Judaic Spiritual Psychotherapy is in the contemporary mode of utilizing the profound insights present in spiritual literature for psychotherapeutic use. Jewish spiritual writings are a rich source that encompasses three thousand years of scholarship and experience dealing with emotional problems. These insights can benefit all clients, not only those nurtured in the Jewish tradition. A whole range of topics include an introduction and history of this modern trend. The basic principles of this approach are clearly defined, and case histories are presented to further refine and clarify the method. In addition, meditation —- including some of its methods and basic, guiding principles —- is analyzed from a Jewish point of view. The topic of forgiveness and its relevance to psychotherapy is presented through the analysis of Simon Wiesenthal's The Sunflower, in which he discusses the morality of forgiving a dying SS soldier for his part in murdering Jews during World War II. Several prominent moral and religious authorities express their views, helping to clarify the role of forgiveness in the fabric of interpersonal relationships. The book concludes with a discussion of the place of values in the process of psychotherapy.
Secular and religious Jews alike will find wisdom and inspiration in this new book in which Rabbi David Aaron reveals the joy that living a Jewish life can bring. With his characteristic humor, enthusiasm, and insight, Rabbi Aaron looks at key, and often misunderstood, aspects of Jewish practice—our relationship with God, Torah study, prayer, living the commandments, celebrating the Sabbath, and keeping kosher—and shows us how they enable us to access and express the godliness within us. Celebrating Shabbat, for example, reminds us that we are created in the image of God, empowered with free choice and intention; studying the Torah releases our chen, or inner beauty and grace; and observing kosher laws helps keep us in touch with our human sensitivity. Rabbi Aaron clarifies why many Jews today feel disconnected from their heritage. He invites readers who have lost touch with their Jewish roots to "unpack their spiritual baggage" and discover the true spirit of Judaism. Rabbi Aaron is one of the most dynamic and accessible teachers of Kabbalah and Jewish wisdom today, and this book is a warm invitation to anyone struggling to find fresh meaning in Jewish practice.
How much does our perception of God really matter? Many of us aren't conscious of our image of a "higher power." For some of us, that unspoken image is a Judgmental Parent or an exacting Old Man in the Sky. For others, God is an Imaginary Friend who is there to fix problems after we create them. David Aaron can help you discover a mature, new understanding of God and lead you to discover the wellspring of Divinity within you. By drawing on teachings of Kabbalah that were secret for millennia, he helps you to reclaim the power you've given away to negative images of God or passive images of yourself. These mystical secrets of Judaism can offer reassuring guidance, meaning, and purpose to the lives of people of all faiths. In the journey to discovering God's secret life you will: • Awaken to your life's deepest purpose • Delight in a deeper connection to your true inner self, God, and others • Learn to experience God's infinite love for you • Rise to new heights, cope with challenges, and make courageous choices • Achieve true peace of mind and freedom from anxiety Aaron shares these profound ancient teachings in simple, everyday language with a touch of wit and humor. Rich in personal stories and anecdotes, his examples from daily life help us tap the transformational power hidden within and illuminate the surprising paradoxes of spiritual growth. Awakened to finally experience a personal connection to God, we are at last able to receive God's love unconditionally and discover our ultimate identity, divine purpose, and true happiness.
You are an individual expression of God; that’s the teaching of the ancient Jewish mystical tradition. Here Rabbi David Aaron shows that when we truly connect to our inner self, that fact becomes wonderfully obvious. Each of us has a divine mission in life, he says, and when we understand this, we are empowered to take control of our life; to use our creative powers more fully; and to give more to others, our community, and the world. In The God-Powered Life, Rabbi Aaron uses Jewish mystical teachings, including the ten Sephirot, or attributes of God, to help us get in touch with our inner selves and find a deeper sense of our own self-worth. In his characteristic warm, witty, and accessible style, Rabbi Aaron helps us find a connection to the divine within ourselves and then shows us how to manifest that divine presence in our dealings with others and during tumultuous times. To learn more about the author, visit his website at www.rabbidavidaaron.com.
