“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.”

- Viktor Frankl (1905-1997)

What do Google, Starbucks, The Ritz Carleton & The National Security Agency of America have in common with eachother? You guessed it, they’re all clients of Tony Schwartz.
Tony Schwartz is a former New York Times reporter, the former associate editor at Newsweek, a best-selling author and the CEO and founder of the Energy Project.
The Energy Project’s vision and slogan  is to “energize people and companies”. This concept is based on decades of study led by Schwartz on how “the way we’re working isn’t working”.
There was a global work force study done by a leading consulting firm with 90,000 employees in 18 separate countries. What they found was that 40% are disengaged at work, another 40% feel “enrolled” with their work, while only 20% feel fully engaged. This means that out of every 5 people, only 1 is really excited, happy and engaged to be doing their daily work. Where have we gone wrong?
Schwartz says that the answer is grounded in an assumption that’s deeply rooted in most of us: that human beings operate most productively in the same one-dimensional way that machines do. Machines perform continuously, at high speeds, running multiple programs for long periods of time. Where the best way to have more done is by working longer and more continuously. The parallel of a human being to a machine is termed an assumption because it’s entirely untrue.
The truth is that “we perform our best and are most productive when we move between periods of high focus and intermittent rest. The real issue is not the number of hours a person spends at work, but rather the value they generate while they’re working.”
Schwartz strongly argues that “the more continuously we work, the less productive we become.” Where society holds onto a value of bigger, stronger, faster – society sees a product of narrow, shallow and short-term. This is all due to the misunderstanding that we operate like machines, when in truth we operate as who we really are: human beings with a human spirit.
The essential principle of The Energy Project is that in order to work productively, create things that matter and in general be happy and fulfilled in our lives, we need to focus not on what we do, but on how we do it. Not to manage our time so much as manage our energy.
In Schwartz’s book, “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working” he outlines the “four forgotten needs that energize great performance.”  Just as a car needs fuel and a computer needs electricity, we also need our own sources of fuel to perform. There are four:
Physical - Nutrition, intermittent rest, exercise and a good night’s sleep are not a luxury but a core need to live our best life.
Emotional – The emotions that we have tremendously influence how we perform and live. The higher our positive emotional state, the better our lives and work are.
Mental – We work and live better when we’re focued on what we’re doing. Interruptions, interferences and thinking something is urgent when it’s not destroy our work and life. When focused, everything we do has passion, value and meaning.
Spiritual – The highest level of energy is fueled when we have a deep value and sense of purpose in what we’re doing. If we feel that what we’re doing matters, we’re living less like a Ford and more like a Ferrari.
What has been profound for me is something that Schwartz found regarding rest. Many people’s concept of rest is only in regards to sleep. While sleep might be a form of rest, it is not the only kind.
More than 50 years ago Nathaniel Kleitman discovered the “basic rest-activity cycle”. Where every 90 minutes of our sleep we move progressively through five stages of sleep, from light to deep and then out again.
Kleitman however, discovered that this cycle is not only a pattern while we’re asleep, it’s also a pattern while we’re awake. When we’re awake, we move from higher to lower alertness every 90 minutes. What happens at the end of 90 minutes? Our body sends us a clear signal that we’re hungry, we’re losing focus, we’re anxious or fidgety – we need to take a break. By taking a break we give ourselves the necessary rest to re-enter a high-alert state. We live in this cycle of rest-activity and need to constantly renew ourselves throughout the day. By giving ourselves space and rest, we allow ourselves better focus and higher productivity.
This paradigm shift to focus on our energy, specifically in regards to giving ourselves space, is not only changing the way we live our lives, it is giving current language to core principles of the Torah.
The Torah narrative of this week is one of conflict, constriction and frustration. The ruler of Egypt, Pharoah, is fearful about the Jewish people and chooses to enslave them while killing the first-born Jewish males. The Jewish people’s spirits are embittered and they cry out to God for redemption. Moshe lets out his fury on an abusive Egyptian, tries to settle a fight between two Jews and flees for his life. God wants Moshe to be the leader and redeemer of the Jewish people – and Moshe refuses adamantly.
“God said, ‘…now go…bring my people out of Egypt.’ Moshe replied, ‘Who am I that I should go to to Pharoah? And how can I possibly get the Jewish people out of Egypt?’” (Shmot 3:10,11)
“But they will not believe me, they will not listen to me.” (Shmot 4:1)
“I beg you God, I am not a man of words…I find it difficult to speak & find the right language…I beg you God, please send someone more appropriate” (Shmot 4:10,13)
“Oh God, why did you send me? As soon as I came to Pharoah to speak in Your name, he only made things worse for these people. You have done nothing to help your people.” (Shmot 4:22)
“God spoke to Moshe saying, ‘Go speak to Pharoah…’ Moshe spoke, interrupting the revelation, ‘even the Jewish people won’t listen to me – how can I expect Pharoah to listen to me? I can hardly speak!’” (Shmot 6:10)
“God spoke to Moshe a second time. ‘I am God, relate to Pharoah all that I am saying to you.’ Interrupting the revelation Moshe said, ‘I am unable to speak! How will Pharoah ever listen to me?’” (Shmot 6:29)
This is an entirely different Moshe than we’re used to thinking of. How are these conversations characteristic of a leader? Low self-confidence, argumentative, negative, upset, interruptive and doesn’t listen. On top of all this, the conversation seems like it’s going nowhere: God asks, Moshe refuses. God asks, Moshe refuses. God asks, Moshe interrupts and refuses. This is like a bad therapy session with everyone saying the same thing over and over!
Suddenly though, almost mysteriously, everything changes:
“Moshe & Aaron did everything that God asked them, they did it exactly.” (Shmot 7:6)
Something changed. Something happened that shifted the energy of this story. Almost immediately and intriguingly Moshe shifts from someone who will absolutely not do what is asked of him to calmly accepting and performing. From here on begins the entire redemption of the Jewish people, the beginning of a wisdom that changed the world and all due to a sudden shift in energy of a single person. What happened?
What shifted was a change from “I” to “we”, from Moshe to Moshe and Aaron. In the previous chapters God suggests that Aaron accompany Moshe so they work together.
“God said to Moshe, ‘Take notice that I will make you a judge and Aaron as the spokesman. You will tell Aaron what I tell you and Aaron will relate it to Pharoah. He will then let the Jewish people leave.’” (Shmot 7:1,2)
The fundamental change from Moshe adamantly against to Moshe in high performance happened by giving Moshe space. When Moshe understands that this massive responsibility and leadership role are not his alone but rather his to share – Moshe changes. It seems then that giving space, allowing for rest, relaxation and calm are not a luxury in life, but a core need. Without fueling this core need, Moshe is negative, argumentative and short-sighted. Through fueling this need, through giving Moshe space, Moshe becomes his best self.
We are not cars, we are not computers, we are human beings with soul, spirit and purpose. When we treat ourselves like machines, we feel like machines: without soul, rusty and heavy.
The most succesful organizations in the world are realizing this. Google, Starbucks, Sony and tens of others hire The Energy Project to make that change; and they’re not alone.
There are many people today who are beginning to live their lives with purpose, passion and energy. If yesterday our lives were run on little sleep, unhealthy eating, negative emotions, interruptions, lack of focus and value – then today we need to start de-toxing. A first step in this process is giving ourselves space. Space to reflect, to think, to rest and renew. God willing we should decide to live with energy and purpose and like Moshe change the course of our lives and history.

To learn more on how to enjoy your life and relationships – and how to effect positive change in any environment – go to Rabbi Ari’s FREE video course at: http://www.ediin7.com.

