Thursday, January 12, 2012

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ: CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ: CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES 
 
Jewish  Spiritual  Renewal:
  
  Derek  Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:
  
 Shabbat  1/21/12 
 
 (aka  Derech  Eretz )
  
 
  
Shalom  my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis: 
  
An oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat this coming weekend to all. I hope you had a spiritually renewed Chanukah and  a wonderful holiday season and New Year. 
  
We continue with our exploration into the Talmudic Tractates of Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah. (aka Derech Eretz Zuta, aka Derech Eretz Rabbah.  As was mentioned, zuta is Aramaic for 'small', and rabbah is 'large').
  
Remember that Derek Eretz is not about Jewish ritual. It is  about how we are to treat one another and what traits of character, middot, we  are to try to develop. The lessons are universal and ecumenical. The  development of character traits and Jewish spiritual renewal  transformation is called  Mussar.
  
 
 
  
From  here you will find links to preceding classes in this series. So, together we continue:
  
 TALMUD  BAVLI
  
 TRACTATE 
  
 DEREk ERETZ  ZUTA
  
 (aka  Derech  Eretz)
  
Today we will begin  CHAPTER 6 of Talmud  Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Verse  6:1. This also marks the start of the 2nd Fourth of this Commentary on Derek Eretz Zuta. The first of these four volumes is being readied for publication.
 
 6:1 : ''Four things are derogatory to scholars: to walk alone in the dark (and arouse suspicion); to be perfumed; to be the last in entering a prayer-house, and to hold much discourse at a confederacy of dunces.''

As we have discussed before, as modern educated Jews, what are good character traits for rabbis and scholars are good for all of us.

Four things are listed that one should not do. The list is clear but the 'why' is not given. Other texts of Talmud give the reasons.

Walking alone in the dark on a dark city street in ancient Babylonia or Judea only invites trouble. One of course can be robbed or killed. But the text says ''arouse suspicion.'' What suspicion are we arousing?

Human nature is the same today as it was 2500 years ago. While we are not to gossip, do lashon ha ra, people do. If a rabbi was seen out at night alone, while some might think he was doing bikur cholem (visiting the sick), others may spread rumors that the rabbi was ''up to no good.'' We always need to be aware of the Talmudic concept, as we have discussed, of Ma'arit Ayin, what looks good to the eye.

And what of being perfumed? Again we have Ma'arit Ayin at play here. One could smell of perfume because he was in the company of women wearing perfume, or with men. Judaism doesn't condemn homosexuality but it does augment chasteness. One being with either men or women who are so perfumed that the aroma spreads to one's person can lead another to draw untoward inferences about one's sexual behavior. 

We are taught in the Talmud that we should run  to go to Synagogue, but to leave it slowly. One who is continually late to Synagogue is giving non-verbal information that there may be something of more value to him than prayer or study. This can harm one's reputation and effectiveness in teaching or serving on  a Beth Din.

The rabbis were very concerned about speech and how things could be taken out of context. They taught us to say little but do much. Time and time again they warn us of idle talk, especially with those who would only argue with us. They tell us not to argue with Pharisees, those who do not believe in Talmudic Rabbinic Judaism, and even not to have idle talk with unschooled women. In this case we are being warned not to have ''much'' discourse at a confederacy of dunces.

The rabbis always tell us to great every person with a smile and a sincere shalom. We are told of rabbis who would be in the market place and be the first to greet Roman soldiers. So the rabbis are not telling us to ignore, what in Hebrew they call am ha eretz, people of the land, uneducated people. The sages don't want us beating a dead horse trying to explain things to folks who are too thick to understand, or too set in their ways to allow their minds to be open to new concepts. All that happens is we anger these closed minded people. As George Bernard Shaw wrote :"Most people would rather die than think, and most do.''

The above adage is useful to remember when trying to explain to someone that their particular minhag tradition, may be binding on their community, but it is not real halakah, being bound to all. Few will understand this. And it is also very important during emotional times of elections, be they national, local, or even in a synagogue. A learned rabbi, in Tractate Sanhedrin, '' is first likened by the Jewish dunce to a vase of gold; if he converses with him, he is looked upon as a vase of silver; and if he accepts a service from him, he is regarded as a vase of earth."  The adage of not throwing pearls before swine applies here.

We discuss these middot, character traits of mar'rit ayin and avoid arguing with people, throughout the majority of chapters in  ''The  Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern  Jew'' ' (http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/ )  as well as in most chapters of ''A  Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud''  
  
What are your ideas about  passing the message of and becoming spiritually awakened?  How has learning Talmud's Derek Eretz helped you in your  interpersonal  relationships? How  has understanding the spiritual and ethical teachings of  Judaism helped you live a more joyous life? 
  
Next class, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue with Derek Eretz Zuta, Chapter SIX. Thank you for joining me.
 
For those who want a d'var Torah on Parasha Va'eira   from '''A  Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and  Talmud'' please click on

 

 

Shabbat Shalom:

Rabbi Arthur Segal_

 www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org_ (http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org/ ) 

Jewish Renewal_ 

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Hilton Head Island, SC,  Bluffton, SC, Savannah,  GA

 

If visiting SC's Low Country, contact us for a Shabbat meal, in our home by the sea, our beth yam.

 

Maker  of Shalom (Oseh Shalom) help make us deserving of Shalom beyond all human comprehension!!  

 
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Posted by Rabbi Arthur Segal at 3:00 PM