Episode #4: Jews Make The World A Better Place

• Jews place their focus on making the world a better place.
  • “You Believe In God and Don't Read His Book?”
  • Nose rings, green hair, extended eyelashes, and tattoos.
• Lifestyle changes makes the world a better place.
  • Advantages of lifestyle changes.
  • Religious activities are superior to secular activities 
• Every Jew is born with a purpose in life. 
  • Always look to yourself to solve problems.
  • Life of calm satisfaction is potent. Life of dramatic turmoil is impotent.
  • Meeting people without drama. They exist within Jewish communities.
• Good things happen as you increase your Jewish observance level.
  • The way you perceive the world will change.
  • The way you act in the world will change.
  • The people in your life will change for the better.
  • The likelihood of meeting an appropriate mate increases.
  • Your community of associations will widen.
  • Your recreational activities will become purer.
  • Your relationship with your parents will be more positive.
  • Your relationship with your children and/or siblings will improve.
  • The respect that your family and friends hold for you will increase.
• Take it or leave it. It’s totally up to you. 

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Jew2u.com

Michael@Jew2u.com

Transcript

Jew2U Podcast: Non-Religious Seeking A Return to Judaism? Start Here!

Episode #4 – Jews Make the World a Better Place

• Jews place their focus on making the world a better place.
  • “You Believe In God and Don't Read His Book?”
  • Nose rings, green hair, extended eyelashes, and tattoos.
• Lifestyle changes makes the world a better place.
  • Advantages of lifestyle changes.
  • Religious activitity is superior to secular activities 
• Every Jew is born with a purpose in life. 
  • Always look to yourself to solve problems.
  • Life of calm satisfaction is potent. Life of dramatic turmoil is impotent.
  • Meeting people without drama. They exist within Jewish communities.
• Good things happen as you increase your Jewish observance level.
  • The way you perceive the world will change.
  • The way you act in the world will change.
  • The people in your life will change for the better.
  • The likelihood of meeting an appropriate mate increases.
  • Your community of associations will widen.
  • Your recreational activities will become purer.
  • Your relationship with your parents will be more positive.
  • Your relationship with your children and/or siblings will improve.
  • The respect that your family and friends hold for you will increase.
• Take it or leave it. It’s totally up to you. 

Because Jews making “the world a better place” is the focus of their lives. God wants all people, not just Jews, to Do Good. But that's where Jews focus.

“You Believe In God and Don't Read His Book?” Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi asks this question. He's a Rabbi with a very large internet presence that you should investigate further. That's M-i-z-r-a-c-h-i. His speeches are very entertaining and informative. He speaks to the beginner and advanced Jew alike. And the question is a good one.

Many people will eagerly respond in the affirmative when asked if they believe in God. They are “spiritual but not religious.” What does that mean to anybody? Great, you believe in God. Then what? Then you go get a nose ring? 

Rabbi Mizrachi is asking the question to implore you to do something about it. God doesn't care if you pray to him. He doesn't need your prayers. God only cares that you do good so that the planet gradually moves toward goodness. Getting a nose ring does nothing to move the planet toward goodness.

Picking up litter or not littering yourself moves the planet towards goodness. Telling a store clerk, “Thank you, you've been very helpful,” moves the planet towards goodness. After you tell that to the clerk they will feel great! Few people tell them that throughout the dreary day. Not committing adultery moves the planet towards goodness. Getting a tattoo does not move the planet towards goodness. 

And while we're on the subject of tattoos, up until last week there was never a tattoo that I've been able to read. Last week I was able to make out a design of a dog on a woman's leg. First time ever. Prior to that, whether big or small, I've been unable to see what someone has deemed so important to them that they want to transmit something to the world, I've been totally unable to grasp the message. So why do it? Putting ink all over a beautifully God-created body part, is, in reality, ugly. So do it if you have a lust to be trendy and have plenty of money to flush but it does absolutely nothing to add goodness to the world.

This podcast is specifically designed to speak to those secular Jews who were born Jewish but were not raised Jewish. So you have the seed of Judaism within you but you don't know how to get it to bloom. You're between the ages of 15 and 45 and you see a resurgence of religion in the Christian world and are now seeing stories about the resurgence of religion in the Jewish world. So it is trendy, but that's not the reason for all the resugence.

Many are coming to understand that non-religious people are lost and have no idea about what life is all about. Movies, TV, and music are vapid, a total waste of time. Those creating this entertainment seem to have an agenda of making all taboo subjects worthy of doing. Who knew that speaking really really fast in a monotone voice describing violent activities would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry. It brings in a lot of money from really really low humans who wallow in the smut. But it doesn't make the world a better place.

