Week's Roundup - the increasing value and relevance of every human being
Highlights from this week's learning and events; An eternal message from the Torah about how valuable every person is and what you can do about it
Did you know that the Torah has an eternal Divine Message that applies to every single human being? Authentic Torah learning grounds us in reality, both what we can observe and what is beyond our observation, grasp and even understanding, and leads to practical positive action. Positive for us and positive for those around us. Torah reveals our Divine Innate Spiritual Compass and brings our Spiritual Backbone to the forefront of life.
If you have adopted some or all of Enlightenment thinking, learning Torah will challenge everything you believe and hold dear.
In each Week’s Roundup, you will find a special topic, links to this week’s learning, the Torah perspective on current events, upcoming learning and action suggestions. This week we embrace the increasingly obvious infinite value of every human being. Learn, take hope and take action, and share.
We are twenty four days into the month of Adar. It’s a month of increasing joy every day and the joy increases every day even though Purim has passed. Dance with your family!
As each day passes, every human being becomes more relevant and more valuable!
If you have been the target of Enlightenment messaging that people are measured by productivity, you might have heard that AI will “replace” humans. Or that “robotics” will replace humans. Or perhaps you heard someone speak about, I shudder to write these words, “useless humans” rendered obsolete by modern technology.
Nothing to fear!
There is no such thing as a useless human being.
What makes a human being special is that he is created in G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Image. Period. He is not measured by his productivity or how many tasks he can do each day.
On the contrary, the highest calling of men is to Know G-d Al-mighty.
We learned this week in Chapter 30 of the Beis HaLevi’s Ma’amar on Bitachon (certainty that G-d Al-mighty is taking care of us) that man was created to labor. It is man’s choice to either labor in the knowing of G-d Al-mighty or to labor in the busy-ness of the world.
Not laboring at all is not a choice - it leads to death. Since that is not G-d Al-mighty’s design for us, then when deprived of labor, men spiral downwards into self-destruction and chaos. Witness formerly vibrant industrial towns and inner cities.
But this choice between laboring in the knowledge of G-d Al-mighty or worldly matters is only temporary, and it won’t be available to us for long.
The Rambam (Maimonides) writes that with the coming of Moshiach and the True and Complete Redemption, speedily now, the sole occupation of every human being will be know G-d Al-mighty.
Meaning that everyone will be laboring in the Knowledge of G-d Al-mighty. All our worldly labors will be replaced by machines to free us up for this indispensable labor, that only a human being can do!
So each person whose daily worldly occupation is eliminated by AI or by a robot, becomes freed up to devote his energies into the labor of Knowing G-d Al-mighty!
He doesn’t become useless, G-d forbid. He becomes infinitely more useful and valuable!!
That’s right, the more people unemployed because of modern technology, the more valuable an asset they become to G-d Al-mighty’s Vision and to their fellow men.
And, there is no end to this.
This is why the world needs more people. Since the knowledge of G-d Al-mighty, the Infinite Divine, is infinite, there is no limit to the number of people needed to have increasing insights into the Divine!
What is required of us now:
Turn every place where there are “idle” people who longer have work, harness their Divine Gift of Life Energy into the constant labor of knowing G-d Al-mighty. In those places, people are despairing because they are not aware of their infinite value to G-d Al-mighty and to men. We are going to change that forever.
Let’s find unused mall space and turn it into all-day Torah learning centers, in which each local resident can come and learn the Torah that applies to every human being.
The drug use, violence and depression and suicide will fade from memory. Instead, every person will be now occupied and laboring in the gift of knowing his Creator.
Look around your neighborhood. Identify a space. Contact the landlord and tell him you will drive foot traffic to his shopping strip or mall. Ask him to donate the use of the space and the electric and water. Put in folding chairs and tables with a coffee stand. Announce the first learning on local groups and publications and with flyers. Teach as much as you can yourself and we will help you broadcast live Torah classes into the space from 8 am to 7 pm every day except Shabbos. On Shabbos, review what was learned during the week.
Watch me describe what you can do here:
Psst! Looking for a good investment? Now that you know that the only guaranteed appreciating asset in our world is human beings, the obvious and best investment is to bring more human beings into the world!
Tell us in the comments below or respond by email to tell us what you are doing!
Let’s make it happen now that the sole occupation of the entire world will be to know G-d Al-mighty!
Shabbos is coming, a reminder for every human being that they are an intentional creation of G-d Al-mighty right now and a continuing beneficiary of His Love, His Joy and His Abundance! What an incredible moment to increase even more in joy!
Action: Use the link above to check Shabbos Candellighting times in your city around the world. Shabbos Candlelighting time in New York City this week (3/17/23) is 6:46 pm and Shabbos ends at 7:46 pm.
