CORE  

ETHICAL TEACHINGS
Commandments of the Torah-

Judaism, all though a very different religion, has very similar commandments to
Christianity. This is due to the fact that both religions acquire the same Old Testament,
but only Judaism follows the Old Testament today. The commandments were believed
to be handed down from Jesus on Mount Sinai, to Moses, who then spread the news to
the adherents. The most common commandment spoken today is “Honour thy father
and mother”, as they are the temporary parents which raise you on earth to find their
love and faith for God. It is also said not only to respect parents, but also to respect
teachers, as they are providing students with knowledge and raising them just like a
parent. One of the most important commandments is to remember the Sabbath day
(Shabbat), as it is a day where adherents do not do their weekly jobs, and instead to
pray more frequently to God.

Prophetic vision-

A large percentage of adherents think of a prophet as a person who sees the future,
buts it’s much more than that. A prophet is basically a person who is regarded as an
inspired teacher of the will of God. They are people which God has chosen to speak to
people on Gods behalf and deliver a message. From prophets, Jews believe in a
monotheistic faith, Gods love for all, unity of God and the covenant between God and
man. Jewish believe that the biblical prophet Isiah dreamed of world peace, starting
from the simplest things such as the wolf dwelling with a sheep. Jewish people hope for
the world to end like this, as it will cause more people to find their way closer to their
faith, and God.

Book of Proverbs-

The book of proverbs is the second of three sections of the Hebrew bible. It is an
example of the biblical wisdom tradition, and educates questions of values, moral
behaviour, correct conduct and the meaning of life. The book of proverbs is attributed to
King Solomon, son of King David, who was the youngest son of Jesse from Judah. The
book of proverbs is literally a Biblical collection of hundreds of moral sayings, which
assist adherents in becoming a better person and closer to their faith.

Tikkun Olam-

Tikkun Olam is translated from Hebrew meaning “world repair”. This phrase originates
from the teachings of the 16th century from mystic Isaac Luria. Tikkun Olam is a phrase
which is said to remind Jewish adherents that the world must be kept perfect, and that if
one person saves another person from harm, then that person has saved the world.
Avot 2:21 says “It is not your task to complete the work but you are not free to desist it”,
meaning they don’t need to do all the work alone, nor to discontinue their process. This
teaches Jewish adherents that human beings are what make up the world, and to keep
it perfect, they must all work together to keep it unspoiled, and to not give up.
JEWISH PHILOSOPHY AND ETHNICS

By Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

The name of this class, Ramchal, is a name by which Rabbi Luzzato is commonly known and is a
Hebrew acronym for Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto, the outstanding scholar and teacher of Jewish
ethics who lived in the 18th century.
Join us in a slow and deliberate study of these important works by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto,
master Kabbalist, philosopher, moralist, and thinker. We will cite the books nearly sentence by
sentence, explain them, delve deeply into their wisdom, and grow within our beings in the process.
Our teacher will be Rabbi Yaakov Feldman, a student of the late Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, of blessed
memory. Rabbi Feldman conducts Torah.org’s “In Search of Spiritual Excellence”; and he has
translated and offered a commentary to another work by Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, “The Path of the
Just”. He has done the same for Bachya Ibn Pakudah’s “The Duties of the Heart”, Rabbeinu Yonah’s
“The Gates of Repentance” (Jason Aronson Publishers), and Rabbi Luzzato’s “The Way of G-d”.
This series is dedicated to the memory of Yitzchak Hehrsh ben Daniel z”l, and Sara Rivka bas
Yaakov Dovid, z”l.
Questions are welcome and should be directed to Rabbi Feldman.

“Da’at Tevunot — The Knowing Heart”

Ramchal’s Da’at Tevunot lays out several of the most vexing issues in life and offers inspiriting
solutions to them based on Kabbalah. The issues include G-d’s sovereignty, the role of evil and
wrongdoing in the world, the meaning of life, G-d’s plans for the cosmos, and more. But while the
work is based on the Kabbalistic system, it doesn’t depend on Kabbalistic terms and images, so it
could be understood and enjoyed by all.
You can find the original Hebrew version online here for your reference.

