Are Torah Ethics True Morality?

Ethics.

What are ethics?

What does the word mean?

Ethics – moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity.

OK. Many people can have ethics – but are all ethics equally moral? All are ethics equally valid? Are all ethics moral?

What is True Morality?

The question that we address to day – is what is true morality?

Morality based upon Societal Mores

Is morality based upon the ideals of the society?

No. Look at Nazi Germany – their ethics were to destroy any thing that was a threat to the Nazi race or that gives the world a conscience. Were they moral? Absolutely not. Barbarians in nice clothing.

Hitler’s goal was to make a civilization of barbarians.

Morality Based Upon the Heart

Can morality be based solely upon the heart? No. Some people feel badly for criminals, they condone their violence and those same criminals are motivated to commit more crimes.

Is that moral. No. Criminals should be punished. Innocent people should live in peace.

Morality Based Upon intelligence

Can morality be found through think tanks. Apparently not – unless all the members of the think tank have the morality of the Torah. Otherwise they will have some kind of bias – that will lead them to base their morality upon their values in life.

When Scientists Err

Take Stephan Hawking – with all the intelligence – he couldn’t figure out a simple principle – that G-d exists.

Ask a person if they are walking on a beach and they found a pencil – where did this pencil come from? If they say someone probably dropped it – you’d consider them to be reasonable or rational in that thought. If they said – it was probably the sand that blew together and formed a pencil – you would think they are irrational or mentally deficient.

If it is impossible for a perfect pencil to be made with random pieces of sand – it is even “more impossible” for a child, a cell, or billions of similar looking creatures to be created by random sand blowing together. Sorry. Mr. Hawkings – you failed on this one in terms of rationality and morality.

The Rationality of the Existence of G-d

It makes more rational sense for G-d to exist than – to be a world without G-d. It is illogical to think a world will exist without G-d.

People don’t want to believe because they would rather feel that they are free to do what they want. If you put G-d in the picture – you feel you have to behave – because G-d is watching.

The Good of Believing in G-d

Believing in G-d is good in itself.  A study was done – where a wallet of money was left out in the open. They surveyed the person who found and returned the wallet. They asked – why did you return the wallet? Most who returned the wallet answered – because I knew G-d was watching.

The Jews Remind people of the Existence of G-d

As presented above – knowing that G-d exists is a good thing for society. [Obviously if they have true values of G-d as well – ie, they follow the 7 Noahide laws from the Torah – which include: Do not steal, do not murder, Do not commit adultery or improper relations – like incest, bestiality, homosexuality. and adultery. Not to do idol worship, not to blaspheme and not to eat a limb from a living animal.

A document that condones wonton violence – against people is not the will of G-d. Those 7 laws are the will of G-d. So condoning violence – thinking it is really G-d’s will is neither G-d’s will nor is it moral – thus it is immoral.

When the Jews observe the Shabbat – according to Jewish law – it reminds the world that G-d created the world in 6 days and rested on the seventh. People strengthen their belief in G-d – because we observe Torah.

True Morality

So what is the true guide of morality in the world?

Basically True Ethics are Torah Ethics.

Why?

Because the Torah is the only document given by G-d to mankind before millions of witnesses.

Any man made document is just that – man made. Man needs to improve on what he created. G-d does not. He created things in their state of perfection. G-d is perfect. Man is not perfect.

G-d’s Ethics are Perfect – Man is not Perfect

This is evident by a boy being born with a foreskin. G-d made it such so that the boy will learn the lesson – that though G-d made him almost perfect – a person is to work on themselves to reach towards perfection.

There are over 80,000 religions in the world. Why should a person believe in Jewish ethics? Here are 2 simple reasons.

  1. The Torah is the only divine law. It is the only law that was given by G-d before millions of witnesses. G-d does not change His mind about the law – that is irrational to think of a perfect Being – knowing the past present and future to change His mind about the law.
  2. Many religions that say they do represent the word of G-d – have committed or are still committing atrocities. Religions – that killed millions of people in the name of G-d. Is that what G-d wants – I think not.

Many other reasons exist – but those are two for now.

So what is the honest person to do?

Torah is for Jews and Gentiles to Follow. Jews follow 10 commandments & the Jewish Law – Shulchan Aruch. Gentiles follow the 7 Noahide laws based upon the Torah.

That’s true morality. Everything else is off the mark.

Take three recent examples:

  • a court in England – rules that a child in a hospital should be terminated because it is too expensive. Doesn’t seem moral to me. The Torah says it is forbidden to kill.
  • People complaining that it is not right to have metal detectors to prevent violence. Seems very moral to me to protect your own life. The Torah says protect your own life.
  • The US supreme court rules for the permissibility of same gender marriage. It doesn’t seem moral that good people should not have offspring. The world is to be populated. The Torah says same gender relations are forbidden and the world is to be populated.

Torah vs. Societies Values

Compare the values of society to the values of Torah – and through asking a competent Orthodox Rabbi to explain you’ll usually understand the viewpoint of Torah. You just need to be open-minded enough to ask.

