RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:REEH:JEWISH RENEWAL:JEWISH SPIRITUALITY:ECO-JUDAISM:JUSTICE

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:REEH:JEWISH RENEWAL:JEWISH SPIRITUALITY:ECO-JUDAISM:JUSTICE

Jewish Spiritual Renewal:Shabbat 8/15/08:Talmud,TaNaK:Torah:Ethics/Spiritual View

Shalom dear Chaverim v' Talmidim:

Many times as a Rabbi and frankly many times before, I have been asked politely about God's existence, or of the Jewish concept of God, and unfortunately as a person of faith, I have had people chide me or try to bait me into an argument. When I was younger, I foolishly took the bait. And I ended up eating worms with a painful hook in my mouth. Being a bit older and a hair wiser, I understand why many say they do not believe in God.

So I agree with them.

Yes. I repeat. I agree with them.

When I ask them to define the God they do not believe in, I do not believe in that God as well.

The God they hate on one hand and deny that exists on the other hand does not exist . This is the God Who sits in the Heaven in some Godly Heavenly throne. He looks down through the clouds at us mere mortals on earth. He made this earth a long long time ago. When He is in a mood, sometimes happy, sometimes rotten, He plays with this earth and us mortals, the way human children play with toy soldiers or dolls.

This God is just an invention of mankind as man grew from being a child into adulthood. Human's have emotions and battles and lives that go up and down, and hence they think God must also. We create God in our own image.

If we live in a world of myth and not deal with reality, we will invent a God Who we want to run from and deny. The Hebraic God has these attributes and hence I deal with so many Jews who tell me, kindly, or otherwise, that they do not believe in God. They have not been taught Judaism. The real Judaic God is not an invention of our minds. He created us, and He is a God of love, mercy, grace, kindness, forgiveness and abundant patience.

It is this God in which I believe. And does He exist in some throne in the heavens? No, our traditions teach that God exists where ever we let Him into our hearts.

It is this God's attributes that Judaism teaches us to have. Should I repeat them? Love, mercy, grace, kindness, forgiveness and abundant patience.

As Jews when we see someone suffering, we do NOT just say that God is Adon Olam, the Master of the Universe, that God is going to fix the problem, and that God has some divine plan. As Jews we MUST do acts of ahavath chesed, loving kindness, and act as if there is no God. Yes, you read me correctly. We must do good deeds and help others, as if there is no rescuing God.

Some Talmud : Tractate Bavli Kiddushin 70a teaches us that a person who 'puts down' another person has the same fault which he has himself. We see defects in others because we have the same defects. Or we see strengths in another person which we wish we had, but are too afraid to seek, so we knock the strength, and call it a fault. The sages tell us that before we judge another person, and we never really should anyway, we must first correct ourselves.

Some TaNaK: Proverbs: 20:27: "A man's soul is the candle of God." ALL of us have the 'still small voice' of our yetzer tov inside of us. (1 Kings 19:12). We have a choice. We can follow our will, or maybe the will of a human organization, which is all from ego, and hence the yetzer ha ra, or we can do what is good and right in God's eyes. When we continually try to do the ''next right thing,'' we take the spark of God that we allow in, and let it grow into a bright candle, a true Aish Ha Torah, a fire of Torah.

Some more TaNaK: Psalms 16:8 "I have set God before me always, because He is at my right hand I shall not falter." When we do our best to do what is right, things go well for us. We learn humility.

Some more TaNaK: Psalms 81:10: 'There shall be no strange god within you.' We need to work each day to keep our will, our puny desires, taking over, and actually making idols inside of us that we worship. What am I talking about? How many of us worship money, our homes, our spa days, our toys, more than we care for what is right and just and good in God's eyes?

And lastly: Some Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 105b;" Which 'strange god' is within the body of man? The evil trait of anger." Anger comes when we believe that something we had is being taken from us, or something we felt we should be getting is being denied to us. It is all from ego. I spoke with a fellow who had something denied to him last week. He could give 10 or more reasons why ethically and spiritually this was not proper. But he did not. He has faith and trust and experience with God, that He knows what is best for him (and all of us). If he tried to push the door open for himself using his ego, he might have succeeded, but he would have really failed. What was being denied to him was in reality a place where he did not belong and God knows this for him. Exodus 23:7 tells us to: "Distance yourself from falsehood." And while the place had some human comfort benefits, the Mitzvoth which he was asked to give up, were too much for him as a God-loving Jew. After all, these are the seven weeks of consolation . Who can better comfort us than God Himself?! So anger actually comes from lack of faith and trust. "Whoever is given to anger has no regard even for the Divine Presence.'' (Talmud Bavli Tractate Nedarim 22b)

So, when we let God, as defined above, into our hearts, we learn to live with the flow of the universe. We live a life being happy, joyous and free. I discuss exactly how we all can learn to get to this state in:

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

Have a great rest of the week and a wonderful Shabbat 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

Parasha Re'eh: Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17

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

"See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me."