You won't find religiously involved people putting extended eyelashes on their eyelids. You won't find them with green hair either. But you will find people with green hair pushing for environmentalism, trans issues, and drag queens reading books to children. That's their way of making the world a better place. But are they? 

Didn't God, who you believe in, create a climate that naturally changes within a certain order? It's takes hubris to think that humans can affect the climate. Does someone peeing in the ocean affect the ocean? I think the ocean can handle it. The ocean doesn't need a green haired person to protect it. Smaller waterways can get polluted and also can be cleaned up. That's called conservation. But the oceans and the atmosphere are way beyond the scope of human interference. That's the way God made them.

In past podcasts I made suggestions about how to get started in Judaism by doing some simple and easy Jewish rituals: lighting shabbat candles on Friday nights, buying mazuzahs for your doors, reading books about Judaism. But you should start making some lifestyle changes that make sense for you instead of plowing forward doing things your current friends find stimulating but are, in reality, quite dangerous.

For instance, women: make sure you're home by 11 PM every night including weekends. Nothing good happens after 11 PM. And that's the time that a lot of really bad people start entering the streets. Same thing for guys: in by midnight. Guys get an extra hour because they are better equipped to handle violent interactions that are more likely to occur late at night and they are less likely targets than women. But still, get in and avoid all that stuff. 

Boys, you think you can find a woman to take home at 2:30 in the morning? You probably can but she will be the lowest form of female in existence no matter how physically inticeing she may be. 

You think going home early is uncool? You're right, maybe. But it's also very very smart. You're friends can be cool and you can be smart. And when something bad happens to one of them they'll realize how smart you really are. Then, they too, will start getting home earlier. Intelligence, and how you use it, makes the world a better place.

When you come home early you'll wake up early. By waking up early you'll have time to read a little bit of God's book, the God you say you believe in. Then you'll begin to understand how insanely selfish spending the day on a jetski is, or some other leisurely activity. Really, what do you do on a jetski? You go straight out and you come straight back in. You go round and round in circles. You're entire life is probably going round and round in circles. Are you really still interested in jetskiing after about 20 minutes?

Instead, a jew volunteers at the Council on Battered Women or a local food bank. You're there for several hours and the paid staff are really really appreciative of your work and they tell you so. It makes you feel much more joyful than going round and round in circles on a jetski.

Jews do things that matter because the Torah shows them the way. Religious activity is way above political activity. Political activity is transient and dependent upon the latest charismatic personality. The Torah hasn't changed in 3,000 years.

The Torah tells us that every Jew is born with a purpose in life. To put a ring through your nose is not why you were born. You have to find your purpose according to the natural skills and gifts that you were born with. Everyday are you making the world a better place or not? Did you get angry at someone or did you exercise anger management? Is it so important to you to be right about everything? Would you rather be right or happy?

I've noticed that many troubled people, both Jews and non-jews, have no religion in their life. They were raised with unearned self esteem. For many years I heard my friends and acquaintances describe their children as “Amazing.” Amazing in what way I would ask them. Just amazing in every way they would answer but they would never give examples. Did they win a science contest or become an all-state soccer goalie? No. Just they were amazing, amazing, amazing. So when an impresionable child hears this about themselves they believe they are amazing even if they don't know why they are amazing.

The child quickly understands that because they are amazing they can do no wrong even when they are doing wrong all the time. Then the parents step in and make excuses for the child that the problems are the result of other people mistreating their children. It's always someone elses fault. This lifestyle morphs into the child knowing that he is never wrong. I know a family of five, everyone of whom is never wrong. They fight constantly, creating lies to win arguments. Now in later life every one of them is estranged from the other and each one knows they are right. How sad.

Contrast that with what the Torah teaches. The Torah says that if you have a problem always ALWAYS look to yourself to solve the problem. No one is right 100% of the time and sometimes it's wise to know when an argument is just looping around and around and it's probably better just to let it go. Low grades in school? YOU need to study harder or better. Money problems? YOU need to look to your own income and outgo and maybe seek another job. Your mate isn't treating you right? YOU need to treat THEM better. Jews always ask the question: what can I do to fix this? They do not depend on others to fix a problem.

But here's the real addictive part about the self esteem, always right, non-religious crowd: it's the DRAMA. They feel that if their problems are greater than their friends problems then they deserve more sympathy and attention. The bigger the drama the more alive they feel, even if they are constantly unhappy. If your drama is really really big you might even qualify for a reality TV show. To live a life of calm satisfaction is not as sexy as a life of dramatic turmoil. Dramatic turmoil does not make the world a better place.

