I heard a Rabbi said the problem with anger is that it violates the very first commandment.... "I am the Lord your G-d who took you out of Egypt... you will have no other G-d's before me."
Anger is a type of idolatry. Because when I am angry I believe the world would be better if it was as I would organize it, not as G-d has organized it.
There's a tale of a trio of Yeshiva students. The question came up: "If you were G-d, what changes would you make to the world?"
The students gave various answers, but the third said: "I would leave the world just as it is." When asked to explain, he said: "The world looks imperfect to me because I am a human being and have limited perspective. If I was G-d, I would have the perspective to see that this is the best of all possible worlds, and therefore I would not change a thing."
Anger is the idea that the world is messed up because it's not the way /I/ want it. Therefore, it is a form of idolatry. We worship ourselves instead of G-d, thinking our view of the world should supersede his.
Still, that being said, I don't always think I can be expected to relish my role in G-d's plan. If I was destined to terrible starvation, torture, and death in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, wouldn't I have the right to criticize G-d's design? It would make no sense to me, at least in this world. Perhaps in the next one I will discover a remarkable reward, like all the suffering completely cleansed me of sins enabling me to enter higher levels of heaven. But I don't have that assurance here.
It seems obvious to me the unvaccinated are being groomed to be the new scapegoat. The "new Jews" of this next Holocaust, if there is one. I've been screaming at "friends" on Facebook, that supporting vaccine passports is ipso facto supporting a new form of Segregation. Deaf ears. To blacks, to Jews, to people who you think would be conscious of history. Nothing. "If you don't like it, get vaccinated." Insane cop outs.
One of my favorite Rabbis who can be found online. He said the vaccinated / unvaccinated division is one more method the evil inclination (The Yetzer Hara) is using to create division in the world. Hate between the two camps. The challenge is not to hate. This same Rabbi who warned against taking the vaccine also said we are never, ever going back to normal. The only thing we can really do now is get in good with G-d. Repent, do Teshuvah, and return.
Not to hate is a challenge that few have met. We see it in Joseph, who forgave his brothers after they sold him into slavery. (Genesis 50: 15 - 21) Admittedly, his brothers repented for that act, but Joseph still forgave them, even pointing to his place as compared to God's (with the inference that God was the only one who could claim innocence - remember, Joseph had brought a bad report about his brothers.) We also see it in Moses, when he prays that God would blot his name out of the book of Life, for the sake of God's people remaining in it (Even though the Israelites threatened to stone him on more than one occasion), but God did not accept that offer. Getting in good with God is also a challenge, because our sin separates us from Him. The best descriptions I have seen of this are in Psalms 51 and Isaiah 52:12 - 53. Isaiah 53 describes a suffering servant who suffered for all ( Isaiah describes this as a future event) - and Ps. 22 gives a pointed view of the rest of what the suffering servant went through.)
(If you would like, I will describe more about this .)
This comes as our fellow pede's rabbi describes- recognizing that anger is like idolatry when it is not dealt with . (or as another who was once called Rabbi taught, when you are angry, you are tempted to sin)- Jesus said: He who is angry with his brother (and good Samaritan parable makes clear all people are to be treated as our brothers and sisters) sets himself up for a tragic end. Even Jesus himself was angry, but the times He showed it were because of injustice toward others and the disdain for God's house, and he kept that anger under control.
One of the best ways to deal with the anger is to remember that we have been forgiven a great debt, as Jesus describes in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.- one that we are unable to pay on our own. We were, as Scripture describes it: enemies of God. Jesus came to both pay for our sin and restore our relationship to God. We forgive when we recognize that we are forgiven a great sum that we could never pay:
I find myself thinking 'forgive them for they know not what they've done'. A lot these days. What I have needed to forgive is embarrassing in comparison.
I used to mock people with the WWJD (what would Jesus do) bracelets. It was such foreign and weird thing to my much (much) younger self. And now those simple letters give me so much strength, direction and comfort.
No, you're right. It's an exceedingly hard challenge. Last time I re-read (Carefully) the text with Joseph and his brothers it was amazing how many times he had to reassure them he wasn't holding a grudge. He made a good show at the revelation but even after that, they were worried. "After we bring back Jacob he will let the hammer down. After Jacob dies, he'll get his revenge on us." They were worried to the end. Maybe rightfully so.
It could be the challenge I described of not getting anger is one of the hardest ones a person can achieve. But it's still in there. G-d knows, anger has been a hard enough problem for me.
My friend; Jewish, Gay and marched in every Civil Rights cause they could get to, vehemently supports 2a, is anti abortion - (to the point they'd never create another life casually or end a pregnancy that way - but doesn't protest against it.)
Is completely blind to what's is going on right now. Im baffled
I heard Rabbis say sometimes it is okay to /pretend/ to be angry, as a way to warn people. For instance, your son runs into the street. You yell and act angry to scare him into not doing it again. But you try not to feel the anger yourself.
(This would assume you're at the highest levels of being a Tzadik and your self control is so keen that your challenges are about controlling your emotions. Not many of us are at that level).
Righteous anger.... I don't know. Not sure how to judge what is righteous and what isn't.
I heard a Rabbi said the problem with anger is that it violates the very first commandment.... "I am the Lord your G-d who took you out of Egypt... you will have no other G-d's before me."
Anger is a type of idolatry. Because when I am angry I believe the world would be better if it was as I would organize it, not as G-d has organized it.
