Yisod ShebHod (Hod-Yisod) is a very interesting combination.
Whereas Hod in The Seven Ways means to help others, Yisod means to connect or interact with.
How is Yisod found within Hod? How is connection or relationship found within helping?
An interesting phenomena is created when you helps someone. You can actually connect with them and can become good friends and, depending on how much you help them and what there gender is, you can even fall in love with them. Interesting right?
In colloquial terms it's called the "Florence Nightingale Effect." Though it's not a true medical syndrome, the Nightingale Effect is a psychological complex that is named after a very proficient and skilled nurse. Such nurses are susceptible to falling in love with the people that they are healing. Oddly enough, the nurse herself isn't known to have fallen in love with anyone, she's just a famous nurse.
That's the relationship within helping, the Yisod-ShebHod
Rabbi B
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Gevurah ShebNetzach Part II
I mentioned in the last post that Gevurah ShebNetzach tells us that sometimes we *shouldn't* teach people. Well, I should really mention that the Gevurah ShebNetzach personality is quite the same.
Someone who is Gevurah ShebNetzach will want to educate people. Perhaps they will want to be a rabbi or a doctor. If he's a rabbi his Gevurah will propel him to spend more time studying to make sure that he understands all of his rabbinic material. If he's a doctor, his Gevurah will nudge him to take more time to master his material or perhaps specialize in a second field. In other words, he will properly use his Gevurah to be self-preserving and improve himself. Well, if his Gevurah is healthy that is.
However, if his Gevurah (or Netzach for that matter) isn't healthy he may avoid teaching and focus on him self. He may keep studying and studying without any teaching job in sight. He may shoot arguments and excuses (i.e Gevurah attacks) as to why he shouldn't practice medicine yet; that he needs more time and it wouldn't be fair to his patients if he began practicing now. It's really just an excuse to be selfish and to misuse his special personality.
However, some arguments may be coming from the healthy Gevurah *or* the unhealthy brand, it all depends on who's saying it and when. A rabbinic student may argue that moving out of his home town into a smaller Jewish community is dangerous for his family. How could I risk living in a city with less of a religious structure for my kids? they'll argue. Good logic isn't it? The other side of a Gevurah ShebNetzach may argue that I have studied so much Torah (Netzach) and got such a clear, organized understanding of it (Gevurah) and worked on myself (insert any one of the Seven Ways here) so much that it's really time to give. But maybe he's wrong?
Which argument is right? In reality, they are both correct. It just depends on who's saying it and when.
May G-d give you the wisdom to know how to use your personality and send you the right people to guide you long your unique Way.
Rabbi Ian
Someone who is Gevurah ShebNetzach will want to educate people. Perhaps they will want to be a rabbi or a doctor. If he's a rabbi his Gevurah will propel him to spend more time studying to make sure that he understands all of his rabbinic material. If he's a doctor, his Gevurah will nudge him to take more time to master his material or perhaps specialize in a second field. In other words, he will properly use his Gevurah to be self-preserving and improve himself. Well, if his Gevurah is healthy that is.
However, if his Gevurah (or Netzach for that matter) isn't healthy he may avoid teaching and focus on him self. He may keep studying and studying without any teaching job in sight. He may shoot arguments and excuses (i.e Gevurah attacks) as to why he shouldn't practice medicine yet; that he needs more time and it wouldn't be fair to his patients if he began practicing now. It's really just an excuse to be selfish and to misuse his special personality.
However, some arguments may be coming from the healthy Gevurah *or* the unhealthy brand, it all depends on who's saying it and when. A rabbinic student may argue that moving out of his home town into a smaller Jewish community is dangerous for his family. How could I risk living in a city with less of a religious structure for my kids? they'll argue. Good logic isn't it? The other side of a Gevurah ShebNetzach may argue that I have studied so much Torah (Netzach) and got such a clear, organized understanding of it (Gevurah) and worked on myself (insert any one of the Seven Ways here) so much that it's really time to give. But maybe he's wrong?
Which argument is right? In reality, they are both correct. It just depends on who's saying it and when.
May G-d give you the wisdom to know how to use your personality and send you the right people to guide you long your unique Way.
Rabbi Ian
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Gevurah ShebnNetzach
Netzach week has started!
Gevurah ShebNetzach is a very interesting combination. While Chesed ShebNetzach is unmitigated Netzach ie the drive to educate and help everyone (Netzach-educate, Chesed-No boundaries), like when Moshe went out to see his brethren "Vayar Bsivlosam) "He went out to see their suffering" (Shemos 2:11).
Gevurah ShebnNetzach is the opposite. Its when *NOT* to teach/help. Like when Rebbe Ze'ira the Gemara (Makkos 10a) says that you shouldn't teach a student that isn't fit to be taught (i.e. he's a heretic, viscous, or just plain a shmegger).
And if you do teach him Rebbe Zeira says in the name of Rav (Chulin 133a) that it's like you threw a stone at a Markulis idol that's how they used to serve it, but the idea I think is maybe you think you are doing something so great but you are doing something so empty, ask me about this idea I have a few cool sources on it).
