Check out this link.  If you click on the graphic that says “Rock Stars: Then and Now” (about half way down the page), you will be treated to a great slide show that compares a bunch of rock legends in their “heyday” and then shows you a disquieting photo of their present appearance.  We tend to hold ingrained images of these people in our minds and forget that they are human like you and I and actually age…sometimes quite poorly.  Towards the end I actually found myself wincing with each “Now” pic.  There is something that is rather jarring about seeing formerly beautiful things withered and spent looking (though in fairness some have arrived in better shape than others).

I realized that I had taken an unfair, almost judgemental (and certainly irrational) position regarding these folks…as if they had no right to change.  The boyhood rock groupie in me wants to preserve some of these people like Lenin in his mausoleum and there is something in their transformation that reminds me of what lies down the road for all of us.  Of course we all know it but when we’re young it seems very distant and unreal.  When we approach middle age and discover that it’s suddenly hard to keep weight off and that our hair is much thinner than we ever expected it to be and that those sharp features our faces used to possess have softened, it dawns on us that we are not immune.

Rabbi Avigdor Miller had a great way of looking at this and wrote about it in a book called Rejoice O Youth!  He wrote that there are two worlds-one revealed (the one we live in) and one concealed (sometimes called The World to Come).  Our proper place is actually in the concealed one but we are here to train…to learn the lessons we need to in order to transition to the next world which contains no physicality to fade and grow old.  It would be very tough for an average person to give up the beauty and potency of their bodies and therefore make the transition process traumatic.  Seen from this perspective, it is a kindness that we grow old.  By the end, we will have much less of an emotional connection to our physical selves and may even be happy to leave it behind when our hour arrives.

Rosh HaShana is next Wednesday night.  It is also known as “Yom haDin” the day of judgement.  Maybe this slide show can serve as a reminder that it’s the way of all flesh to go in one direction only and that now is the time to focus on those things that truly make our time here worthwhile.

Please join us for High Holiday Services at The Aish Center.  We’d love to see you…

Shabbat Shalom

Greetings from (currently) sunny Vermont!

Yesterday my son woke up with this weird and nasty looking rash on his shoulder so we decided to take him to a doctor.  As we’re up in the small hamlet of Bondville it took a while to track down someone to go to and being the big city folks we are, we became concerned that the skill of the hick doctor might not be up to snuff and maybe we’d be better off just calling our local doctor at home.  (I sort of had a Doc Baker from Little House image in mind and that he would want to apply a bread poultice to it or some leeches or something).

When we arrived there we were surprised to discover that the Doctor was actually a professor emeritus of Harvard/Deaconess hospital!  You see, that seemed impossible to me as I was only able to see the situation through my “snob” colored glasses.

How often do we judge people or situations way before we really have any facts about them?  Pretty often I’d say.  How many people do we sum up as being this way or that without even having a conversation with them?  The truth is that we are so accustomed to acting this way that it’s become second nature…we hardly even give it a thought.  But if you’re interested in learning something about yourself, take note of the number of people and circumstances that you deem “bad, annoying, stupid, exasperating, etc” as well as the opposite.  The way we judge is the way that we view ourselves.

In psychology it’s called projection and in Torah parlance it’s called “kol ha pasul, b’mumo pasul” (everyone who disparages others, disparages themselves) or as I recently read, “if you spot it, you got it”.  Happy people tend to think that things basically work out and view others as basically good.  Less happy people are always on the lookout for how others are conniving or incompetent and tend to see everything as going wrong.

The Mishna in Ethics of our Fathers teaches us to be “dan l’kol echad l’kaf zechut” (to judge everyone favorably).  Rebbe Nachman, the founder of Breslov Chassidut even applies this to those who are totally evil!  So whether you do it because it is spiritually and psychologically beneficial, because it’s pragmatic or because in the end it’s a nicer and more satisfying way to live, now is the right time to work on it. How should we start?  By recognizing that when we start tensing up with that “I hate you” feeling, have a good long look at yourself first and see if you don’t have the exact same issue.

If anyone is interested in learning more about this topic please email me at ajacobs@aish.com.  In the mean time here’s one of those short videos with poignant music and nice pictures.

