Category Archives: Rabbinic Sages

The Soul’s Long Journey

12 Wednesday Apr 2023

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“To what does the journey of the soul compare? To a person who planted a vineyard in his garden, intending to grow sweet grapes, but it grew sour ones. He saw that his planting didn’t succeed. He notched it and broke it off and cleared out the sour vines, and he planted again a second time. ‘Until how many times?’ [his students asked.] He said to them: ‘To the thousandth generation.’ ~ Sefer Bahir 185

In our high speed internet era, where nearly every need and whim can be satisfied with a mouse click, it can be challenging to accept that personal growth does not work that way. Our souls have their own timeframe, not measured in minutes, hours, days and years.  

Our souls are on learning journeys, and the greatest learnings are the ones that come to us only after many failed attempts at success. In fact, the case can be made that we deeply learn only by repeated failures.

when i learned to ride a bicycle, i did so primarily by being out of balance most of the time, falling down a hundred different ways, until I found the sweet spot where the force of gravity and the force of my legs balanced, where I rode that dynamic knife edge between left and right, moving forward on a path of balance. Once learned, it is not easily forgotten. You never forget how to ride a bike.  

Our souls are on the greatest trip of all, riding the sweet spot between wonder and knowledge, fear and exhilaration, love and solitude, heaven and earth. I don’t know if my soul is immortal or not. I do know that it belongs to eternity, and will travel that path of learning, passing it down through a thousand generations. 

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and student of The All. Send him your favorite teaching quote for commentary. He can be reached at joe.laur@joe.laur.com.

Full Work for Full Wages

08 Friday Apr 2016

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“In the same manner that an employer is forbidden to deny the poor employee his salary, or hold back what is owed him in any way, the employee is also forbidden to deny the employer the true effort of his work by wasting his time, either in pieces or the day as a whole.”

-Maimonides

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Not only should employers, who usually have the upper hand in the employee/employer power dynamic, pay their workers promptly (“Do not hold a worker’s wages overnight”), but workers are equally obligated to give a fair day’s work for a fair wage.

In today’s digitally connected workplace, this includes staying off Facebook, Twitter, sending personal emails and playing Hearts or Solitaire during paid hours. We won’t even get into porn sites, which carry an entirely different and related set of issues.

I’ve been self employed most of my career, and I need to especially guard against the temptation to fritter time during the day. Fortunately, I’m very good at getting a lot done in a short period of time, so I usually earn my wage. And I can be just as prone to working longer than I should as well. The key is fair work for fair pay.

How can you give full work for full pay today?

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Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (acronymed Rambam for “Rabbeinu Moshe Ben Maimon”, and Latinized Moses Maimonides), was a preeminent medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher and astronomer,and became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages. He worked as a rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Morocco and Egypt.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. Send him your favorite teaching quote for commentary. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

Schooled By Light

05 Tuesday Apr 2016

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“If a rock, though extremely hard, can be hollowed out by water, how much more so should it be possible for The Light, which is compared to water, to change my heart. I will begin to study it, and try to become a scholar of The Light.”

-Rabbi Akiva

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This beautiful act of faith and surrender by Rabbi Akiva has many lessons to teach us. We know that biologically, light can be invigorating, motivating, relaxing or calming. Light can be used for medical treatment, to  promote productivity at work and schools and to enable passengers on long-distance flights to relax. A wide spectrum of knowledge concerning the biological effects of light has been verified in scientific studies.

And light is such a common and powerful metaphor in the spiritual realm as well! “I saw the Light” croons the country singer. “Go toward the Light” is a common deathbed whisper. And most of us are seeking some form  of “en-light-en-ment”.

A friend of mine used to ask, “Why can angels fly? Because they take themselves lightly!” So perhaps if we let light into our souls, to illuminate us, to enlighten our spirits, we can transform the cold heavy rock of certainly, of despair, of hardened hearts. As the sun striking my solar panels outside my window creates electricity, so may the light striking our hearts yield unfathomable power and peace.

What hard bits of yourself can you bring into the light today?

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Akiva ben Joseph (40 – c. 137 CE), widely known as Rabbi Akiva, was a tanna of the latter part of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century (3rd tannaitic generation). Rabbi Akiva was a leading contributor to the Mishnah and Midrash Halakha. He is referred to in the Talmud as Rosh la-Chachamim (Head of all the Sages).

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. Send him your favorite teaching quote for commentary. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

Lying To Make Peace

31 Thursday Mar 2016

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“All lies are forbidden unless they are spoken for the sake of making peace. “

-Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi, Baraita Perek Ha-Shalom

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Lying is bad. We’ve been taught that from an early age. “Whatever you do, don’t like to me!” is a refrain of parents and lovers alike. It’s right there in the 10 Commandments, after all- Do Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor!

