbat (strictly observant of Shabbat), or following exacting rituals of the dietary laws. Moses is called a man of God, a servant of God, and is buried by God because he did an act of true, unrepayable chesed.

I close this last D'var of the Chumash with a quote about Moses by Elie Wiesel: "His passion for social justice, his struggle for national liberation, his triumphs and disappointments, his poetic inspiration, his gifts as a strategist and an organizational genius, his complex relationship with God and His people, his requirements and promises, his condemnations and blessings, his bursts of anger, his silences, his efforts to reconcile the law with compassion, authority with integrity - no individual, ever, anywhere, accomplished so much for so many people in so many different domains. His influence is boundless. It reverberates beyond time."

Shabbat Shalom, Happy Simchat Torah, and Happy Shemini Atzeret:

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
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Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA

Rabbi Arthur Segal reveals the path to Jewish Spiritual Renewal - and happiness in  troubled  times... Is Joy and Happiness Still Possible in Times Like These? YES, it is possible. Even when the world seems to be turning upside-down, you can follow a simple, step-by-step process that will have you loving life every day no matter what is going on around you. It's no secret, but nobody's been talking about it for generations...until now. In His New Book: THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal brings Judaism back to its roots for the millions of modern Jews who have become disenchanted with "normative" Judaism. In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, Segal reveals how Judaism leads you up the path to a happy, fulfilling life. And he casts aside the long, boring sermons and tedious litany of rules and regulations in favor of plain English, humor, and life examples that we can all relate to. Click Here to Order $19.99 254 Pages Published by Amazon's BookSurge ISBN: 1439223394 "The Handbook To Jewish Spiritual Renewal by Rabbi Arthur Segal has given me the foundation to approach each day with honesty, reverence, hope and gratitude. I feel like I am having a personal conversation with a wise prophet with a jovial sense of humor."  Diane Weinberg, Washington, D.C. Shalom. My name is Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal, and in my years of rabbinic counseling I've met an awful lot of fellow Jews who are short on faith that Judaism can deliver the happiness and joy that it promises, especially in these turbulent times. Their emotions run the gamut: sadness, loneliness, bitterness; fearfulness of what the future holds for them. Some are just downright cynical and angry. I've been there myself; stuck with a feeling of, "Is this all there is?" But I found the way out. That's why I became a rabbi after retiring from my dental practice; to help others up the path to a life of joy and freedom that I couldn't find in "normative" Judaism. I want to show you that path today. "You lead the spiritual practices of the entire program and offer our followers a unique spiritual opportunity."  Hune Margulies, Ph.D. Founder, Martin Buber Institute Reclaim Your Spirituality...And Your Life 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 In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I distill teachings from our sages that have been passed along for thousands of years, along with lessons from the Torah and the Talmud. But unlike other Jewish spiritual texts that you may have read, or sermons you may have heard, this book presents these lessons in a concise, easy-to-read, easy-to-follow life transformation process that you can follow step-by-step at your own pace. And it is written in plain English with relevance to the modern world. I even threw in a few jokes to make it fun! This is stuff we were not taught in Hebrew school or in most synagogues, but it is what Judaism is really all about.  "Wonderful stuff! I'm savoring it, bit by bit."  Samuel Hughes, Senior Editor The Pennsylvania Gazette University of Pennsylvania In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, you will learn: That "normative" Judaism as you have known it throughout your life is not really Judaism at all, why it may leave you uninspired, and how spiritual renewal will help you recapture that inspiration (Chapter 1). That your ego is your own worst enemy, and how to win the battle against it (Chapter 2). How to stop struggling for control over things you cannot control, and be happier because of it (Chapter 3). How spiritual renewal conquers the fears and character flaws that are holding you back in life (Chapters 4 and 5). To actually get rid of your character flaws forever (Chapter 6). How to turn negative relationships in your life positive (Chapter 7). How simple it is to make prayer a regular part of your days...without going back to Hebrew school (Chapter 8). How to to find peace of mind through meditation (Chapter 9). How to simplify life's toughest decisions (Chapter 10). How spiritual renewal transforms you into the best individual you can be, and how to stay on track (Chapter 11). How to celebrate the Sabbath and the Jewish Holidays with meaning (Chapters 12 and 13). How to live with happiness, joy, and freedom every day of your life (Chapter 14). Click Image to Enlarge THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew Price: $19.99 254 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge Click Here to Order A Question for You Let me ask you a question: Are you enjoying life like the people in the cartoon at the top of this letter? Or, do you spend your days worrying about the economy... ...in conflict with friends, family, and co-workers... ...stressed out about the future? If the latter sounds like you I'm not surprised. As I said earlier, I counsel many fellow Jews who are in the same boat, and they look to their Jewish faith to find a happier life. However... Some have trouble understanding what they read in the Torah and how it relates to their own lives. Others find that their synagogues are more about social climbing and fundraising and less about spiritual awakening. Many simply give up, believing that Judaism has failed them, and they walk away from their Jewish faith.  In my book, The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I will show you that true Judaism has not failed them...or you...and that you can return to your Jewish faith and enjoy your life to its fullest, even when the news of the day keeps going from bad to worse. "I couldn't have written the book or expressed my pain and concern for the Jewish people returning to Judaism. Thank God that He put this desire in your heart." Janelle Vechi California It's simpler than you may think, and you don't have to become a rabbi as I did. To give you an idea what I am talking about, here is an excerpt from The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew: We become so far removed from God, our loving Sovereign Parent, that when we pray, (if we pray at all), we pray to meet an immediate need. We desire an immediate fix, rather than to seek renewal (return) and the wisdom to work toward renewal. We are satisfied for a moment if our trivial need is met. We therefore never achieve happiness in the long term. We are constantly searching and striving for our secular notions of success and happiness. While in this all-too-common state our egos "lock horns" with the egos of others, putting us in a sustained state of human conflict and resentment.   