GEN752 Some people believe that a person’s goal is to stay alive as long as possible and, if possible, to reach immortality.  While this has been an elusive goal for man from time immemorial, no one has been able to escape inevitable death in a physical sense.  Some have believed that if they can leave their names on a building, that is, have it called by their names, they will achieve immortality.  This was the goal, according to some commentators, of the generation who built a tower in order to challenge God.  They believed if they could erect this building, they “would make a name for themselves,” achieving immortality.  God not only foiled their plot by destroying the tower and dispersing the people, but He made sure that the immortality they sought and their memories would never be achieved.  Not one name of any of these individuals is recorded in the Torah.  But Judaism does tell us how indeed to achieve immortality in the spiritual sense.  AMEMEI 234

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN760 See [[GEN749]] Genesis 11:1 same AMEMEI 211

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN762 Although no one can physically remain alive after one’s death, Rashi, quoting the Talmud Berachot 18a, says that the righteous are considered alive even in death.  What does that mean?  It is because as long as the deeds of the righteous continue to have effect, they are as if alive.  Thus, keeping a person’s memory alive by continuing what he or she did or stood for keeps the person alive.  Rashi also implied this when he compared the deeds of the righteous to children. Just as children keep the memory of their parents alive by continuing the work and values of their parents, so, too, the actions of the righteous continue to have impact long after they are gone physically.  … Therefore, the living can help to keep the deceased alive even after they are no longer physically in the world.  AMEMEI 53

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN766 To understand [Jewish] chosenness, one must first understand the unique role of the Jews in the world and how that role developed.  Originally, God created the world with the desire that every human being would achieve the highest spirituality, holiness and closeness to God.  Beginning with the sin of Adam, the then by Cain, the people in the world continued to sin and gradually deteriorated spiritually.  Ten generations later, the entire world had sunk to such a low level that God was forced to destroy his creation and start over with Noah and his family.  However, soon after leaving the ark, Noah sinned by getting drunk, during which his son Ham and grandson Canaan sinned against him.  Eventually, the entire world sinned against God by building the Tower of Babel.  God then decided to achieve maximized spiritually among all human beings by selecting one individual, instilling the ideas and moral behavior only in this person’s family, and grow it into a nation.  The entire world would then “take notice” and gradually develop the maximal spirituality intended at creation.  God chose Abraham, and thus his descendants, to be moral role models for the world.  At the time of Messiah, the non-Jews of the world will voluntarily acknowledge the Jewish God and adopt the ways of Judaism.  Maimonides, Laws of Kings, 11:4.  This was the divine plan and the concept of chosenness of the Jewish people by God.  [Forgoing is synopsis of longer excerpt].  The microcosm of Jewish history and this goal can be seen in the first words of God to Abraham.  God tells Abraham to leave his society, his city, and his family to live in Canaan, thereby setting him part as different from all other people.  He promises Abraham that a great nation will come from him and eventually all people will bless him [this verse].  The blueprint of Jewish history is being separate with a different code of behavior until the rest of the world eventually acknowledges Abraham and his people.  Zechariah 8:23; Isaiah 49:6, Pesachim 87b, end of Aleinu prayer, Zechariah 14:9. AMEMEI 193

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN780 Abraham could not bear to know the “Truth” and see others around him who did not know or did not understand.  That is why he had a four-door tent, open to every direction, and he constantly invited guests in.  After a sumptuous meal, the strangers asked Abraham why he was so generous, and then Abraham explained the new idea about only One God called monotheism. Sotah 10b.  People were impressed both with Abraham’s idea and his charisma, and many people began to believe.  Thus, when God asked Abraham to leave his homeland and go to Canaan, he brought with him “people that he had made [acquired].”  The Talmud Sanhedrin 99a asks how can one human being “make” another human being and answers that through teaching a person Torah, you can “make” his or her soul.  Thus, Abraham reached out to everyone and taught everyone who would listen and convinced many people to believe.  AMEMEI 218

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN794 Since we know that Sarah was Abraham’s niece Genesis 11:29 and Rashi and nieces were also known at that time as “sisters,” Sarah did not really lie when she said that she was Abraham’s sister. It was not the entire truth (since she was also his wife), but even when she clearly could have legally made up any story [since in a case of life and death such as this, anything and everything is permitted to be said], she told a lie that had some truth in it.  AMEMEI 295

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN795 Judaism does truly admire physical beauty.  However, like any other special quality given by God, it should not be shown off with revealing clothes except on special occasions, which Judaism defines as in the bedroom with one’s spouse.  Sarah, Abraham’s wife, remained in the tent when strangers came to visit Genesis 18:9 despite the fact that she was exceedingly beautiful.   Western culture tells husbands to “show off” the beauty of their wives.  Yet, because Sarah stayed inside the tent, the Talmud Baba Metzia 87a calls the beautiful Sarah modest.  This is the meaning of the verse Psalms 45:14 that says that the honor is paid to the princess who remains hidden. Like the use of jewelry or the Torah, using that special quality only on an occasional basis and in the proper context is what makes that talent more appreciated, not less appreciated.  Because the mountain did not symbolically try to “show off” how great it was, Mount Sinai was called modest and was chosen as the site of the giving of the Torah.  Thus, hiding one’s special talent except for special occasions (as part of Jewish holiness) is one important aspect of Jewish modesty.  AMEMEI 184

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN802 Peer pressure seems to be a very powerful force in our society, causing people to alter their intended actions and behavior. … When the shepherds of Lot, Abraham’s nephew who lived with Abraham, began quarrelling with the shepherds of Abraham, the reaction of Abraham was swift: Rather than fighting the possible negative influences of Lot and his shepherds, Abraham ordered his nephew and his shepherds to immediately leave his household and part company.  … Thus we can see the fear of peer pressure that Abraham displayed.  Rather than combatting Lot’s beliefs, which were contrary to his own, he immediately ordered Lot to leave before any negative values could be acquired by his household.  We may also postulate that the peer pressure and negative influence of Lot himself influenced the views of his shepherds.  Lot then moves to Sodom, where his new peers more truly reflected his outlook on life.  AMEMEI 214

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN813 The Talmud implies Ketubot 51b that a person who is a political prisoner or a prisoner because of his Judaism has the same status as an actual captive.  Based on this equality, the obligation to secure freedom for Jews who are denied their ability to practice their Judaism openly is no less a mitzvah than freeing Jews behind physical bars.  Thus, the obligation to help Jews in Syria denied their religious freedom or Jews anywhere in the world under a dictatorship that prevents their freedom to behave as Jews (as was the case for many years in the Soviet Union) has precedence over any other obligation, according to the Shulchan Aruch. Yoreh De’ah 252:1,3. AMEMEI 198

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

GEN818 The first Jew, Abraham, was called a Hebrew [this verse] because, according to the Midrash Genesis Rabbah 42:13, the terms means that, regarding belief and action, the entire world was on one side while Abraham was on the other side (Ever).  Abraham’s actions and beliefs separated him from all others.  AMEMEI 122

SHOW FULL EXCERPT