Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The distinguishing characteristic of the female quality

When G-d gave the Ten Commandments, Moses was instructed to convey G-ds message first to the women and only afterwards to the men.

According to the Midrash, G-d did not want a repetition of a catastrophic mistake all over again. When the world was created the commandment not to eat the forbidden fruit was conveyed only to Adam and as a result, Eve was able to be persuaded and eat from the tree of good and bad. This time, G-d said, I will include the women first and the Torah will have an eternal existence.

In mysticism, male and female play very central and fundamental roles. Both need each other and complement each other. One without the other is incomplete and necessarily not able to accomplish.

The male, is the initiating power that generates the first motion of action. Deprived of the receptacle and partner to develop the tremendous potential in the details of this energy, it will disappear and be wasted. Because spiritually the woman was not part of the original equation when G-d conveyed the first commandment not to eat from the forbidden fruit this instruction was disrupted and violated. It did not endure.

To understand on a very crude level the roles of male and female the Talmud says the following. A male plows and seeds, threshes and winnows. After all this work, the grain is still not able to be used or enjoyed by humans. The woman takes the grain, grinds it down to flour, kneads the dough and makes it into bread which can be enjoyed by everyone.

The distinguishing characteristic of the female quality as opposed to the initiating of the male, is that the uniqueness in the female is to receive, nurture, cultivate and develop. To make it useable and practical, functional on the level of down to earth.

Since every person is a whole world unto themselves, these two qualities are within each person on many different levels and in many different areas.

A person is a composite of soul and body. The soul is where it all begins. The soul is the male and giver. The body, receives and absorbs this energy and channels the soul into a thinking brain and feet that go places. The soul on its own, if it is not drawn into the physical realm of the body accomplishes nothing. People can have an inspiration or a nice dream, and it is meaningless if it isn’t drawn down into the world of action.  A body without a soul and devoid of inspiration will not get one very far.

On a more refined level and within the soul powers itself there is male and female energies. The first spark of intellect, when the light bulb of inspiration comes on, must be immediately and carefully taken to its next step known as Binah – understanding, to dissect and develop the inspiration into a cogent concept.

That is why in mysticism the first step of intellect is known as father- Chochma, which literally means the power of something, still not fully appreciated. The second step in the process of intellect is known as mother-Binah, which means understanding. Developing the first spark of inspiration into something more cogent, logical and rational.

When G-d presented the Ten Commandments to the world, for the first time ever there became the possibility for a more revealed and open connection between spirituality and this physical world. Both dynamics male and female were in full swing.

When doing what G-d instructs, we are able to infuse the actual physical existence with the qualities of G-dliness itself.

When a person is inspired with a genius thought, in order to benefit from this moment he must immediately grab the inspiration. In the same way, when G-d presented His G-dly wisdom and energy to the world and we act on this wisdom with our bodies this G-dly energy channels its way to enhance our lives with great meaning and blessings.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Why the Mind???

One of the great principles taught by the Baal Shem Tov was that everything in this world is by Divine providence. Nothing happens just because, and everything down to the smallest detail in the universe is designed and intended by G-d.

Therefore it follows, taught the Baal Shem Tov everything a person sees or hears, is a message from G-d to this individual through this experience.

I was walking to Synagogue this past Saturday and I happened to walk by this beautifully constructed spider web, attached between two branches, glistening in the morning sun. Right there in the middle of the web was the cutest spider ever.  I guess he/she was waiting for either breakfast or lunch.

It got me thinking about the way G-d designed this magnificent creature. It has been preprogrammed to act in a certain way in order to attract its sustenance, no different than any other animal who is born with, their method of bringing in the food. A little effort on their end and, voila the food, just enough for the next meal and maybe the meal after that.

G-d designed the entire universe in a way that all is provided for. It’s built in.  The sun shines and offers its energy all on its own. The water rises and becomes rain all on its own, preprogrammed. Even when it comes to man the Talmud says, before the baby is born an angel comes before G-d and asks,” this baby will it be wise or not so wise, rich or poor...however whether it will be good or not, is not determined.” In another place the Talmud says, “Everything is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven.”

The truth of the matter is that whatever we’re meant to have will come one way or the other. Why then did G-d give us a mind? That seems to be the whole problem. If we were not able to think so much, like we humans are able to think, we would go about like the spider creating whatever it takes to get lunch and there wouldn’t be that much jealousy, worry, stress, anxiety, depression, and the whole works!

We decide, to work harder than we should, at the expense of our relationships, children, communities, religion, hoping to make it big. Real big. In the interim all those other parts to our lives are robbed of their allotted time and attention and in the end we can’t make more than what G-d pre-determined.

We get stressed out, worrying we haven’t saved enough for our children’s college fund and retirement  when the Talmud says, “ whoever has enough food for today and is worried about tomorrow, he is from the small believers.”

Like everything else G-d created out of His Kindness, for the good, He granted us the ability to independently think. We are uniquely endowed with the ability to know that we exist, so we could have the possibility to choose between good and bad, and earn eternal reward for ourselves. 

This gift is meant for our own good. However for it to be the gift that it is meant to be, we can waste the intended purpose and use the ability to think to our own detriment.

We work, not because otherwise how would G-d give us money. The Bible says we are obligated to work so we can transform the work place to a G-dly atmosphere and environment, by being honest and a good example to others.  A person never makes money. He goes to work in order to receive what G-d wants him to receive.

When a person understands this principle, that our only role is to always make the right choice between good and bad as described in G-ds book, and leaves the rest up to G-d, life becomes like the little cute spider, stress-free and worry-free, filled with satisfaction and happiness every time we used our G-d given gift to choose, for the good.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Are you a Match or a Coal, Fake or Real??

The previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok once said. “In previous generations, Chasidim would describe people by saying; this one (person) is a genuine inward directed authentic individual, this one, is currently a superficial surface person, but has potential and is on his way to becoming genuine. Today, they don’t speak that way. The feelings and thoughtfulness for (real) personal improvement is missing.”

In our morning prayers we say, “A man should forever be G-d fearing in the innermost recesses of his heart.” It’s not enough how the person acts and behaves.  A person is expected to progress further, and inwardly become the impression he gives on the surface.

Maimonides writes, “……He should not speak one thing outwardly and think otherwise in his heart. Rather, his inner self should be like the self which he shows to the world. What he feels in his heart should be the same as the words on his lips…….It is forbidden to utter a single word of deception or fraud. Rather, one should have only truthful speech, a proper spirit and a heart pure from all deceit and trickery.”

A superficial person can NOT ever, experience depth in his life since it is not who he/she is. A superficial person must live an insecure uncertain life since he is never really anchored. This contributes greatly to anxiousness and stress.

The holy ark that was in the Tabernacle in the wilderness was not only made of gold on the outside over a wood frame, it also had a gold frame on the inside of this small container. The Talmud says, this teaches us a very powerful lesson. “Any scholar whose inside is not like his outside is no scholar at all.”

A genuine inward directed authentic person as opposed to a superficial surface kind of guy, needs time and can’t be rushed. When he studies something, he must take time to think, to absorb, to get intellectually excited and emotionally involved. “All my bones will say who is like you G-d.” He just doesn’t speak from the lips, he gets completely and totally involved, and all this takes time. He takes what he does and what he says seriously and when he laughs, that too is sincere and dead serious.

On the other hand a superficial surface person “learns” quickly and he already believes he “knows” the subject. He makes quick judgments, and lives in a microwave age where everything is done fast. He gets warmed up and “excited” regarding things that he just learned about, and this too is all shallow skin deep.  No depth and no substance.  Life and friends is a one line statement on Facebook, or a poke on the internet.

A little politics here?  Some people change affiliation with stated beliefs from one day to the next. I will leave it to my dear readers to figure out what category they fit into.

There is a Chassidic saying. “A match when lit, if one blows on it just slightly the flame will extinguish. While the flame attached to a coal, the more one blows on it the greater the flame becomes. The reason for this is because one flame is a surface superficial fire. No real roots not really a passion and excitement of substance. The slightest challenge and out the window that goes.
While the other flame is real, down to its depth. This flame holds its’ ground.”

The same is true when it comes to personalities.

There are people who pray and hope for fast transformations.  They want to become smart fast, make money fast, lose weight fast but fast is the characteristic of surface floating. A person directed and focused on real genuine impact and improvement understands everything worthwhile takes time and patience. He doesn’t expect anything without personal effort to make it long lasting.

A personal of value and deep faith, who put in the time, reaps the benefits with a life deep and rich in true happiness.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Are our lives predetermined? Do we have control?

The Talmud talks about the influence and predictable behavior of someone born on different days of the week and different hours of the day. One born on Wednesday will be wise and radiant. Someone born in the sixth hour of the day under the influence of Mars will be a shedder of blood.

Pharaoh had the boys thrown in the river because his astrologers informed him that the Jews' redeemer would die by water. In fact, this prophecy referred to when Moses hit the rock and as a result, he passed away in the wilderness. They were right. Moses was somehow stuck to this predetermined fate of his.

The Talmud says,” a first wife is predetermined.”  Rashi says, regarding a different issue, “Since his flow from above has turned sour, difficulty and hardship are prone to come upon him.” Tough luck?

Rabbi Elazar ben Pedas was extremely poor. On one occasion after letting out blood, (an ancient health remedy) he had nothing to eat to regain his strength. He took a clove of garlic and became faint and fell asleep.

The rabbis who came to visit him saw that while he was sleeping he was crying and laughing and that a ray of light was radiating from his forehead. When he awoke they asked him. Why he had been crying and laughing. He answered. “G-d was sitting with me” and I asked Him: “How much longer will I suffer in poverty?” G-d said:”‘Elazar my son. Would you like me to return the world back to its beginning and recreate it so that perhaps you would be born at a time that is more favorable for livelihood?”

I replied to G-d that it seemed, despite all this effort of creating the world anew it would only be a “possibility” that my life would be better? I asked Him then “Which is longer. The life I have already lived or what I still have to live?” He answered: “The life you have already lived.” Rabbi Elazar decided that since he had already lived most of his years and starting all over again gave him only the possibility of a better lot, he declined the offer.

On the other hand it is written, that through prayer and good merit a person can change his preordained fate. It is written, if a person changes his name, or his place of living this can help change his lot. When G-d told Abraham he would be the father of a great nation, Abraham said, “I can see in my star that I am not predestined to have children.” G-d responded to Abraham (G-d didn’t say what Abraham saw was wrong but said.) “I will move over your star from the west to the east and then you will be able to have children.”

The granddaddy interpretation of quantum physics is that a person’s consciousness affects the behavior of one’s reality. We see this in Jewish law in many places. One example is that the new month can only begin when witnesses testify to the new moon and the tribunal decides and determines the new moon.

So a person does influence his condition?

Hillel the Elder was coming along the road and as he approached his hometown he heard the sound of screaming in the city. With conviction and certainty, he declared, "I am confident that this [screaming] is not [coming from] within my home."

The Talmud appropriated a verse from Psalms to Hillel's confidence: Of evil tidings he will have no fear; his heart is firm, confident in G-d (Psalms 112:7).

The Malbim writes, it is this sincere faith in G-d  (expressed in some kind of physical act) that changes a person’s fate and fortune for the good. Yes, there is a pattern and natural order G-d has put in place. However, when a person connects himself with the One in charge, all kinds of changes become possible.