RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: THE SOUL THAT GOD PLACED IN ME IS PURE
Shalom:
El-o-hai nesh-a-mah shen-at-a-ta be, te-hor-ah hee...''THE SOUL THAT GOD PLACED IN ME IS PURE. '' This is a prayer we Jews say each morning.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel , of blessed memory, asked: "What does a person expect to attain when entering a synagogue? In the pursuit of learning, one goes to a library; for aesthetic enrichment one goes to the art museum; for music one goes to the concert hall. What then is the purpose of going to the synagogue? ''
He answered: We are constantly in need of self-purification. We must also learn to be sensitive to the spirit. It is in the synagogue that we must try to acquire such inwardness, such sensitivity.
To attain a degree of spiritual security, one cannot rely on one's own resources. We need the company of witness, of human beings who are engaged in worship, who sense the truth that life is meaningless without attachment to God.
The Sages teach in Talmud Bavli Tractate Yoma 86a: '' Behaving with honesty and loving kindness leads to people recognizing God and the beauty of His Torah. However, if a person learns Torah and does not behave properly with people, then he causes people to speak bad about the Torah and profanes God's name. ''
Our Talmud in Bavli Tractate Sukkah 49b "Rabbi Elazar said: Charity is repaid in accordance with the measure of kindness involved, as it is written: 'Sow for yourselves according to your charity, but reap in accordance with your kindness' (Hoshea 10:12)."
In other words Judaism teaches that giving money is nice, and studying Torah is even nicer, but if we don't do acts of loving kindness to each and every one of us, we have negated any good that we did with our money and with our Torah education.
El-o-hai nesh-a-mah shen-at-a-ta be, te-hor-ah hee... As Jews we are required to see every new day as though we are seeing it for the first time with a clean and pure soul. We must work on making each human encounter we have, a holy event, to spread God's abundant love for us. This is what true Tikkun Olam is.
Gam zu l'tovah..all is for the good.
Shalom,
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
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
Eco Judaism
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
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