Though the Torah was given to the Jews – not all Jews are versed in Torah. Usually the comportment of Jews match the ideals of the Torah. When there is an aberration – consult a Torah authority to find what the Torah really says.

The Torah is the law of G-d. What better path is there than to live a life pleasing to G-d and man.

 

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai – Why We Celebrate

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai was a Tanna. A Tanna was a Rabbi Mentioned in a Mishna – which explains the laws of the Torah. The Mishna & the Gemara – the explanation of the Mishna – Together is called the Talmud.

When G-d gave the Torah to the Jews – he gave the written Torah (the 5 Books of Moses) and Oral Torah. The Oral Torah explains the Written Torah.

When it was being forgotten, Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi decided to commit the Oral Torah to writing – this is called the Talmud.

Any Tanna – Mishna Rabbi or Amora – Rabbi from Gemara – was so great that they were able to bring the Dead back to life. Rabbi Shimon was a Tanna – Student of the Great Rabbi Akiva.

Lag Ba’Omer – the 33rd Day of the Counting of the Omer – is the Hillula / Yartzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai – when He died.

He ordered that people celebrate the day of his death. Usually, death is synonymous with crying and sadness. So why do we celebrate lag Ba’Omer?

Rabbi Shimon ran away from the Romans. He hid in a cave in Meron for 12 years with his son – R. Elazar. During these 12 years – they ate carobs for food and drank water. They were involved in Torah study day and night.

He reached such a high level of holiness – that he was able to reveal great secrets from the Torah. He reached His potential in life. We rejoice his reaching of potential.

There is a question – why do people cry when someone dies?

Apparently – one cries because he will miss the other person. But it is also possible that the remaining relative realizes that the person didn’t reach their potential in life and that’s what causes him or her sadness.

Rabbi Shimon – did not waste his potential. He reached his potential and purpose in life.

The Key to Living – Be Thyself

5211d9b944b43a871b804169d610a13fParashat:* חיי שרה / H’ayey Sarah / the Life of Sarah*

*And Sarah Lived 100 years and 20 years and Seven Years. These are the years of the life of Sarah.”*

*Q: Why does Torah say “These are the years of the life of Sarah”, it seems redundant?*

*A: Some people follow fad, fashion, popularity, keeping up with Jones, what will the neighbor think. Sarah Lived her own life. She was true to herself. Thus she really lived. When one follows their essence – their soul – they truly live.*
Based on Arizal

*Shabbat Shalom* ????

People ask me about Israel. I say in Israel I feel like I’m living. Outside I feel like I’m existing.

That’s the question for all of us.

Am I living or am I existing.

G-d says : I give you life, Choose life.

Torah is not a religion. It is life itself.

Torah is not about doing rituals. it is about being best you can be. it’s about getting closer to the source of life, Hashem. the closer one is to Hashem , the closer one is to life.

The media turns people into puppets.

Making you believe what they want you to believe, what’s their agenda . they condition a person to be small.

Ask yourself about each action – Is it bettering myself or world? Am I helping others?

שני חיי שרה
These are the years of Sarah
Why? Zohar says these were her real years. These were her own years. She lived a real life.

Because she did not attach herself to the Yetzer Harah / the evil inclination, she attached herself to life. Thus it says ועל דא דילה הוו חיין , היא נדבקה בחיים ולכן שלה היו החיים

Some people live lives of others . One person wanted to be a doctor but he is only a paramedic. One person wanted to be a rabbi, but he is a businessman. His parents needed him to tend the store, so instead of following his dreams and aspirations, he gave in to parental pressure.

One person wanted to marry a girl, but didn’t because of his parents. One man wanted to be a successful business man but laziness stopped him.

One person wanted to become a great Torah scholar but didn’t because he gave in to his lack of self confidence.

One person wanted to be a fruit vendor but because of society pressure he became a lawyer. One person wanted to become a Tzadik / Righteous Person, but he didn’t because of his concern of what his friends would think.

One person wanted to become a great scientist, but didn’t because he was to addicted to technology. One person wanted to become a Shomer Shabbat / Sabbath Observant Jew, but did not because he was too addicted to women.

One person wanted to make his family all go to A Torah school, but he didn’t because his wife discouraged him. One women wanted to be completely Tzanuah / Modest in Dress & Comportment, but she couldn’t bring herself to go against the peer pressure.

One woman wanted to marry a Torah scholar, but didn’t because of her friends. One woman wanted to marry a good man, but didn’t because she gave into a friend’s advice who had a grudge against her friend’s prospective husband. One woman divorced her husband who was a Cohen, because she listened to her friends who were jealous of her. Since he was a Cohen, she could never remarry him.

The Torah gives us a way to break out of this costume of a life we are living and start living our dreams. Making ourselves into who we can be.

Torah is called Haim / life.

