Re'eh

My apologies from the past few weeks.  The entire religious world has vacation at this point (which is thankfully ending now).  We were fortunate to be offered an apartment for a week in Yerushaliyim for free.  A friend of my wife’s was going to the US and wanted people in her apartment the whole time, so … we took it!  It was a nice trip and very relaxing.

On my last morning there, I went to shul with a friend of mine, and lo and behold!  A friend of mine, Zalmy (the name has not been changed to protect the guilty), who I haven’t seen in 12 years or so, was at the same minyan!  So, right after davening, I confirm with my friend that that was indeed Zalmy; and after he confirmed it, I went up to Zalmy, stuck out my hand, palm down, clearly showing him that he was supposed to kiss my hand.

He looked at me and in Hebrew said, “Yes??”

I responded in English, “You’re supposed to kiss it”

He responded back in English, “I’m sorry?”

“Zalmy, it’s me Michael Winner”

To which, of course, he responded, “I’m sorry, but my name is not Zalmy … It’s Yisroel”

At that point I realized that I was dealing with Zalmy’s doppelganger (yeah, I know fancy English).  I turned to my friend and cried, “You said he was Zalmy!”, to which he responded, “I thought you asked something else!”

What an embarrassment.  After a secondary, and real introduction, it turns out that he’s married to a sister of a friend of mine here in the north.  So, we all got a good laugh.  And maybe if Zalmy hears this story one day, he will as well.

Okay, I had a thought, though it was not from this week’s parsha.  It was from two weeks ago, and since I’m writing this, I can say it.

The Torah goes on to explain all the brachos the Jewish nation will see when they arrive in Eretz Yisroel.  One of the promises is that they will eat from fields they did not plant, drink wine from vineyards that they did not grow, and live in homes that they did not build (I don’t have a chumash in front of me, so no quotes today).

I always had a question on this bracha, especially after spending a week in somebody else's apartment.  Is it not natural for a person to have more enjoyment from something that he himself worked for rather than something that he was given?  Especially something that was built by and FOR somebody else!

So, I gave some thought to it and I think I have a possible answer.

We know some people who, thank G-d, don’t have to worry about income.  Somebody else bought them an apartment, maybe a car, and continue to give them help.  My wife and I, on the other hand, never did receive help like that.  We both work and are careful with our spending.  And frankly, yes, we’re human, it’s hard to see others getting such things for free.

However, on one hand, because we don’t get free things, there are many brachos that come along.  We’re not “attached” to the will of others, for example.  We have also learned how to push ourselves when balancing work, learning, and family.

But, perhaps the Torah is teaching us something different here.  Yes, it’s true, when a person works for something, he appreciates it more.  But maybe Hashem is telling us that, on a higher level, when it comes to things in this world, everything comes from Him; nothing is really "earned," but is "received" from Hashem.  Some people have to work harder to receive it, but it’s not really the work that causes physical benefit, but really it’s Hashem.  We all know plenty of people who work very hard, yet that have very little to show for that work.

So, whether a person receives something for free or works for it, in the end, it’s all a gift from Hashem, and it should be used and enjoyed, no matter how it was given.

However, we don’t see any such thing regarding spiritual matters.  There are no "gifts."  Yes, some people are given physical gifts such as good memory and good mind, etc., but their spiritual level is completely dependent on what they themselves put into it.  There is no “Go to Heaven for Free” card.

So, in this world, each person needs to do whatever they need to make ends meet.  However, they must also acknowledge that, in the end, it’s not their effort that results in brachos, but simply Hashem’s will.  Yet, regarding spiritual matters, everything is dependent on what you put into it.

With that, I wish you a wonderful Shabbos!

There are some weeks that a couple of exciting things happen at once, and I have to choose what to write about as an introduction, and it's very difficult to choose.