It seems there is one exception. We may like when it is for the sake of making peace between one person and another. Now, don’t take this as an excuse to lie to your spouse the next time you come home intoxicated at 4 in the morning. It’s not intended to get you off the hook for your own shortcomings.

The point being made here is that peace between people is so important that a departure from the strict truth is permitted if it will preserve or bring peace about. It’s about saving lives and restoring love.

Two friends, years back, had a bitter quarrel, and refused to speak to each other for months. A third friend went to each of them separately, and told each of them that the other was really sorry and wanted to make peace, but was too shy or ashamed to do so or even acknowledge their intentions, thinking the other would never forgive them.  Of course, this softened the hearts of each of them, and each thinking that the other was the true initiator, repaired their relationship.  A politician who tells a lie that prevents a war is a hero. Preserving life trumps a foolish insistence on perfect honesty. But it is a narrow gate to pass through, and not to be done lightly.

Is there a place in your life today where you struggle between perfect peace and perfect honesty?

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Judah the Prince (Hebrew Yehudah HaNasi) or Judah I, was a 2nd-century CE rabbi and chief redactor and editor of the Mishnah. He was a key leader of the Jewish community during the Roman occupation of Judea. According to the Talmud he was of the royal line of King David, hence the title nasi, meaning prince. Judah died on 15 Kislev around 217 CE.

Baraita (Aramaic for “external” or “outside”) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. Perek Ha-Shalom means “Chapter of Peace.”

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. Send him your favorite teaching quote for commentary. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

Getting Started is Tough!

27 Sunday Mar 2016

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“All Beginnings are Difficult”

-Ishmael ben Elisha

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The Chinese philosopher Laozi famously wrote that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But sometimes that first step- oy!

Take getting out of bed in the morning, for example. It can be the toughest step we take all day. We want to go back to sleep, remain cocooned in our bedding, stay horizontal. To confront gravity head on and stand upright is an audacious challenge! But we must do it to start the day.

The steepest learning curve is usually at the beginning, especially in new endeavors. I’m in the midst of starting a beverage business, something I’ve never done before. Sure, I have a great recipe. But bottling, pasteurizing, distribution, suppliers, price changes, selling, branding, marketing- the list goes on. Once I’ve produced the first batch, and have the systems in place to do the next one-it will be easier. I trust there’s a plateau, at least for a bit, on top of the steep turning curve.  Births are messy, often painful, usually a struggle. But without birth, no life. Getting out of the gate may be tough. But who can live their life always behind the gate?

What do you want to begin today?

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Rabbi Ishmael “Ba’al HaBaraita” or Ishmael ben Elisha (90-135 CE) was a Tanna of the 1st and 2nd centuries (third tannaitic generation). A Tanna (plural, Tannaim) is a rabbinic sage whose views are recorded in the Mishnah.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. Send him your favorite teaching quote for commentary. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

Actions Trump Words

20 Sunday Mar 2016

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“It is not what one says, but rather what one does, that makes all the difference in the world. “

-Shimon ben Gamliel

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Like a lot of people, I post my thoughts and ideas on Facebook and other social media. It feels good to express myself, and many people tell me that it touches their lives, informs their thought, or brightens their day. And that’s good. But words, while a form of action, only carry us so far. Translating words into deeds truly amplifies them in the world.

This is the difference between a sentiment espoused and one practiced. Donating to a candidate or cause and knocking on doors to support them do worlds more than just expressing agreement on my timeline. Handing a gift card for the local grocery store to a homeless person holding a cardboard sign moves the world a little bit. The early apostle James famously wrote that “faith without works is dead.” I need to not just believe in something, but to do something. Action is values made tangible.

What action can you take today to manifest your values in the world?

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Simeon ben Gamliel (I) (c. 10 BCE – 70 CE) was a Tanna sage and leader of the Jewish people. He succeeded his father Gamliel I as the nasi of the Sanhedrin after his father’s death in 50 CE and just before the destruction of the Second Temple. According to Josephus Flavius he was killed by the Zealots during the civil war that accompanied the Jewish Revolt of 66-70 AD.

 

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

The Breath of Children Sustains The World

17 Thursday Mar 2016

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“The world exists only because of the breath of children. ”

-Resh Lakish (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 119b)

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The rabbis and scholars of the Talmud held children in extremely high regard, referring to them as “anointed ones” using the root word “mashiach”; from which we get the English word Messiah. They held that without a child’s untainted breath, learning and reciting sacred texts, the world could not exist.

In biology of course, this is totally true- without the breath of the next generation, life would die out. Species without children go extinct. And our modern term “sustainability” is meaningless without a next generation to inherit and inhabit the world.

