This book contains new articles R. Meir Bruk, published in the newspaper "The Jewish World" in 2009-2010
The two sides of Russian-Jewish "coin".
Recently, we talked with an outstanding rabbi, kabbalist, an expert on Jewish Meditation r.Dovber Pinson (www.iyyun.com). He told us: "The Russian-speaking Jewry uniquely combines academic quality intellectual with a deep interest in mysticism."
Hearing this his definition, I thought, from where we have such a unique combination?
First, a little history. Humanity in their search for truth always went two ways.
One of the ways - emphasis on the development of intelligence, logic. The second way - the study of man's inner world.
On the human level, these two ways of "tied" to Aristotle and Plato.
In Jewish tradition, the two approaches are associated with the names of the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) and Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman). Interestingly, even the names of these sages were similar.
Rambam seriously studied the works of Aristotle, which at that time were translated from Greek into Arabic. Largely due to Rambam Judaism became "systemic" features.
One of the greatest Kabbalists was Ramban. In his commentary on the Torah (which, incidentally, has recently been translated into Russian under the guidance of r.Tsvi Patlasov) and other books revealed many of her mystical aspects.
So, in the "big" world were Aristotle and Plato. In the Jewish world - the Rambam and Ramban.
Centuries passed, and in Jewish history occurred "strange" group - the Jews of the Soviet Union. Due to the unusual combination of factors, our Jews managed to combine the two so different approach. How did this happen?
Let's start with the academic. We all know how our families appreciated serious education. In spite of the most severe obstacles in the form of anti-Semitism, our parents helped us in every way to go to good schools and universities, so that we can get a decent college education. In the former Soviet Union, there were many serious scholars and lecturers of universities. The majority of Russian Jews, in spite of the obstacles were able to get a very good education.
Moreover, we can apply this knowledge not only in the area in which we learn, but applying a systematic and scientific approach to other areas of knowledge, particularly in Jewish wisdom, "continuing the work of Maimonides."
And what about the spirituality and mysticism?
Russian mentality tends to think deeply and search for spirituality.
Researchers say that the key difference between the Russian and American mentality that the U.S. - is aimed at the development and evolution of the external world, and Russian - the inner world of man.
We are all still at school are familiar with the work of these "core" Russian writers like Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. In the twentieth century, before the revolution in Russia is widely movement flourished in-depth search of spirituality. Such masters worked as Berdyaev and Rozanov, Malevich and Voloshin, Roerich and Florensky and many others.
This trait was even more characteristic and Russian Jewry, which has absorbed this interest.
It is interesting to realize that in the Soviet era, these two areas were in two different areas. Academic quality has been our public side of life. A spirituality lived in the "underground", being hidden from the Soviet government, not loving dissidents.
As a result of the Soviet system, we have received academic quality, and of Russian culture - the interest in the inner world.
Unfortunately, at that time we did not have access to Jewish wisdom, so the Jews themselves implemented in a variety of ways, on the one hand, "moving" science, on the other hand, studying Buddhism and meditation in Christianity or left (remember, in particular , Alexander I).
Now on the one hand we have opened access to the classic Jewish resources. On the other side of the world is the rise of new forms of spirituality - into a "deep transformation", transpersonal psychology, body-oriented therapy, NLP, and many other important areas. They were active Jews - such as Sigmund Freud and Viktor Frankl, Fendelkrayz Moses and Abraham Maslow, Andrew Cohen and Robert Kegan.
Combine these two aspects (classically academic and deep-mystical) into an integrated system under force is Russian Jews.
So dear readers, I wish all of us to participate in this important process that will bring Jews and all mankind key new knowledge.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Deep-GLANCE TORU.
The Torah and the schema language
Torah - for all
Stumbling blocks
The Tower of Babel - a model scheme crisis
Dynamic Judaism
Jacob and Esau: Replay internal opponent
The well opposite the stairs
Yehuda and Yosef - the life and structure of the
Jacob and his sons: the coach and his team
A servant of the favorites: add parentheses
Temple of the bullock: spirituality and creativity
Complete picture of the manifestations of leadership
Two paths leader
English
Russian
