Ever since science has attempted to determine the age of the universe there has been an intellectual battle between the forces of science and creationism. I tend to believe that there doesn't have to be such a war between the two camps. There are genuine approaches for reconciling the two accounts of creation.
An example of one possible approach was set forth by Dr. Gerald Schroeder. He argued that seven days from the outer rim of the universe can equal billions of years within the universe.
His approach is based on Einstein's time dilation theory.
The gist of it goes like this:
When the big bang happened the outer rim of the universe ballooned outward with such a tremendous burst of energy that it approached the speed of light. Time dilation theory teaches that the faster you go in space the slower you go in time. Therefore by reaching such high speeds, time greatly slowed down at the outer rim of the universe when measured relative to clocks within the universe.
So while the outer rim experienced only seven days, the interior of the universe could have experienced 15 billion years.
Once the framework of a seven day creation has been paradoxically greatly expanded while simultaneously being very literal, there is room to discuss a protracted process of creation, along with what tools might have been in the Creator's "tool box" to bring this about. Without any knowledge to the contrary, evolution should be as good a tool as any other for the Creator to slowly make the various species.
I'm not personally saying that this is how it happened or that I throw my full support into Dr. Schroeder's theory. (Actually, I personally believe in an entirely different mechanism for creation based on Lurianic Kabbalah, which for the moment I consider outside the scope of this blog.)
However, the very fact that such a neat reconciliation exists should bring both camps to question whether the argument is really worth it?
For those who are interested in further exploration of Dr. Schroeder's teachings, the following link will take you to his official website:
http://www.geraldschroeder.com/AccordingToGod.aspx
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
One That Corrects and One That Connects
Each person has two special “mitzvahs”, positive deeds:
One that corrects us and one that connects us.
What corrects us reshapes our desire to receive.
What connects us activates our desire to give.
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A mitzvah is a special positive deed that connects a person to his or her Creator. Though a very Jewish concept with roots deeply embedded in Judaism, every human being (whether or not Jewish) is accorded the special privilege of connecting to his or her Creator by what s/he does. The Torah provides every human being with guidance in this area.
Some years ago, during a weekly study session with a teacher of Jewish mysticism, I was exposed to the teaching that every human being has a unique mitzvah specially designed for his or her soul. It’s via this deed that this individual soul connects most strongly with the Creator, as if given an individually tailored doorway. Naturally after hearing such a profound teaching, I was left the session wondering to myself, “What’s my special deed?”
This question has bounced itself around my head for years. It propelled me to ask various spiritual teachers for clues. Invariably, the messages were always mixed. Some claimed that this special deed is the one that a person finds absolutely most difficult to perform. While others claimed just the opposite, that this special deed is the one that a person finds the sweetest and most inspiring to do. These answers were enough to leave my head spinning, as my mind searched for a logical reconciliation.
Having to hold onto a question whose answer literally carries the key to life is uncomfortable enough. Being mixed up by opposite answers is a recipe that begs for mercy. Not knowing what else to do, I just kept the question available and continued to ask people who seemed like they might have an answer.
One weekend, I was visiting my beloved Aunt in Los Angeles. After enjoying a Sabbath meal is a friend’s home, I was invited to attend a small synagogue in the area that I would have certainly not discovered if left to my own devices. The attraction of the synagogue was an inspired visiting Rabbi. I sat down and listened to him deliver an inspiring lecture in Talmud, laced with delicious tidbits of Jewish mysticism.
The next morning I once again visited this synagogue, hoping to soak in more soulful teachings. After a morning of inspiring prayers and devotional studies, I escorted out the visiting Rabbi through a back ally. Realizing that I was in the company of such a special person I asked, “How does a person know which is his or her main special mitzvah, positive deed?”
“Actually, a person has two main mitzvahs.” He corrected.
”One mitzvah is what a person finds easiest to do. The other mitzvah is what s/he finds hardest to do.”, he explained.
This was one of those eureka moments for me. I finally understood. My confusion was finally clarified. The reason why I was getting mixed messages was because both answers are true.
Also, once I understood that I was searching for two mitzvahs, not one, and I had also received clear clues on how to identity them I was able to restart my search of a firmer footing. When I finally located these two mitzvahs within I noticed something very interesting. My most difficult mitzvah to perform seems to be anchored in my strongest "desire to receive". My sweetest and most inspiring mitzvah to perform seems to be anchored in my strongest "desire to give".
Dealing with my strongest "desire to receive" is about taming raging temptation. Once tamed, it can be reshaped as a vehicle for kindness. However, the work of reshaping is the process of correcting the misguided lower elements of the soul – vestiges from the animal world.