Be Real, Not Religious

Have you ever heard of the “Candle Problem”? Imagine you are asked to enter a room and solve the following problem. As you enter the room, there is a table with a candle, a box of thumbtacks and matches. The goal is to attach the candle to the wall so the wax won’t drip on the table.
At first, many people try to stick the thumb tack into the candle to stick it into the wall – but it doesn’t work. Another idea is to melt the candle with the matches and stick the wet waxed candle to the wall – but that doesn’t work either.
So what’s the solution? If you empty the thumbtacks from the box, you free up the box to act as a holder. You then stick the tack into the box against the wall and light the candle in the box. The wax drips onto the box and everyone’s happy.

Karl Duncker (1903-1940) came up with this problem to prove the concept of “Functional Fixedness”. Functional fixedness is when we see things not as they are, but rather how we’re used to seeing them. Termed as a “cognitive bias” in that our brain identifies things not necessarily what they truly are, but merely as we’ve decided them to be.
In the candle problem, the initial response is to see the box holding the tacks as the tacks – but not as an independent box. Really they’re two separate things, but we see them as one. The solution lies in the ability to see what we perceive in a new way.
I’m sure many people were disturbed and frustrated by this week’s Globe & Mail article, “Young leading the march towards secularism”. The focus is how young people (15-29) say organized religion is out of touch with reality, irrelevant and illogical. More than half of young Canadians have either no religion or ever attend a religious service, according to Statistics Canada. While in 2002 a roaring 34% said religion is important to them, today’s importance of religion is at 22%.
The article explores a few stories of young Canadians from different religious backgrounds. Jonathon Bright, a 23-year-old law student at the University of Toronto, decided to quit being part of the Roman Catholic Church. Jonathon’s conflict of religious faith and rational thought was expressed in recent scandals and cover-ups and concluded to live an ethical life through the teachings of law. His mother and former girlfriend “were a little upset”.
The article goes through backgrounds of Sikhs, several Christian denominations and a 22 year old who combines “Taoism, Confucianism & Buddhism in a holistic mind-body spirituality”. But for all these differences lies a deep commonality: individuality & self-expression over religious tradition.
As you’re reading this, what are you feeling? Many people feel a deep frustration and disappointment, a sense of confusion and chaos, and others probably even anger. I would like to suggest that anyone who is feeling these types of emotions regarding this or any issue, will have a difficulty in not only putting a candle on a wall but also in understanding this weeks’ Torah narrative.
“And Yaakov lived in Egypt…and saw that he would soon die.” (Genesis 47:28, 29)
The name of this week’s Torah narrative is “Vayechi” (which means “and he lived”) but is a story of death. The whole parsha is themed around Yaakov’s death: he blesses his children before his death, his grandchildren, makes his children promise to bury him in Israel, they travel to Israel for the burial – and the parsha’s final words are that Yosef died as well. Why is the title of a narrative “life” when it’s content is one of death?
Yet we find that this theme of juxtaposing life and death is a theme throughout the Torah:
“And I will bring a great flood across the land to destroy all flesh who have a living spirit under the sky, everything will be destroyed. (Genesis 6:17)
“Everything that had a living spirit…died.” (Genesis 7:22)
“All of Adam’s days that he lived were 930 years, and he died.” (Genesis 5:5)
“Enosh lived 905 years..and he died” (Genesis 5:11)
This theme of a life’s term followed by death is repeated for ten generations. Later in chapter 11 of Genesis the same wording of “and he lived, and died” is also repeated for ten generations. Finally, the only two Parshas in the entire Torah that are entitled “life” are stories of death: the first is “Chayey Sarah” which tells of the death and burial of Sarah; the second one is our Parsha this week. How can two completely polar realities as death and life be so juxtaposed?
Like all problems, we cannot be fixed on how we think we see it. In the candle problem we learned that the way to solve a problem is not so much in thinking how to solve it, but rather how can we look at it differently. When seen differently, the solution becomes clear.
One of the main principles of Torah is that everything of this world lasts for a limited time while anything that is beyond this world lasts forever. Our bodies, our food, our buildings, our cars and toys – last for a short time. You’ll notice that every ten years (at least) our bodies change drastically, our food tastes good for maybe 10 seconds, our buildings if built well maybe a few decades or more, our cars now have a life-span on average of 300,000 miles or at most a decade or two.
What does last? The soul and spirit we invest in anything. Work is not getting a job done per say, but the effort and energy we put into it. When we invest ourselves, we enjoy it and it lives forever. It is the mindset and intention that is real in any action, and that is what lasts.
What the Torah is teaching us in the juxtaposition of life and death is that for every life there is a death and for every death awaits a new life. God is constantly unfolding creation and moving reality to new places. What was yesterday is not today, and we sense this nowadays. Who has a cell phone from even 10 years ago? Who has a computer from 10 years ago? Does anyone not use the internet?
Life moves, reality changes. Growth is real, being stuck is not. When Yaakov dies, his children and grandchildren continue the path. When they die, their children and grandchildren continue. Yaakov’s life was different from Avraham’s, and our lives are different from our grandparents. Life then, is defined as being in a constant state of growth and change.
What the young generation is telling the world is that we need to focus on what is real and what lasts. What is real is experience, what is meaningful is wisdom and what we want to do needs to have that meaning.
Religion is the exact opposite of that. Religion says do what you’re told, never mind understanding it. Religion says follow tradition or suffer the consequences. Religion says go to services even if you don’t like it. Religion is saying a lot of things, but now no one is listening. Thank God.
The people who subscribe to religion being illogical are logical, being irrelevant are relevant and saying institutionalized religious organizations are out of touch with reality are in touch with reality. These people are focusing on what is real and what is true, and the Torah agrees.
“With their mouths they honor me, but their hearts are far from Me.” (Yeshayahu 29:13)
“ ‘I have God with me at all times’ – this is a central principle of Torah.” (Rama, Code of Jewish Law OC 1:1)
It is time to let go of our physical structures of religion, old mindsets and embittered attitudes. It is time to hear the beauty of the Torah that teaches that what you say is not as important as what you mean and what you pray in a service is only as powerful as the emotion put into it. It is time to stop being religious and start being real. It is time to stop being afraid and worried about the future, because God isn’t afraid or worried – He’s making it happen. Things are not dying, they are evolving. With a new perspective, I’m sure we’ll all be able to light the candle that we want to see shining in the world; not with a fixed mindset, but with an evolved one.

To learn more on how to enjoy your life and relationships – and how to effect positive change in any environment – go to Rabbi Ari’s FREE video course at: http://www.ediin7.com.

The Dreidel Manifesto

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”

- Ralf Waldo Emerson

What does world peace, global prosperity and the dreidel have in common? You’d be surprised.
One of the most recognized and well-known items of Judaism is the dreidel. Recently it has been the theme of a wildly popular song “Candelight” by the Maccabeats, having been featured on CNN, the Wall Street Journal, our own Chronicle Herald and has been viewed on YouTube almost 3 million times! More popular than ever, what exactly is the dreidel all about?