In 1963 the paperback revolution was making good literature widely available for the first time, yet only a handful of stores took the trend seriously enough to devote themselves to the cause. Rambam, a closet-sized shop on a corner of Berkeley's Telegraph Avenue was one. The owners had a falling out, as partners often do, but the results were glorious instead of tragic, with ripples that birthed much of the culture we take for granted now. Underground comics, New Age publishing, used record stores, and poster art all came from Rambam's big bang, as each new business with visionary (but ornery) partners formed and then split again. The Loneliness of the Electric Menorah is the social history of one of America's most legendary streets, and a family tree of the movements it fostered: the paperback revolution, the graphic novel, Slow Food, New Age, the Free Speech Movement—and even the Symbionese Liberation Army.
How to behave in the diaspora has been a central problem for Jews over the ages. They have debated whether to assimilate by adopting local customs or whether to remain a God-centered people loyal to their temporal rulers but maintaining the peculiar customs that separated them from their host nations. The question not only of survival, but of the basis for survival, is also a central problem in the Joseph stories of the Book of Genesis. The work shows its readers the grand alternatives of Judaism, instilled in two larger-than-life figures, so its readers can reassess for themselves the road Judaism did not take, and understand why Joseph though admirable in many respects, is left out of the rest of the Bible. The question is answered through the stories about how Joseph, the son of Jacob, saved his people/family from famine by becoming a high-ranking administrator to Pharaoh. By analyzing his behavior to the people over whom he exercises power, Joseph lords it over his brothers, grieves his father, takes lands from Egyptian farmers, and engages in forced deportation. Wildavsky explains why Joseph-the-assimilator is replaced in the Book of Exodus by Moses-the-lawgiver. The book ends by demonstrating that Joseph and Moses are, and are undoubtedly meant to be exact opposites. As in his earlier book on The Nursing Father: Moses as a Political Leader, Wildavsky combines analysis of political and administrative leadership with both traditional and modern study of texts: thematic linkages via plot, grammar, dreams, poetry, and religious doctrine. Thus the chapter on "Joseph the Administrator" is preceded by a chapter on Joseph as The Dream Lord" and followed by an analysis and explanation of why Jacob's obscure blessings to his sons are more like curses. Always the emphasis is on the reciprocal influence of religion and politics, on rival answers to questions about how Hebrews should relate to each other and to outsiders. New, in paperback, the book will be of interest to biblical scholars and readers as well as those concerned with the interaction of religion and political life.
In this remarkable book, prolific writer and lecturer Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky delves into the ocean of Torah and brings up bits of fabulous treasure.The essays the essays span the Jewish year, from Rosh HaShanah to Tishah B'Av, in which the themes of the Jewish calendar spring to life. They tell of the remarkable lives and deeds of great men, such as Rav Aaron's own father, Reb Bentzion Lopiansky, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, Rav Nochum Partzovitz, and Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. They present timeless issues such as the chareidim and the draft, modern-day Jewish marriage, negotiating with kidnappers, and comparing the completing of the Talmud with competing in the Olympics. It is a rare work that profoundly delights even as it teaches and inspires. Time Pieces is such a book.“In our mundane world, feeling and intellect are forever at odds. But when it comes to the Divine, these seemingly mutually exclusive realms converge, since Hashem is one… No professor of Jewish thought ever had tears coursing down his cheeks, overwhelmed by the depth of Shir HaShirim… One who has experienced that spark of knowledge and awareness arising from those divrei Torah [derived from in-depth exploration of the Torah] knows that no Minchah can ever be the same again.”—From the Introduction to Time PiecesAn esteemed friend, who reads critically, once put the question into much sharper focus. Upon evaluating an essay of mine, he commented, “It's nice, but will anyone daven a better minchah because of it?” An important question, and one that must be answered fully. Life is too short for things that are merely “nice”; if they don't move a person closer to his Creator in any significant way, then one should not waste one's time on them.
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