Dealing with my strongest "desire to give" is about reaching into the soul’s deepest yearning and making it manifest on earth. At the deepest core, humans want to give. It is the deepest human pleasure. Just at times this desire gets clouded over by fears and insecurities that haunt and taunt by feeding a person with one version or another of that narrow minded message that it’s a lot safer and smarter to receive and hoard.
However, if freed from these illusory psychological shackles a person would be edging every moment for an opportunity to meaningfully give. It’s too deeply pleasurable to ignore.
As the Passover season approaches, it’s worth considering what does that elusive word “freedom” mean to each of us individually. For me it means more freedom to give.
One that corrects us and one that connects us.
What corrects us reshapes our desire to receive.
What connects us activates our desire to give.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A mitzvah is a special positive deed that connects a person to his or her Creator. Though a very Jewish concept with roots deeply embedded in Judaism, every human being (whether or not Jewish) is accorded the special privilege of connecting to his or her Creator by what s/he does. The Torah provides every human being with guidance in this area.
Some years ago, during a weekly study session with a teacher of Jewish mysticism, I was exposed to the teaching that every human being has a unique mitzvah specially designed for his or her soul. It’s via this deed that this individual soul connects most strongly with the Creator, as if given an individually tailored doorway. Naturally after hearing such a profound teaching, I was left the session wondering to myself, “What’s my special deed?”
This question has bounced itself around my head for years. It propelled me to ask various spiritual teachers for clues. Invariably, the messages were always mixed. Some claimed that this special deed is the one that a person finds absolutely most difficult to perform. While others claimed just the opposite, that this special deed is the one that a person finds the sweetest and most inspiring to do. These answers were enough to leave my head spinning, as my mind searched for a logical reconciliation.
Having to hold onto a question whose answer literally carries the key to life is uncomfortable enough. Being mixed up by opposite answers is a recipe that begs for mercy. Not knowing what else to do, I just kept the question available and continued to ask people who seemed like they might have an answer.
One weekend, I was visiting my beloved Aunt in Los Angeles. After enjoying a Sabbath meal is a friend’s home, I was invited to attend a small synagogue in the area that I would have certainly not discovered if left to my own devices. The attraction of the synagogue was an inspired visiting Rabbi. I sat down and listened to him deliver an inspiring lecture in Talmud, laced with delicious tidbits of Jewish mysticism.
The next morning I once again visited this synagogue, hoping to soak in more soulful teachings. After a morning of inspiring prayers and devotional studies, I escorted out the visiting Rabbi through a back ally. Realizing that I was in the company of such a special person I asked, “How does a person know which is his or her main special mitzvah, positive deed?”
“Actually, a person has two main mitzvahs.” He corrected.
”One mitzvah is what a person finds easiest to do. The other mitzvah is what s/he finds hardest to do.”, he explained.
This was one of those eureka moments for me. I finally understood. My confusion was finally clarified. The reason why I was getting mixed messages was because both answers are true.
Also, once I understood that I was searching for two mitzvahs, not one, and I had also received clear clues on how to identity them I was able to restart my search of a firmer footing. When I finally located these two mitzvahs within I noticed something very interesting. My most difficult mitzvah to perform seems to be anchored in my strongest "desire to receive". My sweetest and most inspiring mitzvah to perform seems to be anchored in my strongest "desire to give".
Dealing with my strongest "desire to receive" is about taming raging temptation. Once tamed, it can be reshaped as a vehicle for kindness. However, the work of reshaping is the process of correcting the misguided lower elements of the soul – vestiges from the animal world.
Dealing with my strongest "desire to give" is about reaching into the soul’s deepest yearning and making it manifest on earth. At the deepest core, humans want to give. It is the deepest human pleasure. Just at times this desire gets clouded over by fears and insecurities that haunt and taunt by feeding a person with one version or another of that narrow minded message that it’s a lot safer and smarter to receive and hoard.
However, if freed from these illusory psychological shackles a person would be edging every moment for an opportunity to meaningfully give. It’s too deeply pleasurable to ignore.
As the Passover season approaches, it’s worth considering what does that elusive word “freedom” mean to each of us individually. For me it means more freedom to give.
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Book of Life
There was a man who every so often showed up at a particular synagogue and made some nice acquaintances among the general membership. Though this was not his regular synagogue, there were occasions when his livelihood brought him to the area and it was convenient for him to attend.
On one of these visits, an interested member asked him, "What are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm writing a book" he causally responded.
On his next visit several months later he was asked "How's your book coming along?"
"Oh, just fine", he smiled.
Over the next several visits during the span of a year his synagogue acquaintances always inquired about the development of his book with genuine interest. Each time he assured them that the book was developing on schedule and as planned.