The dreidel seems to be a very simple and almost child-like toy for the Jewish people. A spinning top with a four letter acronym standing for “a great miracle happened there” is played to win chocolate or gelt. As with everything in Judaism however, there is a tremendous depth and wisdom for living, even in the dreidel.
Every year that the dreidel comes out to play, the Jewish people also read the story of Yosef in the weekly Parsha. The story is one of conflict between Yosef and his brothers. Yosef being a dreamer,  youthful and open-minded while some of his brothers are the exact opposite. Shimon and Levi specifically being very inward, skeptical and against the outside world. Yosef inspires Egypt with his wisdom while Shimon and Levi attack Sh’chem. Two brothers, two different world views, one bitter conflict.
Shimon and Levi are so against Yosef that they keep themselves from killing him by selling him as a slave instead. 22 years later they meet again, and while the brothers do not recognize Yosef,

Yosef recognizes them. Yosef then arranges a situation where the brothers are tested in the same way that they failed 22 years earlier. Yosef puts a treasured goblet in Biynomin’s sack and says that he will be imprisoned, allowing the rest of the brothers to return to Israel. The brothers have changed and instead of leaving Binyomin as they left Yosef, they offer themselves to be imprisoned. Seeing this self-sacrifice and growth, Yosef reveals himself to his brothers in their utter shock.
The story concludes with Yaakov and the remainder of the family moving to Egypt to live under Yosef’s rule, wealth and success. Yaakov will live out his last years in happiness and ease, as the brothers have found compassion and peace.
“Pharoah said to Yosef, ‘Your father and brothers have now come to you. The land of Egypt is at their disposal. Settle your father and brothers in the best area, let them settle in Goshen…”
Genesis Vayigash, 47:5,6
The place where the family dwells is called Goshen. In fact, the word “Goshen” is mentioned over and over with a constant and almost superfluous emphasis. If every letter in the Torah has meaning, and no word is extra, then there must be a deep significance as to why Goshen is emphasized to such a degree.
Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro (1783-1841, Dinov Galicia) explains the significance of the place Goshen. In his work the “Bnei Yissochar” he makes a brilliant and mind-blowing connection between Goshen and the dreidel.
You’ll remember that the four letter acronym for the dreidel is “N-G-H-SH” or nun-gimmel-shin-hey, standing for a “great miracle happened there”. These are the very letters of the place Goshen when it says that they went, “GoSHNaH”.
Goshen is the place of unity from conflict. It is the place where the brothers who are so different and in divide come together and live as one. Goshen is the place of reconcile, of calm, comfort and consolation.
If Goshen is the place of unity, then the dreidel is the device of unity. The dreidel has four corners when still, but one circle when spun. The dreidel is that which allows four different, separate and even conflicting corners to become one unified circle.
Rabbi Shapiro further explains that the numerical value of the four letters “nun-gimmel-shin-hey” add up to the same value as “Mashiach”, 358.
The Mashiach is the person in the world to bring about redemption. The redeemer of the Jewish people and existence from struggle to ease, from illness to health, from poverty to wealth. Heaven will not be a foreign idea, but a living experience on earth.
The wisdom in all this though, is that we don’t have to wait for all that to happen. Although it is a belief in Torah of world redemption, it is an even stronger calling to do it ourselves as best we can. This is the wisdom of the dreidel.
How do we deal with conflict? When someone is against us, if something doesn’t go the way we wanted, when anything is painful – how do we deal with it?
The most common mistake we all make in situations of crisis and difficulty is dwelling on the conflict, on the negative – on the four corners. Unhappiness, worry and complaint is an expression of a mindset that is centered on the negative. That choice is a mistake. The solution is to not to focus on the four corners but the unified central circle.
Yosef went through a horrific time through his initial arguments with his brothers, almost being murdered, years of slavery and prison. Yet he never complained. Not only did he not complain, he succeeded and every point! How did he maintain such an outlook?
Yosef embodied the dreidel. In all situations, after the initial and significant pain, he centered himself not on the problems, but the opportunity. The word in Hebrew for crisis is the same as a birth stool: for every time of pain exists an opportunity to learn, to grow, to be reborn. Yosef was always focusing and speaking to God – for God is the unity in the world.
Yosef was being spun from place to place, but he centered himself on God at all times. He had no anger towards his brothers and had no need for apologies because he saw the bigger picture. “Don’t worry or feel guilty…God has sent me ahead of you to save lives…it was not you who sent me here, but God.” (Genesis 44:5-8) At all times, he saw the circle, he saw God’s unity and presence and was living in a completely positive and happy way despite tremendous challenge.
This is why we spin the dreidel, this is why we have this story every year at the same time, this is why we’re alive.
Who knew? The dreidel, like all of Torah and all of life is more than meets the eye. The dreidel and Yosef teach us not to be still or stuck – but to spin, to move, to grow, to evolve and always see the unity and bigger picture. To see God in all things, to see good in all situations, to see opportunity for every challenge.
If we can uncover so much depth and meaning in a spinning top, imagine how much we can uncover in our own lives and relationships? Let us all continue to look deeper, to be deeper, to spin like dreidels. Good Shabbos!

Reframing the American Dream

“Happiness cannot come from without, it must come from within”

- Helen Keller

Dr. Tal Ben Shachar, an Israeli Ph.D from Harvard started a class at Harvard back in 2006 hoping to draw at least 100 students. This class was new in Harvard and probably the only University in the world that was talking about it, so he wasn’t sure if students would sign up. It turned out that 1000 students signed up and the class became one of the most popular classes given at Harvard.
The title of the class was “Positive Psychology” and was essentially a study and understanding of happiness.
What was surprising for many was why someone would teach a class on happiness at all and especially at Harvard? Harvard is recognized as the most prestigious, elite and well respected University in the world. Why would students need a class on happiness when they should be the happiest people on earth, having achieved the highest success on earth? Perhaps they would need positive psychology classes at less respected institutions or for less successful students, but not Harvard.
Yet students at Harvard were not only hungry for this class, they were starving for it. A study showed that 80% of Harvard students suffered from “dabilitating depression”. Somehow, despite the success, students were not only unhappy, the vast majority couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. How can that be?
Dr. Shachar addressed the premise that is prevalent in Western Society and asked if it is true. The premise is that what brings a person happiness is success. When a person succeeds, then they are happy. We are told in Western Society that the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of success. We are told to get good grades to be accepted into a good school which will land us a good job which will afford us the comforts and luxuries of a high quality of life. That will make us happy.
Despite much success wealth and success nowadays, people are actually less happy. A study showed that in 1960 the youngest age a person experienced depression was 29 and by the mid 2000’s the youngest age was 14. But compared with 1960, we live in a much higher state of wealth and success. Our cars are faster and safer, our homes are bigger, there are iPods, laptops, internet, better coffee and TV and movies available 24 hours a day – so why are people less happy? Why is it that a 14 year old in 1960 had no clue what depression was, yet today they’re writing books on it?
If a 14 year old experiences depression, society is in trouble. A 14 year old should not be worrying about what college he’ll go to or his retirement plan.
Scientists call this the “Progressive Paradox”. Where despite more progress and success, people are less happy. Shawn Achor, a student of Dr. Shachar’s and recent author of “The Happiness Advantage” explains that in fact it is not a paradox because the premise is false. Success does not equate happiness.
Achor explains that scientists have uncovered that the brain is a single processor and can only devote its resources to one thing at a time. As a result, our brains are always at a crossroads to choose how to interpret and experience what is happening to us. Is this good or bad? The more we interpret “bad” the more unhappy we will be. The more we interpret, internalize and choose to experience “good” the happier we will be.
Achor explained that Western society is driven to success with the premise that it will bring happiness – yet nothing could be further from the truth. Happiness is a choice, an obligation, a mindset and attitude. Happiness does not come with success, it comes with training. This understanding is expressed in this week’s Torah narrative.
“These are the stories of Yosef, who was 17 years old”

- Genesis 37:2
The story of Yosef is a story of absolute challenge. Despised by his brothers, attempted murder by his brothers, sold as a slave, manipulated by his boss’s wife, in jail for two years. From living in wealth and comfort in his parents home to a horrid place of slavery, one would wait for bitterness from Yosef. From his father’s love to a jail cell while innocent, one would wait for complaints from Yosef. Yet despite being subject to the most trying and depressing circumstances, Yosef never utters a word of complaint, negativity or sadness.
“ And Yosef’s master saw that God was with him and that whatever Yosef did, God made successful.” – Genesis 39:3
“ That God was with him. Yosef was always speaking of God” – Rashi.
Why was Yosef so successful despite all his difficulties? How did his master see him as special? How did he notice people unhappy, when he himself should have been unhappy:

