I am not one to listen to much Jewish music, there are several reasons, the most important being that almost all Jewish music sucks. It either sounds like a full horn section with beats right out of a Debbie Gibson song, or they have to make it sound like techno. Add to this factor that I am not into the downloading scene- I take from my buddies 500 gig hard drive and that it is nearly impossible to find that Marvelous Middos Machine album at your local independent record store and even John Cussack in High Fidelity wouldn’t have known what you were talking about- I rarely get to listen to Jewish music.
Two weeks ago the fine folks from Sameach Music who are big fans of my videos and blog contacted me and asked me to do some CD reviews. I hesitated, for wouldn’t it be selling out if I hated the CD’s but felt inclined to hook them up for basically sending me three free CD’s and we all know how cost prohibitive Jewish CD’s are. I was trying to recall the last time I had gotten a brand new in the package CD. I debated whether it was Offsrping’s Smash album in 1994 or Use Your Illusions One in the same year.
Out of the three CD’s I got, I figured it wouldn’t be right to review real music CD’s until after Lag Baomer on Thursday night. I also wanted to listen to the only one of the three I had heard everyone talking about. All I hear about is AKA- Pella which brings to mind three men in flat straw hats, plaid pants and walking sticks singing Tommy Dorsey songs to ladies walking in the park. Well I was absolutely shocked at what these fine folks who have cleverly called themselves AKA-Pella have done to the fine art of accapella.
On the back of the CD in place of the parental warning explicit lyrics there is a Jewish warning (no women were used in the production of this CD) nah I’m joking- it says “no musical instruments were used in the production of this album” Upon putting the disk into my stereo at work- I read this statement at least three times- kind of like when you read your acceptance letter to college and can’t believe it, this is how I felt as I was listening to obvious instruments, I mean there was percussion and guitar and everything that goes along with remaking Bon Jovis- Its my Life into a song named Etz Chaim- the first song on the CD, I liked it- but I thought about my ghetto heter idea and this seemed to be encroaching on the ghetto heter territory.
Then a rather obscure song which I absolutely love came on and it took me a full 3 minutes of singing in English to realize I wasn’t listening to the Moody Blues and it wasn’t Nights in White Satin but a beautiful Hebrew rendition. Then I laughed hysterically as this 80s metal ballad from White Lion- how did they find these tracks- came on in this choir backed song. It was very good, but it was very funny- and I assume as of this writing they have met a similar demise to that of our friend Lipa Shmeltzer- they must have been banned and put in cherem multiple times. Yet I keep hearing about them from the black hat crowd- considering most of my friends would rather be caught listening to Hanson then Jewish music.
I like it- I’m not going to lie- I wouldn’t turn it up and show off, like those times I feel the need to blast Wu Tang, but it is an enjoyable album- and I felt so Godly because it is “supposedly” legal for the omer. I would love if someone could tell me exactly how they produced this album without the aid of instruments? I read articles about the voice usage and such, but what exactly is an instrument? Can one bang on a garbage pale and use that as a heter for drums?
If you want me to write about one of your products you can be smart and send me some free stuff, have me over for a meal or pay for advertising on this site. Sameach Music happens to be a great site with some good deals or at least the whole crossing out the old price makes it “seem” like a good deal- like when you shop at Syms. Check out the AKA Pella website- where the song upon entering is Everybody by the Backstreet Boys- yes I have this album and play it proudly.
56 responses so far ↓
1 maamin // May 21, 2008 at 10:31 am
Hesh,
I was in a local seforim store and heard ani maamin being belted out to “Knights in White Satin”. I think that this melody was created for ani maamin. The soulfulness matches the words perfectly.
2 stacy // May 21, 2008 at 10:48 am
Et tu Hesh?
3 heshman // May 21, 2008 at 10:48 am
Haha- good comment, I would have been shocked if I heard it in a Judaica store.
4 G in L.A. // May 21, 2008 at 11:03 am
Sounds like updated Schlock Rock.
5 heshman // May 21, 2008 at 11:06 am
Yes but its kosher for sfira and the 3 weeks.
6 Shira Salamone // May 21, 2008 at 11:34 am
“I would love if someone could tell me exactly how they produced this album without the aid of instruments? I read articles about the voice usage and such, but what exactly is an instrument?” I, too am a bit skeptical. But one of the salespeople at West Side Judaica (in Manhattan) says he’s seen AKA Pella in performance, and that they really don’t use any musical instruments or electronic or computer enhancement.
