Make Peace – Make it Up

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In the first chapter Pirkei Avot / Ethics of the Fathers it says to Love Peace:

הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:

12. Hillel & Shammai received it from them [from Shema’ya & Avtalyon]. Hillel says: Be like the students of Aharon – love peace & pursue peace love the creatures & draw them close to the Torah.

Torah Commentator – the Zera Shimshon – asks why does it need to say “Be like the students of Aharon” – we could understand the Mishna without that phrase. He explains that Aharon used to make peace between two parties by saying  to one – you know your friend really wants to make peace. Then he would say same to the other party.  When the two who were in a quarrel saw each other – they would make peace between each other.

He basically told a fib or a white lie to make peace – between friends in quarrel or family members, or between man and his wife.

So that’s why it says that phrase “Be like the students of Aharon” to teach the people – you, To even bend the truth to promote peace.

26 Ways to Avoid Quarrel – The Torah Way

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The events of the week follow a similar manner to the Week’s Parasha / Torah Reading. A Rabbi I used to learn with used to compare the Parasha happenings to the current events of the week.

Good sources to learn about the parasha are :

Torah Anytime – torahanytime.com
https://parshasheets.com/ and parasha.com.

there are many more – see some in the links section

The Blessing of Peace

Peace is a blessing. This week’s parasha talks of Korach – who created a quarrel against Moshe / Moses. Quarrel is a terrible thing – it breaks friends, families & people. In this week’s parasha – those who ran from quarrel – like Ohn Ben Pelet – lived. The others perished.

So how do you avoid quarrel?

1. Avoid Quarrel.

2. Judge a person the positive way (If he or she is usually a good, or average person)

3. Don’t jump to conclusions.

4. Don’t assume you are right.

5. Don’t be judgemental.

6. Love Peace & Pursue Peace. (See Pirkei Avot)

7. Learn Pirkei Avot.

8. Don’t enter your nose into other people’s business.

9. Calm down a situation – don’t add fuel to the fire.

10. Don’t believe everything you hear – you remember the game “Telephone” when you were young.

11. Solve disputes among family and friends. There is an expression in french – We wash our dirty laundry among family.

12. Choose someone to talk with that is a peace maker not someone who fuels anger .

13. Take a break from the discussion until you are calm.

14. Don’t involve people who will help to take sides.

15. Choose a neutral mediator.

16. See the benefit that you gain by being on one side or the other.

17. According to Torah, You may tell fibs to create peace between people. That is what Aharon / Aron, Moshe’s Brother did.

18. Talk Softly. (See Igeret Ha Ramban)

19. Don’t instigate others.

20. Look at the common good over your own personal feelings or benefits.

21. Be Quick to Say Sorry.

22. Be Quick to Forgive.

23. Don’t Hold onto grudges.

24. Think that the person that did the bad is an agent of G-d.

25. Avoid heated conversation.

26. Pray to Hash-m for Peace.

27. Think Before you speak – to assure your words do not cause hatred, strife, hurt or sadness.

28. First Love the Person with whom You want to Quarrel

One of the greatest blessings is peace – Shalom.

Removing Bitter Feelings Towards Others by Emulating G-d

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It’s better to become better than to be bitter. At times a person will do something to your distaste. You choose your reaction – judging favorably, hate, anger, indifference in the future, spite, revenge, tolerance or love.

Deal with Your Feelings

The Torah is real. It recognizes our feelings – and knows that feelings evoked must be dealt with in a positive manner.

Choose Your Attitude

Your feelings are based upon your attitude. If you think “this is terrible what happened” you will be upset. If you think “All that Hash-m Does is for the Good” – you will have a better attitude.

The Perpetrator is and Agent of G-d / It would have happened anyway by someone else.

When we realize that a person who did us wrong is a shaliach / an agent of Hash-m / G-d – then we can be more forgiving.

It is true that that person did the act. We think that this is the process.

Adam did an act – donated $1000 – to David. So the average person will be very thankful to Adam that he gave him $1000.

It really is: David needed $1000 for Torah Day school tuition. Hash-m decided David should get $1000 for his child’s tuition. Adam wanted to support a child in a Torah Day school. Hash-m made Adam learn of David’s need and thus Adam donated $1000 to David.