Gevurah ShebnNetzach gives Moshe the right to throw down the two tablets, because the Jewish people weren't fit for the Torah.
Our first challenge in life is to train ourselve to want to educate and help others. We have to do quite a bit of that, that's clear. But sometimes, it's good to hold yourself back from educating and helping people. For their sake and your own. They may abuse the Torah and you may be to tired to teach.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is to use that Gevurah to hold yourself back from doing ostensibly god things believe it or not.
May we all merit to educate and help others and know when to take a rest.
Rabbi Bailey
Gevurah ShebNetzach is a very interesting combination. While Chesed ShebNetzach is unmitigated Netzach ie the drive to educate and help everyone (Netzach-educate, Chesed-No boundaries), like when Moshe went out to see his brethren "Vayar Bsivlosam) "He went out to see their suffering" (Shemos 2:11).
Gevurah ShebnNetzach is the opposite. Its when *NOT* to teach/help. Like when Rebbe Ze'ira the Gemara (Makkos 10a) says that you shouldn't teach a student that isn't fit to be taught (i.e. he's a heretic, viscous, or just plain a shmegger).
And if you do teach him Rebbe Zeira says in the name of Rav (Chulin 133a) that it's like you threw a stone at a Markulis idol that's how they used to serve it, but the idea I think is maybe you think you are doing something so great but you are doing something so empty, ask me about this idea I have a few cool sources on it).
Gevurah ShebnNetzach gives Moshe the right to throw down the two tablets, because the Jewish people weren't fit for the Torah.
Our first challenge in life is to train ourselve to want to educate and help others. We have to do quite a bit of that, that's clear. But sometimes, it's good to hold yourself back from educating and helping people. For their sake and your own. They may abuse the Torah and you may be to tired to teach.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is to use that Gevurah to hold yourself back from doing ostensibly god things believe it or not.
May we all merit to educate and help others and know when to take a rest.
Rabbi Bailey
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Sfiras HaOmer: Malchus ShebGevurah
I have been getting quite a few questions as to the deeper meaning of the Sfiros combinations that appear under the Sfiros HaOmer (the 49-day counting from the second day of Pesach to Shavuos) in the Siddur (prayer book). I wanted to put a taste on your tongue of what one of these combination means.
Today is Malchus ShebGevurah. (This means the combination of Gevurah-Malchus, the *Malchus within Gevurah*). What is the Malchus that you find within Gevurah; the "Kindship" or "Kingliness" that you may find in "strength"?
If you recall, in the Bailey Blog's first post "Gevurah Unleashed" we mentioned that there are two sides to the idea of Gevurah that are much deeper than the simple translation "strength". We said that Gevurah can man "to attack" or "to hold one's self back from doing something" (i.e. to not attack). Most people would think that someone who attacks others would be a true mighty person, forcing others to obey his will so he can be king over them (Gevurah-Malchus). But really, very often, the opposite is true.
Often, we greatly respect someone who is in total control of himself. Someone who is in full control of what he eats and what his body does; in full control of what he spends his money on and what comes out of his mouth. It's self-discipline and poise wrapped together. Those type of people often have a great following. The martial arts master (Mr. Miyagi anyone? Splinter?) that everyone respects. They respect him not because he beat people up (Shredder, Crang, etc.) but because he controls every movement of his body and because he doesn't have to beat up everyone to be powerful. (They always tried to tie people up and not kill them.) People want to emulate him. The self-master has a certain kingship over his followers.
The greatest and most effective control is the control we exercise over ourselves. When we try to control or attack others we won't always win and almost always fail. When we try to control ourselves, we always win. It's the inward Gevurah that triumphs.
Rabbi B
Today is Malchus ShebGevurah. (This means the combination of Gevurah-Malchus, the *Malchus within Gevurah*). What is the Malchus that you find within Gevurah; the "Kindship" or "Kingliness" that you may find in "strength"?
If you recall, in the Bailey Blog's first post "Gevurah Unleashed" we mentioned that there are two sides to the idea of Gevurah that are much deeper than the simple translation "strength". We said that Gevurah can man "to attack" or "to hold one's self back from doing something" (i.e. to not attack). Most people would think that someone who attacks others would be a true mighty person, forcing others to obey his will so he can be king over them (Gevurah-Malchus). But really, very often, the opposite is true.
Often, we greatly respect someone who is in total control of himself. Someone who is in full control of what he eats and what his body does; in full control of what he spends his money on and what comes out of his mouth. It's self-discipline and poise wrapped together. Those type of people often have a great following. The martial arts master (Mr. Miyagi anyone? Splinter?) that everyone respects. They respect him not because he beat people up (Shredder, Crang, etc.) but because he controls every movement of his body and because he doesn't have to beat up everyone to be powerful. (They always tried to tie people up and not kill them.) People want to emulate him. The self-master has a certain kingship over his followers.
The greatest and most effective control is the control we exercise over ourselves. When we try to control or attack others we won't always win and almost always fail. When we try to control ourselves, we always win. It's the inward Gevurah that triumphs.
Rabbi B
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