“Fundamentals of the Jewish Faith”

This new class in the “Ramchal” series will be based on a lesser known, brief work of Rabbi Moshe
Chaim Luzzatto’s that’s entitled Ma’amar HaIkkurim (literally, “A Discourse on Fundamentals”). Like
“The Way of G-d”, this work also goes about explaining essentials of the Jewish Faith clearly and
concisely, but it explores things discussed in the other work from another angle and also delves into
things not mentioned there. They touch upon what we Jews believe that others don’t, what our over-
all world view is, what matters most and what least, what the future holds, what’s expected of us and
what we can hope for, and a lot more.
The topics under discussion are entitled: “G-d”, “The Spiritual Realm”, “Torah and Mitzvot”, “Reward
and Punishment”, “Heaven and Hell”, “Divine Providence”, “Moses and Prophecy”, “The
Redemption”, “Miracles”, and “The Oral Torah”.
You can find the original Hebrew version online here for your reference.

“The Great Redemption”

At bottom, each nation is a product of its dreams and realizations. And while we Jews have certainly
come upon a world of realizations in the course of our 2,000 year long exile, we’ve forgotten some of
our dreams. Perhaps the greatest of them though is the dream of the coming of the Moshiach
(“Messiah”) at long last and our being redeemed. But how will that happen, and what will be going on
in the Celestial background to bring it about? Ramchal discussed all that in an early work entitled “A
Discourse on The Redemption”.
You can find the original Hebrew version online here for your reference.
“The Way of G-d”
Perhaps nothing stirs the Jewish heart more than the idea that G-d can largely be explained, that our
metaphysical ties to Him are real, and that there are tangible things we can do to draw closer and
closer to Him our whole lives long. All of this is discussed with great depth and clarity in a
masterwork of Jewish thought known as “The Way of G-d”.
Join us in a slow and deliberate study of this central work by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, master
Kabbalist, philosopher, moralist, and thinker. We will cite the book nearly sentence by sentence,
explain it, delve deeply into its wisdom, and grow within our beings in the process.
You can find the original Hebrew version online here for your reference.
 
The Chofetz Chaim and the Eclipse
Posted on August 21, 2017 By Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein | Level: Beginner