Have you ever been wondered if your money is a good thing or not?  Most people probably don’t but according to the personal development classic “Chovos HaLevavos” by Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda, maybe we should.

He says that there is a sure fire way of knowing: 

• If you are at ease with your money and it doesn’t cause you undue concern or worry  AND you are using to to bring about good things in the world then it is a blessing (give yourself a pat on the back).
• If you are obsessed with your money and in a constant state of worry about it, then it is a trial and you need to be careful to a) make sure that you are setting aside some of it (even if it’s very little) to give to charity or to help people in some way and b) that you work on your “emunah”- your trust that everything happens for the good and that our net worth does not equal our self worth.
• If you are greatly enjoying your wealth but not using it to benefit anyone but yourself then it is a curse.  He writes that this person is enjoying himself so much because he is receiving all of his “Olam HaBah” (next world) in this one and his next one won’t be too pretty.

So there you go.  In as much as Judaism teaches that Rosh HaShana is the blueprint for the entire next year (including precicely how much money we will make) it behooves us to start thinking carefully about what we would like our year to look like and to start taking the appropriate steps to prepare for it.  Here are some suggestions:

• Get the fantastic book 60 Days by Rabbi Simeon Jacobson
• Book your seat for the Aish Center High Holiday Experience now
• Come to our class on Rosh HaShana and Money next Monday
• Support the Aish Center!

Shabbat Shalom

Not 5 minutes ago I received this email:

Tonight we finish up our “Pray, Eat, Love” series with a great talk from my good friends Jody and Russell Reich (as well as a few thoughts from yours truly).  The topic is love.  Russell and Jody will be focusing on how do determine who to marry and I will be exploring the role of “looks” and attraction as well as a big picture question of “what’s the purpose of love”?  Can we even say that it has one?

So there you go.  You can have a complete understanding of the nature of love in less than one hour.  Worth a trip over for?

We were fortunate to have Donna Sonkin as a guest lecturer this week on the topic of  holistic nutrition.  We learned a lot about the beneficial effects of “real food” on the body and also what happens when we feed ourselves bad stuff.  Did you know that Judaism teaches that we are all in possession of not just one, but two complete bodies that both need nourishment? 

Judaism has long maintained that there is a revealed and a concealed side to all that we see and that a human being is no different.  From this perspective it would follow that it is equally as important to feed one’s inner body (soul) just as carefully as the outer.  What is it that harms the outer body?  Junk!  “Food-like substances” as Michael Pollan calls them.  It looks like food and tastes like it…but it’s not!  The chemical properties of an orange jaw-breaker and an orange have nothing to do with each other.  So too, our soul body becomes ill when it’s fed junk…negative emotions, confused philosophies, lack of meaning and the like.  The cardinal rule for real food eating is that new fangled is usually not good.  If your great grandmother didn’t eat it then you probably shouldn’t either and this holds remarkably true for spiritual information as well.  The inner body thrives on unity, love, altruism and a deep connection with the Infinite and when it does not get these becomes “anemic” and unhappy.

Many people believe that the rules of Kashrut  (Kosher laws) are health-based and thus have no current applicability.  While it may be true that eating according to kosher standards does have some health and other ancillary benefits, the truth of the matter is that it is a purely spiritual discipline-one that is designed to effect your “inner body” more than your outer.  Kabbalah explains that the life force contained within food effects ours and sometimes our inner bodies can “digest” it and sometimes not.  Food that we can not spiritually assimilate is called “asur” or bound, ie: the light within it can not be untied and used by the inner body.  Interestingly we are taught that the most famous non-kosher animal, the pig, may not be eaten not because it’s dirty or carries certain diseases, but because the light within it is too high for the soul to process.  We are also taught that in the future, as we evolve spiritually, it will return to its original state of permissibility.  Therefore it is called the “chazir”-the returner.

Last thought.  In order to release the light/life force even within permitted animals, a specific process of ending the function of the animals outer body is required.  It’s called “shechita” and as it happens, it is provably the most humane method available as it causes blood loss through the Vertebral and Carotid Arteries simultaneously causing loss of consciousness within 2 seconds.  Amazingly, this is only possible with kosher animals who always have these two arteries linked.  In non kosher animals they are separate and therefore would significantly delay loss of consciousness.

