Hebrew Bible

I have been asked to give the sermon at Congregation Israel in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, Dec 4, 2010. Instead of reading or speaking about the portion of the week (Torah, I have decided to talk about the Hebrew Bible and Spirituality. So, here are my thoughts:

The Hebrew Bible is composed of the following books: The first five books is called the Torah, the next section is the prophets, and the final section is called the writings. Together it makes 24 books and it is called the Tanakh. In order to understand the Hebrew Bible you need to read the Talmud. The Talmud is composed of the mishna plus the gemora. These are writings on the Torah that helps us understand it. For example think of an oil well. Can we use the oil that comes out of the ground? No! It first has to be refined to be used for practical purposes. This is like the process that the Talmud filters the teachings in the Torah so that we can understand it. Next we have codes, Responsa, kabbalah, mussar etc. Therefore we are not the people of the book, WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE LIBRARY!

New subject: Spirituality - Most Jews do not join synagogues because of a lot of reasons being money, polictics, etc. I believe that they do not understand religion or the meaning of being a Jew. Most Jews were taught some Hebrew and prayers for their Bar/Bat Mitsvah and a little bit of holidays and culture. This was not enough.

Everyone is looking for pleasure, happness or meaning in their life. Perhaps it would be best to define the difference between religion and spirituality.

Spirituality is about how you see the world and what matters to you the most. Spirituality is not something that comes from the outside in, but is something you already possess. In fact, it is who you are. Spirituality is internal while religion is external. Religion is based is a set of beliefs found in a bible. Spirituality is different for each individual. I like to think of it as being positive and looking for the beauty and the best in everyone and everything. I believe more Jews today are looking for swpirituality and meaning in their life and not finding it in the Temples and synagogues. In fact there are now three Spiritual Centers in the United States: one in California, Flordia, and New York City. These Spiritual Centers require solitude and silence. Spritual mentors don't lecture or scold, and do not advise or preach--they simply share their life's journey They are interested in the truth about themselves, their relationships and about their life. Spirituality is a process. It is a journey. It is about the truth that is planted deep inside you. In fact, "The twelve steps" is a spiritual program utilized to battle addiction to alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, and smoking. This is one of the best practical guides to spiritual living.

I believe that Texas can support a spiritual center.