In this way of thinking, David should really thank Hash-m first and then Adam. It is Hash-m who decided that he receive the $1000 – Adam was just a messenger of Hash-m. If Adam said he wants to use his $1000 for the Casino – G-d will find someone else to give David $1000. The $1000 was coming to David regardless of what Adam decided to do with his $1000.

The One who wants to do good will be given opportunities to do good and vice versa

It is called megalgelim zechut al yedey zachai umegalgelim chov al yedey chayav

מגלגלין זכות על ידי זכאי וחובה על ידי חייב

They arrange [in Heaven] a merit on those that are meritorious and They arrange [in Heaven] a debt to those are indebted.

Free Choice vs. Destiny

 A person has free choice, but nevertheless, Heaven directs the reality that will come to an entitled person. A good person, who always wants to do good, will be helped by Heaven to bring into reality a kindness and good deed. Let’s say Yosef wants to give Tzedaka / charity – Heaven will help him to find a worthy person to receive his donation. Because “in the way a man wants to go he is lead.”  And vice versa, if something bad should happen to someone, this messenger will be someone who already has chosen to bad in his life.

General Nero’s Dilemma

Like we find with General Nero. Nero was about to battle Jerusalem. He shot arrows in 4 directions – they all landed towards Jerusalem. He reasoned -Hash-m wants Jerusalem to fall – and He wants me to be his agent – and eventually Nero would be punished. He ran away. In the merit of running away from bad – he had a great descendant – Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess.

Choose Good

Our choice is on which side we will be  – on the side of those entitled who want to do good in the world or on the side of the debtors who do evil in the world.

It can also mean that the person who deserves a good deed – it will be organized by Heaven – that he will receive it by a worthy person.

In any case the benefactor of good or doer of bad was just an agent of G-d. They will also be rewarded or punished – because they were the ones who actually did the job.

Don’t Blame the Messenger – Improve Yourself

Looking that the the thing was done was decreed from heaven helps us to remove our negative feelings towards the person and prompts us to ask why did this deed actually happen. The reason why Hash-m wanted you to recieve this good or difficulty may be for several reasons. You did something good – the good came back to you – or vice versa. G-d wanted to send you an opportunity to grow. Based upon the experience you went through you can choose to become better or bitter. Your choice.

Good comes back to the Good Doer

If a person does good – he will receive good – as a reward for the good he did. At times the good that he did creates a domino effect – of other people doing good – and that good eventually comes back to the good doer.

The opposite is true as well. So as a result of a negative act – at times this will have a domino effect coming back to him. In this case one should not be angry at the perpetrator – one should reflect on the act you did – that caused you to recieve the repercussions of your deed.

The 13 Attributes of G-d

A Sefer / Book written by the Kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe Cordovera – Tomer Devora / The Palm Tree of Devorah – speaks about the 13 Attributes of G-d. Each attribute describes Hash-m’s magnanimity and kindness. G-d forgives all kinds of sins for all different reasons.

Learning the Tomer Devora – and other Jewish Mussar / Self- Improvement works – like Pirkei Avot – and emulating Hash-m will help us to forgive & forget – to be magnanimous and not petty nor bitter.

How to Get Children to Work & You Too – Use Positive Motivation

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Eavesdropping isn’t good manners – unless you know the others don’t mind. At times you just have to. Mordechai – from Purim – eavesdropped on the conversation of Bigtan & Teresh and then told the kingdom that they were scheming against the king. One night, The King Ahashverosh was read the chronicles of good deeds and rewarded Mordechai. This was one turning points of Purim. Where the wicked Haman fell & Mordechai rose.

So eavesdropping could be good. Eaves dropping on Torah learning is good. Today I did just that.

Negative & Positive Motivation

The rabbi at a different  table was discussing a way of motivating children to do a chore. He made a fine distinction between giving ultimatums to children and motivating. He mentioned that ultimatums aren’t necessarily productive. If you don’t do “A” you will not go to the park to play. The child motivated by negativity is less responsive than one motivated by positivity. The proper way to motivate the child is to say “sure you can go to the park – right after you do “A”. Choose your “A” – clean your room, fold your clothes, do your homework, etc. Now he has a reason to do the job, He wants to go to the park.