Reprinted from Cross-Currents.com
Thanks to a prominent US rabbi who wishes to stay anonymous, Cross-Currents is pleased to offer
a translation of the Shmuel Pliskin article on the Chofetz Chaim’s reaction to a solar eclipse that he
knew was going to be visible in his community. It is a fascinating read, redolent with the tzidkus of
the Chofetz Chaim. [Thanks also go to Josh Flug of Boca Raton for the clever research that led to
the conclusion that the event described in the article took place on June 29, 1927.]
It was a regular summer evening, broiling, a Tuesday night. The Chofetz Chaim, the elder, had just
completed saying Aleinu. After he placed his siddur down on the table, he surveyed the crowd that
had gathered in his narrow room for the Maariv prayer, and then finally tapped on the edge of the
table and began to speak:
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of
all men [Kohelet, 7:2] The implication is that even in a house of feasting, one can learn a similar
lesson — for man is not eternal…
When the government sends a new ruler to the city, his predecessor knows that his time to leave is
coming, he may still be the ruler, but not for much longer …
And behold the little children who are recently born, their [presence] reminds us that we should not
[subconsciously] think that there exists an exclusive “group of people that will die” [a chevra of dead
men] — it is the fate of all men to die — he is not an eternal creation.
Hashem — Blessed be He — established within the natural order of His creation a solar eclipse [lit:
a stricken sun] to counter the errant ones (the sun worshippers who believe that a divine power
abides in the Sun). A time comes and the sun is stricken, diminished so that they shall know that the
sun is a creation and not a creator! — And also with man we see the same.
And the Chofetz Chaim taps again with his right hand on the table with an expression of victory, and
smiling he adds, “They should come to see. It is a mitzvah to see the sun eclipsed, to actually see
that a creation was actually formed [by the Creator] … And he taps lightly again with his right hand, a
quiet smile …
And the whole crowd slowly leaves the narrow room, breathing into their lungs, the refreshing air of
the chilly night, and they are conversing regarding the solar eclipse that will take place in the
morrow.
Like lightning, the knowledge spreads, in every home they are relating that the Chofetz Chaim has
declared “it is a mitzvah to see” how the sun shall be stricken tomorrow…
They are looking for broken shards of glass; a cheap purchase ostensibly, that should be easily
obtainable (lit. rolls to your feet) — however not at a time of solar eclipse — this is a privileged
purchase that simply cannot be found. And the elaborate production of the blackening of the broken
glass shards by the light of the candle has commenced.
And it was evening and it was morning on the fourth day. With dawn, it appeared to be a regular
morning like everyday, but nevertheless — so different than always. Never was the street so awake,
bustling with life at such an early hour like today — the whole city old and young — on its feet.
And the sun marched on its normal, pride-filled course, it burned with strength on the heads of the
men that gathered, on the market and on the green treetops that are shaking, on the horizon.
The sun penetrated that narrow room, it poured light on its floor, like golden sand, sparkling
underneath the venerable one. Though he wore shoes, it was like carpet to his feet, the Chofetz
Chaim who is sitting on his chair, with his hands and muscles wrapped in straps of tefillin, straps that
connect his hand to his heart and his heart to the [tefillin] knot on the head ….
And it is all made of techelet-blue, immersed in techelet-blue, in the sea and the heavens, his fist
raised in the air, his voice roaring in strength:
“He who forms light and creates darkness” ….
And how strange now have the shadows become, shadows of light , that roll around the feet of the
venerable one.
And [the sun’s] clarity, its blinding white light [lit. Alabaster] has been turned to redness, redness that
gains strength, like the whip that strikes a deep wound in its midst, a grave wound.
The giant sphere of the sun in the midst of its flowering adolescence has been suddenly struck down
— a cheerful life, its youthful days ever shortening….
(The author continues with the metaphor of the sun’s death) The snorting sound of the deathly ill old
man can not be not heard, no! The mighty sound of the massive blood spillage is deaf to the ears.
The livestock and the cows in the field are afraid; Darkness! All the while, the eyes of men sparkle
from happiness and satisfaction
Here and there, groups are gathering — on the ledges and the bridges. From behind the blackened
glasses across to the stricken sun which is darkened halfway — the redness