This is not the Jewish way to live; but most of us cannot find the way out. In this book, I will give a map to the tools of the process in simple terms and in language easily understood, to turn your life around to a much more pleasant state. If you follow the map faithfully and honestly, you will find that the journey is life-changing and life-affirming. "Nice Rabbi Segal! Thank you! Peace." Deepak Chopra's Intent.com What Would You Say Something Like This is Worth? Think about it… The teachings of the Torah and the Talmud all distilled into an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-follow step-by-step process that will help you: Overcome the challenges that life throws at you every day Stop letting ego, resentment, and other conflict strain your relationships with family, friends, and co-workers Get the angst and worry out of your life Eliminate low self-esteem from your life Overcome your fear of failure and other fears I know it sounds priceless and in reality…it is. But I sincerely want to share what has helped me and countless others with you. In other words, I want to show you the path to the happy and joyous life that your were meant to live. So I want you to have The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew for only $19.99. "The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal is an invaluable resource for anyone who is searching for more in their life. I was involved with organized Jewish religion, but something was always missing. Using this guide, and taking each chapter to heart, has transformed my views and put me on the track my life is supposed to be on,  filled with love, trust and emunah (faith). Thanks Rabbi Segal!" Ben Pincus Houston, TX Like I said, I've been where you are: in a life missing spirituality; seemingly unable to cope with life's difficulties; and unable to find peace and inner shalom.  But I found it and now I want to share with you the path that I have found and passed on to others with consistent success. It took me many years of work and study, and rabbinic ordination. But it didn't have to. And it doesn't have to for you. You can travel the same path that I did, but you can do it in only 254 pages! We are living in a historically turbulent time. Economic uncertainty, political corruption, threats of aggression, and religious conflict are everywhere. I know that I would find it difficult to find comfort without the peace and inner shalom that I have found through Jewish Spiritual Renewal. Please join me now. Start your journey UP the path of Jewish Spiritual Renewal so that it may bring the same joy, happiness, freedom and shalom that I now enjoy into your own life!   Click Here to Order Many Blessings, Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal   P.S.  Another thing that I've noticed over the years in my Rabbinic Counseling is that many modern Jews are not as familiar with the Torah and the Talmud as they might be.  They find it difficult to understand and interpret in a way that makes sense and has relevance to their lives in the modern world.  This is quite often the root cause of the kind of spiritual disconnection that I described earlier. So, as a companion to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I have also written: 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 "Very informative and timely. It allows many people to benefit from Torah lessons, where many of them may not otherwise have an opportunity receive such content." Mauricio Benzipporah Founder, Beta-Gershom Organization 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 interpret its lessons. "Shalom. What a blessing your insights have given me. I am interested in reading more of your writings of Talmud. I find it difficult to find good Talmudic readings. Excellent work, Rabbi!" Rabbi Daniel Ben Shmuel A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud brings the Torah alive with daily relevance to the Modern Jew. All of 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.  A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud clarifies the commentary and allows one to study the Torah and the Talmud to learn the Judaic ideals of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and peace.  It is a must read for those seeking Jewish Spiritual Renewal and is the ideal complement to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew. Here is an excerpt from A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud: Since each parasha is the weekly Torah portion, you may read each of the chapters in the book during the course of a week while also reading the actual Torah portion. By doing so, you will learn a modern Jewish Spiritual view of each Torah portion. At the same time, your world will be open to the ethical teachings of the Talmud.   While many read the Torah as a history book, or a deed to land, or see it as a boring book full of legalisms and ritual for a priesthood that no longer exists, this book aims to show you the spiritual ethical lessons in each parasha. In a sense this book will hopefully help you enjoy reading and understanding the Five Books of Moses, what we call Chumash from the Hebrew word for "five." You may even discover that you want to continue your study with the Talmud and other Jewish texts. "...most insightful (Torah) essay I could find was written by Rabbi Arthur Segal." Leslie Palma-Simoncek Staten Island Advance Complete your journey UP the path to Jewish Spiritual Renewal with a better understanding of the Torah's lessons through A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud for only $24.99... ...certainly a small amount to pay for the priceless wisdom contained within the Torah and the Talmud. You can purchase each book individually, but if you purchase them together as a set, I will donate a portion of the sales price in your name to a tzadakkah of your choice, such as your synagogue. Think of it as your first act of loving kindness in your spiritually renewed life!     Click Here to Order   Click Image to Enlarge THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew Price: $19.99 254 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge Click Here to Order Click Image to Enlarge A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD Price: $24.99 494 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge Click Here to Order   About Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal's love of Judaism and his Ahavath Israel led him on his personal quest for Jewish Spiritual Renewal, beginning his studies after retirement from a successful oral medicine practice. Rabbi Segal graduated cum laude with BA and DMD degrees, Specialty, and Post-Doctoral studies in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in the 1970s. He is an author in these chosen fields as well. Rabbi Segal teaches classes on Jewish Spiritual Renewal and The Spiritual and Ethical Teachings of the Torah, TaNaK and Talmud via the Shamash online program. He teaches Torah, Talmud, and other great texts, such as Duties of the Heart by Ibn Pakudah of 1050 C.E. Spain, to adults in his hometown. Rabbi Dr. Segal does rabbinic counseling using the step-by-step process of Jewish Spiritual Renewal to help his fellow Jews achieve a spiritual life.     Click Here to Order ©2009 Dr. Arthur Segal, P.A. d/b/a Rabbi Arthur Segal  Page header image is courtesy of Steve Greenberg (greenberg-art.com)

