February 5, 2010

  • Proof of the Creator

    Some people say they want “proof” or evidence of a Divine All-knowing All-powerful Infinite Creator, yet they aren’t willing to invest too much time and energy in seeking out that evidence. Are we any different? Do we seek out the stuff in the universe that might propel us onto a greater level of spirituality?

          Life is always about growth. Everything alive is growing and changing. Nothing alive just stays the same. Some things change rapidly, some things change slowly. Even things that look like they aren’t growing or changing may be just doing it more slowly than other things. A million years is a long time to us, but in the span of the history of the universe is it really that long? We need to reevaluate ourselves periodically to see if we are growing the way we should. Just because you believe in a Creator and are “in” to spirituality, doesn’t mean you’re living up to your potential for growth.

           Why? Because it is in the nature of mankind to be lazy, to take the easy way out. The body comes from the earth, as people say at a funeral, “from dust we came, to dust we shall return.” Earth, one of the four elements of the universe, just sits there. It does nothing unless motivated by another substance. We are part physical and therefore the body tells us to take it easy or “Let it Be” as the song said. That may be good advice when involved in a petty spat, but not when it comes to matters of the spirit. The body wants the easy way out, but the soul craves accomplishment. While a person lays asleep until midday, his body feels good, but his soul is in pain.

          Sometimes the body is getting us to be so active with the physical world that we don’t have time to think about spirituality, and sometimes the body is getting us to be so lazy we don’t want to put the effort into spiritual growth. The ideal situation for the body is dozing, hovering between sleep and wakefulness, because in that state you aren’t accomplishing one single thing. If you’re asleep, at least you’re accomplishing something. If you’re dozing, you’re not even having a decent sleep. Once you convince yourself that you can’t sit around being a couch potato, you’ve got to do something, it will try to lead you into mindless activity. If it can’t do that, and you end up working hard, it will try to get you to work so hard that there’s no time for anything really important in your life. Life is a constant challenge. If you’re reading this, then you probably are above all this at least a good portion of the time. However, there’s always room for growth in every area of spirituality. The soul is infinite and capable of growth at all times.

         Even something you take for granted, like your conviction in a Divine Creator, is something that should be fed and strengthened on a regular basis. And since you are one of the people in the world that really is interested in seeing more evidence of the Creator, it will not be hard to find, if you give it some effort. Who can’t immediately see the hand of God upon examining any small part of His creation?

    This is an excerpt from an ethnobotanical book by Mark Plotkin Ph.D.:

     

    “This mutually beneficial collaboration between a species of plant and a species of animal, called a pollination relationship, almost belongs in the realm of science fiction. The brown –and-white-mottled Amazonian Gongora orchid produces an intoxicating substance that attracts and befuddles the bee that visits the flower. The orchid is shaped so that the inebriated bee then falls onto a part of the flower, where it both deposits the pollen it carried from another Gongora and picks up new pollen.

    The Gongora’s knockout drop by no means represents the most manipulative nor the most perverse approach to pollination. In the 1984 classic Tropical Nature, entomologist Adrian Forsyth writes that some orchids “play on the indiscriminate lust of male tachinid flies by mimicking females.” From a certain angle, the color patterns of the orchid and its leaf shape resemble the female fly and, according to Forsyth, “when the male attempts to copulate with the pseudofemale, he actually pollinates the orchid.”

    I find that incredible the the flower mimics the female of the specie that pollinates it to attract the male.I don’t see how anyone can read that and not be astounded at God’s design that He put into plant pollination, one small part of His Divine plan.

February 4, 2010

  • BALANCE: Achieving Personal and Global Harmony

    Based on the teachings of Rabbi Jacobson

     

    One of the most eloquent concepts in mystical thought is the microcosm/macrocosm phenomenon. The human being is a “miniature universe,” reflecting every aspect of the world at large, and the universe is a giant organism.

     

    The reason for this intrinsic connection between humans and the universe is because the universe was created for the purpose that we humans refine and elevate it. Thus, a copy of every detail of the universe exists inside of each human being. By refining different aspects of our personal lives we also refine each respective corresponding dimension in the universe.

     

    In a way this introduces an entirely new dimension to the anthropic principle. The anthropic principle states that we live in a fine-tuned universe to allow the existence of life as we know it. The universe seems to have been custom made for human life. If any of the basic physical constants were different, then life as we know it would not be possible. The microcosm concept explains that the human being and the universe are interwoven and interdependent copies of each other.

     

    Knowing that we are a microcosm of the universe also empowers us in dealing with world events happening around us. Though subtle, harmony in our personal lives helps bring harmony to the world. We may not be able to sense the “butterfly effect” of our behavior on the universe, and its effect is not always direct and overt. Nevertheless, were told with absolute certainty that our actions do have a ripple effect on the world. We therefore are not victims of circumstances of world events; we have the power to change the world. As we refine ourselves we in some way also refine the universe.

     

    This message is powerfully relevant today as we struggle to understand the complexities of the world we have suddenly been thrust in. The answer to the biggest question of all: “What can I do about the conflicts of our time?” is that our personal choices help us affect global events. Obviously, we must first understand the soul root of the current upheavals so that we can recognize their parallels mirrored in our own personal lives. We then can, in turn, repair or refine that particular area in our lives.

