Hakol - Newsletter from Kol Yaakov/Horizons

Theories and practices of Psychology, however the name, are rooted and sometimes directed by Freud. Adlerian therapy, Rogerian therapy, Reikean therapy, Jungian therapy, Imago therapy and parts of Gestalt therapy are built upon a foundation established by a Godless Jew named Sigmund Freud.

In Torah Judaism (Rabbi Chaim of Volozin), the purpose of the self is to cultivate a selflessness that declares the divinity of the human soul. In the world of the pathetic reductionism of Freud, the self is for cultivating selfism and worshiping it. To understand the tragic impact that the science of Freudian Psychology and its branches have on values, we must first concur that human behavior is primarily moral and ethical behavior (see Thomas Szasz: “The Myth of Mental Illness”). The reflex declaration of the Freudian reductionist practitioner is humanly crippling. By attaching scientific adjectives to character malfunctions, we undermine the principal of personal responsibility. It allows the world to regard individuals as “irresponsible patients”. Freud’s personal belief, despite acknowledging his “own” Jewishness (see Peter Gay: “A Godless Jew” – page 23) is one where aside his firm admiration and commitment to the Darwinian Theory of evolution, he strongly felt that “it is the helplessness of a child that stands as a root cause for the elaborate Theological belief that humanity has devised”. This statement is in sync with the American Philosopher, William James, that the core of religious commitment is a scream for help (see “Varieties of Religious Experiences – W. James – page 162).

Leaving to be the mass confusion and scientific chaos re-sulting from the various branches of Freudianism, we need to focus on the person himself.

Can a spiritually deformed and Godless Jew who designs a theory based on atheistic beliefs have any meaningful effect on a life infused with “spirituality”.

A troubled couple who seeks counsel becomes vulnerable to religious victimization. The notion that an Orthodox psychologist is immune to those ideas is untrue and unacceptable (heard by writer from HaGaon Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky, zt"l). People should be aware that when visiting a psychoanalyst, it is not only the patient on the couch, it is genuinely his/her soul on the couch (To borrow a term from Plato who called the psychologist physicians of the soul).

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) calls psychoanalysis an effort: "To gain knowledge about the soul by inadequate means" (see Rudolf Steiner in Freud, Jung and Spiritual Psychology - page 57).

The development of psychology produces a language of its own to substitute for the language of virtue. Can we ever imagine the psyche without psychology, psychiatry, psychopathology or psychoanalysis? Can we imagine a mind independent of intelligence tests, mental tests, mental hygiene tests or mental health? Without catatonia, claustrophobia? Without any of the socio or bio compounds? Even ego, libido, aberration, rational-ism in their contemporary psychological usage are a creation of this modern period (see J. Hillman in Myth of Analysis - Page 124).

The world of Psychology has attempted and succeeded in using its science of reductionism to define the human mind as nothing more than a scaled up version of an animal's mind. Allowing people the like of Freud, Rogers, Maslow, Jung, Adler, Reich and all of the Freud's followers to examine their most important faculty: the mind, is tantamount to participation in the denigration of the divine soul to "Mental Hardware" (see "Myth of ir-rationality - page 76).

The Freudian concept of the ID as it is defined as the bubbling unconscious is no stranger to Torah (see Rambam - Gittin - Chapter 2). Freud's discovery of the Oedipus complex and its female counterpart, the Electra complex is also not alien to Torah in its concept though its scientific application remains an outcast to the To-rah environment. Treating the mind the way a psychological explorer does, validates philosopher Thomas Hobbes' simple view of the mind as an accumulation of sensations, memories and educated habits and thoughts. This view of a soul-free mind is antithetical to Torah in every way. The mind, undoubtedly is the greatest mystery in the universe second to the actual creation of the universe. Unfortunately however, it is only a game to the reckless psychologizing of scientists (see William James - Principals of Psychology - page 296-305).

As the patient opens up the hidden to the psychologist, curiosity moves in. It badgers and hangs on like a bulldog. Where confusion should really be a vehicle of introspection, change and leading to self-forgiveness, curiosity still wants to find out more. How are the sins doing now? Are they really gone? Nothing can lead this encounter more astray and under the illusion of progressive therapeutic discoveries than when the person gripped by the urge scrupulously to reveal, confess and open up falls into the hands of the psychoanalyst, counselor or professional, Orthodox or not who possess insatiable curiosity. This curiosity carries the threat of mitigating the patient's passion and convictions to his religion (see J. Hillman, "Insearch" - page 24-25).

In the way the Freudian follower Erich Fromm, (in his book "Psychoanalysis and religion - page 77) that even though a person believes that they act out of a sense of justice, yet they are motivated by cruelty, arrogance, etc. This idea is found in the Talmud (see tract. A.Z. - page 3b and other books of Torah ethics and theology). A Godless human being need not carry that message to a G-d fearing Jew. In fact, a Godless based science should not be used to convey this message to a Jew in pain. The Torah books of ethics are replete with reme-dies and suggestions how to confront this issue.