 

 

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:KING DAVID:A world of chesed You created:JEWISH RENEWAL

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:KING DAVID:A world of chesed You created:JEWISH RENEWAL

  

Jewish Spiritual Renewal:Shabbat 10/10/09:Torah/TaNaK/Talmud:Ethical/Spiritual Views

 

 

This Class is Dedicated to the Blessed Memory of  Rosi Baer beloved mother of Steven and Sandy Baer who passed to Olam ha Ba recently, living till the mid 90s. May the name of Rosi Baer be for an eternal blessing, and may her family be comforted with all who mourn in Zion and Jerusalem.

 

Shalom my beloved dear Talmidim, Chaverim and Rabbanim:

 

Before I confuse any of you any more than I did this full lunar year of Torah , TaNaK and Talmud study, let me explain the calendar of Holidays for this Shabbat 10/10/09.

 

For those in the Diaspora, Friday 10/09/09 is a chol ha moed Sukkoth as well as Hoshana Rabbah. Saturday 10/10/09 is not Sukkoth, but a holiday unto itself with candles and a Sheckianu, called Shemini Atzeret. This is a Torah holiday as is Sukkoth. Monday 10/11/09 is Simchat Torah which is its own holiday, but not a Torah one nor a Talmudic Rabbinic one.

 

Simchat Torah evolved circa the 13th century in Europe when Deuteronomy was completely and the Jews decided to immediately start Genesis. It was in the 16th century when the Torah was taken out at night (the only time for non-Reform Jews), and dancing with the Torah seven times around the Bimah was done.

 

On the other hand, there are hints to Simchat Torah in the Talmud. In Bavli Tractate Megillah 31a unequivocally establishes with respect to Simchat Torah: "The next day [i.e., the day after Shemini Atzeret outside of Israel] we read Ve-zot Ha-berakha and we read as the haftara Va-Ya'amod Shlomo." 

 

So in Jewish time, Simchat Torah is a new holiday.

 

Hoshana Rabbah is the last day of Sukkoth. It is a chol ha moed. It is not a Shabbat. It is the last day of the days of Awe, so if one didn't get his/her teshuvah done to God and his/her fellows by Yom Kippur, one had another 11 days to get inscribed into the Book of Life. This is the day, that the book is sealed. We have prayers for rain. Some study all night in the Sukkah doing what we do similar on Shavuot, called Tikkun Leil Hoshana Rabbah. Torah scrolls are taken out and congregants march around the Bimah seven times.(Hakafot). The luluv is taken apart and one beats the branches on the floor five times. One then beats the luluv on a table or bench to remove the leaves.This is called Chibut Aravah.

 

Shemini Atzeret is not part of Sukkoth. It is a Shabbat. Prayers for rain are also said, and as I wrote above, candles for the Yom Tov are lit and a Sheckianu is said.

 

The next day is Simchat Torah. We finish with the last parasha of Deuteronomy and immediately start with Beresheit (Genesis). All attending are given aliyot. The Torah is carried by all the congregants taking turns around the bimah seven times. All the kids under the age of b'nai mitzvoth are given one large aliyah called ''kol ha n'arim.'' (all the youths).

 

Ok. Got that? Now in Israel and in the Reform movement, Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret are celebrated on the same day, which this year would be Saturday 10/10/09. Sunday 10/11/09 is a regular day.

 

Shemini Atzeret in the Diaspora  has its own Torah readings. This was covered in the class that had Torah readings for Sukkoth. So this class, will be the Torah readings for Simchat Torah. And the last class for this series.

 

A new class, the third for Shamash a service of Hebrew College Yeshiva, will start for the Shabbat of 10/17/09. I look forward to learning more with you. I have learned more from my talmidim then from my Rabbanim. Todah rabah...thank you.

 

For those I have not utterly confused, here is the class for Simchat Torah.

