Fri, Jul 25, 2008

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Shema - Listen

One of the most important theologically charged statements in the
Bible, which is recited perhaps 4-5 times a day by the Observant Jews
(and it’s something that i’m sure you’ve said yourself) is the ‘Shema’.

the first word of the Shema - is the word Shema - and it simply means LISTEN!!!

It itself is a profoundly important and potentially life altering message from the author of the Bible - Moses - God etc..

The primary theological step we are compelled by the Shema is to learn how to listen.

(Loosely paraphrasing the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe:) ‘Listening
means having room in oneself for another, for Other, internal; mental,
emotional and spiritual space for the existence of another being and
another opinion, even one that is completely different to your own.’

The ‘Ethics of our Fathers’ teaches us ‘who is wise those that learn from everyone’.

Then they go on to say that anyone you learn from you must treat them with the same respect that you would the Divine Presence!

The point is, each and every human being has something to say about
theology, and Jews, by virtue of their ontologically divine nature
(according to the Alter Rebbe - every Jew is a part of God [although
God doesn’t have parts]) have something to say about Jewish theology no
matter their religious affiliation, level of intellectual honesty or
otherwise.


David F Smydra Jr


sounds Zen to me

The idea of listening, as you describe it, strikes me as similar to the Buddhist precept of mindfulness and wakefulness. Being open.





MaxKohanzad


Zen - Hassidism

When I gave my PhD to Tali Lowenthal he said that it was very Zen, I dismissed his comments because at the time had no idea what Zen was, and thought that it was just a way of him dismissing the main content of my work as being influenced by something 'other' than Judaism.

However, since my PhD, i have been having a look at some Zen books - and the parallels are most striking!

The question one is left with is - are these two schools related or do they arrive at the same or very similar ideas - because they have stumbled across something essential?

essential to human nature or the nature of the universe?





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