7 Ben // May 21, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I have an a-ka-pela razor just for the omer , in addition I have challa baked with apple juice so we don’t wash friday night . I also have a ball of twine around my town so If my kid falls down I may lift him up. This is really a BS religion
8 Headbanger // May 21, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I have a new helloween album which I’m playing. I think it’s better than what you guys have, and it has the advantage of having real instruments.
9 Adam Shine // May 21, 2008 at 12:21 pm
This album was kind of a shlock rock theme.But A.K.A Pella took a different twist an put Hebrew Words that match the theme/essence of the song.
My personal fave is Chaveirim which they do to Friends.!
And Eitz Chaim to Its my Life sounded very cool.
The other 2 albums are Straight up Jewish tunes but with a twist like Yibaneh Hamikdsh with Sweet Home Alabama in there for good measure.
It’s fun to listen to and definately the best acappella out there but I’d still rather Jimmy Buffet
10 Xvi // May 21, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I really wonder what the status of the vocoder is as far as being an instrument. That said, I would actually prefer to hear a lot of these “covers” with full instrumentation.
These songs sort of fall in the between areas. Certain songs would have been so much better when played with real instruments (umacha/winds of change) whereas some would sound infinitely better as true acapella (nar hayisi/ help me rhonda). Instead they all get this lousy, electronic faux-acapella that all 3 weeks music has become.
Nar Hayisi actually got me thinking. If we are already ripping off legitimate songs for our music, a full Beach Boys themed sefirah album would probably be awesome. Its all already structured out.
11 Jewish Blogmeister // May 21, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Ben,
Good post there buddy. I would say different strokes for different folks. You would be hard pressed to find a place in the gemara or shulchan oruch that makes listening to music assur on sefira period. I’m just playing devil’s advocate here but not listening to music on sefira by some is seen as a chumra and nothing more since only a haircut and getting married are considered the main prohibitions. Whether or not you consider this album REAL a capella one thing is clear it doesn’t sound as good as an album with REAL musicians.
12 heshman // May 21, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Wait its not halachically wrong to listen to music during sefira?????????????
13 Headbanger // May 21, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Another unsourced statement of fiction.
14 heshman // May 21, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Hey headbanger you hitting up Opeth and Dream theater tomorrow night- I hate Opeth and seen DT like 5 times so I figured I would this one out. Its a good Lag Baomer show.
15 Tzvika // May 21, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Whoa! hold on.
I’m not a Rabbi but this is a very sensitive issue for some.As always.It comes down to religious adherence.I have friends who aren’t shmomer shabbos.I also have friends who flat out don’t listen to anythig during sefira.You can call them machmir if you will, but there is definately alot of opinions when it comes to what you can/should/choose to listen to during sefira.
You can listen to a cd like Chassidishe Oitzros and if that floats your boat fine.
Lev Tahor bridged the gap with a widely accepted album which was very basic 3 part harmony and nice yeshivish songs.
So they don’r sound like Beatachon and say ” Shabbat” but they are popular with the yeshivish. Beatachon Kol Zimra all cater to the more modern less yeshiva types(see West Side Zmirot, case in Point)and LT and A.K.A Pella do is cater to the more Yeshivish with their song style adn song selection.
A.K.A are geniuses at what they do. Blogmeisteris right that it doesn’t sound as REAL music. But the fact that it even enters into a conversation is a point unto itself.They have accomplished the feat of getting a sound that is so completely and totally musical. They have turned it into an art and that’s a musical accomplishment.Kol Zimrah and recent albums have beatboxing and guitars(even listen to the Vocal Version), A.K.A Pella is on a different level completely. Listen to what you feel is halachically acceptable. But don’t call other people’s views into question.
16 Yossi Rose // May 21, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I’d rather pure acappela without the electronic nonsense.I know it’s popular but it distorts the genre
17 Headbanger // May 21, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Nah I already have “Paganfest” tomorrow night at BBkings. It’s 4 battle metal bands which 2 of them are extremely awesome. What a good way to celebrate lag baomer with some warrior tunes.