 

As we have studied the Torah, who is the main character? Certainly it is God Who grows and changes spiritually it seems as humankind grows and changes spiritually. We have seen the God of the Hebrews, change dramatically as the God of Talmudic Jewry.  If anything can be said at all, God is now wearing a no-smoting patch.

 

But one human certainly dominates the last 4 books of the five of the Chumash, and this is Moses.

 

Some Talmud: Bavli Tractates Megillah 13a: Moses has the names of Yered, Avi Gedor, Chever, Avi Socho, Yekutiel, and Avi Zenoach.

 

Sotah 12a: Moses was also known as "Tov," or "Toviah.''

 

Berachot 3b-4a: Moses's ability to calculate exact Midnight, and his altering of his prophecy to prevent others' error.

 

Megillah 13a: Moses's supremacy in wisdom, Torah and prophecy.

 

Sukkah 52b: Moses as one of the 7 "Shepherds" - King David, flanked on the right by Adam, Seth and Methuselah, and on the left by Avraham, Yaakov and Moses.

 

Megillah 19b: God showing Moses the future interpretations of the text of the Torah.

 

Megillah 19b: Moses was told of the Mitzvah of Reading the Purim Story.

 

Yuma 86b : Moses's defense of the Jews, that Ha Shem gave them too much to handle responsibly.

 

Menachot 65a: Moses's love for the Jewish people; he was an "Ohev Yisrael - Lover of the Jewish people." 

 

 Sotah 11a: Bilaam , Job and Yitro were Pharaoh's advisors. Bilaam said to kill the Jewish babies, and so he was killed. Job was silent and so he was doomed to suffer. Yitro rebelled and fled, and so he merited to have children who would sit on the High Court [Sanhedrin].

 

Sotah 13b: Moses climbed Mount Nebo (Har Nevo) on the day of his death in a single bound.

Sotah 13b-14a : The impossibility of finding Moses's grave, despite all of the biblical signs of where it is.

Sotah 13b-14a : A failed attempt by the Romans to find Moses's grave.

 

Makkot 24a: Moses prophesied that the Jews would live in peace as long as they would live like Yaakov; Amos came along and said, "That blessing is over; who can be like Yaakov?":

Moses prophesied that the Jews would not find rest in exile; Yirmiyah came along and said, "God will provide them with rest in their exile".

Moses prophesied that God would punish children for [continuing] the sins of their parents; Ezekiel  came along and said that people die only for their own sins.

Moses prophesied that the Jews would be lost among the nations; Isaiah came along and said that God would blow a great horn and bring them back.

 

Temurah 15b-16a: When Moses was dying, he told Joshua to ask any remaining questions. Joshua responded that, as it is written in the Torah, he had never left Moses' side. Immediately, Joshua forgot 300 laws, and 700 uncertainties developed in his mind. The people wanted to kill Joshua. God said to him, "It would not be possible to teach these laws to you; distract the people with war, instead.''
Three thousand laws were forgotten during the mourning for Moses. The people asked Joshua to ask God to re-teach them, but he refused because the Torah is "not in Heaven." Samuel and Pinchas refused, too, arguing that a prophet is not permitted to institute anything new.
Seventeen hundred Talmudic analyses were forgotten during the mourning period for Moshe, and Othniel ben Kenaz  re-taught them.  

 

The Jewish people do not receive a new prophecy to clarify the missing material.  Instead, Othniel uses human reasoning to work out the law. This is the first person to use Talmudic pilpul.

 

But the Hebrew people had no need for Talmudic law. They were satisfied with the written Torah, so the Talmud teaches. Only when Hebrews became Jews in Babylonian exile (and then Persian), did they accept the Oral Law (Talmudic Rabbinic Judaism).  So the Talmud gives a much later date for the full flowering of the Oral Law.  A famous gemarah (Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 88a) states that at Sinai God coerced the Jewish people to accept the Torah.  The gemarah states that we had an excuse for lack of observance until the free acceptance of the covenant during the Purim episode.  The Midrash Tanchuma ( on parasha Noach) teaches that coercion was only needed for the Oral Law.  The Israelites were happy to accept the Written Law but did not want the work and responsibility that comes with the Oral Law.  Only at the time of Purim did the Jews joyously accept this burden, according to the Talmud.

 

Remember the Rabbis of the Talmud ,in order to establish legitimacy, had to state that the Oral Law, came from God to Moses on Sinai and was passed to them to be used when the prophesied exile came.  In fact as we have shown in this class, Hebraism gave way to a new religion, Talmudic Rabbinic Judaism and a Judaism that changes and adapts.

 

A true closing to any year long class of the Torah, TaNaK and ethical and spiritual teachings of the Talmud  would begin with:

"In the beginning of God's Creating the heavens and the earth…"

You will recognize this as the first verse of Genesis, the beginning of the Torah. In truth, the Torah has no epilogue because it never really ends. As soon as we have read the final verse of Deuteronomy, we turn the page to the beginning, Genesis, to continue the journey.

Similarly, when we finish a Tractate of Talmud, or a great text, we have a Siyum celebration. At that time we do a D'var, a Jewish book report if you will, then we immediately begin study of the next Tractate or another great text.