So now that you are stepping up, wanting more Judaism in your life, you'll have to come to grips with how you orient yourself to the world. When you realize that as a Jew you were born to make the world a better place, things change. When you make an effort stop telling little lies and maybe even big lies you'll notice how easily other people tell them. When you make charity donations you'll feel so good that you'll be mad at yourself for not doing it earlier in life. 

When you start going to classes and jewish services you'll be meeting new people, different people. They will interact with you because they want to get to know you, not because you can do something for them. It's a totally different world than “the pit” that you currently occupy. All the drama that you have now you'll realize is quite sophmoric and neither fun nor productive in any way.

What exactly is the benefit of adding a little religious practice into your life? Will you be richer, healthier, happier, or smarter? Maybe yes, but not necessarily. Just because you do a good deed does not automatically mean that good fortune will come your way because of doing the good deed. A Jew does a good deed because Jews do good deeds. That’s the end of it. If you feel good about yourself after doing a good deed, well, fine then. That might add some depth and satisfaction into your mundane life.

But just know this: the Head Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Jonathan Sacks died of cancer at 72 years of age. He lived his life in as devout a way as anyone, day after day. He did good things constantly and influenced many people with his wisdom and many people prayed for his recovery. Yet with all that he still died at a relatively young age. 

Doing good deeds in the world does not guarantee longevity, riches, or anything tangible. You don’t do one in order to gain another. Judaism just doesn’t work that way so don’t ever take that expectation into your practice.

Since Judaism brings HASHEM down into the physical world, doing mitzvahs, good deeds, does exactly that. Maybe there is some kind of “merit” in there for you on Judgment Day. So, who knows exactly what is to be gained by doing mitzvahs? Why not just do them anyway without any expectation of reward? That’s the whole point. 

Yes, “random acts of kindness” (often anonymous) brings HASHEM into the physical world. HASHEM has provided the Ten Commandments and the Torah for you, not for Him. Take it or leave it. It’s your choice whether to live according to those suggestions or not. HASHEM gave you free will to find them, understand them, and live by them. Imagine that! What a generous gift free will is! Will you accept it or not? You Believe In God and Don't Read His Book?

Here are just a few things that are likely to happen as you increase your Jewish observance level:

• The way you perceive the world will change.
• The way you act in the world will change.
• The people in your life will change for the better.
• The likelihood of meeting an appropriate mate increases.
• Your community of associations will widen.
• Your recreational activities will become purer.
• Your relationship with your parents will be more positive.
• Your relationship with your children and/or siblings will improve.
• The respect that your family and friends hold for you will increase.

All these things are good things and happens organically without naming Judaism as the cause. People may know that you have increased your Jewish learning because they see you doing things like going to classes or attending services. But you never mention it as the reason YOUR life has changed and never even mention that your life HAS changed. But they will see a change in you toward the positive. You’ll smile more and be fun to be around.

In conversation you might say something like, “Well, from the Jewish perspective they say…” or “Biblically it says…” or “According to Jewish tradition that issue would be decided by....” But you never attach any expectation that others will see it that way. It’s just as you see it. They can either consider your statement/solution/suggestion/perspective or not. If they do consider it and find it reasonable/rational/sensible, although maybe not the easiest course of action, they could discover that Judaism might hold something valuable for them as well.

Your lifestyle change will naturally include knowing some Rabbis which you currently have none. I consulted one of my Rabbi acquaintances about a personal dilemma regarding my sibling and her three children not honoring their parents, I resisted his advice to confront my sister even though I was getting nowhere directly confronting her offspring. When, five months later, I eventually had the conversation with her, SHE was the one who came up with a solution, not an easy one, that was ultimately best for everyone involved. The Rabbi heard my anguish, tapped into his “Source,” and in one minute's time gave his opinion, and we never talked about it again. It's nice to know a Rabbi or two.

There is nothing new on the planet. In Judaism and the Torah it’s all there. Take it or leave it. It’s totally up to you. You might want to read the book written by the God you believe in. Have you done anything today that made the world a better place?

Here is a sentence from Be-Ha'alotekha, this week's Torah portion: Firing up the lamps represents finding the switch or button within every one of us---lighting the fiery love of God which lies dormant in the soul, to become a self-sufficient powerhouse of enthusiasm for Judaism. 

Until next Monday, Shalom!