18 ugottabelieve // May 21, 2008 at 3:10 pm
“my friends would rather be caught listening to Hanson then Jewish music.”
come on, you know that Hanson become popular because everyone secretly liked mmmbop
19 ugottabelieve // May 21, 2008 at 3:16 pm
even headbangers like you
20 M // May 21, 2008 at 3:32 pm
It’s interesting to hear what everyone says about akapella- I just wanted to mention one more thing.
What’s the point of doing something if you don’t understand the reason for it? Then it just becomes bunch of rules that you try to get out of.
The reason we don’t listen to music during sefira is because during sefira what we’re supposed to be doing is using our intellect to focus on ourselves and what we have to work on. Rabbi Akiva’s students died because their middos were not refined. Each day has a different blend of two sefiros which highlights a different aspect of perfecting our middos. Music is an emotional, soul experience, and diverts us from our tafkid during sefira.
Think about it- it’ll make your sefira meaningful and purposeful instead of just a countdown til Lag Ba’Omer.
21 Yochanan // May 21, 2008 at 4:11 pm
If banging on a garbage can is considered playing a musical instrument then it should be assur to use the fist-on-table beat during zemirot on Shabbat.
22 Ari // May 21, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Am very picky about my Jewish music too. And, I have to admit, AKA Pella delivers. The group has a sense of humor without being silly, and a sophisticated and smooth sound without being sleepy (and a really droll Web site).
23 sheva // May 21, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Ok so i am a Jewish music only kind of gal and i have to say this Aka pella album stinks. I am so suprised you like it Hesh. I too was once a Wu Tang /Offspring listener, and even though i’ve made the Jew Mu commitment i cant get down to the level of Aka pelichiksa or much of the music out there , but i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again…… When i listen to music i REALLY feel it. I use to change my whole day by a good Ani de franco song i mean it gets you where it gets you. Music is amazing that way and if something is going to get me sooooo deep than i want it to be Jewish. So we can debate all day what is better and FOR SURE secular music will win because its better quality , sound, style , but good for my Neshama , no way! Oh yah Jewish music has one thing on secular music it is rockin because it’s sooo 80’s retro because it is still made on TAPES! Rad dude!
24 chanief // May 21, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Oh look! It’s another bs loophole!!
Kudos to the guys who found yet another way to rip off the frum community, but I’m not all that impressed.
IMHO, if one is really frum and really believes that one shouldn’t be listening to music during sefirah, this would be prohibited too. Manipulating voices to replicate the sound of instruments, is the same, in spirit and intent, as listening to music created with those instruments.
Loopholes like this one really bug me because they completely defeat the purpose of the intended halacha or chumra… grumble… grumble…
25 Moshe Popak // May 21, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Ok I agree with Chanief they are too good for sefira.However did anybody think of the following(and this is just MHO)I listen to them both during and not during sefira.They are that good.Honestly.I agree with Ari too.
They have (again in MHO)the smoothest and perfectly produced sound in Jewish Muisc.
The belnd of harmonies and style of the vocals is teriffic and unique.
They have a soulful pop feel and it’s fun without selling out.
So I choose to think of it just as a cool album all around with the added bonus of being acceptable to listen to during sefira according to halacha(even though it may not be in the spirit of the timeframe)
26 Anon. // May 22, 2008 at 1:22 am
Ben,
I hear ya. You can find every heter in the world if you look hard enough. That’s some avoda though.
There isn’t a single Litvish/Chassidish group without its problems, big and small. But at least they’re trying.
This blog is quite the eye opener for me vis-a-vis the MO.
27 Aryeh // May 22, 2008 at 3:46 am
the best thing about sefira is that I don’t have to hear those irritating trumpets in jewish music!
28 urban gypsy // May 22, 2008 at 8:14 am
“The reason we don’t listen to music during sefira is because during sefira what we’re supposed to be doing is using our intellect to focus on ourselves and what we have to work on.”
That doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense. It’s like the reason why we read Pirkei Avos in the summer: because Shabbos is long and we might get into trouble. It takes ten minutes to read Pirkei Avos, leaving me hours and hours of time to get into trouble.
Similarly, if I don’t listen to music during sfirah, all that extra time will not nessecarily be used for working on our intellect or whatever.
No, the reason we don’t listen to music during sfirah is that it is a period of aveilus. Not listening to music certainly succeeds in making me feel very mournful.