As I discussed in The Handbook of Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation of the Modern Jew, (001) The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal - Rabbi Arthur Segal we never master prayer and we never master meditation techniques, though we hope to get better at it each day and grow spiritually. The same is true for Torah and Talmud study. We learn something new from the texts each time we study them.

"Turn the Torah over and study it from all sides for everything that is in it; look deeply into it for it is a self-contained guide to life, all of the world's wisdom is in it…" said Rabbi Ben Bag Bag. And Rabbi Ben Hei Hei said: "No pain, No gain…The reward is in proportion to the exertion" (Talmud Tractate Pirkei Avot 5:26). I'll bet you never thought that Talmudic wisdom could be found in even in a sweaty weight room!

If this year long class has helped you realize that Judaism is about a God of love, mercy, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and grace, and that we should treat all His children with these gifts each day, then you have learned much. Remember though, you have only just begun.

May we continue to grow spiritually and may the spark of God inside all of us, grow to be an Aish Ha Torah - a fire of Torah!

"I have given you a good teaching. Do not forsake My Torah" (Proverbs 4:2).

 

Shabbat Shalom and happy Holidays:

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
Eco Judaism
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
 

 

Parasha Vezot Ha'berachah: Deuteronomy 33:01-34:12

Rabbi Arthur Segal
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"Death Don't Have No Mercy In This Land"

This is the last portion of the Chumash. Moses blesses each of the tribes of Israel individually. But did Moses bless all twelve? When he is through with his farewell blessings, Moses ascends Mount Nebo, sees the land of Israel from the mountaintop and dies. Who buries Moses? If the entire Torah was traditionally believed to have been given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, did he write the last verses describing his death as well? Upon Moses' death, Joshua takes over the reigns of leadership. To learn more, we invite you to read more.

Like Jacob centuries before him, Moses blesses each of the twelve tribes. Like Jacob, Moses' words are both blessings and prophecies. The Hebrew word v'zot (and this) is how Moses begins his blessings. This is the same phrase that Jacob uses to end his blessings (Gen. 49:28). The Midrash says that this is to show continuity of the people from their earliest times as individual sons of Jacob to the time soon to come, when they will enter the Promised Land and become a nation after wandering in the desert for 40 years. Moses used this same phrase when he began his summation of the Torah in Deuteronomy 4:44. Ramban (Nachmonides of thirteenth-century Spain) says that this symbolizes that it was the ethics of Torah that carried Israel through its past journeys, and Torah ethics will continue to carry Israel through its future trials.

This portion is read on Simchat Torah. As already mentioned, it is the last of the Chumash. As soon as we finish it, we immediately cycle back to the beginning; Genesis, the first book of the Torah. This symbolizes that our people can never consider the ethics taught in the Torah to be completed. Our study, as well as our living ethically, continues year in and year out.

This Shabbat's Haftarah, taken from the first chapter of the book of Joshua, is the book of the Holy Scriptures that follows Deuteronomy. In this Haftarah, Joshua solidifies his leadership and the Jews pledge loyalty to him by saying, "all that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go." This is reminiscent of the words said by the Israelites in the desert to Moses: "We will do and we will listen." While the ethics of the Torah are unchanging in a circular pattern, Jewish history and our adaptation to the times must be linear.

Moses is called "a man of God" (Deut. 33:01). His last act on earth, knowing that he would die, was to bless his people. Rabbi Yaakov David says that homiletically, Moses is asking the leaders of the tribes to not only be strong and wise, but to be honest and kind as well. Moses calls the Torah a heritage (Deut. 33:04). It is to be transmitted from generation to generation. It is not an inheritance. One can do what one wishes to do with an inheritance. A heritage is something valuable and special that is handed down to succeeding generations. The rabbis in Talmud Tractate Pesachim 49B take the Hebrew word for heritage, change one consonant and one vowel, and read the new word as "married." Israel and the Torah are married.

The Twelve Tribes are blessed by Moses. Ephriam and Menassah are combined as Joseph, who was their father but did not have his own tribe. Simeon is left out. Ibn Ezra, of the 12th-century, says that this is because Jacob has castigated Simeon in Genesis 49:05, and because the sinners in the orgy at Baal Peor were Simeonites (Num. 25:03). Ramban disagrees. He says that the Twelve Tribes are always listed as twelve. Usually Levi is deleted, as this tribe is landless. But Moses wished to bless Levi, as their task of transmitting Torah values was extremely important. He therefore had to omit a tribe and chose Simeon. He omitted Simeon, as their population was small. According to the critical theory of Biblical authorship, Simeon was incorporated into a part of Judah as early as in Joshua's time (Josh. 19:02). By the time of Deuteronomy's writing after the return from the exile in Babylon, this tribe was all but forgotten.

Zebulun and Issachar are mentioned together. Zebulun engaged in successful maritime commerce and supported Issachar, who devoted time to study and teaching Torah (I Chron. 12:32). Rashi says that this symbiotic relationship is codified by halakah (Jewish law). A rich man, with no time for study, can pay someone to study and they both will get credit for fulfilling the commandment to study Torah. In spiritual Jewish philosophy, this goes against the spirit of studying Torah to make us better people. We study Torah ethics and do good deeds because it the correct way to be, and not to garner God's favor.