Tell me that’s not cool.  Maybe these ideas aren’t so antiquated afterall…

Shabbat Shalom

For anyone who is curious as to just exactly how humble you are, now’s your chance to find out.  Give yourself 1 point for an “a”, 2 for a “b” and so on.  Then check your humility quotient at the bottom…enjoy!

#1.  How often do you become “really angry”?

a) hardly ever, b) when harangued too much, c) I’m working on it, d) every 5 minutes

#2.  How often do you get “very upset” when something doesn’t go your way?

a) I don’t, b) when I need to, c) I’m offended by the question, d) you should ask the question backwards

#3.  How strong of a reaction do you generally have when someone critiques you as a person?

a) unfazed, b) peeved, c) highly  peeved, d) homicidal

#4.  How pleased are you by your looks, wealth or intelligence?

a) I’m just lucky, b) it has it’s advantages, c) if you’ve got it, flaunt it baby, d) I am the Lord your Gd

#5.  How often do you tell people you’re sorry (even when you know you’re right)?

a) all the time, b) when I really have to, c) I’m not apologizing for something I didn’t do, d) Huh?!

#6.  Do you speak to people with a soft and gracious tone?

a) I try to, b) frequently, c) in a blue moon or so, d) NO!

Humility Quotient:

6-10 points=you are a “saint”

10-16 points=you are a “really good guy”

16-20 points=you are a “decent fellow”

20-24 points=let’s talk

These categories are taken from the classic work of personal growth “Orchos Tzadikim” (the Ways of the Righteous).  To learn (and grow) more check out all that the Aish Center has to offer here.

Shabbat Shalom

When I was in 8th grade I was a hard core Doors fan and you don’t really dance to the Doors.  As a result a friend once derided me for thinking I was “too cool to dance”.  That got me thinking…

Have you ever wondered just what exactly the point of that gyrating around that we do is all about?  It’s certainly possible to enjoy music without moving at all.  How does it help to add kinetics to it?

There are two famous Biblical stories about dancing.  The first is when Miriam the Prophetess leads the Jewish women in a (drum) circle dance just after the nation was saved from the Egyptian army.  The second was when King David ecstatically danced before the Ark of the Covenant as it was being brought into Jerusalem.  This raised the ire of his wife Michal who was shocked at the raw emotionality he displayed in public, commenting that he had conducted himself “as one of the empty people”. 

These two stories serve as paradigms to explain the two purposes of dancing (from a spiritual perspective).  The Miriam story is very deep, but suffice it to say that there is a certain point at which one’s consciousness expands to such a degree that it can no longer be contained by the heart and mind alone and the entire organism needs to be utilized to capture the moment.  As Sarah Schneider explains it, it’s “like trying to run a complex graphic program on an antiquated laptop, there is not enough space in the computer’s brain to hold the complexity of operations…similarly here, ‘circle awareness’ is so vast that it takes an entire body to hold it”.

It was similar with David, though in his case the dance was the vehicle for him to access those deeper recesses of his consciousness.  Like other repetitive acts such as mantras, prayer and meditation, the dancing “bores” the analytical mind into shutting off, opening a purer and deeper channel.  In this regard, dancing and praying could be considered very closely related (when done properly)

Dancing can reveal all the mystery that music conceals.  ~Charles Baudelaire
Dance is the hidden language of the soul.  ~Martha Graham

What intense dance experiences have you had?  Tell me about it in the comments below…

So how do you know if something is really important?  Simple.  Everybody says how important it is…and nobody does it.  Want an example?  I could get 99 out of 100 people to agree that to speak “lashon hara” (gossip/slander) about another person is wrong and in fact is in opposition to their personal value system.  I also know that if I polled those folks, 98 out of the 99 will still routinely speak lashon hara.  Why is this?

The truth of the matter is that nice ideas and the actual implementation of those ideas have nothing to do with each other.  You can get the vast majority of humanity to agree up and down about the great value of ethics, altruism and selflessness, but at the end of the day, in the absence of extreme persistence, dedication and stalwartness in the face of failure, most of us will not fully live our ideals.  That’s why we meet dating coaches who can’t seem to maintain a relationship, therapists whose personal lives are a train wreck and sometimes even spiritual leaders who’s day to day existence is anything but transcendental.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe that these people are fully committed to these concepts…but only intellectually, and there is a huge chasm between the head and the heart.