For example, this past week, my wife gave birth to a baby girl.  Our first child in six years.  And one day after my birthday.  And an interesting story on how Hashem orchestrated the delivery.  Yet, on the other hand, last Shabbos, my wife gave me permission to buy cold cuts and make my famous "Sandwich of Death," which hasn't been allowed in just around the same time.

Which one is more exciting to talk about?  Well … I guess it's pretty simple:

The Sandwich of Death is a sandwich that I make with three types of cold cuts, raw onions, mustard, chummus, and of course some lettuce to make it healthy.  The point of this sandwich is to clog your arteries to the point where you can actually FEEL a heart attack coming on, but not to the point where it actually happens.  It brings you to the brink of death, if you will.

So, this Shabbos, I made myself one and one for each of the kids who wanted to try.  And to my delight, and my wife's disgust, they enjoyed it immensely.  Maybe I could sneak it in before the next six years.

Oh yeah … I had a baby girl.  I guess that's exciting too.

"See (singular), I am placing before you (plural) this day a blessing and a curse.  The blessing if you will listen to the commandments …." (Devarim 11:26).

Many commentators note that the word "see" is in the singular, while the rest is in the plural.  The lesson that is taught, they say, is that Moshe was speaking to each individual while at the same time, speaking to the entire nation.

From this we learn the importance of taking speakers and even books seriously.  When a speaker speaks, have in mind that he or she is speaking to you directly.  By making everything "personal," you are more likely to absorb the lesson into your life.

My Rosh Yeshiva told over a story he once heard from the rav of his shul in America when he was a child.  This rav told him that once, he needed to give a certain member of the shul a reprimand for his laxity in a certain mitzvah.  However, he knew that if he spoke to the person one-on-one, the individual would most likely get upset and not change.  Instead, he decided to speak about the subject on Shabbos as his weekly lecture.

After the lecture, the target came up to him and said, "Rabbi!  That was an AMAZING talk!! Truly!  You REALLY gave it to them!!"  At that point the rav threw up his arms and said, "I give up!"

I would like to add my personal addition to this.

Perhaps, by the fact that the rest of the pasuk is in the plural, we can learn a similar, yet opposite, lesson.  While on one hand, we need to take each speaker and each lesson personally, sometimes, one needs to make an honest appraisal of himself and know where he his holding.  Sometimes, when a speaker is speaking on a level which is too high for the person, the person needs to say, "Okay, right now, this is for people who are bigger, however, perhaps I can 'dumb it down' and see how I can take the same lesson and apply it to my level."

My Rosh Yeshiva was known for his very serious, sharp, and honest lectures.  That's why so many people loved to listen to him (and why I specifically chose this yeshiva to go to).  Once a friend of mine was feeling down, comparing himself to the level that the Rosh Yeshiva was speaking.  He went to speak to our rav (who is a rav in the yeshiva), and our rav asked, "Where do you sit when he speaks?"  When he answered  that he sits in the front, our rav said, "Move back a few rows," being, "learn the LESSON being spoken about, but don't think that everything applies to you."  After that, when he learned to filter the lectures, he was able to better apply them to his life.

With that, I leave you with a wonderful Shabbos!

My apologies for the past two weeks. Since Tisha B’Av, up until this Tuesday, the kollel and the school system has “vacation”. Being that half of the community goes to their parents and other relatives (they switch or rent out their apartments with others who want to come up north), this creates some extra difficulties dealing with the children. There are few friends and no camp. That leaves us with bored children.

