Sunday, January 21, 2007
Crazy
It's been a long time. I've been enjoying my RIP status. I've been debating saying farewell, but I still have so many thoughts I'd love to share. I had an awesome time meeting two bloggers today for the first time (surprise), so it made me want to come back a little...
It's really easy to stay perfect when you are perfect. For example, if you're a straight A student, you have a high motivation to keep up that 4.0. Get one C, though, and a couple of B+s don't seem that unreasonable. Never had a cavity? One filling will give you less incentive not to leave a few more up to the care of your dentist. One speeding ticket, and that flawless driving record just becomes another spotty history. It's a lesson for motivation - when we set perfection as our standard, we have to be prepared with a backup plan for a recovery. Whether religiously or in any sphere of life where we struggle to perform to our utmost, we have to find the flow that keeps us at our high tide.
Part of what made me put this together was a Dvar Torah by Rav Shimon Schwab. A Tzaddik is a higher form of perfection than a Chassid (as evidenced by their order of appearance in the blessing of the Shemona Esrai). The Tzaddik is marked by his adherence to the letter of the law, while the Chassid is noted by his performace of deeds above and beyond the law. What bothered me is that this seems in reverse. Isn't the Chassid greater for going above the law? This issue is resolved by the above understanding. The goal is to be able to stay consistently at perfection, like the Tzaddik. While the Chassid's efforts are extraordinarily noteworthy, they stem from his cyclical struggles towards an as-yet-unattained perfection.
Who knows when I'll be back. I'm always around, but not always blogging. It's tough having competing obligations outside of creative writing.
It's really easy to stay perfect when you are perfect. For example, if you're a straight A student, you have a high motivation to keep up that 4.0. Get one C, though, and a couple of B+s don't seem that unreasonable. Never had a cavity? One filling will give you less incentive not to leave a few more up to the care of your dentist. One speeding ticket, and that flawless driving record just becomes another spotty history. It's a lesson for motivation - when we set perfection as our standard, we have to be prepared with a backup plan for a recovery. Whether religiously or in any sphere of life where we struggle to perform to our utmost, we have to find the flow that keeps us at our high tide.
Part of what made me put this together was a Dvar Torah by Rav Shimon Schwab. A Tzaddik is a higher form of perfection than a Chassid (as evidenced by their order of appearance in the blessing of the Shemona Esrai). The Tzaddik is marked by his adherence to the letter of the law, while the Chassid is noted by his performace of deeds above and beyond the law. What bothered me is that this seems in reverse. Isn't the Chassid greater for going above the law? This issue is resolved by the above understanding. The goal is to be able to stay consistently at perfection, like the Tzaddik. While the Chassid's efforts are extraordinarily noteworthy, they stem from his cyclical struggles towards an as-yet-unattained perfection.
Who knows when I'll be back. I'm always around, but not always blogging. It's tough having competing obligations outside of creative writing.
# posted by Josh : Sunday, January 21, 2007
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Josh, you are a Tzaddik.
So, nu, when do I graduate to the "Bloggers I Know" versus "Bloggers I Feel Like I Know" status?
So, nu, when do I graduate to the "Bloggers I Know" versus "Bloggers I Feel Like I Know" status?
Well, Josh, it's been a while. I just want to say that I can bring a source to sidprove what you said...wait a sec, I'm looking it up in chabad.org....
K, here it is:
In one of my father's sichot, he explained a subject, of which this is the core:
There are tzadik, yashar, tamim and chassid. Tzadik is so called regarding his fulfillment of the positive mitzvot, thereby eliciting revelations inherent in the creative order.
Yashar is so called regarding his fulfillment of the negative mitzvot - which draws forth revelations beyond the creative order. Tamim, (man of) earnestness elicits revelations (from a level of G-dliness at which) "the taste of the tree and its fruit is the same" - the co-joining of the Encompassing (soveiv) and Permeating (memalei) modes of Divine influence.