Freud asserts in his book "The Future of an Illusion" that religion keeps man in bondage and dependence and this prevents him from obtaining the paramount task of human existence, that of freedom and independence. This psychological tenet is in direct contradiction to the words of the Chazal in Pirkei Avos, Chapter 5: "There is no free man only he who is engaged in Torah" (also see Eban Ezra in Parshas Naso).

In truth the discomfort that secularism has with religion is precisely based on some of the reasons authored by secularists. Marx's view that people who experience actual deprivation are more likely to be religious concurs with Jewish thought (see Chagiga - page 9b).

Stark and Rainbridge describe religion as providing supernatural general compensators and imaginary rewards wished for, when real rewards are unavailable. They describe the human condition as inherently frustrating leading to the need for compensators. They also predict a direct relationship between specific unmet needs and religious involvement. This, actually, is consistent with Torah thought. The hypothesis however, that religious thought is not founded on the intellectual is fallacious. Yes, Judaism is based on revelation but is G-d not the source of the source of the intellectual, if not the only source? We do accept that the driving force in the universe is the free mind. Freud's deterministic attitude that is a flagrant and arrogant rebellion against Jewish thought.

Religious Motivation

A couple engaged in a contentious relationship need to be motivated to make changes, albeit modifications in behavior or attitude. Perhaps even in values. Harmony in the home is not only useful from a utilitarian perspective, it is a Torah value and virtue. The virtue of adopting harmony in a home actually embraces the name of G-d.

Living a life of Harmony with a spouse makes marriage a process of eternalizing life by "divining" it. The conventional practitioner finds all the above ludicrous and meaningless and at best secondary to therapy. Because of our value-free secular society and its invisible penetration into the Orthodox community, transitory existence has earned meaning.

In Freudian psychology, searching for answers or even inquiring into the meaning and value of life is meaningless. In Freuds own words, in a letter to a colleague (as quoted in Freud's Paranoid Quest, page 3), he writes: "The moment a man asks about the meaning and value of life, he is sick, since objectively neither has any existence." In our own language, the question Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, zt"l, asks in the beginning of his master book, and the demand scripted in the mind of scholars for centuries to clarify: "What is one's obligation in his world?" is a sign of sickness to Freud. Freud's submergence and return, from the confused psychic underworld with the claim of finding precious "gifts" was a seductive mirage about which Allen Esterson wrote elaborately.

It is precisely in the area of motivation where the lines are drawn between free-thinking secularism and rational religious theology.

Freud's elaborate treatment of the libido, as one of the prime motivators, turned into an obsession. William James, the noted American philosopher/ psychologist wrote to a friend about Freud after having the opportunity to meet Freud that he is "a man obsessed with fixed ideas" and that he has a "bigoted incomprehension of religion." His prize student, Carl Jung, who ultimately broke away from his teacher, much to the disappointment of Freud, had a deep connection with the Nazi Party (see Against Therapy - Chapter 1 - Jeffery Mazaoun). Despite his alignment with the Nazis, he had strong feelings that emptiness in life or feelings of "life's meaninglessness germinated from a religious crisis" and on one occasion, he suggested to a patient suffering from the above to convert to Orthodox Juda-ism (see above - page 197). It appeared however to Freud that his religion (Judaism) was like George Wilhelm Hagel described, a religion "guided by G-d who was "Chas V'shalom" a tyrant who required unquestioning submission to an intolerable law". This unsophisticated and undeveloped understanding of the Jewish G-d is no surprise if one is to have claim on the subconscious. It actually makes sense for Freud who had a definite resistance to his religion to join Karl Marx (also Jewish) in his belief that religion was the sign of the oppressed creature and "the opium of the people" which made "the suffering bearable". Freud's student, the defector Alfred Adler (1870-1937) also concurred in part that G-d was a projection but believed that it had been helpful to humanity. Despite the unlimited questions that challenge the belief in G-d by a relatively immature group of G-d-free philosophers/thinkers who waged an inquisition against G-d and religion, they remained unsuccessful. The continuing strength and growth of religious belief and fervor is testimony to the independence of the truth in the belief in G-d. G-d's being does not need human consent to exist. That is the essence of its independence.