One day, one day after prayers, about a year and a half after he first divulged the news about his book in progress, he was asked by a curious congregant, "Where’s your book? I’m eager to read it?"
In response, he pointed his finger to heaven and quoted the Talmud, "All of our deeds are written in a book!"
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With our deeds we’re all “writing a book”. It’s published in heaven. Before we act, it’s a good idea to consider what kind of book we want to write. Eventually, we all get to read our own book. Hopefully, it will be a joyous reading.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A Purim Reincarnation Story
Mystical Judaism believes in reincarnation, the notion that souls come back to clear up unfinished business. In this way a single individual can inhabit a series of bodies spanning the course of human history – like a person changing his or her clothing many times over.
Some years ago, on a Purim past mid-night, as hot tears streamed down my face, I appealed to the Creator that death and suffering were a useless waste and all humans should have a very sweet life. I cried until I could not take it anymore.
Realizing the late hour and that my Wife had long gone to sleep, I concluded that it was probably a good idea for me also to join the dreamers. On my way to bed, I picked up a picturesque coffee table book about Jewish history and proceeded to the restroom. While flipping through the large glossy pages, I noticed a medieval illustration which I found intensely disturbing. The scene depicted a Jew imprisoned in a dungeon. Coming down the steps were two figures. One wielded a torch, showing the way, while the other brandished a large knife, ready to murder the helpless prisoner.
After praying so hard for an end to all human suffering, I was much too sensitive to gaze at such a painful scene. I screamed in horror and rage.
While caught in misty stream of emotions, I dragged myself into bed. On a pillow, my tear filled eyes dropped moisture, while my closing lids exposed a world of dreams.
In the early dawn, I saw my toddler daughter about 15 years earlier. She was a middle aged Orthodox Jewish woman, with a slightly stocky build. She was sitting in the back seat of a car.
Dreams often arrive with non-visual information in order to provide a context for the scene. As part of this non-visual narrative, I learned that she was living in New York / New Jersey area and she was the victim of a serious car accident at some point during that life. It was unclear whether or not she survived.
The next morning, on Purim day, I shared with my Wife the highlights of my three nocturnal events: my prayer, the illustration and the dream.
Laughingly, she rhetorically asked, “Don’t you see why you had the dream?”
“No”, I shrugged.
She explained, “The dream was the answer to your prayers and to your outrage at the illustration. The Creator was communicating to you that your precious gift, your sweet daughter, needed to finish up her previous life in order to be born to you. Without people passing away, no children are born.”
With that thought, I saw in the illustration a very different message, “The Creator was already planning the prisoner’s next incarnation or place in paradise. (In some sense) the murder was just a means to free him up for his very next opportunity.”
Some years ago, on a Purim past mid-night, as hot tears streamed down my face, I appealed to the Creator that death and suffering were a useless waste and all humans should have a very sweet life. I cried until I could not take it anymore.
Realizing the late hour and that my Wife had long gone to sleep, I concluded that it was probably a good idea for me also to join the dreamers. On my way to bed, I picked up a picturesque coffee table book about Jewish history and proceeded to the restroom. While flipping through the large glossy pages, I noticed a medieval illustration which I found intensely disturbing. The scene depicted a Jew imprisoned in a dungeon. Coming down the steps were two figures. One wielded a torch, showing the way, while the other brandished a large knife, ready to murder the helpless prisoner.
After praying so hard for an end to all human suffering, I was much too sensitive to gaze at such a painful scene. I screamed in horror and rage.
While caught in misty stream of emotions, I dragged myself into bed. On a pillow, my tear filled eyes dropped moisture, while my closing lids exposed a world of dreams.
In the early dawn, I saw my toddler daughter about 15 years earlier. She was a middle aged Orthodox Jewish woman, with a slightly stocky build. She was sitting in the back seat of a car.
Dreams often arrive with non-visual information in order to provide a context for the scene. As part of this non-visual narrative, I learned that she was living in New York / New Jersey area and she was the victim of a serious car accident at some point during that life. It was unclear whether or not she survived.
The next morning, on Purim day, I shared with my Wife the highlights of my three nocturnal events: my prayer, the illustration and the dream.
Laughingly, she rhetorically asked, “Don’t you see why you had the dream?”
“No”, I shrugged.
She explained, “The dream was the answer to your prayers and to your outrage at the illustration. The Creator was communicating to you that your precious gift, your sweet daughter, needed to finish up her previous life in order to be born to you. Without people passing away, no children are born.”