     

    Sinai is called Tiferet. It empowered us with the ability to fuse the sacred and the secular, and achieve the proper balance between spirit and matter.

    Tiferet is the force that integrates the sefira of Chesed ("Compassion") and Gevurah ("Overpowering"). These two forces are, respectively, expansive (giving) and restrictive (receiving). Either of them without the other could not manifest the flow of Divine energy; they must be balanced in perfect proportion (by sharing), and this is the role of Tiferet, wherein the conflicting forces are harmonized, and creation flows forth.

    For those familiar with the tree of life in Kabbalistic studies, Tiferet is the middle of the tree. Five Sefirot surround it: above are Chesed at the right (south) and Gevurah at the left (north), and below are Netzach at the right, Hod at the left, and Yesod directly below. Together these six comprise a single entity, Zer Anpin, which is the masculine counterpart of the feminine sefira Malkuth. In certain contexts, Tiferet alone represents all the sefirot of Zer Anpin, so that the entire tree appears with only five sefirot: Keter, Chochmah, Binah, Tiferet, and Malkhut. Balance, harmony – Tiferet – is the key point.

    On one hand, you must show profound empathy. On the other hand, if you are a sensitive soul, in your empathy you can sometimes be overwhelmed with emotion as you place yourself in the shoes of the person who has been hurt and your relive his/her experiences. When you are so overwhelmed, it becomes difficult to maintain your composure in a way that allows you to offer your objective support.

     

    I must confess that I have yet to master this balance. There are times when I am so moved by another’s pain and loss, that I cannot step back and provide the appropriate insight.

     

    Hence the need for a seemingly “steely demeanor” at times, not just to protect myself, but primarily to allow me the relative distance necessary to introduce a fresh perspective and be helpful.The balance necessary between empathy (chesed) and distance (gevurah) is an example of Tiferet. There are those who get so emotionally close and intimate with a person they are touched by, that they no longer can give good advice. The there are those that are so distant and detached that the person they are trying to help cannot identify with them.

    Tiferet blends and harmonizes the free outpouring love of Chesed with the discipline of Gevurah. Tiferet possesses this power by introducing a third dimension - the dimension of truth, which is neither love nor discipline and therefore can integrate the two. Tiferet is about looking at what is right and true.

    Truth is accessed through selflessness (bittul): rising above your ego and your predispositions, enabling you to realize truth. Truth gives you a clear and objective picture of yours and others’ needs. This quality gives Tiferet its name, which means beauty: it blends the differing colors of love and discipline, and this harmony makes it beautiful.It always must come with respect, and above all, great care must be taken not to allow your personality to get in the way.

     

    All our struggles come down to a balance between these two poles. Including our ultimate struggle between the material and the spiritual, between the sacred and the secular.

    It’s easier to opt for one pole or the other. To either choose ascetic spirituality or material immersion. Yet, a healthy life is only possible when we balance and integrate the two worlds.

     

    This is the challenge of our times – both personally and globally. Especially in light of all our technological achievements, a great schism has emerged between our material prosperity and easy life and our personal and psychological issues, between unprecedented technological unity and unparalleled personal disunity.

     

    We all have, in microcosm, the struggle between soul and body. Between religion and sensitivity. Between G-d and the universe.The Baal Shem Tov,Rabbi Yisroel (Israel) ben Eliezer (רבי ישראל בן אליעזר August 27, 1698 (18 Elul) – May 22, 1760 is considered to be the founder of the Chassidic Movement,tells us that we are like mirrors. Every event that we experience is actually a reflection of our own lives. It comes to teach us a lesson that we need to learn and repair.

     

    When we see global events shaking the world, they must also shake our internal world. Though we cannot compare our own iniquities with the happenings in the world like war, famine, prejudice, and all the rest of what is bad or evil, we still must learn lessons from these events that help us develop our own sensitivity. Lessons that teach us how to face our own battles – in our search for balance and harmony.

     

    And then we are told that our individual effort changes the world. When we change the microcosm the macrocosm is directly affected.

     

    Maimonides writes: A person must see himself and the world as equally balanced on two ends of the scale;  by doing one good deed, he tips the scale and brings for himself and the entire world redemption and salvation (Laws of Repentance, 3:4).

     

    If each of us would improve our own tiferet balance, we would change the landscape of the universe. After all, the world is simply 6+ billion individuals like you and me.

January 31, 2010

  • US Government's Double Standand of Religious Freedom

    While this is not my usual format of the written word, I felt that it was a subject that needed addressed
     
    According to the Constitution, the government is not to establish a national religion and is supposed to look at all people the same.This is the separation of "church and state".The question rises , does it treat all religions or the lack of a religion with the same respect? A bigger question is what gives the United States government the right to push another country towards accepting a faith that is not the faith of that country and why is it so selective on which country to do it to?
     