29 Ben // May 22, 2008 at 10:07 am
Imagine you walk into a shiva house and A-Ka_Pela is playing on the stereo. Is that mourning? Are the frummies really so broken up over the mythical dieing of some guys!
30 heshman // May 22, 2008 at 10:24 am
Nope they aren’t if the frummies were so mad they would stop eating pizza during this time.
31 urban gypsy // May 22, 2008 at 10:24 am
I don’t understand your comment, Ben. That was a bit of a non sequitur. I cannot imagine that AKA Pela would ever be played in a shiva house because it’s disrespectful. Similarly, I don’t think anyone tears kryiah or sits on the floor during sfirah. They are different levels of mourning.
Also, what makes you so certain that the “dying of some guys” was mythical?
32 urban gypsy // May 22, 2008 at 10:27 am
Hesh, you know what, my mother used to forbid me from watching television, movies, and eating chocolate during sfirah! Since then she’s reneged on that (I explained to her that the no chocolate was a Lent thing) but I really think that there are people who take sfirah more seriously. How about the no buying new stuff minhag? Does anyone really refrain from buying new clothes or a new car on sfirah?
33 s(b.) // May 22, 2008 at 10:36 am
Hesh, if you’re interested in something more hip-hop style for sefirah, check out Yitz and friends’ (Y. Love, et al) thing here:
… myspace.com/7sefira
It’s funny, while looking for a link to it, I went to shemspeed.com, and :holy geography, batman!:, there you were. I laughed.
34 heshman // May 22, 2008 at 10:57 am
SB I had talked with Yitz on the phone the other day because we want to do a project together.
35 s(b.) // May 22, 2008 at 11:52 am
nice
36 M // May 22, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Anon 1:22, I really agree with you.
I love blogs in general cuz they’re an opportunity to learn from all different kinds of people who have had all different kinds of experience in their life and have had the opportunity to learn different things.
Urban gypsy, let me re-explain myself.
You use short Pirkei Avos for the long summer Shabbosim to disqualify working with our intellect being the reason for us not to listen to music. Several points here; firstly, please don’t bother with the “not get into trouble” line. That makes you sound like a group of fifteen year old teenagers. No one thinks you’re going to get into trouble. If Judaism thought that was a problem, it would have dictated activities for every moment of the day.
Second, you say that learning Pirkei Avos and the sephiros of the sefira doesn’t take you much time. Have you ever considered that maybe it was intended to? No one is forcing you to do anything- and that is the beauty of Judaism. (I’m going to get into some heavy philosophy here.)
Ok. God created the world to give us as much pleasure as He possibly could. What is the greatest pleasure He could possibly give us? Perfection. What is perfection? Him. How could He give us Him? He could give us His most unique trait that no one else has: bechira. How do we have bechira? By having choices. Thus…. -a- good and evil -b- nisyonos, trials and tribulation etc -c- the ability to *choose* whether to believe in God or not, follow His Torah or not, and the quality of life we will be having.
Another point: Torah is God’s word. God is infinite, thus, his Torah is infinity. By studying the Torah and all its derivatives, we are attaching ourselves to Infinity. (this is why the yeshivish world likes to attach themselves as much as they can to a Godal B’Torah- because they know he is far closer to God’s Infinity than they are) When Hashem gave us the Torah, He said, “Here! Do whatever you blessed want with it!” But…. “Henei n’sati l’fanecha es ha’Chaim v’es ha’Maves. UBACHARTA B’CHAIM.” If you ask me, I’d recommend life.
So you can say your Pirkei Avos in ten minutes and you can say your Sefira bracha in fifteen seconds and you can make Kiddush every Friday night and you can shake the lulav on Succos, and you can be as far from Infinity as the day you were born.
No one is holding a gun to your head saying, “Do the mitzvos. Learn the Torah. Live a quality Jewish life.” All that should motivate you is the knowledge that the neshama that burns within you is A PART OF GOD HIMSELF, and that one day you will go up to God Himself, and stand before Him… And the only one that can answer for yourself is you.
We’re all trying, and we’re all imperfect, and, btw, yes, sefira is also a time of mourning- what I said was a deeper understanding of the mourning we are doing. Reread the part about Rabbi Akiva’s students and you’ll see it.
Hatzlacha Rabbah,
and all the best.