Also right next to the Yeshiva building, the bochurim [young single men] are standing gazing
upwards. Behold, in the corner, by the cherry tree, whose white blossoms have also now reddened,
stands Rav Naftali [Trop], the Rosh Yeshiva of Radin, and he looks from behind his darkened glass
shards with deep eyes, sunken into their sockets, his fist is closed and shaking, with his big thumb,
he explained to those that are close —- “we don’t simply look we must gaze”
The mashgiach can be seen leaving the Yeshiva building with hurried strides, with alacrity he takes
the glass from the hand of one of the bochurim who hands it to him, and he stands, ready to peer
deeply….
And there surrounding the venerable one, around the Chofetz Chaim is gathered a large group.
He started his day early and he prayed Shacharis with the community at an earlier time than all other
days; Around him stood those who davened in his minyan, in anticipation, with the intent maybe one
of them shall merit and the Chofetz Chaim will use one of their pieces of broken glass to look [at the
eclipse].
….Except that Yitzchak, the black bearded one, preceded them. An energetic and well well thought
out type, he exhibited many acts of courage and strength in his life; When he was young, he had left
his mother and father, [the latter was a Rav in the city V… in Red Russia] and he escaped; he who
understood how to deal with the men of the Soviet borders, had already prepared for the Chofetz
Chaim, a special triply thick, darkened pair of glasses which properly fit the good and trustworthy
eyes of the holy and vaunted elder.
The righteous one does this [looking at the eclipse] with holy trepidation, exactly as he would silently
gaze at his chanukiah, from it he does not remove his eyes so long as there are sparkling remnants
of oil…
And the courtyard of the yeshiva entirely is turned into an observatory, except that there, they simply
“look” from behind a telescope, while here they “gaze” with supple eyes behind primitive glass
shards….
And behold the darkness has eclipsed the entire sphere, as if a large well of ink has spilled and filled
the space … a strange darkness, not that of the twilight nor even like the thick darkness of night …
Behold, a black curtain has been stretched on the face of the Sun; there remains not even one red
streak
And behold the Wonder : –
Behold, behold, once again, born is the new sun — like the six days of creation
But not at one time — like a train it grows slowly, like a baby that develops — a red thin narrow
streak emerges, it widens more and more, the red streak grows and grows …. and soon the light
pours out from the center, a redness [that portends] the signs of life, of the blood that circulates in
the veins…
and the cherry tree once again receives its white flowering and the cattle in the field are more
confident, and the bird in the sky flaps its wings with greater confidence, still mixed with a small
amount of fear. And the men, small creatures sparkle with their pleased and satisfied eyes …
Slowly, slowly, its redness turns to a clear and strong light — the sun in its power.
And the Chofetz Chaim, the venerable one, sits and rests a bit on the chair they had brought out for
him by the door of the house.
He rests, and a deep silence envelopes him — step by step, the elder returns to his house and after
him R. Mendel, his son-in-law, and escorting them from behind is Yitzchak the black bearded one,
who carries the chair upon which the Chofetz Chaim had rested [back] to the house. And the
venerable one, who is completely pure and holy, stops once again by the side of the simple wood
table which is in the middle of the room — he utters orders a joyous cry with an expression of
victory:
Now all have seen that the sun is nothing more than a creation!
 Tefilah: Praying With Joy
By Rabbi Daniel Travis
Imagine the following scenario:
Your cell phone alarm rings. Six forty-five. It’s morning, but the sun is barely shining. Work beckons.
Sour milk. Cluttered table. The children need to be woken, dressed, fed and rushed off to meet the
big yellow bus. Is there a method to this madness? If there isn’t, should there be?
One of the most beautiful aspects of living a Jewish life is that G-d is included in every minute of
every day. Tefilah: Praying with Joy offers detailed rules on how to wake up, wash up, and get out of
the house in the morning. There are Halachos for every little act we do; there is spirituality all the
time and not just at inspirational moments; there is a special significance to waking up to serve
Hashem from the start of our day.
The purpose of this class is to explain how a Jew conducts himself or herself from the moment he
wakens. We will also explore the prayer book. Navigating the prayers and understanding them will
become much easier when you begin learning with Rabbi Travis!
Subscribe to Tefilah: Praying With Joy and receive this class via e-mail.