    Friday, January 22, was a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer concerning a defense contract company,  Trijicon of Wixom, Mich, agreeing to remove references to the Christian bible from combat rifle sights made for the U.S. military, a major buyer of the company's gear.The inscriptions are not obvious and appear in raised lettering at the end of the stock number. Trijicon of says it will also provide to the armed forces free of charge modification kits to remove the Scripture citations from the telescoping sights already in use.The references to Bible passages raised concerns that the citations break a government rule that bars proselytizing by American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are predominantly Muslim countries.
     
    YET, the US State Department has asked the Israeli Foreign Ministry to decrease Yad l'Achim activities against missionaries.Yad l'Achim is an Israeli organization that works to keep Christian missionaries from attempting to convert Jews within the borders of Israel.The new State Department report on worldwide freedom of religion gives Israel a failing grade with regard to its level of religious tolerance, even though the practice of other faiths is protected by Israeli law. 
     
     In January 2009 the U.S. Secretary of State re-designated Saudi Arabia as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act for violations of religious freedom. In connection with this designation, the Secretary issued a waiver of sanctions "to further the purposes of the Act." Saudi Arabia being a country that allows NO other religion except Islam within its borders.

    This news story about Trijicon only shows the double standard of the US government. While they absolutely can't take a chance of insulting their oil peddling "allies" with spreading another faith, even so completely cryptically hidden, they press Israel to allow Christian missionaries free run within Israel's borders to convert Jews away from their faith.
     
    This is showing favor of one religion and its desire to extend itself over the survival of another.Yes, the Constitution is only here in the States, but the US government needs to recognize the sovereignty of another country to protect its own culture,life and faith and the right of that country to protect those within its own borders in a civilized way. I wonder how these Washington pundits would feel if a foreign country insisted that the United States allow Islamic, Buddhist or whatever "missionaries" free reign try and change the culture, religions, and life here to what they think it should be?

January 29, 2010

  • TRUE CONQUEST

    "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."

    No matter how often you've heard that phrase in response to being a
    "sore loser," no matter how many times you've said it to someone else
    to soften the disappointment of defeat, somehow it doesn't ring 100%
    true.

    Is it merely "environmental" conditioning that inculcates us with the
    desire to be on top? Or is there more to the passion for winning,
    succeeding, conquering?

    In the very beginning of the Torah, in the book of Genesis, G-d gives
    humanity its raison d'etre, "Conquer the earth. Dominate the fish of
    the sea, the birds of the sky, and every beast that walks the land."

    People were put into this world with the express purpose and mission
    of conquering it. Why, then, are most of us turned off by people who
    are aggressive, pushy, or domineering? After all, these are traits

    that would seemingly bring one more quickly to the aforesaid goal than
    being laid back, relaxed,serene, or even apathetic. After all, it would seem that it
    should come naturally for a person to want to conquer.But what is it to
    "conquer the earth? Is it to bend nature to our will or is it more to conquer the physical natures of ourselves to understand better our responsibilities to the earth?
    Every individual is a miniature world. Thus, Jewish mystical teachings
    explain that before conquering the world at large -- the earth, the
    fish, the birds, the beasts -- we must first conquer the world in
    microcosm, ourselves. A person must master himself first before he can
    set out to master the world. This is accomplished through the
    subjugation of the "earthly" and "beastly" in his own nature.Past pieces posted
    discuss this  and it's relationship of not just coming closer to the Creator,but in
     defeating and solving life's problems

    In the Mishna (Ethics, ch. 4), the Sages ask three pointed questions
    concerning titles that most people would be happy to wear. "Who is
    wise... who is mighty... who is wealthy." Our Sages answer that a
    strong person is one who conquers his inclination and they quote
    Proverbs which teaches that a patient person is better than a strong
    man and one who masters his spirit is better than one who conquers a
    city."

    G-d created the first person as a single individual to show us clearly
    that one person -- each and every person -- is potentially capable of
    "conquering the world."
    What is this world conquest? The individual and universal mission.
    To elevate the whole of nature to the service of humanity. Not
    humanity driven by greed, selfishness, ego, But humanity infused and
    illuminated by the Divine Image, by the spark of Godliness, the soul
    which is veritably a part of G-d above.Once we conquer the base aspects
     in ourselves, we can handle the problems of life and  then we can become
    the proper caretaker of the world given us.

    The ultimate purpose of this conquest of self and world is so that the
    whole of Creation will recognize the Creator. This mission will find
    its fullest expression in the Messianic Era when, as the Prophets
    foresaw, the world will be filled with the recognition and knowledge
    of G-d and being in harmony with what we are a part ,creation.

January 26, 2010

  • Trinity: God or Gun Oil?

    Trinity became a basic dogma of Christianity when it was mandated by the council of Nicea in 325 CE. This is when the concept became doctrine of the church,although it was first thought up almost one hundred years before.For the first few hundred years after his death,Jesus had no designation as G-d or son of the trinity.