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Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid Arfa on the birth of a girl

Rabbi and Mrs. Gedalia Sloshay on the birth of a girl

Rabbi & Mrs. Chaim Y. Weiss on the birth of their first grandchild

Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid Jacobs on the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Aharon Yosef

Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo Mann upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son and to the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Shimon Sontag

Rabbi and Mrs. Wolpin on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson

Reb and Mrs. Ezra Beyman upon the marriage of their son, Yaakov Aryeh

Mr. Gabriel Bensimon on his becoming a Choson

Mr. Shmuel Greenbaum on his marriage to Hadassah Kaye

Mr. Meir Tsukerman on his marriage to Fahina

Rabbi Moshe Raice on his appointment as menahel of Yeshiva Ohr HaTorah

Mr. Dovid Moshe on his appointment as the Director of a health facility in Pompano Beach, FL

Rabbi Shlomo Swartz on receiving S'micha from Bais Achiezer

Zalman Rubchinski on making a siyum on Maseches Shabbos

Though winter has come to Monsey, Horizons is not hibernating. The desire to transmit our heritage knows no season, so Rabbi Tropper and Horizons have been as busy as ever.

In recent weeks Horizons and Kol Yaakov have been to Boston, Syracuse and Newburgh. Each stop was a unique experience and created its own outreach opportunities. Rabbi Tropper's lecture at Syracuse University's monthly shabbaton on "Creating Spiritual Newness" sparked enquiries from several students about learning at Kol Yaakov. The Newburgh community invited Horizons to provide outreach and learning opportunities for this community located 30 miles north of Monsey. We kicked off our outreach efforts there December 7, with Rabbi Tropper's sister-in-law, Mrs. Susan Blond. Her talk about her fascinating journey to Torah observance was followed by a musical performance from accomplished musician Seth Glass. That event will be followed, IY"H, by a weekly chavrusa program and several exciting lectures by Rabbi Tropper... January will see trips to Ellenville, NY, where Rabbi Tropper will be Scholar-in-residence for Shabbos addressing the topic, "Men & Women: Striving toward Oneness or Sameness." On the campus circuit (as of print time), Horizons is scheduled to bring some Torah to Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Hartford (and others- read on)... Horizons will be venturing to Maryland later in the winter and then on to Florida where Rabbi Tropper will be speaking to the Miami community and delivering a lecture at the University of Miami. A Southern California trip is being planned following the Florida trip with several lectures in the San Fernando Valley and at UCLA. In the spring, Horizons is planning on a trip to Oxford University and several London area universities. stay tuned.

If you feel your community or a community you know could benefit from Rabbi Tropper's inspiring and warm lectures, please contact Horizons at (845) 425-3863 or info@horizons.edu.

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I am from Frankfort Kentucky, not exactly your Jewish metropolis. Though I always had some sort of "Jewish pride," I never really was aware of what Judaism was all about. Our Pesach "seder" was the watered down variety where the only place G-d appeared was in the Hagaddah, not our conversa-tions. We lit Chanukah candles, but never attempted to ask how the meaning of Chanukah affects our lives today. I believed in G-d, but I had no concept of the ramifications of my belief in G-d.

Since I wanted to be around other Jews (I was the only Jewish student in my school) my mother signed me up for Sunday School in a reform temple. We learned about Abraham, Noah, Jonah, Maccabbees, Tikun Olam and the Holocaust, but this was not enough. In high school I joined the youth group, NFTY. The more I learned about Judaism the more I wanted to do . I started wearing a tallis on Shabbat morning and wanted to keep kosher. However, I found the more "rituals" I performed, the more I was mocked. I also found it impossible to keep kashrus. The straw that broke the camel's back was my many encounters with "rabbis" who held of atheist, deist and many other ideologies that are antithetical to Torah.

So I decided to join the conservative synagogue and their youth group, USY. I was much happier there, I made new friends who were not so opposed to being "too Jewish" and I became a leader for the general board of my region (six states large). I thought I found my niche: Judaism as a tradition for the modern era. However, I started to notice how so few Jews in the conservative movement actually kept what was asked of them. I also noticed how even their leadership would desecrate halacha and reject the principle of a G-d given Torah. Becoming aware of the world around me and the messages it was sending, I decided to attend an Ortho-dox Shul after meeting an Orthodox rabbi in my junior year of high school.

Now that I had my goal in sight, to be a full-fledged shomer Torah u'mitzvos Jew, I had to overcome, what at the time, was a difficult life-changing decision. I played football ever since I was in the fifth grade. By my junior year I had received letters from several colleges (among them the Arkansas Razor Backs, and Marshal University) about playing football for them. Had I played my senior year, I would definitely have had the opportunity to play football for a college level team on a scholarship. However, I let Shabbos into my life, and the thought of playing Friday nights was too much to bare. Boruch Hashem From that time on, I became a shomer shabbos Jew.

