ABDOMINAL BEHAVIOR CAN BE ALL AROUND US
EXCERPTED FROM: 'GREAT IS PEACE: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD TRACTATE DEREK ERETZ ZUTA' BY RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL AND SARA DAVIES
Shalom and Peace:
Today we continue with more of Jewish Ethics (Derek Eretz) from the Talmud. Last month we discussed the first two of the seven abominations that the Rabbis teach from Proverbs 26:25: "Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.'' The sages say the seven are: thoughts, scorn, haughtiness, cruelty, idleness, causeless hatred, and an evil eye. Today we will continue with two more.
Haughtiness: It is an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims. It is much more than arrogance. It's delusional. One's self esteem is so low, one's spiritual connection is so disconnected, that one cannot see the reality of all the good that God has granted him. One therefore makes up more than he is with lies. One eventually believes these lies which is why haughtiness is delusional. One will do ''resume augmentation,'' and grant titles to themselves which have not been properly bestowed.
When one is delusional one truly cannot tell true from false. When others believe their lies and their false titles, and feed them back to the haughty individual, he believes his own false press. When Proverbs says his ''speech is charming,'' the sociopathic con man is being described.
The Talmud teaches that God and a haughty person cannot abide in the same world. The rabbis discussed how the Hebraic priests, the Sadducees, during Roman occupation, were so haughty that the Shekinah, God's Holy Presence, did not reside in Ezra's Temple. The Talmud says if a priest is haughty you can be sure of his Cohan lineage.
Cruelty can be described as indifference to suffering, and even having positive pleasure in inflicting it. It is perverse and Sadistic. Volumes have been written on cruelty. No amount of Torah study, prayer, or rabbinic nagging can correct the truly cruel. Only intense psychotherapy, with medication and in-patient treatment, can keep a truly cruel person from harming another.
But unfortunately not all cruel people have been diagnosed and/or are in treatment. They can be our spouses, neighbors, co-workers, fellow congregants, etc. They are also sociopathic.
We will continue with the other three abominations on this list next month.
Rabbi Arthur Segal is an international lecturer, author, and teacher. Visit him at www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org. Follow him on FaceBook at 'Arthur L Segal', on Twitter at RabbiASegal, or his blog at http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com . Email at RabbiSegal@JewishSpiritualRenewal.net.
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