    If G-d is all-powerful, why wouldn't He and only He, be the One that "saves" eternally like it says in the scriptures? Why would G-d need another entity to do His work,when He can do everything? He needs no other.
    Isaiah 43:10-11,"..I am He:before me there was no G-d formed,neither shall there be after Me. I , even I, am the L-rd;and beside me there is no savior."
    Isaiah 44:24,"....I am the L-rd that maketh all things;...alone...by Myself."
    Isaiah 45:5-6," I am the L-rd,and there is none else, there is no G-d beside me:...there is none beside Me. I am the L-rd, and there is none else."
    Isaiah 45:21-22,"....and there is no G-d else besides me;..Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:for I am G-d and there is none else."
    Deut 4:35,"..the L-rd he is G-d;there is none else beside Him."
    Deut 4:39,"He is G-d in heaven above and on the earth below:...there is none else."
    Deut 32:39,"See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with me:.....neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand."
    1 Chron 17:20, "O L-rd,there is none like thee, neither is there any god beside thee."
    Nehem 9:6,"Thou, even thou art L-rd alone."
    Psalm 86:10,"....thou art G-d alone."
    Hosea 13:4,"....for there is no savior beside me."

    John 10:38 says the Father is in me and I am in the Father. Read John 17:23,"I in them and thou in me,that they be made one.", John 14:20, "I am in my Father and ye (followers) in me and I in you", John 17:21,"That they all be as one;as thou,Father,are in me,and I in thee..", To take this literally in the Christian concept that they take, John 10;30 ,then G-d would be a fifteen in one G-d. Notice that also the Holy Spirit is totally ignored in these verses? In fact, to say Hashem is in me and I am in Hashem is a declaration of faith, not Deity
    Or ha'Emeth:Who is the true believer in G-d?The man who believes that the Shekinah is within him always and guards him;That he is in the creator and the Creator is in him.


    1 Cor 15:28,(Paul)"And when all things are subdued to him,then the son also himself be subject to He that put all things under him,that G-d will be all in all."Jesus is a servant and subject of G-d.How could he be part of a trinity which is equally powerful and eternal?

    1 John 5:7,"...the Father,the son and the Holy Spirit." isn't in your bible.It was added text like many verses.  This passage was added to the bible in the sixth century.It is first found in a paper called Liber Appologeticus in the fourth century. It is noted that the words "in heaven,the Father,the Word,and the Holy Ghost;and these three are one(KJ) in older translations (1John 5:7) are sixth century additions to the original text.The footnote in the Jerusalem Bible,a Catholic translation,says these words are "..not in any of the early Greek manuscripts or in the earliest manuscripts of the Vulgate itself."It is interesting that the Catholic church,who originally added this verse would admit now that it a spurious addition to the Testament.

    Mark 15:34( Matt 27:46),"And at the 9th hour Jesus cried out,"My G-d,my G-d,why have you forsaken me?" Can G-d forsake himself? This verse is one that clearly shows that Jesus had a G-d and was not G-d. Jesus' G-d was the G-d of Israel,the one G-d.

    Look at the absurd ideas created when Jesus is considered G-d:

    1)G-d sends G-d away from Himself

    2)G-d teaches Himself what he already knows

    3)G-d's doctrines belong only to part of Himself

    4)G-d gives Himself a command to do
     
    Also note that reference to the holy spirit is neglected,even though it is supposedly part of this triune godhead,Since Jesus never called himself G-d or a part of G-d and referred to himself as a son of man, shouldn't people believe him? Trinity is not seen in any of the teachings of Jesus,but in the religious teachings about Jesus by Christianity.
     
    The bible says God is ECHOD,One. That is a prime number, not an ordinal number.
     
    Ok,pop multiple choice quiz.
     
    1. If you walk in a bar in Tel Aviv and order echod beer, how many does the bartender bring you.
    A. One
    B. Three
    C.Two
     
    2. If God, Jesus and the holy spirit are one and they go to the movies.How many tickets do they need to buy?
    A.One
    B. Three
    C.Two
     
    Can a fallible human be God? Not unless God is imperfect. If the words written in the Greek text are true to form as to what was said by Jesus, as Christianity believes they are, then how is it that Jesus couldn't quote the Hebraic scriptures correctly concerning his own ancestry? Part of the "trinity" didn't know what scripture says that any mortal man that heard the story does? The Greek text even implies that the devil knows scripture (Mat 4:1-11), so wouldn't a member of the "trinity"?
     
    Jesus quote:Mark 2
    25. And he said unto them, Did ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, he, and they that were with him?
    26. How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him?

    Tanakh quote 1 Sam 21
    1. Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
    2. And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.
     
    Ahimelech was High Priest, not Abiathar. Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech. David was alone on a mission commanded by Saul and there were no others with him.
     
     
    Jesus himself taught that he wasn't God when he said  "The Father is greater than I am." (John 14:28) The Greek texts state that Jesus has One who is his God, so how can he be God? (Revelation 3:12)
    If the "son" and the "Father" are the same, why, when faced with tough questions, did Jesus say only his  "father" knew those things such as the case in Mark: "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are  in heaven, neither the son, but the
    Father.    "     (Mark 13:32)  Let us not forget the Gospel of Thomas which the Church attempted to destroy! This Gospel emphasizes Jesus' own sayings, casting him as a wise man but not the 'Son of God'.

    Three in one is gun oil, not the Creator of all.