In Deuteronomy 34:05, Moses dies. There are eight more verses of the Chumash. The rabbis debate who wrote these. In Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Batra 15B there are two opinions: Joshua wrote these eight lines, or God dictated these words to Moses, who wrote them with tears from his eyes, rather than with ink. The Vilna Gaon, of 18th-century Lithuania, says both rabbis of the Talmud are correct. Moses got the entire Torah from God. The part that had to do with his death came as one long stream of letters. He says that the Hebrew word "dimah" can mean either "tear" or "mixed-up." The Gaon says Moses wrote the letters, but Joshua made them into intelligible words. I must inject a personal note here. Whenever I read about Moses dying, I get tears in my eyes. While alive, Moses is called a man of God. When he dies, he is called a servant of God (eved Adonai; Deut. 34:05). In death, he is completely in Heaven's realm. As a living being, he is a man, able to make choices and able to make errors.

We are told that Moses dies "by the mouth of God" (Deut.34:05). Rashi says that this means Moses dies by a divine kiss. The rabbis of the Talmud discuss all the various ways one can die. They decide that this is the best of all the ways to die. While the text says that God buried Moses, some rabbis argue that Moses buried himself. Another tradition says that Moses' grave was ready for him since the evening of sixth day of the creation at precisely twilight of the first Shabbat (Pirkei Avot 5:06). Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah 13A says that the verse, "and no one knows his burial place to this day," means that Moses himself did not know where it was. No one is to know where it is even now, so as not to make it into a shrine.

The rabbis discuss another interesting point. Verse 34:08 says, "the children of Israel bewailed" Moses' death. They juxtapose this with how the Torah says Aaron was mourned. Numbers 20:29 says Aaron was mourned "by the entire house of Israel." The rabbis say that Moses was mourned by men to whom he taught the law. The sages say that all the men, women, and children mourned for Aaron because he taught them love, kindness and how to pursue peace. Aaron was known to go throughout the camp transforming friends and families who had disagreements into having loving and amicable relationships with each other again.

In Tractate Sotah 14a, Rabbi Simlai notes that the Torah ends with an act of kindness (chesed); God burying Moses. The Torah also begins with an act of chesed in Genesis 3:21 when God clothed Adam and Eve. The Talmud records that chesed is the founding principle of the Jewish people and of what we call ethical monotheism. Abraham's mission was preaching chesed toward one another.

The Talmud teaches that chesed is associated with spiritual perfection and is the most important aspect of the Torah. "Chesed is the unifying factor of creation," says rabbi Pinchas Winston. If one masters the trait of kindness, one masters the traits for building relationships. Abraham and his original religious philosophy believe that the world was created for chesed and for loving, kind relationships with each other. King David reiterated this idea in Psalm 89:03: "A world of chesed You created."

Imitating God is a higher spiritual experience than doing rituals or even talking to God, as we learned when we read about Abraham stopping his conversation with God to care for three strangers. When one makes chesed a high priority in life, one is doing one's best to resemble God. God says in Genesis 1:03, "Let there be light (or)." Abraham is called a light in the Midrash. The Midrash also says, "when Moses was born he filled the house with light." We know that God calls light good. We know of Abraham's many acts of kindness, but what was Moses' major act of kindness? Moses, the Midrash says, did a "chesed shel emet" (true kindness).

While the Jews were busy collecting gold from the Egyptians just prior to the Exodus, Moses found Jacob's coffin, which was buried in the Nile River, and brought it to the surface. He carried it with him for forty years and instructed Joshua to bury Jacob in Shechem.

Why is this called an act of true kindness? The sages say it is an act that can never be repaid. Because of this one act, the Midrash says, Moses merited burial by God Himself. It was not due to the teaching of the 613 commandments. It was not due to bringing Israel out of slavery and through the desert safely to the banks of the Promised Land. It was not due to being shomar Shabbat (strictly observant of Shabbat), or following exacting rituals of the dietary laws. Moses is called a man of God, a servant of God, and is buried by God because he did an act of true, unrepayable chesed.

I close this last D'var of the Chumash with a quote about Moses by Elie Wiesel: "His passion for social justice, his struggle for national liberation, his triumphs and disappointments, his poetic inspiration, his gifts as a strategist and an organizational genius, his complex relationship with God and His people, his requirements and promises, his condemnations and blessings, his bursts of anger, his silences, his efforts to reconcile the law with compassion, authority with integrity - no individual, ever, anywhere, accomplished so much for so many people in so many different domains. His influence is boundless. It reverberates beyond time."