Highest of all is Chassid, and here there are three levels: (a) Worldly affairs do not disturb or distract him. Every individual can, and every individual must, attain this level. (b) All his affairs "are G-dliness." Though this level "is not distant from you etc.," it is still not within everyone's reach. (c) The level described in Tikunei Zohar, "Who is a chassid? He who conducts himself with benevolence towards his Creator - towards His nest" - which means that he seeks to unite the Holy One blessed be He, and His Shechina within those who dwell in the lower worlds - not merely to quench the thirst of his own soul; as explained in Tanya.
(Hayom Yom, 14 Kislev).
I would suggest, being that a lot of the times I quote Hayom Yom to answer your questions, you buy the sefer for yourself and study the daily portion.
K, here it is:
In one of my father's sichot, he explained a subject, of which this is the core:
There are tzadik, yashar, tamim and chassid. Tzadik is so called regarding his fulfillment of the positive mitzvot, thereby eliciting revelations inherent in the creative order.
Yashar is so called regarding his fulfillment of the negative mitzvot - which draws forth revelations beyond the creative order. Tamim, (man of) earnestness elicits revelations (from a level of G-dliness at which) "the taste of the tree and its fruit is the same" - the co-joining of the Encompassing (soveiv) and Permeating (memalei) modes of Divine influence.
Highest of all is Chassid, and here there are three levels: (a) Worldly affairs do not disturb or distract him. Every individual can, and every individual must, attain this level. (b) All his affairs "are G-dliness." Though this level "is not distant from you etc.," it is still not within everyone's reach. (c) The level described in Tikunei Zohar, "Who is a chassid? He who conducts himself with benevolence towards his Creator - towards His nest" - which means that he seeks to unite the Holy One blessed be He, and His Shechina within those who dwell in the lower worlds - not merely to quench the thirst of his own soul; as explained in Tanya.
(Hayom Yom, 14 Kislev).
I would suggest, being that a lot of the times I quote Hayom Yom to answer your questions, you buy the sefer for yourself and study the daily portion.
Hi Josh,
Nice to meet you, in a blogger sort of way. I'm really new to the whole blog idea, but it's not for a shortage of things to write about.
Too bad you're RIP. Yours is actually one of the better ones, IMHO.
Nice to meet you, in a blogger sort of way. I'm really new to the whole blog idea, but it's not for a shortage of things to write about.
Too bad you're RIP. Yours is actually one of the better ones, IMHO.
Cut and paste:
http://store.kehotonline.com/index.php?stocknumber=ERE-HAYO.PKT&deptid=&parentid=&page=2&itemsperpage=10
http://store.kehotonline.com/index.php?stocknumber=ERE-HAYO.PKT&deptid=&parentid=&page=2&itemsperpage=10
# posted by 
: January 23, 2007 10:56 AM
: January 23, 2007 10:56 AM
Your writing will be missed. Best of luck to you, and we want to hear back from you when it's close to marraige time...
IS HAMAS A TERRORIST OGRANIZATION OR A RESISTANCE MOVEMENT???
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ricehamas/
She must apologize!
The State department officially lists Hamas as a terrorist organization, which is exactly what it is and has always been.
Last week, US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleeza Rice, while speaking at a European press conference, referred to terrorist Hamas as a "Resistance Movement." Those are the same words used by Al-Jazeera for Hamas. A "Resistance Movement" is very far from a Terrorist Organization.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ricehamas/
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ricehamas/
She must apologize!
The State department officially lists Hamas as a terrorist organization, which is exactly what it is and has always been.
Last week, US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleeza Rice, while speaking at a European press conference, referred to terrorist Hamas as a "Resistance Movement." Those are the same words used by Al-Jazeera for Hamas. A "Resistance Movement" is very far from a Terrorist Organization.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ricehamas/
# posted by : February 01, 2007 2:06 PM
: February 01, 2007 2:06 PM
my blog is...
www. gaychasidim.blogspot.com
leave a comment
Thank you
www. gaychasidim.blogspot.com
leave a comment
Thank you
# posted by : February 06, 2007 12:51 PM
: February 06, 2007 12:51 PM
Wait, so all i havta do is post a comment on your blog and you'll add my link.. i cant wait to learn which status i become.
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