A Cure for Procrastination?

Many procrastinate. Many years I tried to break the habit. I found a similar method to break procrastination. There are things I like to do and things I push off. So I make a rule – clean my desk before I check emails. I push off cleaning my desk – but if I know I must do it before I check emails – I am motivated to do clean the desk.

It’s a takeoff of the carrot and the stick – where you place a carrot on a stick before an animal. For the animal to get the carrot – it must walk – but unfortunately it never gets to the carrot. Here we get to eat the carrot. It’s more like putting the carrot 50 yards away on the ground. In order to eat the carrot – the animal must walk to it.

Find your carrot. Place it in front of your act of procrastination. Now move forward.

 

Enjoy Your Judaism & Life. Now.

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Some say I’ll be happy when…I have a new car ….I have a new boss. …a new job. ….a new friend. …a new house. Fill in the blank.

A person has sufficient good to enjoy now – that the other things he thinks he needs are not necessary. Enjoy your children. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your parents. Enjoy the Shabbat with them.

Some zip through the tefillah / prayer service – to fulfill their obligation. But apparently Hash-m wants us to enjoy the moment. Enjoy & feel the words and tunes of the prayer service. I personally like the Moroccan Jewish prayer service. The nigunim / melodies bring out the feelings that the words convey – whether in the Tefillah, or Taamim / cantillation of the Torah reading, Haftorah reading, the ketuba on Shavuot, the nigunim of Tisha B’e av, etc.

Enjoy the moment.Enjoy the Tefillah – savor the words & melodies.

Some push off mitzvoth / Torah commandments. Like observing Shabbat. Or keeping kosher. At times because they don’t know how or because they are afraid of giving up their lifestyle or what people may think. But you only gain from Hash-m’s words – learning or doing them.

I have a motto – Do it now – perfect it later. Some want everything to be perfect before starting a project or a new endeavor. I think – if it is a good thing – do it now & perfect it later.

Some failed in the past. They are sorry about the past. They live in remorse. Teshuva – is repentance in Judaism. We feall bad and correct the past deeds. But if one falls into depression or too much sadness – this might be a negative thing. G-d wants you to be happy. The Yetzer HaRa – Evil Inclination puts thoughts of being worthless into one’s head to prevent them from accomplishing the good in life. Leave the past and go on with your life.

Some think “I can’t” – try and see.

Learn about topics you want to do in Judaism. Learn about Shabbat and do it.

Be happy now. enjoy the moment.

Don’t rush to pray / daven – so that you can do something else – enjoy the davening. Connect to the One who said “Let there be light” – Hash-m – and bring light into your life.

Who Do You Think You Are? Do Others Think the Same?

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What is Your view of yourself?

I used to have the attitude – “I don’t care what people think. I care what people feel.” I did alter my attitude a bit – now my attitude is more “If I am doing the right thing and the right way – according to Torah – I don’t care what people think.” But that’s just a general attitude. Obviously it depends upon the the situation. For instance in Torah we try not to offend – yet at times to do the right thing – we might offend the sensibilities of others if other’s sensibilities run contrary to Torah ideals. But that is an article in itself.

The Jewish Spies

In this week’s parasha – Shelach – spies are sent to Eretz Yisrael in the time of Moshe / Moses. 12 are sent. 10 come back with a negative report. 2 come back with a positive report. The Jews believe the negative report and cry in vain. Then G-d, upset about the people’s attitude – tells them that they will remain in the desert for 40 years – one year for each day they spied. He also says – since they cried in vain – He will give them a real reason to cry on that day in the future – which is the 9th of Av – the A Day of Suffering & Mourning for the Jews.

Projecting our self-image to the way others view us

The spies in their report describing the giants who live there – who they had to conquer – say

“There we saw the giants, the sons of the giant, of the Nephilim, and we were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we appeared in their eyes.” (Bamidbar/ Numbers 13:33)

We can understand the verse as just like we were grasshoppers in our eyes – we were grasshoppers in their eyes. Or because we were grasshoppers in our eyes we were grasshoppers in their eyes. Meaning because we felt like grasshoppers – they looked at us like grasshoppers. Meaning people may judge you the way you look at yourself.

