Cool stuff thousands of years old on the power and influence of human thought.(Human Mind.)

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Knowledge is Power -- G-dly Knowledge is SUPER Power.

As the field of science discovers more and more, we are infatuated by the tremendous dazzle of physics, string theory, quantum mechanics, quantum electro dynamics, etc.

Remember. For the most part all these discoveries and newly found theories are for the most part not older than 100 years old.

I will share with you words from the medieval Jewish scholar and codifier of Jewish law, that is entirely based on the holy words of our G-dly Torah. You will be amazed at the words put in writing by the “Great Eagle” Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon – Maimonides, the Rambam, circa 1166 AD.

Only (an opposite) DEED can cancel the direction of ones THOUGHTS……

“All vessels can become susceptible to impurity through thought, (the moment a person DECIDES to use them for personal use) but do not lose that susceptibility unless a deed is performed to change their function. (only a deed to destroy the vessel from human use can cancel, the resolution to use this vessel for human use.) A deed negates the influence of a previous deed or thought, but thought does not negate the influence of a previous thought or deed.

What is implied? A ring used for an animal or a vessel that one thought to use as a ring for a person. That thought itself, causes a change in the ring's status and makes it subject to ritual impurity, as if originally it was made with the intent of being used for a human.

If, afterwards, one reconsidered and thought to leave it as a ring for an animal as it was, it remains susceptible to impurity, even though a person never used it as an ornament.

 For, one thought does not negate the effect of another thought, unless one performs a deed in the actual physical substance of the entity, for example, to polish it or to adjust it as is done for an animal.

If there was a ring used for humans and one thought to use it for an animal, it is still susceptible to impurity as it was originally, for a vessels susceptibility to impurity cannot be nullified by thought. If one performed a deed, changing it into an animal's ring, it is not susceptible to impurity, for deed can negate the influence of a previous deed.”

The willful impression of a person on water lasts for three days….

“When a person draws water with a cylinder, the water remaining in the cylinder is considered as having been willfully uprooted (and is now susceptible to impurities) for three days. After being left for three days, however, it is not considered to have been uprooted willfully. Instead, if liquid remains there, it does not make foods subject to impurity.”

 INSTANT TRANSMISSION......

“We have already explained that when a person gathered endives for an animal (only food for human consumption are susceptible to impurity) and washed them, (only food in contact with water intended for human consumption make food susceptible to impurity) and then changed his mind afterwards and thought to use them for human consumption, they need to be exposed to water a second time (since until now only animals where in his mind) to make foods susceptible to impurity.
If, however, there was tangible moisture on them when he thought to use them for human consumption, (his thoughts are instantly transmitted to the liquid on the food and) they are susceptible to impurity.”

The power of one’s thoughts pass through the animal to the water….

“When a person leads an animal down to a stream to drink, the water that ascend with its mouth is considered as having been uprooted willfully. (by the person who brought the animal to the water) The water that ascends on (the animal) its feet are not considered as having been uprooted willfully, unless he had the intent that its feet be rinsed. When the animal's feet are diseased, and in the threshing season, (and the owner benefits from the water cleaning the animals’ feet) even the water on its feet is considered as having been uprooted willfully.

If a deaf mute, a mentally or emotionally compromised person, or a minor brought the animal to drink, (their thoughts aren’t considered complete) even if they intended that its feet be washed, the water that ascends on (the animals) its feet is not considered to have been uprooted willfully, because, (only) the DEEDS of such individuals are halachically (legally) significant, but their intent is not.”

===================

“The deeds of a deaf mute, a mentally or emotionally compromised individual, or a minor are significant. Their thoughts are not significant, as explained above with regard to making foods susceptible to impurity.”

Women – child factories? AND Luxury on the streets of Paris.

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Knowledge is Power.  G-dly Knowledge is Super Power.

In Yesterday’s WSJ they featured a study printed in the Journal Social influence with the startling conclusion; materialistic people are more selfish AND even more so, just being near luxury, will make you more selfish.

Three different experiments were conducted which all showed the same conclusion.

The people conducting this experiment went to a “super super fancy street” in Paris. In the first test they placed a woman in a leg brace who “needed” help with something she dropped. Only 35% of people offered to help versus 77% of the people on the regular street of stores.

In the second experiment they placed a lady in a wheelchair being pushed by a friend. The friend asked passerby’s to watch the lady while the friend went to fetch a cell phone forgotten behind. Only 23% of the people on the rich luxurious street and 82% on the regular street of stores accepted the request to stand by and watch the lady in the wheel chair.

In the third test, they tried three different locations. In front of the high end luxurious stores, on the street in front of regular stores, and the third location was on a regular street with no stores. They had someone ask passerby’s to lend their cell phone to make a call. 41%, 63%, and 74% respectively loaned their phone for the call.

The take home of the study. Materialism increases selfishness and a lack of regard for other people, and there is a severe and precarious price to pay for this.

There are people who are raised with the mentality that life is all about me. Everyone is living for me, since me is most important, at least for me. And at the same time they view everyone else as living with the same attitude as themselves, and therefore, the world is a dog eat dog world where the strongest, smartest dog wins. Pretty competitive, narcissistic, and ruthless.

I was watching a (liberal minded) TV show in Hebrew out of Israel presenting “Ultra” (as in high grade gasoline, only used for the best engines race cars :-) Orthodox women, averaging 8-9-10 children and some having 15-16-17 children!!