The title of this parasha, Re'eh, is the command word "see" in the singular. Two Shabbats prior, the people were commanded to "hear" (Shema). What is the difference between the way we learn with our eyes and the way we learn with our ears? The sages say in Talmud Bavli Tractate Rosh Ha Shana, "hearing is not comparable to seeing."

Why does the Torah sometimes command us to look and other times to listen? What does Rabbi Israel Salanter, founder of the mussar (ethics) movement of Judaism, mean when he writes, "the distance between the mind and the heart is greater than the distance between the sun and the earth?" Which affects us more: An event that we heard about or an event that we witnessed? When we learn something in our minds, it is useless to us until we can move it into our hearts and act on it.

Liberal Judaism places a high premium on individual choice and action. Vision and seeing are unique senses. Our eyes are windows to our soul.

Modern Judaism came out of the Enlightenment in Europe. Developing our own personal philosophy, our own outlook, is called "hashkofa" in Hebrew. It is derived from the root word that means, "to look." Each of us has to see as individuals. No one can do this for us. To see clearly, our eyes must remain open. We cannot be spoon fed do's and don'ts." We have to use our eyes to read and to study, so that we can see for ourselves. The last thing modern Judaism needs is a modern halakah turning us into a "reformadoxy."

We say the Shema in every prayer service we attend. But as we read in my d'var on parasha Vaetchanan, few of us act as though those words have made it into our hearts. There is a Talmudic adage that says that a wise man is one who can foresee the outcome of actions. The parasha this week is asking each of us individually to see what a different place this world would be if we follow its teachings.

The Torah this week teaches us about giving. Deuteronomy 15:7-19 says, "if there shall be an impoverished person from among you or any of your brethren in your cities...you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand...rather you should surely give to him and you shall not harden your heart when you give to him." Why does the Torah repeat the phrase "to him?" There are two parts of tsaddakah, the recipient and the patron. Many times these two feel detached from one another, especially when we follow the Rambam's (Maimonides) view that it is best to give anonymously to an unknown recipient. Besides giving, the Torah is also asking us to identify with the needy. They are only the flip-side of the giver's situation. At any moment, the giver could come into circumstances that make him a recipient.

The Torah also this week warns against idol worship (Deut. 12:29-31). The Ramban (Nachmonides) says that this passage is not really referring to idol worship, but is really talking about using the methods used in idol worship to serve God. Talmud Bavli Tractate Ketubot 68A says, "anyone who looks away from giving charity, is as if he served idols." The sages also say in Tractate Sotah 4B that anyone who is haughty is an idol worshipper.

We learned about haughtiness in the preceding parasha. A haughty person is one who thinks all of his blessings came from his own hand and not from God. One who does not give charity believes he has earned his own money, and therefore can keep all of it. He does not believe that all that he has is really a loan from God, and can be taken at any moment. He does not have faith in God to part with some of his wealth, as he secretly fears he may not be able to have his success continue. Tractate Ketubot 66B says that giving to others is the way to guarantee that you will have a plentiful amount. It says that the "salt" for money, meaning its preservation, is to make sure some of it is missing, by giving to charity.

If we look at the first sentence of our parasha (Deut. 11:26), we see that while the word "see" is in the singular, the word meaning "before you" (lifneichem) is plural. In Talmud Bavli Tractate Kedoshim 40A, the rabbis say that a person should see the world as if it is half good and half bad. He should see the world as half meritorious and half lacking. He should see that an individual can make the difference by doing tsaddakah and tilting the entire world toward good and merit with his actions.

When Moses says that he presents us with a blessing and a curse, it is our choice to choose. We can make our world into a blessing or a curse. God does not do it for us. We have free will. We are not expected to hear this and to know it intellectually – we are to see it and know it in our hearts and to act upon it. We are all interconnected. We are all responsible for our own actions, and our actions do have consequences for those around us.