Believe in Yourself

If you believe in yourself – others will believe in you. If you don’t it is possible others will not as well. The Torah wants us to have a positive self image.

What is Humility? True and False Humility

One of the greatest character traits to have is humility. Moses was the most humble of all men. Yet he accomplished more than any man in history. How is this so?

Define the Terms of Your Discussion to See if you really Agree

If you have a question or discussion with someone else – at times you will agree with one another but disagree. It depends upon your terms. Let’s explain.

Let’s take Humility. David person may think his friend – Danny – is humble. Adam says he is not. Danny is defining humility as looking down oneself. Adam is defining humility as recognizing that one’s greatest strengths come from Hash-m. Adam’s definition is correct. When one recognizes that his talents are G-d given – he will have self confidence. If one puts oneself down – he will become downtrodden.

Moses – the Most Humble of All Men

That’s how Moses was so humble – yet he accomplished so much. I also heard that Moshe used to compare his deeds to what his potential deeds were and thus he remained humble as well.

Fix yourself and Others will Look up to You

Now we should not complain about what others think of us. First we should fix our attitude and believe in ourselves – and when we look at ourselves positively – will have an effect on how others look at us.

 

 

Joshua be Nimble – How to Revamp & Relocate Quickly in Changing Times

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It was a Motzi Shabbat / After Shabbat. Yehoshua (Joshua’s Hebrew name) comes in to the synagogue after the Avot Ubanim program (where fathers learn Torah together with their sons). He announces He is moving to Florida in 3 days. We were astounded by this quick decision. He had a great opportunity and decided to take it up.

In New York He had financial success, a nice house, his children were in a Torah Day School. He was appreciated in the community. He loved his Rabbi & Synagogue. He had learning sessions / a chevruta in a local Yeshiva with a friend. But he thought – this is a great opportunity. Some encouraged him – and wished him well. Others told him to take time to think about it.

He planned it out – He found a place in Florida. He found an Orthodox synagogue in his new neighborhood. He found a Torah Day school for his children. He found a little community in his new neighborhood. He would take care of selling his former house by an agent.

In several days he made a major life move.

What can we learn?

People are at times stuck. They are stuck with their attitude. They are stuck in a dead end job or relationship. They are stuck in their neighborhood – not because it is best for them – but out of habit. People are averse to change.

Many people left New York recently – I heard over 300,000. I guess the gains of living in NY were outweighed by the benefits of living elsewhere.

Adopting a New Attitude

Today’s times are quickly changing. We can learn from Joshua to move when a good opportunity arises. Or when a new attitude arises. The Torah has many great ways of living a more meaningful existence. A great place to start is by learning Pirkei Avot / Ehics of the Fathers. Shrugging them off we lose a great opportunity.

The Great Aliya in times of Mashiach

Also the events of these times signal and the great Rabbis say that we are in the times close to Mashiach / the Messiah. Miraculous events that will happen will be greater – than those that happened when we left Egypt. There will be a parallel also – just like the Jews of Egypt were asked to leave Egypt to go to the Promised Land – Israel – the Jews will be asked by the Messiah to relocate to Israel. I guess we should learn from Yehoshua – to be light and grab the opportunity. Those that are attached to their houses, Jobs, school, circle of friends, etc. will have to make a choice. Will they chose a golden opportunity to live a more spiritually satisfying life – or remain attached to their material property.

Be Light like the Eagle

This is what Pirkei Avot / Ehics of the Fathers (Chapter 5:20) means :

Be Bold to Do the Will of G·d

20. Yehuda ben Tema says: Be bold like the leopard & light like the nesher [king of birds] & quick like the deer & strong like the lion to do the Will of your Father in Heaven.

Let’s learn to be lighter in our improving our life. Some people were tempted to relinquish the possibility of growing spiritually in Torah and Mitzvoth – and the beautiful life it entails – for a pack of chiclets.

I heard when a certain mountain was supposed to erupt. They knew it beforehand. They warned the surrounding towns and villages to evacuate. Some residents interviewed – they would not relocate. Asked why? They replied – I was living here all my life.

Be Nimble. Be Quick. And Don’t jump over the candlestick. Jump over the attitude stick.