“And Yosef entered the jail in the morning and saw them (the baker and wine pourer) sad. Yosef asked them, “why are your faces sad today?” – Genesis 40:6,7
Yosef cannot understand why someone would be unhappy. Yosef is perplexed how someone can have a sad face on. Yet for the modern mind, Western society would be more perplexed as to why Yosef isn’t miserable! Clearly he must have some good anti-depressants.
Yosef was taught the principles of truth and higher living by his parents. God only does good and it is an effort and choice to see that good. Look for it, seek it and speak to God to find it.
Yosef’s success of happiness was due to his mindset, not his circumstances. The wine pourer and baker were depressed because they focused on themselves and their situation. Yosef never did and so he was able to be sensitive to them, to have compassion and listen to them.
Yosef was living on a level of constant choice and always bringing God into his life. As a slave, in jail, wherever – Yosef speaks to God about it and through that is able to draw in the light of good in everything.
The truth is that western society is catching up with the Torah. Dr. Shachar and Shawn Achor are pioneers in today’s society with a paradigm shift. The shift from thinking that happiness comes from success to the truth that happiness is a state of being that comes from within, not from without.
The American Dream needs to be reframed to Yosef’s dream. From the pursuit of happiness to the training of happiness. Happiness is not something to pursue as one pursues good grades, a career and acquisitions. Happiness will never be found in those things if happiness is not found before those things.
God willing we should slow down our pursuits of happiness and rather increase our awareness and gratitude for all the good that we already have.

To learn more on how to enjoy your life and relationships – and how to effect positive change in any environment – go to Rabbi Ari’s FREE video course at: http://www.ediin7.com.

In a Different Voice:
Why women should come to Minyan

If a person looks at the Torah and books of Judaism, they will find a powerful theme of men listening and women speaking.

During Rosh Hashana and later when we read Parshat Vayera in the Torah Avraham is told by his wife Sarah to remove Yishmael from their home. Avraham, the all inclusive one, does not want to do this. God clarifies the situation by speaking to Avraham and saying, “Everything that Sarah says, listen to her voice.”

Cave of the Patriarchs in Chevron - a place to tune-in

When Yitzchak & Rivka pray to have children, they do so in different ways in separate locations. God appears to Rivka and explains to her that she will have twins who will be two powerful nations. Although Yitzchak wants to give the blessing to Esav, because Rivka was given a direct prophecy from God, she knew that the blessing should go to Yaakov and not Esav, as her husband saw.

In the narrative of Exodus when Pharoah says to kill the Jewish boys, Moshe’s mother does something creative. She doesn’t listen to Pharoah but she trusts in God by putting Moshe in the Nile, hoping that someone will save the crying baby. Pharoah’s daughter finds the baby, saves him and raises him in the palace as royalty.

Pharoah though, continues on his mission to beat down and break the Jewish people and spirit, and he succeeds. The men are exhausted physically, emotionally, spiritually. When the men come home from their day of slavery, they don’t want to talk or be with their wives, they don’t want to have children. Miriam and other women solve this by creating mirrors for all the wives. The wives bring these mirrors to their husbands when they come home and ask them, “who is more beautiful – you or me?” Through the mirrors, the men are re-united with their wives and new Jewish children are born.

When Hannah is unable to have children, she prays to God with unbelievable intensity and emotion. Hannah’s prayer was so powerful that it became the source of how all Jewish people should pray forever. In the Halacha, all the laws of davening are drawn from Hannah’s mindset, sincerity and focus.

In the story of Chanukah, the Greeks not only prohibited the study of Torah, Bris Milah and Shabbos by punishment of death – they forced all the Jewish brides on their wedding night to be with a Greek soldier. As it came time for one bride to wed, on Yehudit’s wedding night, she gave the Greek officer some wine and cheese to enjoy. Second helpings and then thirds, he eventually fell asleep from that and Yehudit killed him. From that action began the Jewish revolt against the oppressive Greeks.

In the story of Purim, the Jewish people were decreed to be wiped off and killed one by one by the most powerful King at the time in Persia. Esther fasted, prayed and later spoke with the King to say that this should not be done. At the risk of her life, as it was prohibited to speak with the King without invitation, she saved the entire Jewish people.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year as it is the day of forgiveness from the idol worship of the golden calf. Moshe came down on the 10th of Tishrei with the new tablets for forgivenss of what they worshipped months ago in the Summer. It is interesting to note that although Yom Kippur is the day of forgiveness, it is only forgiveness for the men. This is because, as the Medrash teaches, women did not partake in the worshipping of the golden calf.

On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. 50 days after leaving Egypt we are given the Torah of wisdom as a guide to live life in the best possible way. On Shavuot we read the book of Ruth, the convert and great-grandmother of King David.

Rabbi Akivah, after spending 24 years studying Torah and becoming the greatest Rabbi of his time and perhaps all time, comes home to his wife Rachel. He brings his students with him and as he is about to open the door he says to all of his students, “The merit of my Torah study and your Torah study – it is her merit.”

There are many different themes in these narratives, but one theme is that women have a knowledge and wisdom that men are not inherently privy to, but need to listen for.

One of the most central aspects of Jewish life is Minyan. We are advised for our own benefit, to come together as a congregation to daven, to pray, to open up, to listen, to grow. Many people come to minyan to say Kaddish for their relatives as it is a Jewish tradition to say Kaddish to elevate the souls of the deceased.

In Israel, I always saw women come to minyan to say Kaddish. In fact, when my mother in-law came to Halifax for a visit last year, she came everyday to minyan to say Kaddish.

Men & women have different roles, different voices. The Torah instructs men to do a lot of listening before they act or speak. In all the above examples, the most powerful for me is Hannah’s prayer as it resonates daily. There is so much to pray for, there is so much that we need God to guide us with – and I would love to see and listen to more women coming to daven. Just as Hannah was an example par-excellance for how to pray, so too all of Jewish women can be examples of how to truly pray with intensity and sincerity to our Creator.

