Kashering the Material

In the previous post, the message was Torah-true but the one conveying it was not up to par.  What about the other way around, when the message isn't coming from Torah but the one conveying it is a fine, frum Jew?

Many of us wonder about various approaches to life's issues that are taken by those in the helping professions.  Often, these approaches are not coming from Torah, but they are adapted for a frum audience.  For example, frum authors like R' Zelig Pliskin study secular self-help sources and then present the material for frum audiences with relevant examples.  Does this "kasher" the material? Do we say, there is wisdom there and we can and should benefit from that wisdom?

Perhaps the truth and the benefit of the model depends on how it was come by.  By that I mean, did the person already have an approach that he or she used, and only afterward try to see how it fit with Torah sources? In other words, it wasn't Torah that informed their decision.

Or, were they not invested in any approach but looked to see what tools "out there" might be useful to a Yid in his avodas Hashem, middos improvement, and general life.

For the most part, I read and hear of frum people who have already invested in a non-Jewish approach who then try and show how it "fits" with Torah. 

The Medium Must Match the Message

The story is told of a maggid (itinerant preacher) who gave inspiring speeches but did not live by the standards he preached.  However, people did not know of the indiscretions in his private life.

He was once invited to speak in Brisk.  His personal conduct became known to R' Chaim Soloveitchik who did not allow the man to speak.  The maggid tried to convince him otherwise saying, "But every thing I say is true! I quote the sources and the stories and points that I make are all appropriate to my audience!"

R' Chaim did not accept this reasoning.  "Even kosher meat, shechted by an expert shochet and soaked and salted according to halacha, becomes treif if cooked in a treife pot!"

This story left me wondering, when do we apply "kabel es ha'emes mimi she'omro" (accept the truth from the one who says it)? If what the maggid taught was true, how did his imperfect personal life which was not known to his audience, affect his message? Maybe because his words did not "emanate from his heart" and therefore, they would not enter the hearts of his listeners.

to be continued

Being Real

Sometimes, I'm talking to someone or watching someone speak, and noticing that their way of talking and their body language is like something out of a play, like they're playing their role. I see exaggerated facial expressions so that it looks like someone being told by the drama teacher to display concern, for example.  

I've noticed this in speech, where people have a "persona," a pattern of speech they use. Maybe (in rare cases, I hope) it's picked up from TV. But even among yeshivish/Chasidish people I hear it in the exaggerated speech, or maybe exaggerated is not the right word ... the only way I can describe it is by saying it's like they're a character in the play. Does anybody know what I mean?

Even little children sometimes don't seem real, they seem to be copying someone.

And another thing. I wonder about authentic responses, i.e. we read so many stories, for ex. the Baal Shem Tov stories. The simple Jews or the Chasidim in those stories, were living real life. They weren't a story! What happened to them, later became told as a story, but it wasn't a story when they were going through it!

But what about us? When faced with a challenge in life, or some situation, do we sort of stand outside ourselves in order to assess the response we should make. Are we mentally reviewing all the stories we've read, to see which role we'll take? Now this can be a good thing! If we learn from good role models, that's wonderful! That is why we tell these stories. Yet, ... are we real?

And for those who think - what difference does it make, as long as we do and say the right thing, I say that's true up to a point.  Yes, we need to do and say the right thing.  But where is the emes?