Don’t Just Thank G-d – Do This Too

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Weekly we read a new Torah portion / parasha at the synagogue. In parasha Be’haalotecha – Hash-m commands Aharon to light the Menora.

He says : “Speak to Aharon, and say to him; When you light (literally: ascend) the lamps towards the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast [their] light.” (Bamidbar / Numbers 8:2)

Ki Ner Mitzvah ve Torah Or / A Candle is a Mitzvah & Torah is Light. Many Torah commentators explain the Menorah’s significance and what it symbolizes. Some say the 7 branches represent the 7 types of wisdom. Some say that it represents the 7 days of the week. The center being Shabbat. It is possible to explain when one sanctifies the Shabbat – (the face of the Menorah was the center lamp) – the 7 lamps shall cast their lights. When one observes the shabbat – the entire week takes on new holliness and light. The observance of Shabbat gives sanctification for the rest of the week allowing a person greater success.

Another interpretation is that – When you ascend to do the Mitzvot / commandments – you shall bring in Holiness 7 days a week. Our attachment to Hash-m / spirituality is really experienced when we are immersed 7 days a week in Torah and mitzvot. When a person is immersed in Torah 7 days a week then they see the light. They see the light of Torah. They see light in their lives. They see the blessing. When people observe Torah as a nice tradition – when convenient – they do not necessarily experience that light. Thus is why many Jews seek other philosophies – they never sought to immerse themselves in Torah & Mitzvah observance completely – 7 days a week. They didn’t feel the closeness to Hash-m – because Judaism was treated as a nice pastime – rather than life itself.

Part of feeling the Spirituality / Closeness to Hash-m of Judaism is being thankful every moment for the good in one’s life. People get depressed because they see the difficulties, the lackings – the Torah says be thankful for what you have. Do not envy. Look at the half full cup as completely full.

When we have good in our lives – let’s be thankful for every single thing.

When we thank G-d – He sees we appreciate our blessings and provides us with more. But we should ask for more after thanking G-d – to continue giving us the blessing or to give us more.

We learn this from Leah – our Matriarch. When she had Yehuda – which means “I will thank” – she stopped having children for a period. Why? Because sometimes thank you may mean “No Thank You” or “Thank you – that is enough”. Thus when we do thank Hash-m – don’t just express your appreciation – ask for more.

But feeling thankful also entails feeling indebted to the person. Many will go out of their way to help others who did them a favor in the past. This feeling of gratitude – should help to motivate us to do more good, do more Mitzvot, to learn more Torah & to reciprocate the good that we received from Hash-m to our fellows.

3 times 0 = 10? How to Not Be Misled by Falsity

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The Seltzer Enigma

I was looking at a seltzer bottle’s ingredients. One serving is 0 calories. 3 servings is 10 calories. The last I checked 0 + 0 + 0 = 0. Or 3 servings x 0 calories per serving = 0 calories. Did the seltzer company come out with a new branch of mathematics? No. The reason for this discrepancy is that the FDA allows you to round to the nearest 10 calories. One serving of flavored seltzer is probably about 3 calories. They rounded to the nearest 10 – which is 0 for one serving. For 3 servings it is 9 calories – so they rounded to the nearest 10.

The point of this article is to help people discern what is true and good and what is bad and false.

Honest Reporting?

I am sure there remain people with morality and honesty in Journalist. The little news I do read are from sources that have some kind of non-biased bent – that report news facts.

The Change from Fact to Opinion

We are not here to condemn News organizations or Journalists. Yet I have more distrust of News media that 20 years ago. I remember the days where some kind of ethics reigned in the media. Nowadays – many once reputable news organizations – reports their take on the matter, at times reporting their own agenda & fake news. Some change spin doctor journalism into something close to fiction.

Falsity in History

It is not a new phenomena. People from ancient civilizations did the same. Reporting things – out of context – to give credibility to their agenda. Many cults, philosophies, religions use the same technique. Some will quote you verses from the “Bible” out of context to fit heir agenda. It makes them look good in the eyes of the ignorant. But the educated will not fall for their game.

Protect Yourself from Falsity

So how do you protect yourself from falsity and fakery? the simple answer: Educate Yourself & Research it. Be willing to sacrifice your comfort zone to find truth.