Shabbat Shalom, Happy Simchat Torah, and Happy Shemini Atzeret:

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
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Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA

Rabbi Arthur Segal reveals the path to Jewish Spiritual Renewal - and happiness in  troubled  times... Is Joy and Happiness Still Possible in Times Like These? YES, it is possible. Even when the world seems to be turning upside-down, you can follow a simple, step-by-step process that will have you loving life every day no matter what is going on around you. It's no secret, but nobody's been talking about it for generations...until now. In His New Book: THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal brings Judaism back to its roots for the millions of modern Jews who have become disenchanted with "normative" Judaism. In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, Segal reveals how Judaism leads you up the path to a happy, fulfilling life. And he casts aside the long, boring sermons and tedious litany of rules and regulations in favor of plain English, humor, and life examples that we can all relate to. Click Here to Order $19.99 254 Pages Published by Amazon's BookSurge ISBN: 1439223394 "The Handbook To Jewish Spiritual Renewal by Rabbi Arthur Segal has given me the foundation to approach each day with honesty, reverence, hope and gratitude. I feel like I am having a personal conversation with a wise prophet with a jovial sense of humor."  Diane Weinberg, Washington, D.C. Shalom. My name is Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal, and in my years of rabbinic counseling I've met an awful lot of fellow Jews who are short on faith that Judaism can deliver the happiness and joy that it promises, especially in these turbulent times. Their emotions run the gamut: sadness, loneliness, bitterness; fearfulness of what the future holds for them. Some are just downright cynical and angry. I've been there myself; stuck with a feeling of, "Is this all there is?" But I found the way out. That's why I became a rabbi after retiring from my dental practice; to help others up the path to a life of joy and freedom that I couldn't find in "normative" Judaism. I want to show you that path today. "You lead the spiritual practices of the entire program and offer our followers a unique spiritual opportunity."  Hune Margulies, Ph.D. Founder, Martin Buber Institute Reclaim Your Spirituality...And Your Life 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 In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I distill teachings from our sages that have been passed along for thousands of years, along with lessons from the Torah and the Talmud. But unlike other Jewish spiritual texts that you may have read, or sermons you may have heard, this book presents these lessons in a concise, easy-to-read, easy-to-follow life transformation process that you can follow step-by-step at your own pace. And it is written in plain English with relevance to the modern world. I even threw in a few jokes to make it fun! This is stuff we were not taught in Hebrew school or in most synagogues, but it is what Judaism is really all about.  "Wonderful stuff! I'm savoring it, bit by bit."  Samuel Hughes, Senior Editor The Pennsylvania Gazette University of Pennsylvania In The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, you will learn: That "normative" Judaism as you have known it throughout your life is not really Judaism at all, why it may leave you uninspired, and how spiritual renewal will help you recapture that inspiration (Chapter 1). That your ego is your own worst enemy, and how to win the battle against it (Chapter 2). How to stop struggling for control over things you cannot control, and be happier because of it (Chapter 3). How spiritual renewal conquers the fears and character flaws that are holding you back in life (Chapters 4 and 5). To actually get rid of your character flaws forever (Chapter 6). How to turn negative relationships in your life positive (Chapter 7). How simple it is to make prayer a regular part of your days...without going back to Hebrew school (Chapter 8). How to to find peace of mind through meditation (Chapter 9). How to simplify life's toughest decisions (Chapter 10). How spiritual renewal transforms you into the best individual you can be, and how to stay on track (Chapter 11). How to celebrate the Sabbath and the Jewish Holidays with meaning (Chapters 12 and 13). How to live with happiness, joy, and freedom every day of your life (Chapter 14). Click Image to Enlarge THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew Price: $19.99 254 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge Click Here to Order A Question for You Let me ask you a question: Are you enjoying life like the people in the cartoon at the top of this letter? Or, do you spend your days worrying about the economy... ...in conflict with friends, family, and co-workers... ...stressed out about the future? If the latter sounds like you I'm not surprised. As I said earlier, I counsel many fellow Jews who are in the same boat, and they look to their Jewish faith to find a happier life. However... Some have trouble understanding what they read in the Torah and how it relates to their own lives. Others find that their synagogues are more about social climbing and fundraising and less about spiritual awakening. Many simply give up, believing that Judaism has failed them, and they walk away from their Jewish faith.  In my book, The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I will show you that true Judaism has not failed them...or you...and that you can return to your Jewish faith and enjoy your life to its fullest, even when the news of the day keeps going from bad to worse. "I couldn't have written the book or expressed my pain and concern for the Jewish people returning to Judaism. Thank God that He put this desire in your heart." Janelle Vechi California It's simpler than you may think, and you don't have to become a rabbi as I did. To give you an idea what I am talking about, here is an excerpt from The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew: We become so far removed from God, our loving Sovereign Parent, that when we pray, (if we pray at all), we pray to meet an immediate need. We desire an immediate fix, rather than to seek renewal (return) and the wisdom to work toward renewal. We are satisfied for a moment if our trivial need is met. We therefore never achieve happiness in the long term. We are constantly searching and striving for our secular notions of success and happiness. While in this all-too-common state our egos "lock horns" with the egos of others, putting us in a sustained state of human conflict and resentment.   