By the time I graduated high school, I knew I needed some solid Jewish education. Books and web pages would not give me enough of the foundation I needed to live life as a Torah Jew. Through the recommendation of a friend and their web page I found Kol Yaakov. I was dazzled when I came to the Yeshiva and found people from all different backgrounds learning how to live their lives according to the Torah. For the first time in my life I was fully exposed to people who were living as observant Jews. Kol Yaakov has created a learning program tailored to my needs, and found wonderful people for me to learn from- be it by shiur or chavrusa. Rabbi Tropper has really helped me get the proper perspective that I so desperately needed on Daas Torah as well as many other issues. Words cannot express my thanks for being able to be in a makom Torah where I can get the essentials that I need in order to help me build a authentic Torah lifestyle, some-thing I was so desperately searching for!

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Probably different than most other alumni, my path to Kol Yaakov was through the picket lines and protest movements of the college campuses in the 1980's. It was Judaism's emphasis on social justice that initially drew me to the Left, and it was ultimately that same emphasis on social justice that drew me to Torah-true Judaism and years of study at Kol Yaakov. I discovered, as so many other Jews have throughout the ages, that secular political movements are never motivated by true compassion and pure concerns for social justice. Although many participants of the Left may be initially infused with concerns for some truly oppressed people, their concerns and energies are ultimately distorted and misguided by the secular political world view that motivates them.

The more I grew disillusioned with the Left, the harder I looked for the ultimate source of "justice", which I was raised to believe is at the heart of Judaism. My search ultimately led me to Torah-true Judaism and I realized that I had to immerse myself in its study to catch up for so many years lost. Kol Yaakov filled that role, skillfully answering my sometimes self-righteously indignant questions and giving me the skills to continue studying on my own the rest of my life. Now, although I am working and can not learn fulltime, I continue to be amazed and inspired by the moral lessons for a just society that can be culled from virtually every page of Torah studies.

Chapter 72 of the Book of Tehillim, for example, begins with "For Shlomo" and ends with "Thus ends the prayers of Dovid, the son of Yishai." The Meforshim explain that this chapter, written close to Dovid HaMelech's death, was the last one he wrote (although not placed at the end of Tehillim for other reasons). It was a prayer for his son, Shlomo, who was about to be crowned Melech in his place. I believe that one can also assume that this chapter was written by Dovid as a type of "ethical will," with the understanding that Shlomo would also learn from it the ways of a just ruler.

How as a just ruler to behave and with what should he concern himself? Dovid explains: "May he judge the nation's poor, save the children of the destitute and crush the oppressor. . All the kings shall prostrate themselves before him; all the peoples shall serve him-- Because he will deliver the destitute one who cries out, and the poor one with none to help him. He will pity the impoverished and destitute and the souls of destitute ones he will save. From fraud and from violence he will redeem their soul, and their blood will be precious in his eyes." The Meforshim explain that the universal recognition and respect that Shlomo would command would come primarily because of his care for the poor and destitute and others who have none to protect them. Is Dovid depicting the model socialist leader? Hardly. He is depicting a model King, a King whose every move and concern is based on Hashem's will as revealed in the Torah.

A few years ago I thought it would be an interesting exercise to compare Dovid HaMelech's "ethical will" to an ethical will of a non-Jewish King. My project, however, quickly ran into a serious problem: I could not find any non-Jewish ethical wills, and certainly none from a non-Jewish ruler to his son. In fact, the concerted efforts of both the skilled librarians at my law school and later at my law firm, their on-line database of all libraries in the nation notwithstanding, could not find a single collection of ethical wills for any people other than the Jewish nation. Not one. A remarkable testimony to the Posuk in Parshas Vayera (18:19) about Avraham Avinu: "For I have given him special attention because he commands his children and his household after him, and they will preserve the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice. ."

To receive a weekly e-mail with Divrei Torah and Halacha from Kol Yaakov, or to inform us of your simchos, send an e-mail to: djacobs@horizons.edu or call us (845) 425-3863.
Check out our new Website: www.horizons.edu

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1. Q: Is it prohibited to copy answers from someone else's test?
A: The posek Hador HaGaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein, Zt'l, in volume 2 of C.M. resp. 30, states clearly not only is it called Genevas Daas (deception), but in some cases it may be considered stealing money.

2. Q: Is there a prohibition to exaggerate?
A: The Chazon Ish in his sefer Emuna Ubitachon maintains that it is prohibited. HaGaon HaRav C. Kanievsky, Shlita, says that if it is obvious that it is an exaggeration, there is no prohibition.

3. Q: A fundraiser for an institution claims that there are 20 people in the institution when in reality there are only 12. Is that considered lying?
A: HaGaon HaRav S. Z. Auerbach, zt'l, considered it deception and lying.

YAHRTZEIT :

Lillian Jean Kaplan, of blessed memory, on 8 of Teves

CONDOLENCES :

Rabbi Shimshon Adler on the loss of his father, O"H

Rabbi Simcha Berman on the loss of his mother, O"H

Rabbi Aaron Parry on the loss of his father, O'H

Rabbi Yosef Schwab on the loss of his mother, O"H

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