If you want to know three times zero is 10 – educate yourself in Mathematics. You know that 0 + 0 + 0 = 0. So there must be some explanation. If you know mathematics – you will attempt to discover a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy. If you don’t know math – you will accept it at face value.

Questioning Discrepancy

I know people who investigated many religions an cults. When they discovered a  discrepancy and asked about it – the leader either swept the question under the rug, or used the ‘you just have to have faith’ answer or looked down upon the person asking the question. These responses – lead the questioning person to have doubt that the person is covering up.

Questions to Improve Ourselves

The questions below are to help us to improve and clarify our philosophy in life. They are not to put people down. They are to make you think. We in this world are guided to live a moral, uncontradicted life. We are supposed to ask questions to ourselves and others to arrive at the truth – to correct ourselves in this world. In the next world we cannot correct ourselves. Our reward in the next world depends upon how we think, speak and act in this world. If we don’t ask these questions to ourselves – in Heaven they will show us the biographic “video” of all our life – and ask us to clarify some of the questions asked below. Better to correct ourselves in this world than to be corrected in the next world.

Questions that many a philosophy cannot answer but can be answered by Judaism:

Questions For Philosophies that deny the existence of G-d.

Question: How can the world be created by random atoms colliding with one another to create a perfect universe? Where did those atoms come from? What happened before the “Big Bang”? What is the physical difference between a body before death and after death? How does growth occur – according to the “random atoms” theory?

Torah Judaism’s Answer– We believe in a G-d that created and continues to direct the world every moment.

Questions For Agnostics:

Question: Would you expect a company that creates a complicated piece of machinery or even a simple appliance – like a toaster – not to include instructions & warnings? How could G-d create a world without providing instructions?

Torah Judaism’s Answer– We believe in a G-d that spoke to millions of people at Mount Sinai – when He gave the Jewish people the Torah. Those are the laws of the world.

Questions For religions – that believe in the Torah / 5 books of Moses –

Question: How can someone believe in a philosophy that condemns killing – Like it says in the Torah “Do Not Kill” in the 10 commandments – yet the history of that religion was replete with killing?

Torah Judaism’s Answer – Judaism never committed crusades, pogroms or terrorism to get converts – we are looking for sincere people to follow Torah not quantity.

Question: How can a philosophy that condemns idolatry – which is the second of the 10 commandments – believe in a Human as a deity?

Torah Judaism’s Answer – Judaism believes in one Omnipotent, Omniscient G-d Hash-m – that Has no body or physical form.

Question: How can a philosophy say that G-d “changed his mind” about observing of His laws or about His selection of the Jewish people – this insinuates that G-d does not know the future?

Torah Judaism’s Answer – Judaism believes that G-d never changed His mind.

Question: How can someone observe the 10 commandments if they were only given to the Jewish people? (The 7 Noahide laws from the Torah were given for the Gentiles).

Question: The Torah says “I am Hash-m, Your G-d, that brought you out of Egypt” Meaning the 10 commandments only applies to people who left Egypt and their descendants – the Jewish people.

Torah Judaism’s Answer – The Torah was given to the Jewish people to observe. A non-Jew that wishes to Observe them entirely – may convert. Their main obligation is to follow their 7 Noahide laws from the Torah and Torah laws that are not prohibited by the Torah – like observing the Shabbat. If they want to observe more they can take upon themselves certain commandments. Consult a competent Orthodox rabbi for more information.

Question: How can you believe in different G-d than Hash-m when Hash-m is the Only  Name that is mentioned in the 5 Books of the Moses? (Many Bibles erroneously translate – G-d’s name – “Hash-m” – as “The L-rd”. For instance a verse in the Text is properly translated as “Hash-m spoke with Moses Saying” – NOT “The L-rd Spoke with Moses saying)? )

Torah Judaism’s Answer – Judaism believes only in Hash-m.

Questions for People Who condemn Israel

Why? Did you define what is apartheid – and compare Israel’s policies to what Apartheid was? Do you also condemn virulently other nations that commit more heinous acts that what you accuse Israel?