This is not the Jewish way to live; but most of us cannot find the way out. In this book, I will give a map to the tools of the process in simple terms and in language easily understood, to turn your life around to a much more pleasant state. If you follow the map faithfully and honestly, you will find that the journey is life-changing and life-affirming. "Nice Rabbi Segal! Thank you! Peace." Deepak Chopra's Intent.com What Would You Say Something Like This is Worth? Think about it… The teachings of the Torah and the Talmud all distilled into an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-follow step-by-step process that will help you: Overcome the challenges that life throws at you every day Stop letting ego, resentment, and other conflict strain your relationships with family, friends, and co-workers Get the angst and worry out of your life Eliminate low self-esteem from your life Overcome your fear of failure and other fears I know it sounds priceless and in reality…it is. But I sincerely want to share what has helped me and countless others with you. In other words, I want to show you the path to the happy and joyous life that your were meant to live. So I want you to have The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew for only $19.99. "The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal is an invaluable resource for anyone who is searching for more in their life. I was involved with organized Jewish religion, but something was always missing. Using this guide, and taking each chapter to heart, has transformed my views and put me on the track my life is supposed to be on,  filled with love, trust and emunah (faith). Thanks Rabbi Segal!" Ben Pincus Houston, TX Like I said, I've been where you are: in a life missing spirituality; seemingly unable to cope with life's difficulties; and unable to find peace and inner shalom.  But I found it and now I want to share with you the path that I have found and passed on to others with consistent success. It took me many years of work and study, and rabbinic ordination. But it didn't have to. And it doesn't have to for you. You can travel the same path that I did, but you can do it in only 254 pages! We are living in a historically turbulent time. Economic uncertainty, political corruption, threats of aggression, and religious conflict are everywhere. I know that I would find it difficult to find comfort without the peace and inner shalom that I have found through Jewish Spiritual Renewal. Please join me now. Start your journey UP the path of Jewish Spiritual Renewal so that it may bring the same joy, happiness, freedom and shalom that I now enjoy into your own life!   Click Here to Order Many Blessings, Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal   P.S.  Another thing that I've noticed over the years in my Rabbinic Counseling is that many modern Jews are not as familiar with the Torah and the Talmud as they might be.  They find it difficult to understand and interpret in a way that makes sense and has relevance to their lives in the modern world.  This is quite often the root cause of the kind of spiritual disconnection that I described earlier. So, as a companion to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew, I have also written: 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 "Very informative and timely. It allows many people to benefit from Torah lessons, where many of them may not otherwise have an opportunity receive such content." Mauricio Benzipporah Founder, Beta-Gershom Organization 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 interpret its lessons. "Shalom. What a blessing your insights have given me. I am interested in reading more of your writings of Talmud. I find it difficult to find good Talmudic readings. Excellent work, Rabbi!" Rabbi Daniel Ben Shmuel A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud brings the Torah alive with daily relevance to the Modern Jew. All of 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.  A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud clarifies the commentary and allows one to study the Torah and the Talmud to learn the Judaic ideals of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and peace.  It is a must read for those seeking Jewish Spiritual Renewal and is the ideal complement to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew. Here is an excerpt from A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud: Since each parasha is the weekly Torah portion, you may read each of the chapters in the book during the course of a week while also reading the actual Torah portion. By doing so, you will learn a modern Jewish Spiritual view of each Torah portion. At the same time, your world will be open to the ethical teachings of the Talmud.   While many read the Torah as a history book, or a deed to land, or see it as a boring book full of legalisms and ritual for a priesthood that no longer exists, this book aims to show you the spiritual ethical lessons in each parasha. In a sense this book will hopefully help you enjoy reading and understanding the Five Books of Moses, what we call Chumash from the Hebrew word for "five." You may even discover that you want to continue your study with the Talmud and other Jewish texts. "...most insightful (Torah) essay I could find was written by Rabbi Arthur Segal." Leslie Palma-Simoncek Staten Island Advance Complete your journey UP the path to Jewish Spiritual Renewal with a better understanding of the Torah's lessons through A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud for only $24.99... ...certainly a small amount to pay for the priceless wisdom contained within the Torah and the Talmud. You can purchase each book individually, but if you purchase them together as a set, I will donate a portion of the sales price in your name to a tzadakkah of your choice, such as your synagogue. Think of it as your first act of loving kindness in your spiritually renewed life!     Click Here to Order   Click Image to Enlarge THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew Price: $19.99 254 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge Click Here to Order Click Image to Enlarge A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD Price: $24.99 494 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge Click Here to Order   About Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal's love of Judaism and his Ahavath Israel led him on his personal quest for Jewish Spiritual Renewal, beginning his studies after retirement from a successful oral medicine practice. Rabbi Segal graduated cum laude with BA and DMD degrees, Specialty, and Post-Doctoral studies in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in the 1970s. He is an author in these chosen fields as well. Rabbi Segal teaches classes on Jewish Spiritual Renewal and The Spiritual and Ethical Teachings of the Torah, TaNaK and Talmud via the Shamash online program. He teaches Torah, Talmud, and other great texts, such as Duties of the Heart by Ibn Pakudah of 1050 C.E. Spain, to adults in his hometown. Rabbi Dr. Segal does rabbinic counseling using the step-by-step process of Jewish Spiritual Renewal to help his fellow Jews achieve a spiritual life.     Click Here to Order ©2009 Dr. Arthur Segal, P.A. d/b/a Rabbi Arthur Segal  Page header image is courtesy of Steve Greenberg (greenberg-art.com)