Children literally are the future. That’s why most species and natural systems protect the young- to ensure that future. So not just on the spiritual plane, but the physical realm as well, the breath of children sustains it all.

Who are the children in your life today, and how can you support them in their future?

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Simeon ben Lakish, better known by his nickname Resh Lakish, was a scholar who lived in the Roman province of Syria Palaestina in the third century CE. He was reputedly born in Bosra, east of the Jordan River, in around 200 CE, but lived most of his life in Sepphoris. Nothing is known of his ancestry except his father’s name. He is something of an anomaly among the giants of Torah study as he was supposed to have been, in his early youth, a bandit and gladiator. He was regarded as one of the most prominent scholars of the his generation.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

Happiness as Wealth

06 Sunday Mar 2016

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“Who is wealthy? He who is happy with his lot in life.”

-Simeon Ben Zoma

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The Hebrew word “dayenu” means “enough for us”. It is a reminder that we have enough, do enough, make enough, are enough, in this and every moment. It’s enough, already!

Simon ben Zoma says that if we are happy with what we have, who we are, then we are truly wealthy. We all know people for whom nothing is ever enough. There’s always another dollar to earn, task to complete, need to fill, want to satisfy. But as the old saying goes, you can’t get enough of what you don’t really need! And though wants are many, needs are few. Most of us have most of our needs met most of the time, and quite a few of our wants as well.

Studies show that people get happier as basic needs are met, but when we reach a state of affluence, more than enough, happiness begins to taper off. We may even come down with  a case of “affluenza”, an ailment caused by too much stuff, and not enough soul.  How big a backpack do I need to move through life, anyway? It’s less than we guess.

In what ways are you most wealthy, and what matters most to you today?

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Simeon ben Zoma, also known as Simon ben Zoma, Shimon ben Zoma or simply Ben Zoma was a Tanna of the first third of the 2nd century CE. His name is used without the title “Rabbi” because he died at a young age, remaining in the grade of “pupil” and never receiving rabbinical ordination.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

Returning to Our Best Selves

01 Tuesday Mar 2016

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“Repent one day before your death.”

–Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurcanus

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The students of Rabbi Eliezer were said to have asked him, “If we are to repent the day before we die, how do we know that day?” He is said to have replied, “You don’t. Therefore every day should be a day of repentance!”

Now in Hebrew, the word for repentance is tshuvah, which literally means return. Tshuvah is a process of returning- to who we are, our highest aspirations, our deepest values, our truest selves. We all wander frequently from the path we want to walk, and if we make return to that path a daily practice, we will not stray too far from it. When it does come time to settle our final accounts, we won’t have a lot of work to do, but a short walk home.  I’d call that wisdom, wouldn’t you?

How can you return to your truest self today?

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Eliezer ben Hurcanus or Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, was one of the most prominent tannaim of the 1st and 2nd centuries, known as a severe teacher and his strict devotion to tradition. He is the sixth most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.

When It’s OK to Be Selfish

29 Monday Feb 2016

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If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?

-Hillel the Elder

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Every time I’m on a plane, and I hear the crew instructions; “Please secure your own mask before assisting others”, I think of Hillel’s words.  Hillel reminds us that loving our neighbor as ourselves requires that we first love ourselves. Like many of us, I was taught not to be self-ish, even to be self-sacrificing. But think about that for a moment- if I’m self- sacrificing taken to the extreme, doesn’t that mean I sacrifice  my Self? If I am totally self-less, aren’t I left with no self? And if I’m self-ish,  Hillel seems to suggest it as a prerequisite for helping others, having a healthy self.

But he doesn’t leave it there. If we are selfish to the point of excluding others from our sphere of care, we become something other than fully human- “what am I”? So we need, once again, to find that Goldilocks zone- where we care for ourselves, but not at the expense or exclusion of others, and we care for others, but not at the total expense or exclusion of ourselves.

And when do we do this? Now. For Now is all we have. Notice how it’s always NOW, and  never THEN? Anything we don’t do in the Now simply does not get done. Fortunately, we have a large supply of Now, and there’s plenty to go around. Care of self, care of others. Right Now. And Now. And Now. Repeat as necessary.

How can you care for yourself and others right now?

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Hillel (variously called Hillel HaGadol, or Hillel HaZaken, Hillel HaBavli or HaBavli; born according to tradition in Babylon c. 110 BCE, died 10 CE in Jerusalem) was one of the most important sages in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud. Renowned as a spiritual leader and scholar, he was the founder of the House of Hillel school for Tannaïm (Sages of the Mishnah) and the founder of a dynasty of Sages who stood at the head of the Jews living in the Land of Israel until roughly the fifth century of the Common Era.

 

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.