With that thought, I saw in the illustration a very different message, “The Creator was already planning the prisoner’s next incarnation or place in paradise. (In some sense) the murder was just a means to free him up for his very next opportunity.”
Monday, March 1, 2010
Purim Miracle
I have an interesting personal story to share:
As with many words in Hebrew there is not an exact translation for the word "emuna" in English. However, the Hebrew word "emuna" (pronounced eh-mu-nah) roughly translates into English as "faith". Probably, the main reason why "faith" is only an approximate translation is because "emuna" connotes a knowing that is beyond intellect, but emerges from being deeply in contact with one's own soul. This inner soul contact can also act as an inner fountain flowing creative ideas.
By contrast, the English word faith can mean ideas which are superimposed on a person by an outside source.
I owned a very well written book called, "The Garden of Emuna" by Rabbi Shalom Arush. When it was gifted to me a few years back, I was busy working on other areas of my spiritual growth. However, I loved the idea of owning this very special book and set it aside for future reading.
A couple of months ago, my beloved Aunt had recently become an owner of a copy of this book. She shared with me her joys over what she read in sweetly glowing terms.
Feeling inspired to at least locate my own copy, I examined all likely "book spots" around my house. However, it seemed like it must have been misplaced. I prayed as I looked, but, the book hadn't turned up. So I simply let go.
I was scheduled this Purim night (Saturday night, February 27, 2010) to lodge at my brother's house in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York for a holiday visit. The snow in Brooklyn was unseasonably high and with so much of the curb side snowed over, finding parking was not expected to be easy. Despite my concerns, to my own surprise, a perfect parking spot emerged into view located conveniently around the corner from my brother's house.
I pointed it out to my family, but, because of the late hour it seemed only appropriate to provide my family with door to door service. So I passed up the spot. After my family was comfortably settled in, I resumed my search for parking. Turning the corner revealed that the parking spot was still waiting for me.
After pulling in, I got out of the car and laying on the snow in the nearby gutter was a copy of "The Garden of Emuna" in perfect condition. My heart danced as I lovingly picked it up and wiped off some surface moisture on the cover with my gloves and coat.
Then I searched to see whether anyone left his or her name in the book. Finding no identifying mark, it was seemed to me that the Creator had probably intended the book for me. Perhaps, I was being given a Purim gift, in the form of a message and a tool, to begin a new phase of further growth in the area of "emuna".
For those who are interested in learning more about the book, "The Garden of Emuna", you can click on the following link:
http://www.breslev.co.il/product.aspx?pagename=the_garden_of_emuna&id=2433&language=english
As with many words in Hebrew there is not an exact translation for the word "emuna" in English. However, the Hebrew word "emuna" (pronounced eh-mu-nah) roughly translates into English as "faith". Probably, the main reason why "faith" is only an approximate translation is because "emuna" connotes a knowing that is beyond intellect, but emerges from being deeply in contact with one's own soul. This inner soul contact can also act as an inner fountain flowing creative ideas.
By contrast, the English word faith can mean ideas which are superimposed on a person by an outside source.
I owned a very well written book called, "The Garden of Emuna" by Rabbi Shalom Arush. When it was gifted to me a few years back, I was busy working on other areas of my spiritual growth. However, I loved the idea of owning this very special book and set it aside for future reading.
A couple of months ago, my beloved Aunt had recently become an owner of a copy of this book. She shared with me her joys over what she read in sweetly glowing terms.
Feeling inspired to at least locate my own copy, I examined all likely "book spots" around my house. However, it seemed like it must have been misplaced. I prayed as I looked, but, the book hadn't turned up. So I simply let go.
I was scheduled this Purim night (Saturday night, February 27, 2010) to lodge at my brother's house in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York for a holiday visit. The snow in Brooklyn was unseasonably high and with so much of the curb side snowed over, finding parking was not expected to be easy. Despite my concerns, to my own surprise, a perfect parking spot emerged into view located conveniently around the corner from my brother's house.
I pointed it out to my family, but, because of the late hour it seemed only appropriate to provide my family with door to door service. So I passed up the spot. After my family was comfortably settled in, I resumed my search for parking. Turning the corner revealed that the parking spot was still waiting for me.
After pulling in, I got out of the car and laying on the snow in the nearby gutter was a copy of "The Garden of Emuna" in perfect condition. My heart danced as I lovingly picked it up and wiped off some surface moisture on the cover with my gloves and coat.
Then I searched to see whether anyone left his or her name in the book. Finding no identifying mark, it was seemed to me that the Creator had probably intended the book for me. Perhaps, I was being given a Purim gift, in the form of a message and a tool, to begin a new phase of further growth in the area of "emuna".