November 19th 2010, Parshat Vayishlach

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

- Sun Tzu

One of the biggest worries for Jewish people in and out of Israel right now is the threat of Iran and its leader Ahmadinejad. Working on developing and implementing nuclear weapons with an articulated mindset to wipe Israel off the map, the question on everyone’s mind is if Israel should strike before it’s God forbid too late.
Gill Hoffman, the chief political analyst and correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, was recently here in Halifax on a speaking tour. He was asked what the Prime Minister, Bibi Netanyahu’s policy is regarding Iran and if Israel will strike. The response was essentially that Netanyahu believed that first there needs to be an option for dialogue. To speak under the premise that Israel has a right to exist. There is no need for a military act if there is capacity for open communication.
The problem though, is that premise is completely non-existent as Iran believes that Israel does not have a right to exist. Such a belief married to nuclear capability is a dangerous combination, and so Netanyahu has been voicing to the United States and others that there needs to be a military strike. Not so much to attack but rather to defend. And when dealing with nuclear power in a small country like Israel, there isn’t an option for a counter-attack if Iran would strike first.
Taking a look at Netanyahu’s policy, it seems to be learned out from the Torah narrative of the week in Vayishlach. The Parsha begins with Yaakov preparing to meet with his brother Esav as Esav is on his way to kill Yaakov. If someone is on their way to kill you – how are you supposed to act? Are we to fight first, are to turn the other cheek, are we to be passive?
There is a story of R’ Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883), the founder of the Musar movement who upon having an upcoming appointment with a sworn hater of the Jewish people, Rabbi Salanter prepared himself by studying this story of the Torah.
How did Yaakov prepare for this meeting? Rashi explains that Yaakov prepared in three ways: in prayer, appeasement and war. Yaakov first prayed to God to be saved from this war. Yaakov then sent gifts to Esav in the hope to appease him from hating his brother. Finally, if the first two were somehow insufficient in stopping the fight, Yaakov was prepared to actually fight to defend himself.
The principle of Judaism is that this isn’t just a story, and Yaakov and Esav are not mere characters. Rather, the Torah is a map and guide of reality, teaching within it’s stories and laws (halachot & Mitzvot) the enlightened way to live our lives.
The enemy that is attacking is therefore a current reality & Yaakov’s way of preparing to stop it is a guide for us all.
The truest enemy is the enemy within, the enemy that we live with. The enemy that tells us to be upset, that influences us to be angry and judgemental of others, the enemy that brings about our own demise. Eating too much, lack of motivation and clarity, blame – these are all the enemy that we live with.
The way to deal with it is by following Yaakov’s path. First and foremost to put this in God’s hands. To acknowledge that we live with weaknesses and ask God to give us strength & wisdom to deal with. To pray and ask God to have clarity from confusion, drive from laziness and to have a tremendous amount of joy to not give in the heaviness of the “war”. To notice our being human and limited and to let God do the heavy lifting.
The second is not to wage war, but to be relaxed and giving. Yaakov gives gifts to appease Esav, and so we need to know how to appease our own inner enemy. If we are being influenced to anger or sadness – we can’t just give in to defeat nor can we just wage war. We need to first appease the anger and sadness. Appeasement comes from communication and dialogue and articulating the issues. To acknowledge the force of negativity and ask what its goals are. What is the goal of being sad, of being angry, of being in a state of blame and judgement? What is the goal of eating more than my fill, of not being productive, of not following up on my commitments? We’ll see that in the end, the goal is only self-destruction and should therefore not be done.
By noticing and articulating the goals of the enemy, we see that in fact it is not in our best interest to allow those negative states to occur.
If the above does not work, the third option is to actually fight. Yet Yaakov and Esav never fight! Esav and Yaakov first embrace as Esav is filled with tears. They then speak and conclude by going in separate directions.
Despite the apparent happy ending,  Yaakov was prepared to fight. This is based on a principle in the Torah and Talmud, “if someone rises to kill you, kill him first”. Yet Yaakov didn’t do this! Yaakov had the wisdom and foresight that war is not necessary if the enemy can be appeased. Through speaking to God and asking for help and by giving gifts to Esav, the war was no longer necessary and Esav was appeased.
Netanyahu and the state of Israel are in a difficult situation that is almost parallel to Yaakov. Similar to Yaakov, Netanyahu sought to appease Iran by first having dialogue. But while Esav acknowledged Yaakov and his right to exist, Iran does not. So Netanyahu has concluded to communicate to the US & others that the stage of appeasement and dialogue has passed, and lest Israel actually be wiped off the map God forbid, there first needs to be an attack of defense. As Yaakov himself concluded as well as the principle in the Torah above, that Judaism treasures life – and if our life is threatened, we must defend it.
But most of us are not sitting in the Prime Minister’s seat and our decision is not how to deal with Iran, but rather how to deal with our own bouts of negativity.
What is profound about Yaakov’s “preparation” was that it all came about through being in “alone time”. Yaakov’s ability to have clarity to pray, to think to send gifts and speak with Esav did not happen because he just came home from work, had a bite to eat and quickly jotted down a few notes of what to do with Esav coming to visit. Yaakov spent time alone. Yaakov spent quality time with himself and God to develop clarity, calmness and composition to know how to proceed.
Amidst the busy week, we live such hurried lives. Once a week we are given a true gift to unplug, rest and spend quality time with ourselves and our friends and family. To take advantage of this gift is to give ourselves the blessing of clarity, calmness and composition. By unplugging from our busy lives and plugging into our own inner life and family – we will have no confusion from the negativity of the enemy within but rather will have reached a true state of Shalom. Good Shabbos!

“To increase motivation, one needs to be freed from illusion”

- Rav Kook (1865 – 1935)

Over the past few weeks, there has been much sad news about victims of bullying that led to the suicide of an 18 year old Rutgers University Freshman, Tyler Clementi.
There have been campaigns of anti-bullying day, people wearing purple or pink in defense of the attacks, and much political discussion about what governmental policies should be enacted to stop the evil.
New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg said last week at a town meeting that there needs to be an anti-bullying law & code of conduct  that prohibits harrassment.
President Obama in his YouTube address Thursday night said he was  “schocked & saddened” by the recent suicides of young people who were taunted and harrased for being gay. Obama spoke about the “It Gets Better Project” where thousands of Americans have come together to share hope and encouragement.
Regarding the message of the “It Gets Better Project Obama said, “no matter how difficult or hopeless life may seem when…tormented by your peers or [ever] feel like you don’t fit in: life will get better.”
I am all about hope and optimism, but for me, that message is incapable of bringing strength to victims of such harrassment. This is because the message does not address the victim, it only speaks about life in general. What I want to address is how one deals with challenge, even the most painful.

There is an illusion that is often experienced when one is faced with challenge. People often mistake difficulty and challenge as a negative experience that they should not be experiencing. A knee-jerk reaction often says to us that everything should be easy – I shouldn’t experience struggle, challenge or difficulty – it should all come easy to me without effort! We don’t like that feeling, and we often try to find ways to escape the difficulty.
Escaping difficulty comes in many forms, mostly when we don’t even realize it. The most common form of escaping difficulty is blame – it is much easier to channel all the negativity on someone else or something else than to look inside.
The problem is that we as a culture are not trained how to look inside. We’re trained how to look at others, how to look at the past – but we’re not trained how to look at ourselves.
How do we look at ourselves?

In the Torah narrative this week of Vayera we have a theme of struggle, challenge and difficulty.

The narrative begins with Avraham being in a tremendous amount of physical pain, being only a few after his circumsision. In relating to Avraham’s pain, God creates an extremely hot day, “And Avraham was sitting by the entrance of his home in the heat of the day” (Bresheit 18:1).

Why did God create such a hot day? Rashi explains that God did so because he knew that Avraham has a deep love and sensitivity to others and if he would see guests to his community he would go out and host them in his home – even though he was in tremendous physical pain. Therefore God kept people from being travelling by creating a hot day. Yet despite the pain, despite the heat, despite the fact that no one was outside – Avraham was waiting for them to come, “sitting by the front of his home.”

I would like to offer a different reading of the narrative, based on Rashi’s emphasis that ties into the whole description and theme of Avraham’s character.

Why would God make it hot when Avraham is in pain? Not only does that increase Avraham’s physical pain (no a/c’s back then) but Avraham’s emotional pain in not being able to help others travelling! Is God trying to torture Avraham – first with the circumsision, then with the pain that follows, then with the hot day, and finally with the lack of guests! Such a cruel God, such a cruel reailty, such challange and difficulty – how are we to relate to it?

In order to first relate to something, we need to first define who we are that is relating to something. Who am I? I am a soul: a divine, pure, righteous, powerful, passionate and good person who was created by God with purpose, with a mission, with meaning. I discover the purpose through the teachings of the Torah, my life circumstances and personality, and praying to God for clarity all along the way.

Once I have a clear definition of who I am – I can relate to the events that are happening to me. Avraham knows that his mission involves kindness, giving and inspiring people towards those values – so how can he sit down when people might be coming through?! With a clear vision of self-worth and identity Avraham cannot sit still!

What about his pain? What about the heat? Avraham has a thousand reasons why he should be angry – but do we see anger in Avraham? No blame, no anger, no negativity – just vision.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev (1772-1810) teaches that God gives us challenges to increase our desire, motivation and sense of purpose. The challenges are not to weaken us but to strengthen us. So God goes out of his way to make Avraham stronger by making it a hot day. So when Avraham runs to his guests to make them feel welcome – despite the pain, despite the heat – God shows Avraham how strong Avaraham is.