January 24, 2010

  • Good and Bad Things Happen to All People

    Based on a teaching by Rabbi Weiman

    A principle that is part of the philosophical concepts and beliefs of Kabbalah is the recognition that G-d is not only the creator of our reality, but He also is in control of everything in existence.  This implies that all events that occur are either caused by His command or at least allowed to occur by His tacit approval. Of course since this is a basic point of Jewish philosophy most hold its general understanding. The mystics, however, seem to be much more acutely aware of this aspect of truth.

              The spiritual world responds to the physical world.  This means that many of the events that happen to us are a specific reaction to something we’ve done.  It may be a benefit that comes from a good deed, or a negative consequence of a bad deed.  What goes around comes around in quite a specific way.  If your spiritual composition passes through one area of challenge you may even find yourself in a negative situation (from your perspective) as a result of a good deed.  What it means is you’ve risen to a new level and you’re ready for a more significant challenge.  From a non-spiritual perspective a person may say, “Why is this catastrophe happening to me?” This is like a sophomore in college going into junior year saying, “but I passed my finals, why are they giving me even more complicated work to do?”  When you realize fully that life is meant to be a process of spiritual growth you will accept and even welcome new challenges.

    After all, being given a difficult task is actually G-d complimenting you; He’s saying, “I know you’re ready for this.”

     Any life situation may be a challenge or even a message from the Allmighty.  The sages say that since we don’t have prophecy in our era; life’s events are the only way G-d can speak to us.  We may not understand all the messages, but a moment’s pause to reflect on a special event in your life may reap some interesting results.  The very fact that you recognize G-d runs the world and nothing is an accident or you consider what happens in life as some type of karma is an elevating thought, which can have powerful connotations in choosing the proper direction to take in life.

    .  The Zohar says that no blade of grass grows without an angel striking and saying, “Grow.”  Also, knowing that there is a meaning to everything can be calming in the face of life’s many adversities.  Sartre and other existentialists came to the correct conclusion that without G-d, nothing means anything.  What many people don’t realize is that with G-d everything is meaningful. Nothing is without purpose. Even a simple rock eventually breaks down and mixes with organic materials to become soil that a plant roots in to become food for an animal.

              This doesn’t mean we can figure out the “why” behind all of life’s difficulties or tragedies.  If we could we’d be G-d.   Some things that happen to us are recompense from previous existences, reincarnations.  It even seems we’re not meant to know it all.  This itself is one of life’s challenges, to trust the Infinite Being when we’re confused by injustice.  G-d’s knowledge is clear, though, when you come to the point of the next world.  What pain and suffering is so terrible when it is replaced with an eternity of pleasure?  Not only that but the soul in the next world is unencumbered by the fog of physicality.  It becomes attached to G-d and will comprehend the necessity for all that it went through.We can strive to emulate reaching a higher point in this life. Just as there are fifty levels downward to degradation in this physical world,with the fiftieth level being a point of no return. There are fifty levels of rising above, with the fiftieth being the level of humanity when the Messianic Age comes.

               The other side of the coin is also true.  What to you may seem as a good thing happening to a bad person may in fact be to their detriment.  The worst thing that can happen to a materialistic person is to win the lottery.  They, of course, are ecstatic.  Now, however, they can waste even more time.  They can buy sixteen motorcycles, three houses, and all the other “toys” they want.  Spiritually they are wallowing in the mud.  People with less leisure time may actually be able to live a more spiritually sensitive life.This is not to say that a comfortable life automatically leads to some sort of spiritual wasteland; it simply means that sometimes when we pay to much heed to what we have materialistically, we lose track of the importance of our own spiritual health.

     Conversely, when an evil person is deprived of the ability to do evil, that is a tremendous spiritual benefit.  As a wise woman  once said to a criminal in jail, “You are very lucky they stopped you from doing more damage to your soul.”

              The Talmud says that the next world is upside down.  With a little perspective or reframing you can bring some of the next world into this one. Then we all can have a bit more clarity in life and realize that everything that happens during that life is to refine or contaminate our spirit, depending on making the right choice or not.

January 22, 2010

  • Sheer Determination Through Tenacity

    How do you maintain spiritual focus in a material world teeming with every imaginable distraction? Is there a way to perpetuate a moment of inspiration, not allowing it to dissipate under the weight of our burdens? How do we keep our values aligned when we have bills to pay, promises to keep, a workload that never seems to go away? How can your soul’s voice be heard amidst the surrounding din and congestion? What should we do when doubts creep in, when uncertainty and other debilitating forces weaken our resolve? How do we overcome adversary and all those detractors who cynically dismiss our noble and virtuous efforts?  Why do some people seem to have the strength and courage to prevail over challenges, and others do not? Where does their certainty and power come from? And can we all access it?

    The answer to these and many other similar questions is given to us in – what may seem to some, a surprising place – a Chassidic discourse, studied by many people during this time of year. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, the sixth Chabad Rebbe. The last discourse he published in his lifetime was issued for study that very day. The Chassidic discourse, titled Basi L’Gani, Come to my Garden (a verse in Song of Songs), consists of twenty chapters.