So, we decided to pack the schedule as much as possible. Besides the busses, we were able to rent a car from somebody on three separate days. We’ve gone to Ma’a lot, Tzvat, Haifa, Netanya, Akko, Kfar Nachum, the annual Hike of Death on Har Hillel, and Meiron. We’ve had five separate familes come to visit us. Some stayed with us for a few days, some came just for a meal. We are beyond physically exhausted, and financially drained (lots of spending, less work being done). But, and this is important, the kids have really enjoyed it. So, when their friends get back from seeing their different family members, they’ll have what say about their vacation. Now, my wife and I can use a vacation. I’m thankful that the kollel starts up on Tuesday. However, just to add stress to that, we’re beginning a (minimum) two-year program on learning the laws of kashrus, and to make things even more complication, by new learning partner is Israeli and doesn’t speak a word of English. I have no idea how to pull this one off…

Either way, the first 100 people can view some photos here: https://www.yousendit.com/download/bWJwM25LbEpvQUpqQTlVag

Okay, on to Torah!
This week’s parsha discusses the individual who attempts to sway people away from the Torah. Such a person is to be put to death by the person he tried to influence. Rabbeinu Bachya explains that this is not so much a punishment for the person, but rather an act of mercy for the community.

The Rambam (Hilchos Dei’os 6:1) teaches us that it is human nature for people to follow the influences of their environment. For this reason, we are extra careful in which environment we raise our families. Even so, there is no “100% clean environment” and sometimes, rules need to be set for oneself or one’s children on who they associate themselves with. It might come off as ‘snobby’ not to allow one’s child to associate with others if those children pose a spiritual danger to them, but it certainly has precedence in this week’s parsha, and as we see, is also a mitzvah to do.

Have a great Shabbos!

As noted two weeks ago, last week we went to the port city of Ashod for two days and a night. Despite the fact it was hot and humid and we’re still in a heat-wave that has lasted eleven days, and the only air-conditioning was in the master bedroom… it was pretty fun. We took the kids to a couple of parks, my wife took Rochel Leah to a women-only beach, we took a boat ride on the Mediterranean Sea, I got to daven with Belz Chassidim (LOTS o’chassidim in Ashdod, which means very little issues with naked people walking around), and all-in-all had a fun time with the kids.

It was also my first night off since Pesach. So, my wife bought Boggle for when the kids went down. Needless to say, this programmer wiped the floor in Boggle against Mrs. English Literature Major! Granted, I was playing by the rules of golf…

Okay, on to Torah!
“See, I am placing before you this day a blessing and a curse. The blessing if you will listen to the commandments of the Almighty which I am commanding you this day. And the curse if you do not listen to the Almighty’s commandments” (Devarim 11:26-28)

The Sforno writes on the above psukim that there is no middle path. You follow the Torah (i.e. everything), and your life will be blessed. If you do not follow the Torah (i.e. you don’t follow or at least attempt to follow everything), your life will be cursed.

I’m sure had somebody said that in today’s world, he would be branded a fanatic and would have the Rambam misquoted to him about how we have to follow the middle path, etc… But, this is the Sforno, somebody who needs to be listened to.

The Sforno writes that there is no middle path “like most of the people accustom themselves to think”. Hashem tells us that if we fully engage ourselves in Torah (practicing and learning) then we will have bracha. That doesn’t mean, do the minimum or do some… it means to make it your life.

From Tisha B’Av until Rosh Chodesh Elul, the yeshivas have off. A summer break if you will (for some at least… I’ve been working 8-11 hours a day catching up on work so I can go back to learning with a calmer head). My Rosh Yeshiva spoke in our neighborhood right before Tisha B’Av on the dangers of such a break. He said one of the major dangers is when people slack off in their avodas Hashem (“spiritual work”). He pushed people to spend more time with their children and do enjoyable things with them over the break, since they need family time, but at the same time, one should not become lax in his observance.

It’s very easy to become distracted in the world. There’s sports, politics, food, games, social lives, movies, televisions, etc… We cannot fool ourselves into thinking that these are important aspects in life. Perhaps some of these serve as tools of relaxation, but they are merely TOOLS… they are not important unto themselves. They are not the “end all, be all” of life. After 120 years, we don’t want people to say of us, “Well… he had a nice social life and lots of friends”.

