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Jewish Spirituality
Volume 13

By way of preface:

The "Jewish Spirituality" mailing list is an outgrowth of several conversations in which people told me that they felt "alone" in their quest to develop their relationship with Gd. I knew they weren't alone, just from my own interactions with other people, and so I extended an invitation to the Jewish community of Rhode Island to join in a weekly mailing list exploring issues within their relationship with HaShem.

Many of the messages posted on the list reflect people's personal struggles and sensitivities. As a result, some of the people who post remarks on this list opt to do so anonymously; they send me the e-mail, and I drop their names. The list is "blind cc'd," as well, so that no one knows who else is on the list. Our goal is that the members of this list should draw strength and inspiration from the words of their peers, and thereby continue to develop as Jews.

If you would like to join the list, please e-mail me at rijewish@juno.com.

Jewish Spirituality - Volume 13

Changing One's Space

Re: Changing One's Space

More of Rav Tzadok

-- Title: Changing One's Space
By: Anonymous

[I am not sure whether this was intended to be anonymous or not, so I have left it as anonymous. - MT]

>3. Changing one's location alters one's Mazal. Adding space to one's venue by
> removing surrounding walls is considered "changing one's location," but reducing
> space by adding walls is not considered "changing one's location."

What a great E-mail! However, I don't exactly understand # 3. When you change your space, is that physically or mentally. In other words, one could take that literally and mean if you buy a bigger house or move to a house which is more open you change your mazel. However, it is probably talking about spiritually opening yourself up but what does that mean. You know what they say to the person who has an open mind. The wind goes right through it. I don't understand. Could you please elaborate.

--
Title: Re: Changing One's Space
By: Mordechai Torczyner

I'm not sure I understand what Rav Tzadok was mentioning in his third principle, as cited above. I'll take a stab at explaining it, though:

According to a note in my edition of "Tzidkas haTzaddik," Rav Tzadok is referring to a Gemara in Pesachim (86a-b). This Gemara deals with consumption of the Korban Pesach. The Torah says one must eat the Korban "in one house," and this is understood to mean that one must eat it with a single group, in a single location. The Gemara asks whether one may continue eating if:

a) A group of people in a single house is suddenly divided in two by some obstruction, or if
b) two groups are divided by an obstruction and then the obstruction is suddenly removed.

Rashi there explains that these two cases are very different. He says that a person's location is not "changed" simply by having a wall added - "One does not perceive space which he did not perceive before now, and so there is no new space."

To return to our context, the Gemara in Rosh HaShanah suggests that a person's "Mazal" may be changed if he alters his location. Rav Tzadok might be saying that a person cannot alter his Mazal by locking off part of his realm, part of his awareness. A person may come to a change in Mazal only by raising his awareness, and "perceiving new space."

To address the question of the limits to open-mindedness, I would only say that common sense must be applied. Removing a wall may be good for perspective, but removing the roof or other forms of protective shelter is counter-productive. It's hard to put your new perspective to use when you have pneumonia.

--
Title: More of Rav Tzaddok
Author: Rav Tzaddok haKohen of Lublin

Last week we presented the first five of Rav Tzaddok's thirteen guiding principles. Here are three more:

6. Even if Torah scholars disagree, they conduct themselves with love and friendship toward each other. When there is love between disputing Torah scholars, then the words of both of them are the words of the Living Gd (or the living words of Gd, depending on how you translate this phrase). One should not introduce his head in a debate between Torah scholars, lest they crush his skull.

7. When a person approaches his peer to ask him why he is doing something, he should not do so immediately. He should surround his question with other matters.
One must know how to rebuke, so that he will not need to rebuke and then rebuke again. Such behavior is ugly, and not good.
One should also make sure that the person he is addressing will not be embarrassed, and will not separate from him altogether. One should not cause something improper to be heard.
Therefore, one should only rebuke a friend, and not a wicked person.

8. A person who merits a good reputation is to be praised, even if he has not earned it. A name is better than fine oil.
This applies specifically if one merits his reputation from Heaven. If a person extends his own reputation, then the opposite will occur - his name will be lost. His reputation will last temporarily, because HaShem helps a person walk in the path which the person wishes to go. So this person's reputation will go, but only temporarily. In the end, honor will flee from him.

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