    When Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak’s son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, assumed leadership of the movement, he began his first discourse with the same verse, and elucidated on the original discourse. Every year hence, on this day, Yud Shevat, the Rebbe would focus, in consecutive order, on another one of the twenty chapters of the discourse, in 1952 – chapter two, 1953 – chapter three, concluding with chapter twenty in 1970. Then he began the order again. Based on this cycle, this year, 2010 (5770), corresponds to the 20th and final chapter of Basi L’Gani.

    What is the theme of chapter twenty? Unwavering spiritual fortitude, determination and commitment in face of the challenges that we face living in self-indulgent material universe. Esoteric in tone, this chapter, when deciphered, is as practical and relevant as any message you will ever hear.

    Briefly, the chapter discusses the harsh challenges our pure and innocent souls face in a selfish and corrupt world. The soul, he explains, originates in a very pristine and sublime state – seamlessly bound to its Divine source. In that state no duality exists; the soul’s identity and agenda is one with the Divine plan. But then this pure soul descends into the physical body and material plane, which is dominated by different and conflicting self-interests. Your integrated soul is an alien in this fragmented world, creating radical dissonance. Yet, this drastic descent is precisely the purpose of all existence: So that the soul can repair the schism and overcome – and refine – the temptations and seductions of the physical body and the material universe.

    This process demands enormous effort and exertion. The soul must fight a grueling battle to conquer the relentless pull of materialism.

    Just as we become spiritually inspired, the “animal soul” unleashes its fury, assaulting our psyches and unsettling us with every type of distraction; at times, overwhelming us with baseless doubts and fears.

    The only way to triumph in this battle is to muster the deepest resources of the soul – the enormous, unwavering power of Netzach – which emerges only in the face of adversary. Rooted in the core of the soul (beyond all other revealed faculties), Netzach (literally “victory”) is sheer determination – total and absolute commitment to forge ahead despite any challenge, unknown and doubt.

    The energy of Netzach comes from a deep-rooted belief in who you are and what you need to accomplish; embracing what you believe in and not allowing anything to stop you from getting it.

    We access this power precisely when we are under attack. When we fight to live virtuous lives in a corrupt world, when we stand up firmly for justice and morality, when we combat selfishness, our own or others, our conviction evokes the deepest Divine, spiritual resources. As demonstrated with the example of an actual war: When a leader is threatened and goes to battle, the drive to win causes him to unlock his most precious treasures and resources, ones that have never before been seen, anything to help him prevail. The challenges of life, thus, become catalysts that ignite our deepest strengths. The greater the adversary, the more powerful are the forces of certainty we awaken and the more determined we are to succeed.

    Complacency is the root of weak resolve and apathy from thinking you can't change things for the better is worse. By contrast, when we feel that our spiritual identity is threatened and we fear betraying our own highest aspirations, this danger stimulates new energies and will power, which draws out the unshakeable core of the soul rooted in the unshakeable Essence of the Divine.

    There is no greater gift than the gift of determination: The absolute certainty that you are precious and indispensable; that you are on a mission championing a cause; that the place and time in which you find yourself is exactly where you belong; and that you have the power to make your unique mark on the universe.

    So the secret to access inner strength and resolve is by looking at our own doubts and procrastination as an “enemy.” Define the enemy and then gather all your inner strengths to go into battle. Allow your enemy to empower you. When the challenge seems particularly formidable, act counter intuitively: Instead of retreating, obstinately commit, with supra rational tenacity, to fulfill your mission to refine your corner of the world.

    When you make that netzach commitment, your inner soul, fed by the indomitable Divine, will carry you.

    Based on a teaching by Rabbi Jacobson

January 21, 2010

  • Happiness is yours for the taking

    Happiness is yours for the taking. As we’ve mentioned before, your happiness cannot be dependent on anything external or else you are completely dependent. Happiness must be generated from inside.This is not saying that happines isn't from external sources since we are physical beings, but recognizing what contributes to real inner happiness.The difference between the happiness from say having your favorite team win and the happiness you get from true friends and family or helping others.
     
    Happiness that is dependent on external factors is illusory. It can make you feel like you really are happy, or it can make you feel like you ought to be happy. Either way, the reality sets in and sometimes you actually feel worse. Some people go to a party on New Year’s Eve, drink, laugh, and tell jokes with their friends, and then go home depressed. The expectation of joy can be depressing when you don’t really have anything specific to be joyful about. So you bought a new calendar. Big deal.
     
    Physicality by its very nature is limited and temporary. So any emotions attached to it will be that way also. Our soul, the inner part of us, is connected to the Infinite and therefore brings us longer lasting joy, and true joy. Happiness must, has to, is imperative that it comes from the inside out, not from the outside in. “Happiness depends upon ourselves” as Aristotle once said.
     
    Ask yourself what you are thankful for. Notice the things in life that give you pleasure. Become a connoisseur of inner pleasure like a wine connoisseur is about wine. Every thing you need for happiness is already on the inside. Appreciation. Almost everything in your environment is giving you some kind of pleasure. All you need to do is focus your attention on it. It is human nature to focus on what we do not have. It takes a tiny bit of effort to focus on what we do have, which is a lot. Imagine you want to be a musician but can’t afford an instrument. Here’s a guy that can play his own beard…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGaaxlvP-BA&feature=related  which didn’t cost him a dime.
     