The real “end all, be all” is our personal relationship with Hashem and furthering that goal. Whether one is working or learning, on vacation or “on duty”, in order to choose life, one must fulfill the Torah to his or her potential and fully integrate it into his life. We must make THAT our goal in life while relegating our things as tools to help us on the way.

Have a great Shabbos!

I'm currently sitting in Rosh Pina, located in northern Israel (granted, this will be sent after I return). After some long "discussions", I gave in to my wife's "suggestion" to take them on a vacation, the first in our marriage. Given our schedules over the past... oh... long time, I was forced to admit that she was right and we should take two days and a night off. So, we hopped on the bus, and here we are!

After three hours of traveling in northern Israel, I have a confession to make: I really don't feel jealous of people who live outside of Eretz Yisroel.

Okay, on to Torah!
In the beginning of this week's parsha, Hashem gives us a "blessing and a curse". Of course, the real and straight forward reading of this pasuk is rather simple. The blessing comes if you keep the Torah, and the curse comes if you don't.

I would like to take a risk and offer my own personal insight. Perhaps its heresy, so don't take this too seriously, less your soul be burned.

I propose that this "blessing and a curse", BOTH refer to the Torah. Being Torah can be a blessing or a curse.

A friend of mine, Yehuda Schmidt, was once asked by a single friend of his wife's, why she had such a hard time getting married. She was looking for a good guy who was going to start off their marriage in learning for a few years and then eventually go to work. Unfortunately, many of the boys she was set up with were seriously lacking in proper middos (character traits), despite the fact that they were learning full time. Since Torah is supposed to make you grow, how is it there were people out there learning it, but not growing?

Yehuda explained that Torah is like fertilizer. It will help anything grow, whether it is a flower or a weed. When a person involves himself with Torah, it makes him grow. However, he must set the direction. If a person is learning for the sake of social pressures or some other not so proper reason, he will grow, but not in the proper direction. If a person is working on himself at the same time as his learning, then his growth will be exceptionally positive.

Of course, there lies the curse. If you are not careful in maintaining your course throughout your journey, even by a small degree, you can veer off completely.

To appreciate the magnitude of this, picture yourself on the equator, facing due east. If you start travelling straight, without any variation, you will eventually come to the same place you left off, no matter how many times you circle the globe. However, if you deviate to the north, by just half a degree, the more power you have in your movement, the farther off course you will go. If you continue to “grow” on this deviated course, then you will eventually end up at the North Pole.

The more a person involves himself with learning, the more power he has in his growth. That is guaranteed. However, the direction he goes is completely in his hands. So as captain of your ship, you better make sure you have a good navigator in the form of a rabbi and that you keep a steady hand on the helm.

With that I wish you a great Shabbos!

I would like to start off thanking everybody who donated to the Ohr Dovid Emergency Relief fund this past week, helping those displaced residence of northern Israel. Thankfully, in one week's time, we were able to put together $650. So, again, thank you VERY much for your help!

"Also included is the pig, which has a true hoof, but does not have a cud, and is therefore unclean to you" (Devarim 14:8)

Rav Chaim Vital, the esteemed student of the Arizal, explained why middos (character traits) is not counted among the 613 mitzvos. While the Torah discusses the evils of arrogance, for example, there is no specific prohibition against being arrogant. Rav Chaim Vital answers that middos are not included because they are the very foundations on which the commandments stand.

Pirkei Avos teaches, "If there is no derech eretz (proper middos), there can be no Torah" (Avos 3:17)

On that mishnah, Rebbeinu Yona writes: "One must first perfect his middos, and through this, the Torah can come to rest upon him. For the Torah will never rest upon one who is not of good character"

Rav Avrohom Pam was very strong on this idea.

There are two requirements that an animal needs to have in order to be considered kosher; it must chew its cud and have split hooves.

Our Sages teach that it is worse to have one sign than to have none at all. On this line of thought, they compare the wicked Eisav to a pig who lies, stretches out his hooves, and says, "Look, I'm kosher!"