Sadly enough, we are living in a time of many challenges, difficulties and painful struggles. The suicide of an 18 year old, who felt so much pain that he could not live with it anymore, is a siren of pain in the world that we all need to wake up to and address.

The Torah is teaching us this week that pain and challenge are real – but they need wisdom to deal with. Wisdom begins with identity and identity begins with God. The many and often complex struggles that we deal with are sent not to weaken us, not to increase pain – but to strengthen us and allow us to achieve an even higher awareness of self. Challenge is an opportunity to see how strong, passionate, and soulful we all are.

We need to deal with harrasement by first defining that we are all good, and God created us all with a mission and purpose. The world needs to feel the beauty and goodness within and then life will not only get better, it will be better. Shabbat Shalom

Correcting Blurred Vision

A friend of mine went a few years without wearing glasses though it had become necessary. Going through his day to day with a little blurred vision became normal and he got used to it. When the moment arrived to finally get glasses, something amazing happened. He put them on and noticing the amazing clarity he said, “wow, so this is how everything is supposed to look!”

 We can get used to seeing with a blurred vision, when in fact – there is a whole world of clarity out there! The truth is that most people live in a state of blurred vision. Having feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, blame and any form of negativity is a result of living life without the proper lenses. Life was not given to be lived in a blurred state, but with clarity – so we need to understand how to get the right glasses. Tisha B’av is a day where we do nothing. We don’t work, we don’t bathe, we don’t eat, drink, say hello to people or even study Torah. This is all in order for us to tune in to the reality of destruciton that is in the world and in our lives. The tuning in of Tisha B’av is in order for us to realize that we shouldn’t see in a blurred vision and we shouldn’t have negativity in our lives.

God created man to give of His good to another…

-         Arizal, Beginning of Eitz Chaim

We were created to enjoy, to receive the pleasure of all that God has to offer. If we aren’t, it is only because we’re walking around without glasses, accustomed to seeing in a blurred way. May this Tisha B’av bring us all to clean our lenses from negativity so that we live life as it should be lived as taught by the Torah.

We had the privilege of experiencing the wonder and glory of Cape Breton this week. Noted by many as one of the most beautiful places on earth, it was inspiring, breathtaking and calming. An experience of beauty whereby the day to day somehow gets lost within the grandeur of life and existence.

But like all places, even the most wonderful places, they are filled and inhabited by normal human beings, doing their daily activities and duties like any other place on earth. And while these Cape Bretoners were living their lives, one of Cape Breton’s finest was taken while fighting in Afghanistan, and we saw the flags flown at half mast.
The half-mast is done so that people who happen to be passing by the beauty, who happen to be touring amidst the green hills and mountains and even those who are just going to work, will pay attention and be sensitive to the fact that a local gave his life for all of us to live ours.
So as people go about their lives, people will need reassurance as to why it is their very best are out fighting a war overseas. As the flag is lowered the questions arise to answer the question of why it is we’re over there and why it is the right thing.
One of America’s biggest publication and most syndicated magazine happened to address that very issue this week. In a likely historic article, General Stanly McChrystal gave Rolling Stone full access to his opinions and the goings on in the war in Afghanistan. “The Runaway General” written by Michael Hastings is a now famous article portraying the arguments regarding the war in Afghanistan. As Caroline Glick points out in her weekly address published by the Jerusalem Post, there are three schools of thought regarding the war in Afghanistan. One is fight to win, the second is not interested in fighting to win, and the third is the middle ground. The President of the United States and his General McChrystal “occupy the middle ground.”
The United States and the world media have been quite excited about this tell-all of a U.S General regarding the current war in Afghanistan, especially due to the fact that he resigned his position because of it. But there is another element at work here besides the juicy gossip of a behind the scenes look at politics and war, and that is what we need to tell our troops who are overseas and the families who wait for them back home.
As of September 11th  2001, there was a global message from Islamic terrorists of the Taliban and Al-Qaida persuasion that they’re out to destroy. Out to destroy Western values, out to destroy democracy, our buildings, cities, etc. In response to this, President Bush began his campaign of “War on Terror.” This campaign led to the U.S & NATO allies first deployment of troops in Afghanistan in October 2001, with the clear goal of taking out the bad guys and their controlled infrastructure. They have been there since 2001 in the effort to prevent the Taliban from gaining control.
When Barack Obama hand-picked McChrystal to be the commander of this entire operation, McChrystal came up with a revised strategy to send in 40,000 U.S troops and NATO train and 400,000 Afghan troops to replace the current soldiers in the long run. Arguments ensued.
Vice-President Biden saw this as perhaps impossible and definitely cost-ineffective and basically said to run the heck out there ASAP.
McChrystal said that this would be a recipe for absolute disaster. Without a sufficient number of soldiers on the ground there wouldn’t be a plausible chance for gaining needed intelligence to take out the bad guys.
President Obama chose the middle path. Send in 30,000 U.S, retain the current 230,000 Afghan trained troops and promised to have the U.S completely withdrawn from Afghanistan by July 2011.
Mmmm, what to do, what to do? So many opinions, so little time, so many lives.
The Washington Post this past December explained Obama’s goal as one that, “envisions more informal local security arrangements than in Iraq, a less capable national government and a greater tolerance of insurgent violence..the guidance they (the military) said is that we’re not doing everything, and we’re not doing it forever.” As this week’s issue of Rolling Stone puts it, when executed, this guidance brings not victory nor even stability.
With such a pareve vision – one of not too strong to send in another 40,000 and abide by McChrystal’s revamped strategy, and not too weak to just pull out – Obama takes the middle path of “everyone goes home” by July 2011. Will this middle path give comfort to the parents and families of the soldiers who aren’t coming home?
What is always profound is how issues and events that occur during the week, find their way from the Parsha of the week.
Balak, the King of Moav, becomes fearful of the Jewish people and wishes their destruction. Balak’s terror though is not militarily, since he knows and saw that the Jewish people have a higher general to take care of them. So Balak’s fight against the Jewish people can only come through the spirit and concludes that to destroy them we need to curse them. Who better to curse the Jewish people than Bila’am?
So Balak hires Bila’am out to curse the Jewish people. Bila’am says that he cannot do anything that God does not let him do, even if he were paid in gold and silver.
The story unfolds where God tells Bila’am not to curse the Jewish people for they are blessed, “but if they call you again, go with them; just do as I say” So Bila’am goes, but with a hidden agenda to curse the Jewish people, yet he finds that whenever he tries to utter a curse, he says a blessing instead.
Without going into all the depths and elements at play hidden beneath the surface of this simple story – what is curious is Bila’am’s role. On the one hand he is hired to curse, on the other God says not to curse – on yet another hand he says he won’t, but he wants to (see Rashi 22:22) and he comes away with blessings. Whose side is he on? What does he stand for? Is he on Balak’s side or God’s? He seems to be on both and yet neither at the same time. Bila’am seems to be the clay of whomever is making him. When Balak says to do something he runs to it – when God says something, he also runs to it. So where is he running?
But we are not talking about a lightweight here. Bila’am is in fact he whom God has shown everything.

“There is nothing in the world that God did not show to Bila’am.”

- Tana D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah, 28

Bila’am actually sees himself as the counterpart and in competition with Avraham, whom God started the Jewish nation with.

“Bila’am said, ‘What did Avraham offer up to God after all? One ram?! We’ll bring millions!
What did Avraham sacrifice? One son? I will bring my son & daughter!”
- Tanchumah, Tzav 1

“Bila’am arose in the morning and saddled his donkey. (22:21) – The one “saddling up” is to be juxtaposed with another: Avraham arose in the morning and saddled his donkey (Bresheit 22:3)
- Medrash Breisheit Rabbah, 55:8

So deeply interconnected are Avraham and Bila’am that the Sages in the Mishna see them as counterparts.