    But seriously folks life is providing you with many pleasures that go unnoticed every day like running water, electricity, indoor plumbing, friends, family, work etc. When you take the time to notice your pleasure, it will put you in a better mood.
     
    Deeply imbedded in our psyche is the desire to cling to the Infinite. All the pleasures of this world, from a warm bath to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, are a tiny glimpse of the infinite pleasure that is  the spiritual  side of this life. By taking the time to focus our attention on it here, we are opening ourselves up to an infinite source of an infinite variety of pleasure.

    It’s your inner appreciation that shows you how everything and everywhere are a source of some kind of pleasure. You’re not relying on what is outside, but what is inside.

    This is not to say that there aren't bad things in life that can make keeping your eye on the pleasant things difficult at times, but more often than not; it is the inconsequential that does this.How often has some minor thing ruined your mood that you know will have no effect of your life just a few days,or even hours, from when it happens? I have to plead guilty as charged on that myself at times.The idea is to hone the practice of paying more attention to what is spiritually uplifting and gives inner happiness

    The ideals of belief in a World to Come puts all of life into perspective. After all, if God can do anything, and there isn’t a next world, He sure made a very flawed existence for us. Don’t get me wrong, there are awesomely beautiful and wonderful things about life from beginning to end: love, accomplishment, wisdom, Beethoven, Michelangelo, etc. But we could have done without all the war, ignorance, tyranny, and famine,  mosquitoes, Beevis and Butthead, etc.

    We often see the hand of God at work in this world, but we also see injustice. It must be, if God is just, that another realm exists that recompenses the sufferers in this world, and does justice with the wrongdoers.

    The next world is not a side point; it is a crucial component of Monotheism. Ancient Bible scholars, sages and kabbalists referred to an afterlife. Maimonides includes it as one of his famous Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith. The Midrash and Talmud make many,  many references to the next world. It’s incontrovertible that throughout history it has been a cornerstone of Judaism,Christianity,Islam and many other beliefs. You can believe what you want. It’s a free country.

    The real awesome experience of being one with God, which is the reward for doing good acts in this world, can only be experienced in a realm designed specifically for reward and closeness to the Infinite. This world is perfectly designed for challenges; the next world is perfectly designed for pleasure and delight with the Creator.

    When put in their proper perspective all of life’s difficulties become understandable. Not easy, not pleasant, but understandable. And as the great psychologists have said, when a person understands his/her suffering, the burden is alleviated greatly. We can still have tranquility of soul. We can still have peace of mind.

    No matter what the difficulty, we can emerge with inner peace, and happiness if we keep our minds and spirits focused on that inner happiness we get from the real pleasures of life and keep that proper perspective concerning things that don't.

January 19, 2010

  • To See the Divine

    From my files:

    		 

    The Extrordinary Within the Ordinary

    Watch a beautiful sunset. Listen to a stirring symphony. Smell a delicate fragrance. Taste a delectable wine. Touch the soft cheek of a child. Those are our five senses at work – taking in and experiencing the aesthetics of our universe. But what else enters through our sensory doors? How stimulated – overstimulated – are we by the multitude of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches inundating our daily interactions? And what impact does it have on us? Are we products, perhaps even victims, of the forces seducing our senses? Take television: Does anyone know the far-reaching effects that visual stimulation has on our psyches? How much is it desensitizing us to “see,” “hear” and experience the more sublime aspects of our lives – the invisible and ethereal?

    So when we observe the world around us, the people, events and experiences of our lives, what should we be looking for? When we are seeking a loving relationship – or standing before a person we love – how do we assure that we are looking at the important things that matter, and not at superficial externals? And how do we attain such perspective when we are swamped with the endless flow of information assaulting our senses, numbing and distorting our priorities?

    Genesis  chapter 18 opens with the words “And G-d appeared to Abraham.” What did Abraham see? What does it mean to "see" the Divine?

    When we look at any particular object what do we see? First we see the physical features of the object – its shape, color, size and position. We may also notice its functions and the benefits they serve. With more focus, we can discern subtle elements and other aspects that may not have been ostensibly noticeable. Upon further study we develop a “deeper look” at the object and learn its unique composition of elements and molecules, and its biological and chemical makeup. Further down and in we discover its atomic structure, which in turn is comprised of sub-atomic particles. How far down the “rabbit hole” can we go?

    Left to our own mortal resources we can only go that far. But with help from an unexpected place we can actually come to perceive – to see – the essence of the object, and even beyond that.

    When the Kotzker Rebbe was a young child he was once asked: “Where is G-d?” To which he replied: “Wherever you let Him in?”

    To see the Divine is to see the Essence of all reality, and to recognize that this Essence is beyond all reality. “He is the space of the universe, but the universe is not His space.” In some ways it means to see the forest from the trees; the roots from the symptoms; the causes from the effects.