There's a tale of a trio of Yeshiva students. The question came up: "If you were G-d, what changes would you make to the world?"
The students gave various answers, but the third said: "I would leave the world just as it is." When asked to explain, he said: "The world looks imperfect to me because I am a human being and have limited perspective. If I was G-d, I would have the perspective to see that this is the best of all possible worlds, and therefore I would not change a thing."
Anger is the idea that the world is messed up because it's not the way /I/ want it. Therefore, it is a form of idolatry. We worship ourselves instead of G-d, thinking our view of the world should supersede his.
Still, that being said, I don't always think I can be expected to relish my role in G-d's plan. If I was destined to terrible starvation, torture, and death in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, wouldn't I have the right to criticize G-d's design? It would make no sense to me, at least in this world. Perhaps in the next one I will discover a remarkable reward, like all the suffering completely cleansed me of sins enabling me to enter higher levels of heaven. But I don't have that assurance here.
It seems obvious to me the unvaccinated are being groomed to be the new scapegoat. The "new Jews" of this next Holocaust, if there is one. I've been screaming at "friends" on Facebook, that supporting vaccine passports is ipso facto supporting a new form of Segregation. Deaf ears. To blacks, to Jews, to people who you think would be conscious of history. Nothing. "If you don't like it, get vaccinated." Insane cop outs.
One of my favorite Rabbis who can be found online. He said the vaccinated / unvaccinated division is one more method the evil inclination (The Yetzer Hara) is using to create division in the world. Hate between the two camps. The challenge is not to hate. This same Rabbi who warned against taking the vaccine also said we are never, ever going back to normal. The only thing we can really do now is get in good with G-d. Repent, do Teshuvah, and return.
I wish I knew better how to do that.
Not to hate is a challenge that few have met. We see it in Joseph, who forgave his brothers after they sold him into slavery. (Genesis 50: 15 - 21) Admittedly, his brothers repented for that act, but Joseph still forgave them, even pointing to his place as compared to God's (with the inference that God was the only one who could claim innocence - remember, Joseph had brought a bad report about his brothers.) We also see it in Moses, when he prays that God would blot his name out of the book of Life, for the sake of God's people remaining in it (Even though the Israelites threatened to stone him on more than one occasion), but God did not accept that offer. Getting in good with God is also a challenge, because our sin separates us from Him. The best descriptions I have seen of this are in Psalms 51 and Isaiah 52:12 - 53. Isaiah 53 describes a suffering servant who suffered for all ( Isaiah describes this as a future event) - and Ps. 22 gives a pointed view of the rest of what the suffering servant went through.)
(If you would like, I will describe more about this .)
More please, I struggle with forgiveness at times.
I do forgive but I always can learn more.... forgiveness is a way of life
This comes as our fellow pede's rabbi describes- recognizing that anger is like idolatry when it is not dealt with . (or as another who was once called Rabbi taught, when you are angry, you are tempted to sin)- Jesus said: He who is angry with his brother (and good Samaritan parable makes clear all people are to be treated as our brothers and sisters) sets himself up for a tragic end. Even Jesus himself was angry, but the times He showed it were because of injustice toward others and the disdain for God's house, and he kept that anger under control.
One of the best ways to deal with the anger is to remember that we have been forgiven a great debt, as Jesus describes in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.- one that we are unable to pay on our own. We were, as Scripture describes it: enemies of God. Jesus came to both pay for our sin and restore our relationship to God. We forgive when we recognize that we are forgiven a great sum that we could never pay:
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/dealing-with-difficult-problems/forgiveness
There is some great advice here: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-forgiveness-being-forgiven-forgiving-others-forgiving-yourself.html
Thank you, and God Bless you
I find myself thinking 'forgive them for they know not what they've done'. A lot these days. What I have needed to forgive is embarrassing in comparison.
I used to mock people with the WWJD (what would Jesus do) bracelets. It was such foreign and weird thing to my much (much) younger self. And now those simple letters give me so much strength, direction and comfort.
No, you're right. It's an exceedingly hard challenge. Last time I re-read (Carefully) the text with Joseph and his brothers it was amazing how many times he had to reassure them he wasn't holding a grudge. He made a good show at the revelation but even after that, they were worried. "After we bring back Jacob he will let the hammer down. After Jacob dies, he'll get his revenge on us." They were worried to the end. Maybe rightfully so.
It could be the challenge I described of not getting anger is one of the hardest ones a person can achieve. But it's still in there. G-d knows, anger has been a hard enough problem for me.
I hate evil, it's allowed by God and even required.
I agree! We are to hate sin- especially when we see it in ourselves!
My friend; Jewish, Gay and marched in every Civil Rights cause they could get to, vehemently supports 2a, is anti abortion - (to the point they'd never create another life casually or end a pregnancy that way - but doesn't protest against it.)
Is completely blind to what's is going on right now. Im baffled
That's a confusing set of traits there.
A lot of people are blind. It's designed to be hard to see.
Jesus said to be angry and sin not. It's the sin or broken fellowship with God that is the issue. Not the anger.
Jesus Christ had righteous anger.
I heard Rabbis say sometimes it is okay to /pretend/ to be angry, as a way to warn people. For instance, your son runs into the street. You yell and act angry to scare him into not doing it again. But you try not to feel the anger yourself.
(This would assume you're at the highest levels of being a Tzadik and your self control is so keen that your challenges are about controlling your emotions. Not many of us are at that level).
Righteous anger.... I don't know. Not sure how to judge what is righteous and what isn't.