In this blog I hope to report upon the latest classes. We've been holding classes for several years now, but in a low-key fashion. However, in order to bring more people to join in and emulate these activities, more publicity is needed--and that's the purpose of this blog.
Ultimately my hope is that from these modest beginnings this will grow into a thriving centre of ethical and spiritual growth for all, where the rich, nay, neverendingly profound but universally relevant teachings of the Torah will be disseminated to as many people as possible, all with the goal of preparing the world for the imminent arrival of the Moshiach, the Jewish Messiah.
Here is a picture of last week's class, on Monday 28 May 2007. Old-timers Alexei and Peter attended, and we welcomed Brigitte again. For the first time Gena brought along his friend, Wha, and for the first time Peter brought along his friend, Michael.
We discussed the Torah perspective on the reasons that we sometimes fail to recognise G-d's blessings and thank Him for them:
1. overinvolvement with material acquisition, which prevents one from enjoying the blessings one already has;
2. the consistency of the blessings over a lengthy period brings us to take them for granted;
3. a sense of estrangement from G-d due to a lack of deeper comprehension of the purpose of suffering:
3a. as a means to bring one to revealed blessing;
3b. to elevate the person by testing him (to see whether he will remain loyally devoted to G-d despite the suffering), so he will receive more reward in the world to come;
3b. to cleanse him of his sins, so he will receive his punishment in this world and his reward in the next, which is the scenario that G-d prefers for the righteous, rather than the reverse, which G-d prefers for the wicked.
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