M
37 s(b.) // May 22, 2008 at 5:38 pm
M, I dig your words. If you ever want to get some online Pirkei study going, I’d totally be down with that (I dig it year-round; a little is a lot, you know?).
38 s(b.) // May 22, 2008 at 5:41 pm
but, I totally disagree with you, in my case, on this: “Music is an emotional, soul experience, and diverts us from our tafkid during sefira.” Soul and tafkid are inextricably linked, and I tend to find Judaism-related stuff popping out at me in my secular musical journeys. But that’s me. And that’s half the fun of Judaism — loving some things a person says and completely disagreeing with other things that same person says. It keeps me laughing.
39 M // May 22, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Thanks for the compliments, sb- I appreciated that.
Of course soul and tafkid are inextricabley linked.
It’ss druing sefira when music takes us beyond our intellect straight to the highest gate of Heaven, which *during sefira* is not our tafkid.
That’s the distinction.
Finding Judaism related stuff in your secular music journey shouldn’t be just you- a Jew should bring his Judaism wherever he goes, not just in the beis medrash.
And I totally agree with the last thing you said. Huge mussar shmooz there.
Pirkei Avos???
You know what??? That’s not a bad idea.
Maybe I’ll start one after finals.
I’ll ask Frum Satire if he can post it here to let y’all know.
Thanks!
40 urban gypsy // May 22, 2008 at 7:04 pm
M:
Thank you so much for taking the time to re-explain yourself. What you were saying is much more clear now. What I took issue with was when you said that it was THE reason instead of A reason. I just don’t like it when people completely ignore the straightforward, pshat reason for things and invent random, “deep” substitute reasons- which is clearly NOT your intention. As someone from a chassidic background, I fully appreciate your lovely elaboration on the deeper meaning for not listening to music during sfirah.
I recall a teacher of mine once telling us that people often bombard themselves with too much “background noise,” as in ipods, television blaring, chatting on cellphones nonstop, and it is impossible to do any real deep thinking under these conditions. Along this line of thought, I believe your explaination is very useful.
Two small quibbles: In my humble opinion, I think that you can also study Pirkei Avos for ten minutes and still be close to Infinity, as you put it. It’s the quality, not quantity of the study.
Also, music can be just as much of a deep intellectual exercise as an emotional one. Just listen to Schoenberg, or Thelonius Monk.
41 M // May 22, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Urban gyspy:
no prob- I understand your concerns. Actually, I heard it from R’ Tzipporah Heller- I should give her credit where credit is due. She came about two weeks ago for a day of learning on the Lower East Side.
About the background music- for sure. A teacher of mine (
) repeated this in the name of a certain I think it was old time Rosh Yeshiva, I’m not sure- He said that with the advent of electricity, people lost the time they had had between seudah shelishis and havdalah, when there was no light, to do what they had done until then- THINK! A million percent agreed.
One of the deeper understandings of Shabbos (and this is not Chassidish, I don’t think : ) ) is that it is a day when you pause from allowing all the outside to go into you, and instead allow the inside to go out of you. I think that’s an amazing way to look at Shabbos. It brings a whole new level of depth to the phrase, “Day of Rest.”
About the quality of study- there definitely is a point there. But I also think that you can’t say, as some are prone to say, that someone that learns as hour a day has the same quality of connection as someone who learns for a considerablely longer time. (and ps- this is coming from someone who had to realize on her own that everything her teachers were saying about Torah was right
) Of course there are people who are learning who should be doing more constructive things with their time, but you can’t say that as a general rule. There’s definitely a lot to be discussed on this topic.
42 s(b.) // May 22, 2008 at 9:04 pm
yes, pirkei avos. to start, anyway. I’m thinking a separate blog (maybe with a posted edress and password so anyone can start learning threads; this way, a variety of things can be studied by lots of people from different backgrounds and no one will care who’s wearing or eating what, ’cause we’re all in our own environments). the only guideline would be to treat each other respectfully, even when we disagree. where’s icehorse? he’d be a lovely moderator.
43 M // May 22, 2008 at 9:22 pm
LOL.
That’s actually a good idea.
I always say that blogosphere is the Beis Medrash transfered online.
44 heshman // May 22, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I can feel the love!!!!
45 Anonymous // May 24, 2008 at 11:45 pm
M,
“Ok. God created the world to give us as much pleasure as He possibly could.”