That's exactly what Eisav did. On the outside he showed that he was a talmid chacham, thoroughly learned in Torah. Yet, on the inside, he was an immoral human being.

Rav Pam would say: There are two 'signs' that identify one as a 'kosher' person: his fulfillment of mitzvos between man and Hashem, and his fulfillment of mitzvos between man and his fellow man. Somebody who is devout in his fulfillment of the former, but is lacking in his behaviour towards his fellow man, is treading on very dangerous ground. It is regarding him that the Sages say, "If he is not deserving, the Torah becomes a potion of death for him"

Rav Pam further writes in Atarah LaMelech (p. 167):

"When a ben Torah does not behave in a pleasant way, it is as if he is testifying falsely about the Torah, for he conveys an impression that its ways are not 'ways of pleasantness' (Mishlei 3:17).

"'Every word of G-d is refined' (ibid 30:5); the mitzvos were given only to refine people. When an observant Jew's middos are not what they ought to be, it is as if he is bearing false witness, implying that the Torah does not possess the power to refine people"

From here we see the inherent dangers of having poor middos. The possibilities of chillul Hashem (desecrating Hashem's name) are too great to ignore.

A friend of mine was once asked how is possible that there are people learning in yeshivas or kollel that still have poor middos, despite all their learning. He answered that learning Torah helps a person grow. The more you learn, the more you grow. Which direction he grows, however, is up to his middos and his outlook.

If a person has poor middos to begin with and has no desire to change them, the Torah will make him grow... unfortunately, though, in the wrong direction, and he will continue to descend. Throughout this descent, he will foolishly be patting himself on his back, assuring himself that he is growing through his learning.

On the other hand, for a person who desires to improve his middos, learning Torah will develop him into a true ben Torah.

With that I wish you all a great Shabbos!

Well, my vacation is officially over. We got to visit the chocolate factory, go banana boating, swimming, get sunburned, and even three hours of go-cart racing. When we were in Tzefas, we had a private audience with the Prince of Swaziland, who just happens to be Jewish. Go figure. It was quite an amazing talk he gave on what led him to Judaism. As soon as I get hold of a high-speed internet connection, I’ll put the 40-minute talk on the website. It’s something everybody should hear. On the same note, I’ve already uploaded a nice collection of wallpaper photos for your desktop, include sunrise & moonset on Masada, and a collection of photos from up north. I will hopefully be adding more over time. Okay now, on to Torah!

“See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse” (11:26)

Great way to start off a parsha, no? There are many commentaries that speak of this one pasuk, but I saw something this week by Rav Moshe Swift that caught my eye.

Thankfully, we live in time where we can get practically everything translated from Hebrew to English. Yet, it’s important that one tries their best to learn in the original Hebrew. This week’s dvar torah lends proof to such a concept.

If you look at the Hebrew, you will notice the word ‘See’ is written in the singular, while the word ‘before you’ is written in the plural. Rav Swift notes that there is meaning behind the fact that the pasuk first starts off in the singular and then concludes in the plural. The reason is that a person should realize that the success or failure of the community is dependent on the individuals that make up that community. First the Torah speaks to the individuals, then, only after does it speak to the community.

There are many communities here in Israel that are very picky on whom they allow in. In order for you to move into these communities, you actually need to be approved by a governing board. Strange, isn’t it? Yet, through the eyes of Torah it makes sense. I was in one community which has a complete ban on televisions and VCRs. Even some schools have similar bans. Why? Because the fate of the community rests in the hands of the individuals.

Yet, of course there is a more positive outlook on this lesson. Many people ask the same question as one of my ‘mentors’ asked shortly before he died: “Did we make a difference?” (Two points to anybody who can guess this ‘mentors’ name). It’s a good question that good people should constantly ask themselves. Well, thankfully the Torah answers this question. Yes, you do make a difference. Every individual makes a difference and has an affect on the world at large. There’s a Gemara in Kiddushin (don’t ask me to quote exactly where) which tells us that we should always view the world as if it is on a balance, and our actions, whether for good or bad, will determine it’s fate.