Historian Paul Johnson wrote a fantastic book that deals with this phenomenon called “Intellectuals“.  In it, he outlines the philosophies of several major intellectual figures from Western Culture (Russo, Marx, etc) and then demonstrates through primary sources what their lives were actually like.  Needless to say, they don’t match up too impressively.

Judaism has long maintained that the root of self esteem and the key factor in integrating what we claim to believe, is for our insides to match our outsides.  When we behave in a manor that is consistent with what we hold dear, we feel good about ourselves and the idea settles more deeply within us.  When we behave in ways that oppose what we know to be right and good we feel hypocritical and unhappy.

Rosh HaShana is just around the corner.  As the leaves change and the world turns towards Monday Night Football, the Torah teaches that it’s time to start looking within.  Now is the time to start making a plan for your new year-one that maximizes our integrity and authenticity and in so doing makes us all much happier.  For anyone interested in getting started on this, I invite you to a series that is starting this Monday night @ The Aish Center, Pray, Eat, Love.

Shabbat Shalom

Some folks from my Monday night class asked for a write up of this, so here it is:

The most ancient (and still used) texts of the Kaballah is called the “Sefer Yetzirah” or the Book of Formation and it’s contents are generally attributed to the patriarch Abraham.  The book opens with a discussion of the “32 Mystical Paths of Wisdom”.  These paths are derived from the 10 digits on our hands which parallel numbers (quantity) and the 22 lettes of the Hebrew alphabet with which we are able to describe reality (quality).  They are also reflected in the 10 “sefirot”-spheres of energy that are the building blocks of physical reality yet also relate to character traits as well as states of consciousness:

These ten points are connected by 22 lines or pathways (not depicted in this picture).  This allows for a total of 32 states of consciousness with names like “Sekhel Mufla” Mystical Cousciouness, “Sekhel Maz’hir” Radiant Consciousness and “Sekhel Kavua” Settled Consciousness.

The Sefer Yetzirah is a guidebook that explains the tools and techniques that are required to enter these states.  One important (and practical) distinction that we can all make and relate to concerns the states of Chochma (expansive subconsciousness) vs Binah (the conscious mind).  Long ago, the Kaballah knew that creativity was housed in the right brain and analytical thought in the left.  Freud, Jung and others were familiar with these Kabbalistic works and borrowed heavily from them (as did Newton and others).  Therefore, we are all familiar with these two states of being.  Chochma is what we experience when we are at our creative best-when we are in “the zone” and experiencing a natural, easy flow.  Artists, musicians and other creative people know it well and they also know that they are able to achieve, “channel” and create in that space in ways that would be impossible in normal “waking” life.  Binah is our analytical, practical, and down to earth state.  One that is useful for accounting, problem solving, computer programming and the like.

Sometimes people over-analyze, second guess and scrutinize-they are too heavily controlled by Binah and I’ve noticed it usually leads to negative results, ie: “well he texted me yesterday and told me he had a good time, but then I thought what does he mean by that?  Isn’t “good” kind of a generic word?  And if he really cared wouldn’t he have just called anyway…et al.  The Sefer Yetzirah strives to teach us the technique called “ratzo v’shov”-running and returning.  This is an ossilation between Chochma and Binah that allows one to mine the expansive depths of Chochma, yet to anchor them firmly in our conscious minds in a way that we are able to make good use of them.

For the most stunning, impactful and crystal clear distinction of what I’m describing, you must, MUST watch this video of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain scientist describing the effects of a stroke that shut down her left brain.  What she describes in simply pure Chochma consciousness in it’s most distilled form.  It’s as beautiful as it is astounding.  You will really get it after watching, and it’s only 18 minutes long.  This is the state that the Sefer Yetzirah is teaching us to access.

There is a LOT to be said on this topic and this is just the most superficial of descriptions of a deep and profound set of teachings.  If anyone is interested in ways to explore these concepts further, please be in touch and I’ll point you in the right direction.