Understanding the Halachos of Getting Out of Bed

 Early to Rise
 The Prayer of Modeh Ani
 Washing the Hands
 Created With Wisdom
 Returning Our Souls
 Like a Lion
Kindness before Prayer
 Kindness and Justice
Unlimited Pleasure: Understanding the Blessings on Torah
Study
 Simchas Torah
 Double Blessing
 Praying For Children
 The Chosen Nation
 Torah Readings
 Thinking and Writing
 Israel’s Destruction
Understanding the Morning Blessings
 It’s Good To Be a Jew
 Not To Be
 Out of Order
 Socks and Shoes
 Strength to the Weary
 According To His Will
Understanding the Mitzva of Saying 100 Blessings Each Day
 Life Saving
 Shabbos Treats
 Deep Breaths
 Communication Gaps
 Women of Valor
 G–d Fearing
Small Sacrifices: Understanding Parshas Korbanos
 Averting War
 Korban Tamid
 Standing Up
 Incense Offerings
 Korban Todah
 Other Korbanos
 Troubled Times
Special Signs: Understanding the Symbolism of Pesukei
D'zimra
 Of Bombs and Bandages
 Rising Up
 An Open Hand
 Symbolic Gestures
 The Art of Giving
 Without Pausing
 Returning from Battle
Kaddish
 Annulling Decrees
Foreign Beliefs: Understanding the First Blessing of Shema
 Searching for Truth
 Darkness By Day
 Significant Pauses
 The Angels and Us
 Kedusha with a Minyan
 Sheva Brachos
Eternal Love: Understanding the Second Blessing of Shema
 Tears for Torah
 Precious Gifts
 Never Forget
The Blessings before Shema
 Not Birchas Shema
 The Power of Light
Health Benefits: Understanding the Mitzva of Krias Shema
 Partners with Hashem
 248 Limbs
 252 Limbs
 Careful Recitation
 Slurring
 Long Life
 Life-Sustaining
The Blessings after Shema
 Sudden Death
 Miracles of Redemption
 Day and Night
 Entering Prayer
 Redemption Before Prayer
 Open My Lips
 Eternal Reward
Shemoneh Esrei
 A Desperate Plea
 Bowing
 Swaying
 Connected Feet
 Hand Positions
 A Meeting of Eyes
 Silent Messages
Impossible to Praise: Understanding of the First Three Brachos
of Shemoneh Esrei
 Heaping Praise
 First Blessing: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
 The Protocol of Royalty
 Second Blessing: Take Three
 National Honor
 The Book of Life
 Third Blessing: Burning Angels
Personal Needs: Understanding the Middle Blessings of
Shemoneh Esrei I
 Knowing What to Ask For
 The Fourth Blessing: Give Us the Wisdom to Know How to Ask
 The Fifth Blessing: Breaking Down Barriers
 The Sixth Blessing: Complete Forgiveness
 The Eighth Blessing: Divine Healing
 Visions of Jerusalem: Understanding the Middle Blessings of
Shemoneh Esrei II
 Tears
 The Tenth Blessing: Return
 Property and Prayer
 The Eleventh Blessing: Justice
 The Twelfth Blessing: Heretics
 The Thirteenth Blessing: Righteous People
 The Fourteenth Blessing: Jerusalem and Redemption
 The Fifteenth Blessing: Moshiach
 The Sixteenth Blessing: Hear Our Prayer
Self-Sacrifice: Understanding the Last Three Blessings of
Shemoneh Esrei
 Burnt Offerings
 The Seventeenth Blessing: Fires of Israel
 The Seventeenth Blessing (cont.): Temple Service
 The Eighteenth Blessing: Expressing Gratitude
 The Eighteenth Blessing (cont.): For the Miracles
 The Nineteenth Blessing: Prayers of Peace
 The Nineteenth Blessing (cont.): Tranquility Through Torah
Understanding the Three Steps Back After Shemoneh Esrei
 Leaving the King
 Leaving Hashem
 Big and Small Steps
 Taking the Steps
 Coming Back
 Unusual Circumstances
 Protected from Harm
Finishing Touches: Understanding the End of Shemoneh Esrei
 The Power of Prayer
 Slander and Falsehood
 Protection from Enemies
 Personal Requests
 What’s In a Name?
 The Bottom Line
 The Divine Presence
Falling Before Hashem: Understanding Tachanun
 Prayers Against Pestilence
 Face-Down
 Right or Left
 In Front of the Ark
 Dangerous at Night
 Women and Tachanun
 Uninterrupted Prayer
Shemoneh Esrei Revisited: Understanding Chazaras Hashatz
 Pay Attention
 Fulfilling One’s Obligation
 Listening
 Half Kedusha
 Microphones
 Noisy Shuls
 Too Much to Bear
Leaping Souls: Understanding the Halachos and Customs of
Kedusha
 Heavenly Bound
 Standing before Hashem
 Connected Eyes
 Invitations
 A Chazzan’s Kedusha
 Multiple Kedushos
 Angelic Praise
Blessing with Love: Understanding the Mitzva of Birkas
Kohanim
 Hashem’s Blessing
 Gazing through Windows
 Bloody Hands
 Bloody Hands
 Complete Concentration
 Dangerous Blessings
 Two Hands
 Of Prisons and Fires
Ending Well: Understanding Aleinu
 Yehoshua and Achan