    Abraham did two critical things to reach a point that he was able to see the Divine, to the point that “G-d appeared to him.” Firstly, he left his comfort zones  and embarked on a lifelong journey away from his subjective inclinations toward transcendence. Secondly, Abraham dedicated his life – and passed on his legacy to his children and generations to come – to focus not on the means, but on the end: To look beyond the seductive distractions of surface life and see what lies within; to search for the essence of things, rather than react to their symptoms. To seek out the purpose of existence and turn that purpose into the driving force of our decisions, rather than allow our existential needs and concerns to determine the course of our lives. Notwithstanding the conventions of the time, not conforming to the pressures around him, not enticed by the sights and sound of the universe, Abraham looked beyond and within them for a higher presence. This higher awareness then translates into action – to living a life of virtue, righteousness and justice.

    Once Abraham demonstrated his commitment, once he “paid the price” and did his part piercing through the outer layers and peering deep inside for the deeper reality, then the Higher and Inner Reality reciprocates, “and G-d appeared to him,” revealing the essential forces that shape all of existence, far beyond those that Abraham could ever discover on his own accord.

    The great 13th century sage, Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman), also known as Nachmanides, states a critical axiom – one that would change the landscape of Jewish education were it only emphasized in our schools:

    “Know this fundamental principle: All the journeys and events that happened with the Patriarchs [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] come to teach us about the future…they were shown what would happen to their descendants. For this reason the Torah documents in detail the experiences that transpired with the Patriarchs. No one should think that these are superfluous details; they actually pave the way and map out all the future events that would transpire with their children throughout history. There is nothing that happened to Abraham that would later not occur with his children (Ramban, Lech Lecho 12:6).

    How do we apply this principle to the opening of  “And G-d appeared to him,” to Abraham?

    Indeed, a well known story suggests that Abraham’s Divine revelation was unique to him alone. When the Rebbe Rashab was a young boy, he went to his grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek, to receive a blessing in connection with his birthday (Cheshvan 20). When he entered his grandfather's room, he began to cry. His grandfather asked him why he was crying and he explained that in cheder (school), he had learned that G-d had revealed Himself to Abraham and he was upset, why G-d did not reveal Himself to him. The Tzemach Tzedek replied: “When a righteous Jew at the age of 99 decides to circumcise himself, he is worthy that G-d reveal Himself to him.” The Rebbe Rashab was satisfied with this answer, and stopped crying.

    And yet, the Rebbe Rashab did cry, and according to Nachmanides, there is nothing that happened to Abraham that would later not occur with his children, Abraham’s Divine revelation in some way can and will happen to his children.

    Abraham paved the way for us to have a similar experience: To see the inner forces that shape our outer realities.

    But in order to see your life in this special way, you too have to commit to the same two things that Abraham committed to: One, you must travel away from your own subjective trappings and remove the immediate pressures that block you from seeing what lies within. This includes controlling the flow of images, sounds, tastes, touches and smells, which enter your being and clutter your life. Two, you need to focus on the inner forces and the purpose of it all, ensuring that the means that lead you there are not confused with the end goal. Too often we get so consumed with the tools – earning a living, shopping, preparing – that we are left with no time, energy and space for the purpose of all these tools. Sometimes we may even forget that there is a purpose, like embarking on a journey and then forgetting the destination.

    This commitment to the higher goal, as opposed to the means, in turn manifests in a life driven by virtue and selflessness, rather than instant gratification and immediate needs.

    Once you demonstrate your commitment to this approach, new doors will open up from within. And then – and only then – will you begin to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Every detail of your life begins to burst with enormous energy. You learn to savor every sight, every sound, every taste, every touch, every smell.

    You can look at a wild flower and see a flower, or you can see, as Blake put it, Heaven. You can listen to a bird sing and hear a song, or hear the music of angels. You can gently caress the finger of your beloved and touch a finger, or you can touch eternity.

    A new perspective emerges in your life, teaching you how to bridge the visible and the invisible, the sensory and the supra-sensory – how to use your senses to reach beyond your senses and experience new dimensions.

    And above all, your new vision allows you to release fresh energy from every experience you encounter: In a life driven by self-interest every situation is numbed and deadened by “what’s in it for me?” In stark contrast, a life driven by seeing the Divine opens your eyes, ears, taste, touch and smell to experience yourself and others in unprecedented ways. You learn to see new things, and see old things in new ways.

    Every situation then becomes an opportunity to generate innovative power to help others and improve the world – directing every detail of your life toward the sublime, revealing the Divine purpose in everything, fulfilling the very objective of existence.So the next time you look at and experience the world , look at and experience the world.

January 18, 2010

  • Tape a PETA member Today LOL

    I really love animals and my pets are like family members, but I don't do vegatarian. If that's your gig,then no prob, but I like my steaks. People like PETA that put animals ahead of human life are freakin aholes though.

    PETA,the same morons that brought you the ad comparing the Holocaust to slaughtering chickens for food and protested to the Palestinian Authority about a donkey killed when terrorists loaded in with explosives to murder people, learned you don't bring your self righteous pompous ass to a biker rally and protest them wearing leather LOLOL

    http://forum.goregrish.com/threads/peta-protester-duck-taped-to-tree-at-biker-rally.15300/