Thursday, October 15, 2020

Teaching a beginner

"One can't begin by teaching a beginner 613 laws or encouraging him to commit to several new practices all at once. Rather encourage him to take on a single good deed.  Ensure that he knows this is one of many good deeds about which he will learn at a later stage. Right now, however, focus on this one good deed. And then we have God's promise that when he will do that deed, it will have tremendous success. Rabbi Saadya Gaon taught, repeated by the Baal Shem Tov, quoted many times in Chasidic teachings, "When you grasp a part of the essence, or a small amount of it, you grasp the entire thing." By encouraging a Jew to observe one of the 613 commandments, it is in fact "a part of the essence." So ultimately it influences that Jew, such that he becomes connected with the essence. Or as the Mishnah puts it, one mitzvah leads to another and the Jew continues to increase in the light of Torah and mitzvos. Moreover, ultimately, this Jew himself teaches others, bringing other Jews to Judaism. He "expels nations" and implants the Jewish vine after banishing non-Jewishness from his own portion of the world. And when many Jews join together, each one transforms the materialism of his own portion of the world and "You implant it." This becomes God's plant. His handiwork in which He takes pride." We go to greet the true and complete redemption when all mankind "will serve God with one purpose." the entire world will be affected to serve God by performing their commandments. And the Jewish people radiate to the nations an eternal light through holding the light of Torah and the candle of mitzvos."

7th Lubavitcher Rebbe, JEM, New World, Old Song, 840

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Steve Hassen

Steve Hassen is a Jewish guy who was drawn into the Moonie cult. Then he got out. It's an incredible story. Now helps people to get out of cults. Here's one of his videos: 

Steven Hassan's talk on Helping Individuals Born in High-Demand Groups and Cults

Some notes

Hassan: on mind control – tune in to your own inner voice or conscience, something legitimate will stand up to scrutiny. Don’t be manipulated through guilt or fear. Cults rely on deception, manipulation, and fear. Locus of control should be inside of you, not somebody else. Cults see life as black and white, inside is truth outside is the devil. It’s all about dependency and obedience. Religious organizations frame it as you have to obey God, but you are in a human institution whose leaders say they represent God. High lie rate is characteristic of gurus. They perform spiritual abuse – rape of the soul. You should be in control of your own mind. The way for you to recover from destructive mind control is for you to be in control of your own mind. It sounds simple but it takes a lot of energy and effort and knowledge for you to reclaim your personal power. People born into cults may see themselves as never having had a self to reclaim. However, people are born with an authentic self. It’s in the DNA. Who am I? Well who do you want to be? Any TV shows you have liked, artists, books, math? Explore. What resonates with you? Takes time.