“Whoever possesses these three qualities belongs to the disciples of Abraham our father: a good eye, a humble spirit, and a gentle soul.
But he who possesses the three opposite qualities–an evil eye, a proud spirit, and a haughty soul–is of the disciples of Balaam the wicked.”
- Pirkei Avot 5:22

What is the contrast and comparison between Avraham and Bila’am? How is it that the Sages see these two as being so closely linked together?

The sense of the above Medrashim is that Bila’am is capable – as being a prophet whom God shows everything. And despite his capabilities, Bila’am is confused in his goals and aspirations. If he means to serve God and not merely be a famous person and prophet – what need is there for competition? And why Avraham?

Avraham began the Jewish people as he chose to relate and serve God when the rest of the world was not. Bila’am desires that level, that recognition and that leadership – but not God. And so he competes with Avraham, his every move is to prove himself – yet his goals are misplaced and off; as his desires are self-absorbed and nothing more.

“Who is wise? He who learns from every person. Who is a warrior? He who conquers his own misguided passions. Who is wealthy? He who is happy with what he is given. Who is honored? He who honors others.”
Pirkei Avot 4:1

Avraham’s whole purpose was to reveal the good life of having a deep relationship with the Creator – he competed against no one. Bila’am became the clay in everyone’s hand because he wanted the honor and glory – and so he tried to appease everyone. But without a broader vision, he ends up stumbling around to make everyone happy without accomplishing either.

The vision of Avraham is in the above quoted Mishna in Pirkei Avot. A true warrior is when you have conquered your own battles. Conquering internal battles of anger, negativity, criticism, gossip, sadness bring a person to “be all that you can be.”

A person like Avraham – who is driven by a broader vision of truth, of relationship with our Creator and to live by the Creator’s guidance – will have a real understanding of how to operate and live in this world. A person like Bila’am, who is more interested in his own accomplishments than what benefit it has for humanity – will end stumbling around like clay for everyone to make differently.

The issue today is not whose vision to go by, but to have vision at all. Who are we fighting – those that plan day and night to destroy us and have succeeded in many ways. Airport security was not what it was before 9/11 and it is because terrorists seek constantly to destroy the western world.

The war on terror began as an effort to fight this. Agree or disagree – but we have thousands of Americans and Canadians who are out there sacrificing their lives who were sent there on a mission to take out the bad guys. If they are just taken home in July 2011 – what does that say for all the 10 years prior, thousands of lost lives later? Does that honor them? Is a half-mast enough?

The lack of vision by our leaders is part of a broader plan, but it needs to be understood. Caroline Glick writes in her article, “Since Obama is commander-in-chief, it is reasonable for criticism of this losing strategy to be directed towards him. But the truth is that for the better half of the last several decades, with occasional important exceptions, this sort of ‘half-pregnant’ strategy for war fighting has been the template for Western armies.

The important story of this week was not about a U.S general with abysmal judgement about the media. Rather the story is that in Afghanistan, the U.S is repeating a sorry pattern of the Western nations of not understanding – or perhaps not caring – that if you are not willing to fight a war to victory, you will lose it.”

Who is a warrior? The deep books of Torah explain that all negativity arise from our own misguided actions and judgement. The war begins at home. All forms of war are merely macrocosm of our own internal battles.

In school we are taught math, history, grammar, etc. But we are not taught how to deal with anger, how to really be happy (and not just smile), how to love or how to even raise a family. These are all secondary to the primary goal of achievement.

In Torah we are taught the opposite. That the primary goal is inner work and growth, the work of Avraham; and the secondary goal of being productive, accomplished is only real when begun with the work of Avraham.

The enemies away are the enemies inside of us – and today we are fighting neither. We ignore the heightened security at the airports, we ignore that 9/11 was not only a story of heroic American firefighters and we ignore that there are children’s songs called “When We Die As Martyrs” sung by millions of no longer innocent children. And so we pull out.

We ignore depression by taking pills, we ignore anger by abstaining from commitment and relationship and we ignore our happiness by focusing on what we don’t have and so desperately need.

Who is a warrior? Let us be warriors whose war is on depression, anger and negativity. Let us be warriors who do not sit back and complain but who actively seek solutions, resolve and truth. Let us be warriors who define our war and not ignore it. By doing so I hope to see all of our flags flying at full mast.

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iPads, Helen Thomas & The Zohar

Nicholas Carr is the author of a brand new book, “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” and contributed with an article at CNN on that very topic.

Carr notes that during a recent commencement address at Hampton University in Virginia, Barack Obama explained how the “internet powered media environment bombards us with all kids of content.”

Obama warned that iPads, Xboxes and other popular gadgets can turn information into “a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment” rather than a means of “empowerment.”

As Carr points out, many listeners reacted with ridicule, bloggers with accusations of Obama being old, and even Economist magazine calling Obama a “technophobe.”

Those accusations are reflective of the very problem that Obama pointed out and that Carr investigates and probes in his book. The issue being that we are bombarded constantly with so much information, that we have become unable to pass clear and true judgement.

Studies have shown that the average American spends more than 8 hours in front of a screen (whether it be a TV, computer or phone) while 72% of teenagers are official “texters” compared with only 51% in 2006.

The internet was not always around and it wasn’t always this fast, making all this quite new for the modern man to absorb. Carr’s thesis is that we have become quick but superficial. “Even as we’ve been enjoying the seemingly endless bounty of the net, neurobilogists and psychologists have been carrying out studies which suggest that the way we gather information online empedes comprehension, weakens understanding, and in general hinders learning.” Them be strong words.

Carr is not alone. There have been many articles in the New York Times recently discussing this very phenomenon. From texting to having the entire internet available in your hand at any given moment, scientists have been studying how all this information is affecting how we think and behave.

The iPad: Bringing the Universe Closer Together

Kord Cambell is a founder of a multi-million dollar internet start-up company. In a New York Times article earlier this week entitled, “Hooked on Gadgets, & Paying a Mental Price” there is a story of Cambell missing his million dollar email offer to buy his start up. 12 days went by until Cambell finally sifted through old messages and found that he had an offer to buy his company.

“The message had slipped by him amid an electronic flood of computer screens, emails, instant messages, online chats, web browsers and the computer code he was writing.”

Cambell’s wife Brenda complains, “it seems like he can no longer be fully in the moment.” Matt Richtel, the author of this article continues by saying, “This is your brain on computers.”

Scientists say how ”our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.” These bursts of information generate within us a “primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats.” A dopamine squirt rushes in the excitement, and like any and all highs, this one can be addictive as well. In its absence, people feel bored, have potential inflictions on their creativity and deep thought, while even interrupting work and family life.

So if you have gotten this far you are of the elite. But there is more.

There is another thing that happened this week that needs a little light shed upon it. Helen Thomas has served 57 years as a correspondent and, later as, White House bureau chief for United Press International (UPI). Thomas is an author, reporter and columnist. She has covered every presidency from Eisenhower to Kennedy to Obama. For such an accomplished and intelligent woman, how is it at all possible for her to conclude her astonishing career with the following conversation.

Outside the Jewish Heritage Celebration Day event at the White House this past May 27th, the following exchange took place between Thomas and Rabbi David Nesenoff:

Nesenoff: Any comments on Israel? We’re asking everybody today, any comments on Israel?Thomas: Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.

Nesenoff: Oooh. Any better comments on Israel?

Thomas: Remember, these people are occupied and it’s their land. It’s not German, it’s not Poland …

Nesenoff: So where should they go, what should they do?