How to Not be misled by Other Philosophies

To Not be misled by Philosophical Arguments – learn what Torah says about it – ask a competent Orthodox Rabbi. If someone from another religion tells you a “proof” that supports their view from a verse in the Torah or Tanach – first see what the Authentic Torah sages say about it – ( like Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Ramban, Sforno, Abarbanel, Aderet Eliyahu (Rabbi Yosef Chaim), Alshich , Avi Ezer, Bartenura on Torah, Bekhor Shor, Chatam Sofer, Chizkuni, Chomat Anakh, Daat Zkenim, Gur Aryeh, HaKtav VeHaKabalah, Haamek Davar, Kitzur Baal Haturim, Kli Yakar, Malbim, Minchat Shai, Minei Targuma, Mizrachi, Or HaChaim, Paaneach Raza, Penei David, Rabbeinu Bahya, Ralbag Beur HaMilot, Ralbag on Torah, Rashbam, Recanati on the Torah, Riva, Rosh,  Siftei Chakhamim, Torah Temimah on Torah, Tur HaAroch, Tzafnat Pa’neach, Tzror HaMor) These commentators explain Torah as it was handed down from Mount Sinai. If one relies on interpretations that contradict Torah – it is like learning Tennis from the pre-game show.

Torah Questions

In Torah – we are encouraged to ask questions. The Passover Hagada /  Book – encourages the children and adults to ask questions. Torah study appreciates and relishes questions. The Torah is not afraid – because it was given by G-d / Hash-m. Hash-m is truth.

 

 

 

The Butterfly Effect – the Spiritual Aspect of Cause and Effect in Judaism

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The Butterfly Effect is a theory associated with Edward Lorenz. He states that the path of a Tornado and slight variations can be caused by the flap of a butterfly wings.

In Torah we believe in a Physical world and a parallel Spiritual world. There is laws of “nature” in both. We decide what happens in this world through our actions. G-d gave us Freedom of Choice to Choose doing good or bad – and responsibility for the consequences.

Let’s say a person gives charity to a poor man. He creates an angel that is a Defendant. This defendant angel will defend the person and possibly the whole world from negative outcomes due to this one action. G-d will then decide on a course of action in the Spiritual world that will be effectuated in the Physical world. Let’s say G-d will then decide – because this person did this good deed all of the people in a certain town in the United States will be given food. His act caused a spiritual outcome that affected the physical world.

It also happens for negative deeds.

Stories abound about this. The Pirkei Avot / Ethics of the Fathers (Chapter 4 – Mishna 2)  Mentions it :

Good causes Good & Evil, Evil
2. Ben A’zzai says: “Run to [do] a simple Mitzvah (like for a weighty one) & run away from the sin for a Mitzvah causes a Mitzvah & a sin causes a sin; for the compensation of a Mitzvah is a Mitzvah & the compensation for a sin is a sin.”

In the Time of Baba Sali – a man who was careful about guarding his eyes from looking at woman – saved an entire bus of people.

In Europe – once a person was killed in a small town. It was very unusual. Someone had a dream – that that week the Town Rabbi became very angry and it had a domino effect causing this murder.

We can understand this phenomena as cause and effect or spiritual consequences. In the second story, it is possible that the Rabbi – got angry at an individual – and that individual vented off his steam on someone else and the third person – went out to kill someone. Or it is possible to explain that the Rabbi’s anger – which was a transgression – caused the decree in Heaven that someone in his town was to be killed.

Our actions are meaningful. Our words are meaningful. Our thoughts are meaningful. A Jew that has a thought to do something good is credited as if he did a positive act. Some people who have a thought to do something negative – are also credited as if they did it. In the Hagada quoting the text that we say when we bring the first fruits in Devarim / Deut (26:5) – we say “An Aramean – Who killed our forefather [Jacob]  – caused us to descend to Egypt.” Who was this Aramean? It was Lavan – the father of Rachel – his wife. Why does it say he “killed our forefather?” because he tought to do it – it is credited to him as if he did do it.

A Jew who studies Torah gives the world life. He causes it to remain intact and brings great goodness to the world. If the Non-Jews knew the great consequences of the Jews learning Torah – they would appoint guardians over us to assure that we study Torah.

This is also the concept of Middah Keneged Middah / Measure for measure. The good one does (and the opposite) eventually returns to him or her.

Do good. Get good. Do good for the world.