The show was being somewhat sarcastic at this phenomenon. The broadcaster was saying that some of these women have not experienced one straight night of sleep in 20 years! And that some of them looked forward to having another baby just so they can have one-night sleep in the hospital and get served their food on a “plastic” platter.

It doesn’t matter that study upon study has shown that when people are on their last breaths of life, no one is sorry for having that many children, and countless are regretful they didn’t have more. It also doesn’t matter that these women themselves consider themselves blessed and fortunate to have that many children.

The broadcaster was so adamant in his negativity regarding these women that he asked, is there anything wrong with people who believe something is a blessing and are living a content life when it is “obvious” they have it wrong.

The essential and basic difference between the study in the WSJ and these baby producing women is a fundamental difference in viewing life and the world.

The “Ultra’s” see life as having a greater meaning than just self. They are an important wheel in a greater picture, and they are more fulfilled personally when fulfilling this mission and greater purpose. When connected to this greater purpose, they have the comradery and dedication from all the like-minded people in this world. They are available for others, as the others are available for them.

Incidentally as I write this article, there was a study in Japan where people where living to well into their nineties and 100 years and more. The study determined, the main reason for longevity was the genuine lifelong friendships and community type lifestyle enjoyed and experienced by the people of that Island.

Large families have the help and support of each other, the lifecycle events of each other they can all enjoy and participate in, with each other. It’s a life filled with action, not a dull moment.

The people on the “super super rich” street in Paris, who according to the study were more selfish than the others, I would bet (and I have counseled many of them myself) are probably more depressed, have gone through more divorces, live more loneliness than any of the “Ultras”.

I agree, the streets on the super-rich streets are probably cleaner, sharper and glitzier than the other streets.

The question most people must answer and have the courage to live with. Will I choose form over substance? Do I choose a life of meaning and greater purpose or one of immediate selfish gratification? Do I leave the world better off and more enriched that I was born, or a world that dies when I die?

We are a smart people, because our souls are bound naturally, with G-ds wisdom.

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Knowledge is power -- G-dly Knowledge is Super Power.

Once, on a cold winter snowy day, a business man in Russia in the early 1800s needed to make an express delivery.

He hired one of the local horse and chariot delivery services to take his package and deliver it as quickly as possible. The delivery man was an honest and reliable person, a price was agreed upon and the item was on its way.

The winters were brutal and not long into the trip the horse almost froze to death and just wouldn’t budge. The axle cracked and come what may, it took almost four times as long to get the item to its destination, and by that time it wasn’t needed.

The businessman plainly unhappy over this great loss of his opportunity, summoned the delivery fellow to a court of Jewish law. After hearing both sides, and based on the agreement that was made between the two fellows, the Court sided with the businessman against the delivery service.

Understandably upset and not willing to easily accept the decision, the delivery man asked to have a word with the Judges of the Jewish court. “I know why you decided against me, because the Torah was given in the wilderness at the beginning of the summer. Had the Torah been given in the middle of a cold Russian winter, the Law would be more sensitive to my circumstances.”

Another story before I get to my point.

Once, again in Russia, Rabbi YY Schneerson (1880-1950) and some of his students were sitting in a train car minding their own business while a heated conversation was going on between the locals. What is the most effective and successful way to rule a society? Some were talking about the merits of a socialist method; some were pitching a democracy. Some were promoting a totalitarian way, and some in support of a Republic.  Some said an autocracy and some said communism. One fellow, seeing a noticeable Jewish Rabbi says. “Hey you Jew, why don’t you chime in to the conversation.”

Rabbi YY Schneerson said. “All of you are making valid points. Since every system of governing and bringing order, is another organization invented and developed by the finite brain of man, it will have its benefits but will also have its deficiencies and short comings. The finite man cannot possibly consider all possibilities, and know the future.

On the other hand, there is only one way of governing, created in the mind of an infinite being, who knows all in the present and in the future, that includes all the positives of governance and none of the negatives or shortcomings of any man made system, and those are the rules as set in G-ds Torah.”

In OUR book of rules which serves as the foundation for the greatest religions in the world, and our justice system in the western democratic countries, there is an element of every type of authority. It is only, because it embraces so many different modes of authority, it is able to include the best of all, and any other comparative way of governing a society.

There is a King, and a High priest. A court of Law and an appeals court. There is a place for democracy and a place for socialism. Concern and responsibility for others, and the room to grown independently. The taxes were less than most people pay in most countries and a clear code for morals and ethics. The Torah offers purpose and meaning thousands of years before Plato and Aristotle came onto the scene.

Our Torah and its code of conduct is a philosophical and practical system, devised by Infinity itself and presented, not to one person in a cave, or a small group of several different and at times divergent people.

The Torah was presented, as recorded in the book itself, and as transmitted by hundreds and thousands of people from day one throughout the generations, to millions of people. The Torah is the oldest recorded comprehensive guide to life concerned and interested in improving every detail of a person’s existence.

Because the Torah is G-ds wisdom, it never needs any changing.

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai says. “There are three (indispensable) knots in the world, that are fundamentally and intrinsically tied and knotted with each other. G-d with (His) Torah, and the Torah with the Jewish People.”

We are a smart people, because our souls are bound naturally with G-ds wisdom. The more we study and absorb this wisdom and understanding, and the more we put that wisdom and its instructions into practice the happier and blessed we become.