There is a Story of rabbi Ovadia Yosef. He wanted to Learn Torah. His parents wanted him to tend to the store. His Rabbi came to the store, took the storekeepers apron and said to his father – I’ll tend to the store, let your son go & learn Torah. The father wouldn’t here that the Rabbi would work in the store. He let his son go to learn and he become one of the greatest Torah scholars in the generation.

Rabbi Eliezer son of Hurkanus, was son of rich man. He wanted to study Torah. His father wanted him to tend to the field. One day he found his son crying. What’s the matter said his father. “I want to study Torah.” “You are passed the age of becoming a student.” Rabbi Eliezer ran away. He became a great Torah scholar. His father came to Jerusalem to disown him from his inheritance. His father didn’t recognize his son when he was saying beautiful Divrei / Words of Torah. His father was so impressed. He inquired about the young man. They told him it was his own son. He said I came here to disinherit my son. Now I want to give him my entire fortune. R. Eliezer disagreed. He was satisfied just learning Torah.

They both left against the will of others to become great scholars.

The first line of Mesilat Yesharim / Path of the Just explains achieving one’s goal in life. He says we have to get clear our purpose in life. The question we must ask is : Am i living the life i want to live to achieve my purpose or am I living the life imposed upon me?

The Torah is here to free us. Like it says in Pirkei Avot / the Ethics of the Fathers.

There is a Story of rabbi A. Henoch Leibowitz, former Rosh HaYeshiva of the Chofetz Haim Yeshiva, who wanted to become a doctor. His father asked why. He said I want to help people to be healed. His father said , learning Torah will prevent them from being sick.

The secret is to choose to follow truth , Truth of torah, and be prepared to lose. Lose your friends. Lose your appeal. Lose your popularity. Lose your projected income.

A rabbi said who is the greatest of the forest the Nesher. The king of all birds. It can fly the highest.

But other birds are more talented. They can catch fish. They can swim in the water. They can do many things. The reason why the Nesher is the king is because it is excels in one area. That’s why the Nesher , it is the king. That’s why it can fly the highest.

Free yourself.

Don’t criticize condemn or complain . That’s existing.

A Person who sends a child to a Torah school teaches them to live.

Trump Presidential Victory Predicted in Torah Codes

rabbi-glazersonRabbi Matityahu Glazerson is a Torah / Bible Code Researcher. About 5 Months before the US Presidential Election he published a video showing the codes that Donald Trump will be elected as President of the United States of America – 8th of Cheshvan 5777 – corresponding to the Date of the US Elections in bible code. Four months later he demonstrated the codes again.

How Torah / Bible Codes Work

The Torah Codes are taken from the 5 Books of Moses Text. Using a computer, the text is searched for equidistant letters of words. Like the sentence – “You are a very great person.” Starting from the letter “Y” in “very” and counting every 2 letters – in the sentence “you are a verY gReAt PeRsOn”, we get –  “YR A PRO”.

Code Words Found

Rabbi Glazerson / מתתיהו גלזרסון found the words in Hebrew – “Donald will be elected”, “Seven” & “Heshvan” / the Jewish Month in Which the Election took place.  5″777″ the current Jewish Year. The 7th of Heshvan 5777 is when the elections took place. “President”, “USA” and “Trump” were also found in close proximity.

The discrepancy between the dates is easily explained – one code says it was on the 7th of Heshvan & the other says it was the 8th) The US election took place on the 8th of November. A Gregorian Calendar Day starts at 12:00 AM – Midnight. A Jewish Calendar Day Starts at Nightfall. So the 8th of November spans two Jewish dates – the 7th of Heshvan (day) & the 8th of Heshvan (after Nightfall).

Rabbi Glazerson published other videos and documents on current events including Hurricaine Mathew, The Iran Deal, Nibiru Star Warning – the Star that is Approaching the Earth – that Some say was the same star that was close to the Earth Time of the Flood of Noah, 9/11 & the Twin Towers and many other current events.

He also wrote books on the subjects of The Hebrew Alphabet, Building Blocks of the Soul: Studies on the Letters and Words of the Hebrew Language, The Mayan Culture and Judaism, Bible Codes and Kabbalah, Light Out of Darkness: Surviving the End of Days, The Mystical Glory of of Shabbath and Festivals, Time for Redemption, Letters of Fire, The Secrets of the Haggadah, The Twin Towers in Torah Codes, Revelations about Marriage, Repentance in Words and Letters, The Torah Codes and Israel Today, Torah Light and Healing, Through the Lens of Gematria, What’s In a Name, Hebrew Source of Languages, Riches and Righteousness, From Hinduism Back to Judaism, Torah Codes, The Holocaust in Torah Codes, Above the Zodiac, Music and Kabbalah.

Veracity of Torah Seen From Predictions and Prophesies Fulfilled

The Torah was given to the Jews over 3,300 years ago. As the Divine Document, the Torah – given by G-d who is Omniscient – it contains information on all History.

The Torah Codes Contain information on Rabbis that have lived in the past Millennium. A Study in The Statistical Science journal – describes the research done and statistical validity of codes.