 Vanity and Emptiness
 Bowing Down
 A Sign of Respect
 The Order of  Aleinu
 Leaving Early
 A Message from Above
The Beauty of Song: Understanding the Shir shel Yom
 Making Time for Song
 Temple Song
 Sundays and Wednesdays
 A Song of Vengeance
 Morning or Afternoon
 Double Song
 A Song Without a Song
The Last Word: Halachos of Answering Amen
 Life of Death
 Obligation or Optional
 A Child’s Blessing
 A Non-Jew’s Blessing
 Snatchers, Cutters and Orphans
 Matters of Life and Death
 The Gates of Gan Eden
To Stand before the King: Special Garments for Tefillah
 Dressed for the Occasion
 Dignified Dress
 Putting On a Hat
 Wearing a Belt
A Garment of Illumination: Wearing a Tallis for Prayer
 Dressed in a Tallis
 A Tallis on One’s Head
 A Tallis without Tzitzis
Head Coverings
 Wigs and Snoods
 Women and Head Coverings I
 Women and Head Coverings II
 What Is a Head Covering?
Disrespectful Clothing
 The Tenth Man: A Gorilla
 Work Clothes
 Winter Clothes
 Raincoats and Galoshes
Over Exposed: Modest Attire for Tefillah
 A Shatz Wearing Shorts
 Praying in Pajamas
 Barefoot before Hashem
Washing One's Hands
 Destroying Impurity
 Netilas Yadayim According to the Zohar
 Mitzvah or Aveirah
 Kindness and Justice
 Other Reasons for Netilas Yadayim
 Washing for Bread
 Coming out Clean
Washing before Prayer
 Cleanliness Is Next to G-dliness
 Washing before Prayer
 A Sparkling Countenance
 Clean Feet
 Wash Your Mouth
 Taking a Shower
 Changing Places
Eating before Prayer
 Practicing Sorcery
 Health Reasons
 Small Portions
 Women and Children
 Hungry and Thirsty
 Coffee and Cake
 Depending on Hashem
Speaking to the King
 Taking Care of One’s Needs before Tefillah
 Personal Needs
 Spiritual Needs
 Shopping
 Taking out the Garbage
 Good Morning
 Royal Protocol
Defining Concentration
 After the Fact
 Gaining Composure
 Praying With Joy
 Frozen Hearts
 Good Intentions
 The Words Have Meaning
 Reflections of the Soul
The Power of Pausing
 Twenty Minute Pauses
 Pausing before Prayer
 An Hour or Less
 Seated in One’s Place
 Pausing During Prayer
 Pausing after Prayer
 Stop and Think
Adding Concentration
 A Trip to the Kosel
 Torah before Prayer
 Reciting Korbanos
 Kindness before Prayer
 Staying On Your Toes
 Praying in Private
 Salvation from Nothing
It’s All in the Eyes
 Visual Protection
 Gazing at the Heavens
 Looking Down
 Lifted Hearts
 Open Eyes
 Looking in the Eyes
 The Depth of the Eyes
Sources of Distraction
 What’s for Supper
 Holding On
 Mitzvah Objects and Siddurim
 Heavy Loads
 Repentance before Prayer
 Speaking before Prayer
 The Secret of Concentration
 THE SAYING OF THE SAGES IN-DEPTH
By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld
Beit Shemesh, Israel
Pirkei Avos, literally Chapters of Our Fathers, is a section of the Mishna, one of the most
fundamental works of the Jewish Oral Law. The Mishna was authored in the third century C.E., and
discusses laws and customs of virtually all areas of Judaism, ranging from holidays, dietary laws,
Temple service, marriage and divorce, and civil law. It records opinions of scholars from
approximately the five centuries preceding the Mishna’s writing. Pirkei Avos is the only section, or
tractate, of the Mishna which is devoted exclusively to the ethical and moral statements of the
Sages. For this reason, it is usually referred to in English as Ethics of Our Fathers.
In this class, Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld uncovers the beauty and depth of the Mishna. He brings to life
the words of the Sages in their original form, revealing their timelessness and relevancy, and
discusses fundamentals of Jewish philosophy and psychology in clear and communicative style.
Dovid Rosenfeld is a native of the Washington D.C. area. He received Rabbinic Ordination from Ner
Israel Rabbinical College in 1992, while also holding a Masters in Computer Science from the Johns
Hopkins University. He is currently a senior educator in Kollel Bet Zvi in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel.
He is also involved in a project devoted to the writing and dissemination of the Torah lectures of R.
Yochanan Zweig. He is the author of Torah.org’s highly popular Maimonides Views Life class. He
resides in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, together with his wife and children.
Subscribe to Pirkei Avos and receive this class via e-mail.