We are being taught in the first verse, as we discussed in the previous d'var Torah, that doing good is its own reward. As Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsh explains, every time we do a mitzvah our entire being takes a step forward, and we bless ourselves whenever we do a good deed. Deuteronomy 15:10 says that after you give charity, "do not let your heart sink." This is a very human thing, known as giver's remorse. Rashi says we should therefore give 100 times to make a habit of it.

The Rambam says that, even though one tremendous selfless act can have a great impact on a person, even a 100 smaller deeds will have a large influence. Rabbi Kagen, the Chofetz Chaim, says that it is better to give 100 individual dollars to 100 poor people than all to one person. This way one learns to fight his miserly inclination 100 times, and it will be easier in the future to give. He says it is not enough just to write a large check to "The Federation," or to some building fund. This may be tithing, but it is not tsaddakah or ahavath chesed, which are different mitzvoth. Tithing is "checkbook Judaism." It is not a substitute for acts of loving kindness. It does not bring you closer to spirituality, to God, or to your fellow man.

Why does the word "heart" come before "hand" in Deut. 15:7? Do not the poor benefit from our hand rather than from what is in our heart? Rabbi Isaac Karo (sixteenth-century), uncle of Joseph Karo (author of the Shulchan Aruch compilation of Jewish Law), says that this teaches that one should give charity with a smile. It also teaches that even if you have nothing to give, you should at least give kind words to the poor.

What does the Shulchan Aruch say about giving? "How much should be given to the poor? If he is starving, feed him. If he needs clothing, clothe him. If he needs items for his house, buy him those items for his house. Even if he was used to riding on a horse with a slave running ahead of him while he was rich, and now he is poor, buy him a horse and the slave. Each man according to his needs." Did Marx and Engels quote Karo? They foresaw, as did our sages, what can happen to a world of haves and have-nots. The rabbis say in Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 139A that "the world and Jerusalem will be redeemed only through tsaddakah." Remember that tsaddakah just doesn't mean charity. Its proper translation is "justice."

We are commanded to not "close our hand" to the poor (Deut. 15:7). When we close our hand we make a fist. That is an act of malice. When our hand is in a fist, all of our fingers look equal. When we open our hands, we see that some fingers are longer than others. This reminds us that not all of us are enjoying life equally. Rabbi Akiva Eiger has gone so far as to write that one must give tsaddakah even if he is so poor that he would have to give away the very food that is in his throat!

We are also taught this week that we should "walk in God's ways and to cleave to Him" (Deut. 11:22). We need to try to emulate God. This means we are to be compassionate and kind to others. One might think that doing ritual brings one closer to God. The most essential ingredient in cleaving to God is caring about our fellow human beings.

This parasha usually coincides with the month of Elul. Our Kabbalistic cosmology teaches that each month has a special spiritual opportunity for success. Elul is the time to work on personal growth and is a great time to being reclaiming one's Judaism through Jewish Spiritual Renewal. But this doesn't mean that you should limit your Spiritual Renewal to one month. Any day is perfect, as the "gates of return (renewal) are always open."

The Kabbalists write that the Hebrew letters of Elul is an acronym for the words of King Solomon's Song of Songs, "ani l'dodi v'dodi li" (I am to my beloved, my beloved is to me). These words are shared at marriage ceremonies. Elul is the time of year of heightened spirituality. It is a time, in the terms of the Zohar, when God is closer and more approachable. It is a time of introspection and preparation for Rosh Ha Shanah. As we know, this is the time to take stock of ourselves and mend our ways.

Just as we need to see; God also requires that we be seen by Him. "Three times a year all...shall appear before God." (Deut. 16:16). Seeing, as we have discussed, is a personal, private, introspective affair. Being seen, on the other hand, requires a public display. It reminds us that we are part of a community. This is why most of our prayers are in the plural. It reminds us that we are responsible for one another. The Torah, in Deut. 15:11, says, "Destitute people will not cease to exist." We can never give up. This is why the Torah says twice to open our hands to the needy (Deut. 15:8 and 15:11). We are commanded to continually see.

Doing ahavath chesed and tsaddakah helps not only the recipient, but also the donor. The feeling one gets from giving of his time and resources is indescribable. Even when it is frustrating, we are asked not to give up. We need to continually see that we really do have before us the choice of blessings and curses "this day." Proverbs 8:34-36 sums up the point of this d'var wonderfully. "Fortunate is a man who listens to Me, and sits by My doors every day, guarding the entrances of My house. Those who find Me have found life and will obtain favor. A sinner damages his soul. Those who hate Me, love death."

Have a Shabbat 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

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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