For those who are interested in learning more about the book, "The Garden of Emuna", you can click on the following link:
http://www.breslev.co.il/product.aspx?pagename=the_garden_of_emuna&id=2433&language=english
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Appreciate and Enjoy!
Last night I curiously tried a "new fruit", a pamelo. It was large and looked luscious. I dug in my fingers and with great effort started peeling off the skin with the rind. There was such thick skin and rind that by the time I was done, about 10 minutes later, to my surprise the actual fruit was just about the size of a standard ruby red grapefruit - far smaller than expected. It also tasted like a slightly toughened ruby red grapefruit. The experience prompted the following thought, "I could have spent two minutes peeling a ruby red grapefruit with just as satisfying results. Why is all this extra effort necessary to achieve the same basic effect?"
Truthfully, the Creator has the ability to easily provide us with everything we need and want. Why do we have to exert effort, toil and often wade through a series of difficult experiences before attaining our goals? What role does human hardship play in the Creator's plan?
It seems likely that one of the answers is simply the word, "appreciation".
Appreciation is the fruit of hardship. When we experience difficulties along the way towards attaining our goals, we have also attained a deeper appreciation for those goals. A person who inherited a fortune usually does not appreciate it nearly as deeply as a person who toiled for his/her fortune. Similarly, a person who has found relationships easily usually, does not appreciate relationships on as deeply as someone who has been challenged in that area of life.
Part of any experience in life is the conscious appreciation of the experience. It could be said that what we did not appreciate we did not truly experience. A person who mindlessly ate ice cream doesn't truly experience the ice cream. However, if s/he ate the ice cream with deep appreciation then every morsal was bliss.
What difficulties and challenges add to an experience is the "appreciation factor". Without this detail every moment of life is literally tasteless, has no flavor.
Imagine an earthly visitation by a space alien whose species is naturally agile and acrobatic. Jumpinging 30 feet in the air followed by a series of mid-air flips and landing upright takes him about as much effort as it would take for a heathly human being to take a shallow breath.
It happens to be that his space craft lands discreetly in a forest besides a large circus tent. From behind the trees, he notices people filing into the tent. Feeling curious, he discreetly follows them and discovers a hiding place to view what's about to happen.
In this circus the acrobats are first to entertain the waiting crowd. A midst heavy clapping and cheering they perform their arial antic. The confused alien has no idea what the cheering is all about because for him these feats are nothing because he easily outperform the acrobats. He's clueless about how difficult acrobatic are for humans. Therefore, he has no "appreciation" for he just saw and certainly did not enjoy it.
On the other hand, the human audience was enthralled. They paid good money to see this performance. Their satisfaction comes from having some "appreciation" for just how difficult acrobatics truly are.
Appreciation allows us to taste the sweetness in an experience. Going back to the opening story, because of the effort it took to peel the pamelo I certainly enjoyed it a lot more than I would of enjoyed a ruby red grapefruit - even though for the most part both fruits are alike. My heightened enjoyment had nothing to do with the biology of taste. It was all simply in the appreciation evoked by increased toil.
With this background in mind, one of the greatest spiritual mysteries can be brought closer to human understanding. Why is it that though the Creator loves each of us infinitely more than we can ever love ourselves, we have such difficulty feeling even a glimmer of His love?
Perhaps an answer is that if we have automatic access to feeling the bliss of His love, we would probably never taste it because we would not have built up sufficient appreciation for it. So He made us toil for this experience through a variety of devotional activities: meditation, prayer, charity, kindness, commands, study, character improvement, etc. This way we've developed the appreciation necessary to taste the love, whether on earth or in paradise.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Letting in the Light
A drop of light, dissipates much darkness
(A Hasidic Saying)
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Tonight, while coming home from work on the train, I closed my eyes in meditation, only to discover my heart engulfed in a tormenting sea of uncomfortable desires. At first I was not sure what to do? Then I realized that this is my meditation time and I should not allow myself to be lured away from it. So I started contemplating on the Creator's Oneness and how everything is truly One essence.
Soon enough, the contemplation did not remain cerebral, but my heart also joined in on the action. I was feeling an emotional impact. It was like the contemplation was going on in two places at once, each in it's own way. It was going on both in my mind and in my heart.
On the emotional side, there was a sensation that all reality radiates with the Creator's love. Whether my feelings were real or not, I was feeling truly loved by my Creator. It was a deliciously supportive feeling. I felt like no matter what, He's holding my hand. He wants me.
In this state of love, the unwanted desires just disappeared. They took off like an unsuccessful salesman who has just been shown that the customer already own a better version of his product.
There was no conscious effort to quiet these desires. Simply letting in the light did the magic all on it's own.
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