Here is some of the learning we did this week:
These videos are available in the content library at RabbiSmith.org (in parentheses) and also on YouTube by clicking the name of the learning. When you watch on YouTube please like, share and subscribe so the message of hope reaches more and more people. See below at the end of this article a list of upcoming classes both in person and on Zoom.
After Shabbos Learning
👉🎯Tanya Shaar HaYichud v'HaEmunah - Everything that is is within G-d Al-mighty's Knowledge of Himself.
Sunday Learning
👉 2023-03-12 - Mitzvos Hashem - Rabbi Steif #52 - More on refusing priestly cults for you & your kids (Playlist - Mitzvos Hashem of Rabbi Steif for Bnai Noach).
Wednesday Learning
👉 Zecharia 8:23 - Parshas Vayakhel - It’s essential to build the detailed elements of your Soul (Zecharia 8:23 Playlist).
Thursday Learning
👉 Emunah (Faith) in Action 43 - Beis HaLevi 30 - Exert you must - choose Divine Wisdom or Worldly Work. The Call to Action is identify a vacant store front and request of the landlord to use it for daily Torah classes and invite the people who are out of work and, let us know, and we will provide learning to be live broadcast in your site! (Emuna (Faith) in Action Playlist)
👉 Gate of Oneness - Definitions of Chassidus #7 - התבוננות - How to get vision (Gate of Oneness Playlist).
👉Want to understand the Passover (Pesach) Seder and the Hagadda? You will love this video: Passover (Pesach): Haggadah Part 1
👉🌟🌟🌟 Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei - Ever increasing joy carries us to the miracles above nature. (Torah Lessons Playlist).
On Substack this week:
On Substack, I write about the practical implications of Torah learning, and how to keep our thinking clear, grounded in honesty and common sense. Here’s The Rabbi Smith Bulletin for this week:
A Torah perspective on the world around us…
Ask in the comments below about topics and news you would like the Torah perspective on.
A peek ahead…
Passover (Pesach) is three weeks away. Watch the first in our new series explaining the Passover (Pesach) Hagada.
You can watch the Pesach video series on the Pesach Playlist. Topics include:
A thought in concluding for now…
Thank G-d, we live in the most inspiring and incredible times in the history of the world. We have a great and beautiful mission before us. The need in the people is great, time is of the essence and the undertaking is massive, but eminently doable with the help of G-d Al-mighty. Please consider a generous gift to bring this message of hope to thousands more people, by clicking here.
May G-d Al-mighty bless you and Gut Shabbos!
See more actions further down. Torah learning and positive actions are the key to our future.
Upcoming Learning:
All learning uses the following Zoom link: https://bit.ly/BeisMedrash. Sponsor learning in honor or memory of a loved one.
👉Yeshiva Shem V'Ever
Shabbos Afternoon (Saturday) 4 pm Eastern
We will be learning Torah relevant to non-Jews with Jews and non-Jews.
Tanya: Sha'ar Hayichud v'HaEmunah - the Gate of Oneness and Faith
In person in Passaic, New Jersey, only.
👉Rabbi Steif Mitzvos Hashem
SUNDAY 7 am Eastern (1 pm Germany time)
Rabbi Steif wrote this holy book to avert the Holocaust by making sure that both Jews and non-Jews should know clearly G-d Al-mighty's rules for non-Jews.
👉Zecharia 8:23 - Weekly Torah Portion, Prayer and Talmud
WEDNESDAY 8:00 pm Eastern
Learn the week's Torah Portion (parsha) as it is relevant to every man, Prayer for every man and portions of the Talmud that are relevant to non-Jews
👉Emunah (Faith) in Action
THURSDAY 10 am Eastern - Note New Time
Only with tranquility of the soul can we hear G-d Al-Mighty's voice clearly, know what to do and have the strength to do it effectively
👉Gate of Oneness
Words on the Torah Portion
The Torah Experience - Life Fully Lived
THURSDAY 8:00 pm Eastern
Study the Gate of Oneness (Sha'ar HaYichud) by the Mittler Rebbe which teaches us how to think clearly. Delivered by Rabbi Shimon Chyrek. Rabbi Smith speaks on the weekly Torah portion at the end of the class.
Actions:
Take action to set up learning locations locally. How many people can you help ground today in the knowledge that they are created in G-d Al-mighty’s Divine Image and the entire world was created for their sake?
Gift generously to propel this message to more people. The need is great and time is of the essence. The mission is monumental, but with G-d Al-mighty’s help it eminently possible. Your generous gift shares your G-d given resources with everyone you help reach with this message of hope. May G-d Al-mighty bless you for your generosity.
Thank G-d, we are blessed with over 12,000 subscribers. Let’s reach twice as many people with your help. Please share this article encouraging your friends to subscribe and click below to gift a subscription to three other people. Thank you!
👉Dedicate a future edition of the Week’s Roundup by clicking here.
Lovely
Once again, a knock out of the ballpark!