Thomas: They go home.

Nesenoff: Where’s the home?

Thomas: Poland. Germany.

Nesenoff: So you’re saying the Jews go back to Poland and Germany?

Thomas: And America and everywhere else. Why push people out of there who have lived there for centuries? See?

Thomas went on to say that she knows the history very well and in fact she is of Arab origins. Without getting into the history of this – one fact however is that the Jewish people existed centuries before Islam stepped onto the scene (610 C.E) and had always maintained a presence in the land of Israel. The Jewish “home” of Germany and Poland, as she notes, only functioned in that capacity as the Jewish people were exiled away from their homeland at the destruction of the second Temple (70 C.E). So for someone of Helen Thomas’s intelligence, success and work in government this is a non-fact based report. For someone in the innermost sanctuary of American leadership and politics for decades – how can she come away with such false, twisted historical accountings?

What I would like to explore though, is how this is really playing out on a universal scale and how these elements are both what is right in the world as well as what is off and needs fixing.

Where does one go to look to find clarity? The Torah as seen through the lens of the Kabbalah. Every week the Jewish people read a specific section of the Torah, and every week the current events of the world reflect and express those teachings.

This week the Torah examines a conflict of Korach. Korach sees Moshe & Aharon as being given a higher than thou status above the rest of the Jewish people.

“And Korach took…and rose up against Moshe with 250 prominent leaders. They gathered against Moshe and Aharon and they said, ‘Isn’t this too much? The entire Jewish people are holy and God is with them, so why would you lord yourselves over us, the congregation of God?’ ” – Numbers 16:1-3

Interesting. Until now I never really thought of it, but it makes sense. The entire Jewish people saw God at Sinai, were redeemed through miracles while enslaved in Egypt

and were promised by God to have their homeland. Why should Moshe and Aharon lord over them so? They’re no better or loftier than this wonderful nation – it is time for change. By following Korach we will see change! Change! CHANGE! (Have we mentioned change?)

There are a few fundamental problems with Korach’s argument that are brought forth through Rashi’s explanation. Rashi notes that the Torah specifically says that “Korach took” which denotes “to separate from the community and to arouse argument against the leaders.” Rashi, based on Onkelos, emphasizes the “taking” that means to separate; Also very interesting, because “taking” in the Torah means just the opposite – to be one with. In the beginning of Talmud Kiddushin 2a, they learn this out from the verse elsewhere in the Torah that uses “taking” but this time referring to unity and not separating.

In order to bring resolve to this conflict, we need to identify and clarify the following issues. The first is defining what leadership Korach is against – what exactly is the leadership role that Moshe and Aharon have the Korach accuses them of “lording over” the people? The second is Moshe’s reaction. Does Moshe admit his wrong? Does Moshe argue? Does Moshe fight fire with fire? Moshe’s reaction would be indicative of the principle issue, especially when he is being faced with such critique.

Korach accuses Moshe of “lording over” the people, of taking this leadership undeservedly and disproportionately. That is fine, so what leadership role are we talking about exactly? Is Moshe taking too much of the taxes for fancy cars, elaborate parties? Is Moshe torturing the people as a tyrant and dictator – what is Korach referring to here? The problem is that Korach doesn’t know himself. Korach must have been following the headlines and slogans like the rest of us instead of investigating the details and defining his accusations.

In truth, Moshe has no leadership whatsoever. All Moshe is trying to do is inspire, educate and bring the Jewish people to a higher level of living and deeper relationship with God. All Moshe talks about is God and following his Torah. “What does God ask of you but to be in awe of Him, to walk in all His ways, to love Him and to serve Him with all your hearts and souls.”- Dvarim 10:12. Moshe doesn’t mention himself or talk about himself so much – he just talks about the Creator. This is how the Zohar defines a King and his kingdom in general by saying, “Malchut – leit l’m’garma klum” – “Kingship has nothing in and of itself”. This is because a King and his kingdom are only for the people. All the mitzvahs and Halachas (laws, pathways) of a king reflect this. A King must always wear a Torah on his arm and is only appointed if they are a studied, pious person (see Maimonides, Laws of Kings). Moshe’s “leadership” has none of the perks or lording over that Korach is accusing Moshe of. Korach’s critique, similar to recent critiques in the world this past week, is not based on fact but emotion; not based on investigation but slogan.

If Moshe were anything like most people, upon being accused he would have accused back; but Moshe didn’t. Upon being accused of these things Moshe merely falls on his face. Rashi explains that Moshe was disheartened because this was the fourth time the Jewish people are making misguided judgments and wrong actions. By the golden calf, when they complained and last week with the spies. This fourth time Moshe was disheartened, perhaps God was tired of hearing Moshe ask for compassion and mercy on his people. Moshe was always about others, never about himself. For this reason God calls Moshe, “The humblest man on the face of the earth” Bamidbar 12:3 So what did Moshe do when there were those who act against him, complain to him, speak badly of him and even outright accuse him? He prays for God to have compassion on them and only hopes God will listen. Does that sound like someone lording over the people? What went wrong?

The Zohar: Bringing the Universe Closer Together

Life makes sense through the lens of the Zohar, as does the written Torah. The Zohar is written almost in its own language, a language that is only cryptic if not taught how to study it.

The beginning of this week’s conflict with Korach according to the Zohar begins in the following way. “Rebbe Abba opened up this Torah portion with the verse from Tehillim (psalms) 19:11, ‘More valuable than gold and a great treasure, sweeter than honey (referring to the Torah)..’ How lofty are the words of Torah, how precious they are, wonderful above and below, pleasurable to all. This is because the words of Torah are one holy name. And anyone who studies the Torah immerses themselves in His holy name, and is saved from all forms of negativity – in this world and the next…Rebbe Yitzchak said that everyone who immerses themselves in the Torah is entirely free…Were the Jewish people to honor the Torah and embody what they study, they would be free from all forms of exile and judgments…

Come and see…that Korach wanted to twist the right with the left…” – Zohar Korach, 176a

Why would the Zohar speak about two completely different realities in one? The Torah is a wonderful thing – fine. Korach had a desire to twist things around – understood. Why put them adjacent to one another?

The Zohar is opening this story with that preface in order to tell us the deeper elements happening here. They are the same elements of gadgets becoming more of a distraction than empowering, more entertainment than educational. They are the same as the issue with having too many responsibilities to focus on what is really important and to be in the moment rather than distracted. They are the same elements by which a sophisticated, successful and “informed” reporter is capable of having false facts and twisted views of reality and history.

The element is understanding. The element is study. The element is definition. The element is that we need to investigate, we need to probe, we need to ask questions before we have answers and need to challenge ourselves before we challenge others. This is only possible through attaching ourselves with leaders who are selfless like Moshe and not selfish like so many scripted politicians; leaders who have a vision of humanity and not themselves, who have a vision of relationship to the root rather than the cause, leaders who focus us on truth and the Creator. These leaders bring us to study books like the Zohar that define reality, teach us how to attain and fully live with joy, peace, unity in every aspect of our lives. The Zohar is telling us that Korach’s argument was rooted in not studying what life is about and not living with definitions – which can only come about through studying the Torah through the lens of the Zohar and other holy works.

The first step in life is asking without preconceived conclusions. Korach had conclusions prior to asking what a leader is and if Moshe is one. Asking if we are truly happy, if we live our lives with passion and drive, if we have perspective and not agenda, if we are being real with ourselves or following someone else’s script. Let us ask and pray for all these forms of negativity that the Zohar speaks of and that is expressed in too many ways these days be met with understanding to bring a holistic and complete Shalom.

To learn more on how to enjoy your life and relationships – and how to effect positive change in any environment – go to Rabbi Ari’s FREE video course at: http://www.ediin7.com.