7 replies to this topic

[FS613]

L'Chvod Rabbi Shapiro, Shlita:

If an Apikorus does Tishuvah and comes to firmly believe in the 13 Ikarim;

is his Tishuvah accepted, and can he get his Chelek in Olam Haba, if he learns Torah and keeps the Mitzvos?

Thank you.

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Yes.

[Chaim613]

What is the proper hashkafa....... better for someone to worship a god or gods in another religion or to be an atheist? 

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Better to worship other gods. Kefirah is worse than idolatry.

[Chaim613]

Where do we see that in Jewish sources?

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Rambam Maamar Kiddush Hashem

 

Rambam Moreh Nevuchim 1:34

 

Ramak Ilimah Rabasi 1

 

See page כד in צדה לדרך here.

[Chaim613]

When the Torah tells us about Avraham Avinu's children with Keturah who he "sent to the East"... I know that many of the "spiritual practices" of the eastern religions are convoluted forms of the "gifts" of spiritual insights that Avraham gave to them. I imagine that any truth, or concepts that have at least a semblance of truth, in the Eastern religions stem at least superficially from divine wisdom bestowed by Avraham Avinu,

 

Many Jews in our days have unfortunately gotten caught up in eastern philosophy and "spiritual practices." My questions are:

 

1- Could it be intentional that Avraham sent them to the east, that even when his progeny get off the true path, at least they will arrive with some truth that may motivate them to return to their roots?

 

2-I imagine that the poskim and gedolei Torah have called Hinduism or Buddhism outright avodah zara....my question is where this might be discussed? Are there any redeeming qualities/ spiritual practices that can be gained from these things? What can one pass on the a neighbor/ co-worker who is born to a Jewish family, but now finds tranquility in Buddhist meditation, etc. (Obviously I know that it must be thwarted, the question is that it seems to be a different yetzer hara than lets say someone who is a Jew for J, and perhaps should be dealt with from a different approach)

 

thank you :-)

[Rabbi Shapiro]

 

1 - The idea that Avraham's sent wisdom to the East is in the Zohar. But the same Zohar says, that even in the days of רבי אבא, the wisdom was corrupted and the eastern people should stay away from it. 

 

 

זוהר חלק א דף צט/ב 

א"ר אבא, יומא חד אערענא בחד מתא מאינון דהוו מן בני קדם, ואמרו לי מההיא חכמתא דהוו ידעין מיומי קדמאי, והוו אשכחן ספרין דחכמתא דלהון, וקריבו לי חד ספרא, והוה כתיב ביה, דהא כגוונא דרעותא דבר נש איכוון ביה בהאי עלמא, הכי אמשיך עליה רוח מלעילא, כגוונא דההוא רעותא דאתדבק ביה, אי רעותיה איכוין במלה עלאה קדישא, איהו אמשיך עליה לההיא מלה מלעילא לתתא לגביה, ואי רעותיה לאתדבקא בסטרא אחרא ואיכוין ביה, איהו אמשיך לההיא מלה מלעילא לתתא לגביה. והוו אמרי, דעקרא דמלתא תלייא במלין ובעובדא וברעותא

לאתדבקא, ובדא אתמשך מלעילא לתתא ההוא סטרא דאתדבק בה, ואשכחנא ביה כל אינון עובדין ופולחנין דככביא ומזלי, ומלין דאצטריכו לון, והיאך רעותא לאתכוונא בהו, בגין:

 

 

זוהר חלק א דף ק/ב 

יסטי לבייכו לאלין פולחנין, ולכל אינון סטרין דקאמר הכא, דילמא ח"ו (לא) תסטון מבתר פולחנא דקב"ה, דהא כל ספרים אלין אטעיין לון לבני נשא, בגין דבני קדם חכימין הוו, וירותא דחכמתא דא ירתו מאברהם דיהב לבני פלגשים, דכתיב (בראשית כה ו) ולבני הפלגשים אשר לאברהם נתן אברהם מתנות וישלחם מעל יצחק בנו בעודנו חי קדמה אל ארץ קדם, ולבתר אתמשכו בההיא חכמה לכמה סטרין אבל זרעא דיצחק חולקא דיעקב לאו הכי, דכתיב (שם ה) ויתן אברהם את כל אשר לו ליצחק, דא חולקא קדישא דמהימנותא דאתדבק ביה אברהם, ונפק מההוא עדבא ומההוא סטרא, יעקב מה כתיב ביה, (שם כח יב) והנה יהו"ה נצב עליו, וכתיב (ישעיה מד א) ואתה יעקב עבדי וגו', בגיני כך בעי ליה לבר נש לאתמשכא בתר קב"ה ולאתדבקא ביה תדיר, דכתיב (דברים י כ) ובו תדבק

 

But the issue here is different. After thousands of years of unguided and unsupervised interpretations, interpolations, and infiltrations, it is not reasonable to assume anything in those teachings has anything at all to do with Avraham's wisdom.  Imagine playing "telephone" with deep and complex concepts for thousands of years. Don't bank on anything they teach to have anything to do with Avraham.  Besides, we have no idea if any of that wisdom ever reached the Hindus or what is today's Indians to begin with. We know that some corrupted version was in the possession of "בני קדם"  but more than that is not known. 

 

And also, Avraham gave those teachings to non-Jews. What is good for them is often poison for us. Christianity  the Rambam says, was a step up for the gentiles. But certainly we would not teach Christianity as a first-step Kiruv primer. 

 

So no, there is no basis in reason or sources that Avraham would do such a thing. 

 

2 - Re Avodah Zorah, this is discussed in the Poskim, but the question of whether Hinduism is idolatry is only a question in regard to the Torah's standards for what is prohibited as idolatry to non-Jews. The Torah has stricter standards for its prohibition of idolatry when it comes to Jews, and based on those standards, Hinduism is idolatry. 

 

As far as whether these civilizations have anything to offer, the answer is definitely not to us (except maybe asanas, which are probably good exercise, but that's about it). We have a תורה which is תמימה - complete. We don't need "spirituality" from elsewhere. Our souls have their own spiritual nutritional requirements. It needs Hashem's Torah. Supplying it, instead, with man-made "spirituality" is a fatal descent for the Jewish soul.

 

Regarding how to deal with your friend, it does not depend so much on what she is into as much as why she is into it. Many people are attracted to these things for different reasons, and they need to be approached differently. Find out what exactly drew her to these swamis of maharishis or whatever it is she finds herself drawn to, then we can discuss.