Nothing about that statement strikes you as a little bit strange? Not the least bit selfish or self-centered? I’m curious what kind of hashkafa you subscribe to that teaches such things.
46 M // May 26, 2008 at 12:38 am
To anon-
The idea is a basic tennant of Judaism, and actually, all human life.
Basically, what will give you the greatest pleasure is fufilling the Godliness within you.
How do you do that? By emulating the God’s different aspects such as Mercy, Compassion, Perfection, Justice, Giving, Creation, Intelligent Design….
Still sound selfish to you?
The world is built in with incentives- you do good, you feel good.
Is there anything wrong with that?
47 Anon.ymous // May 26, 2008 at 1:12 am
That’s at the very best a step on the ladder of spiritual growth. And a pretty low one at that. That’s like saying that we daven in shomene esrei for dvarim gashmiyim for our own sake, ch”v.
If you give a child candy for saying a bracha, it is only in order that he should eventually say the bracha lishma. Similarly by this idea you found somewhere that the whole bria was for our sake. Even if it is true, this is hardly the point!
48 Gozalim // May 26, 2008 at 6:55 am
why is my comment not posting?
49 someone else // May 26, 2008 at 7:00 am
Anon (11:45, 1:12) :
if you are troubled by M’s claim of the purpose of creation being to allow us mortals to achieve infinity,
let me suggest an alternative Hashkafa from the repertoire of Jewish Thought;
while M refers to “Lehaitiv Lebruav” which I believe is from Ramchal (although I’m not that familiar with the different schools of Mussar),
50 nu! // May 26, 2008 at 7:04 am
(continued)
there is a Midrash (Tanchuma) which says that G-d created the world “to dwell in the ‘lower realms’” i.e. to be able to express His Infinity within the mundane, limited, physical world.
51 i give up // May 26, 2008 at 7:07 am
-gozalim
52 gozalim // May 26, 2008 at 7:15 am
i have a response to anon. i can’t post it properly. i posted it under ’someone else’ and ‘nu!’ and i have another paragraph that i can’t get to post.
53 heshman // May 26, 2008 at 11:34 am
Sorry about the comments not being able to post, this site sometimes does wacky things- comments are not moderated unless they contain links. Apologize for the inconvenience
54 s(b.) // May 26, 2008 at 12:42 pm
To: Anon.ymous // May 26, 2008 at 1:12 am
One man’s ceiling is another man’s floor. That’s half the point of creating a SEPARATE blog for people who are willing to learn together without diminishing where another is in their learning progress. If you don’t like someone’s reason for something, don’t go by it, but please don’t dwarf another’s path toward learning. If it’s too simple for you, no one is forcing you to stay at the virtual table.
55 M // May 26, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I also had the same problem last night- I actually wrote that comment out three times- the first time it was actually quite long, and then gradually it got shorter and shorter until the fourth time I just switched computers and posted this abbreviated version from there.
Anon- I don’t understand what is the problem with this way of thought. On one hand, we do it because we know it is right, BUT it also feels good in the process. What, to you, is the ideal way of serving God?
There is a proviso in this way of thinking- and that is, that even when doing God’s will DOESN’T feel good, you have to do it because you know intellectually that you have to, and this is what God wants from you, and it is ultimately good for you. I once heard a very good thought from my seminary principal- Doing Mitzvos is like eating like bread and water. Even if you don’t want to, you HAVE to, because it will keep you alive. Even if you don’t WANT to do the mitzvos, and right now it doesn’t feel good to you, you HAVE to, becasue it’s keeping your neshama alive. To me it was a very important lesson to learn. Some people don’t keep Torah U’mitzvos because they don’t feel like they need it. But it’s not a matter of I want to/I don’t want to- in orcer to fuel your neshama yiseira straight from God, you HAVE to do the mitzvos as outlined in God’s manual for the Jews, the Torah.
Gozalim: I like what you are saying- I think that it is referring to a different topic in Judasism entirely- basically, how do we reach God, by utilising the physical reality, or transending physical reality. I wasn’t referring to that- I was referring to the fact that keeping the Torah feels incredibly satisfying and worthwhile.
Sb- you’re fully welcome to start it.
56 M // May 26, 2008 at 1:22 pm
And thank you for the comment.
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