From here we can learn a valuable weapon against our Yetzer Horah. The next time we are faced with the challenge of performing a mitzvah, we should try to keep this idea in mind. Our actions DO affect others and can make a difference. Have a great Shabbos!

Well, I've finally joined the 21st century. After years of consideration and putting it off, I finally bought myself a Palm Pilot. Recently, I was getting annoyed that I was never born and raised in a frum community. Was it because I never got a real yeshiva education? No. Was it because my brain is filled with Simpsons and Star Trek episodes, so I can't remember any dvrei torah, yet know what Captain Kirk's middle name is? No. (It was Tiberius). For one thing only, am I upset that I wasn't born religious. Yeshivish guys know how to get things without having to pay so much. I don't know how, but they have this talent. Being surrounded by rabbis, who work as teachers in day schools, who all have their fancy PDAs, while me, the computer nerd, carried around a small pad of paper, just doesn't seem right, does it? Well, after losing papers, continually forgetting things, and realizing that this Palm can record shiurim and other fun things, I decided to get one. And you know what the funny part is? I somehow ended up with a top of the line model for MUCH less than it really costs. Take THAT yeshivish people!!! Don't ask how, since I can't really explain it. All I know is G-d is probably expecting top-notch behaviour from me for quite a while. Okay, on to Torah!

"You are children to Hashem...you shall not cut yourselves and you shall not make a bald spot between your eyes for a dead person." (14:1)

*Special warning to my mother: This dvar torah will be discussing 'death'. That being so, I take no responsibility for you becoming over-emotional and crying. Hence, if you do start crying, you have nobody else to blame but yourself. And to make it easier on you, I will refrain from making any jokes about my death. Will that make you happy?*

**Special note to everybody. Dear mother seems can be quite emotional. After all, isn't that what mothers are for?

In other cultures throughout the world, when a member of the family passes on, they might like to do fun things, such as slash their heads with sharp knives or slash their backs with chains and razor blades. While I'm sure that's an enjoyable family event, Judaism has a slightly different take on death. While it is true that we are allowed to, and certainly should, mourn for the loss of a loved one, we are not allowed to get carried away with it. As the pasuk says, "You are children to Hashem". Despite the fact that we have lost somebody, we always will have our Father in Heaven to comfort us and to protect us.

The Gemara relates an interesting story. When Rebbe Eliezer passed away, his main pupil, Rebbe Akiva, wailed and moaned. In the process of mourning, he ended up hurting himself and bleeding. He cried out, "My father, my father! I have much money, but I have no money changer". Rashi explains that he meant that he had many questions that needed to be answered, but he no longer has a person in his life that can answer them. Tosfos asks, how is it possible that Rebbe Akiva wound himself, when it specifically says in the Torah that one is not allowed to? Tosfos answers, that for the sake of Torah one is allowed to grieve excessively, but not for the sake of man.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz explains. When a person passes away, one cannot become over zealous in their mourning. They need to remember, that not only will they see that person again (when Moshiach comes), but as mentioned before, they still have Hashem Himself to be close with. On the other hand, when a person loses his rebbe, he can excessively mourn the loss of Torah in this world. Why? Because that rebbe helped that person with his connection with Hashem. He helped build and strengthen that connection. When that rebbe passed away, that person will have a more difficult time maintaining that connection at such a level. Rebbe Akiva mourned because he suddenly felt a distance between himself and his Father in Heaven.

From Rebbe Akiva, we see the great importance that a rebbe has in a person's life. A person cannot build himself up without people in his life who can help him grow. We should do our best to always have role models and teachers in our lives to help us all grow in our own ways.

Have a great Shabbos!

"You shall deliver the blessing on Har Gerizim...Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, far in the direction of the sunset...across from Gilgal, near the plain of Moreh..."

"Only at the place that Hashem...shall choose..to place His Name shall you seek out His Presence and come there."

The Torah goes into detail concerning the location of Har Gerizim, where the Jewish people were to stand and recite and receive blessings from Hashem. The Ramad (me) writes, that it was located right off of Highway 54, near the pancake place that makes great waffles... In regard to the Beis Hamikdash (the place that Hashem shall choose), there happens to be absolutely no directions to the location given. Interesting, no? One would think that we would have directions to the spiritual center of the Jewish people?

Rav Baruch Ezrachi gives us an insightful lesson. The Beis Hamikdash represented holiness, and man coming close with Hashem. You know, that whole spiritual growth thing. When Avraham went with Yitzchok to "sacrifice" him, they were initially not told their destination. They were simply told: "On one of the mountains which I will tell you". Even for this, Avraham had to take part in the search for his destination.

In the service of G-d, the act of searching out Hashem is an integral part. That is why directions to the Beis Hamikdash or to Avraham were not given. There is no "go here" for instant G-d. When one does mitzvos, he brings himself closer to Hashem. That's all! Work on yourself and you'll be led to Hashem.

Then why are directions specified to Har Gerizim? Simple. Because no matter where you are, if you are deserving of blessings, then the blessings are going to find you. You won't have to search them out yourselves. By fulfilling the mitzvos and truly searching for Hashem, you will allow blessings to find you without any obstacles. Have a great Shabbos!

"If there should stand up in your midst a prophet...and he will produce to you a sign or a wonder...Do not listen to the words of that prophet" (13:2-4)

Here we have a "sign" and a "wonder" specifically pointed out, as if they were two distinct things. Rav Shlomo Zevin writes that these two phenomena can cause a person to turn away from the Torah: misguided philosophies and base desires. When the Torah exhorts us to not follow the desires of our heart and eyes, it is referring to the desires of the heart and the false theories of the mind.

As Jews, we are constantly facing a two-pronged attack. We've had, and continue to have, "false prophets" (they might call themselves rabbis or 'spiritual leaders').

Some of these "false prophets" seduce us by promising "fun" and "exciting" lifestyles, with little need for "ancient" traditions. Where one can feel free to do as he pleases (as long as it doesn't hurt others). Enjoy life! Go to the bars, have a couple of drinks, pick up some girls... Have FUN! After all, isn't that what life is all about?!?!? NO! It's NOT! Life is about becoming closer to Hashem, and climbing the spiritual ladder. We are to use the physical world to attain those high levels, not use it simply because it's there! These "prophets" attract us by appealing to our baser, animalistic desires.

Some take the route of introducing false beliefs into the Jewish people, "re-interpreting" the Torah, so as to fit a more "logic" or "humane" style of living. After all, keeping kosher is no longer needed, since we have healthy food, and that was why kosher food was needed in "ancient times". Don't think these prophets are easy to spot. Rav Nachman from Breslov constantly speaks of a Tzaddik Emes (a true righteous person). Why refer to a tzaddik as a "true" tzaddik? Why not simply call him a tzaddik? Because sometimes a "false prophet" can be so well hidden, that people mistake him for a tzaddik. I asked how does one know whether or not a person is a true tzaddik? And was answered that if you truly feel the need to improve yourself and your relationship with Hashem when you are around that person, THEN he is a true tzaddik.

Do not listen to him [the false prophet]. Ignore him. That is how we are to grow. If somebody comes to you and asks you to join him because it's fun and exciting, or far more logical then the Torah way of life. If he promises signs and wonders that you might have never seen, ignore him. For he is your Yetzer Horah trying to steal you away from Torah. And to strengthen yourself? Make sure you are close to a tzaddik emes. Make sure you want to constantly grow and thrive in the way of Torah. Have a great Shabbos!