Chapter 1
 Mishna 1(a) : Who Gave the Rabbis the Right…Part 1
 Mishna 1(b) : The First Commandment: Know Yourself
 Mishna 1(c) : The Age of Wisdom
 Mishna 2: Patterns of the Universe
 Mishna 3: Living the Impossible
 Mishna 4: Purpose of Rabbis
 Mishna 5(a): Charity Begins at Home
 Mishna 5(b): Marriage and the Dark Side of the Force
 Mishna 6(a): Rabbis Versus Friends
 Mishna 6(b): G-d’s Justice System
 Mishna 7: Jewish Ghettos
 Mishna 8: Shaping Minds
 Chapter 1, Mishna 9: Jewish Crime Prevention
 Mishna 10: Work Makes Equal
 Mishna 11: Judaism vs. Western Civilization
 Mishna 12: Aaron vs. Moses
 Mishna 13(a): The Challenge of Life – Part I
 Mishna 13(b): The Challenge of Life – Part II
 Mishna 14: Living Inspired
 Mishna 15(a): The Song of the Soul
 Mishna 15(b): Actions – Not Words
 Mishna 15(c): Fast-Food Judaism
 Mishna 16: What Are Rabbis For?
 Mishna 17: Expressions of the Soul
 Mishna 18(a): Jew vs. Gentile in the Eyes of the Torah – Part I
 Mishna 18(b): Jew vs. Gentile in the Eyes of the Torah – Part II
Chapter 2
 Mishna 1(a) : Israel’s Dual Mission
 Mishna 1(b) : Diversity In Judaism
 Mishna 2(a) : Torah Study vs. Earning a Livelihood – Part I
 Mishna 2(b) : Torah Study vs. Earning a Livelihood – Part II
 Mishna 3: Judaism Vs. Democracy
 Mishna 4: The World’s User’s Guide
 Mishna 5(a): United We Stand
 Mishna 5(b): Fighting G-d’s Wars
 Mishna 5(c): High Stakes Life
 Mishna 6: A Religion of Answers
 Mishna 7: Spiritual Cause and Effect
 Mishna 8: The Many Paths to Greatness
 Mishna 9: Just Following Orders
 Mishna 10-11(a): Following in our Footsteps
 Mishna 10-11(b): Piety or Stupidity?
 Mishna 10-11(c): G-d’s Immanent Presence
 Mishna 10-11(d): Religious Neurotics
 Mishna 10-11(e), 12: Too Many Blessings
 Mishna 13(a): Thou Shall Not Covet
 Mishna 13(b): Explaining Away G-d
 Mishna 14(a): The Great Loan of Life
 Mishna 14(b): Peer Pressure
 Mishna 15(a): Anger and Self-Worship
 Mishna 15(b): Death and the Messiah
 Mishna 15(c): Writing Our Obituary
 Mishna 15(d): Facing Life
 Mishna 16: Baseless Hatred
 Mishna 17(a): Living or Dying for Judaism?
 Mishna 17(b): Self-Made Rabbis
 Mishna 18(a): Prayer – Internal
 Mishna 18(b): Prayer – Universal
 Mishna 18(c): Dooming Ourselves
 Mishna 19: Answering the Heretic
 Mishna 20: The Reward of the Torah
 Mishna 21: Our Problems – G-d’s Problems
Chapter 3
 Mishna 1: The Afterlife: Souls Exposed
 Mishna 2: Dual Loyalty
 Mishna 3: Laughing in the Face of Reality
 Mishna 4(a): Body or Soul? Part I
 Mishna 4(b): Body or Soul? Part II
 Mishna 4(c): Body or Soul? Part III
 Mishna 5: The Radio Syndrome
 Mishna 6: Born To Toil
 Mishna 7: The Spirit of G-d
 Mishna 8(a): Think Globally – Act Locally
 Mishna 8(b): Testing G-d
 Mishna 9: Torah Versus Nature
 Mishna 10(a): Chapter 3 – Mishna 10 (a) 
Does G-d Exist? Part I
 Mishna 10(b): Does G-d Exist? Part II
 Mishna 11: Knowledge Without Fear
 Mishna 12(a): Actions Speak Louder Than Words
 Mishna 12(b): Will Speaks The Loudest
 Mishna 13: G-d Fashioned In The Image of Man
 Mishna 14: The Living Dead
 Mishna 15(a): Masking Holiness – Part I
 Mishna 15(b): Masking Holiness – Part II
 Mishna 16: Messiah for Whom?
 Mishna 17(a): Playing With Fire ; Tradition
 Mishna 17(b): A Relativistic World
 Mishna 17(c): Partnering With G-d
 Mishna 17(d): When Religion Means War
 Mishna 18(a): The Jewish Spark
 Mishna 18(b): Father Or King?
 Mishna 19(a) : Can Man Destroy the World? – Part I
 Mishna 19(b) : Can Man Destroy the World? – Part II
 Mishna 19(c) : Free Will vs. G-d’s Foreknowledge
 Mishna 20: G-d’s Jigsaw Puzzle
 Mishna 21(a) : Why Not a Good Samaritan?
 Mishna 21(b) : Fearing the Unknown
 Mishna 22: Does the Torah Make Sense?
 Mishna 23(a): The Torah vs. the Computer – Part I
 Mishna 23(b): The Torah vs. the Computer – Part II
Chapter 4
 Mishna 1(a) : Jewish Macho
 Mishna 1(b) : Walking Away from Wealth
 Mishna 2: The Ladder of Life
 Mishna 3: Does G-d Make Mistakes?
 Mishna 4: Dust and Ashes
 Mishna 5(a): Living in the World’s View
 Mishna 5(b): Representatives of G-D
 Mishna 6: The Goal of Study
 Mishna 7(a): Hero Worship in Judaism
 Mishna 7(b): The Scholar Mercenary
 Mishna 8: Selling Ourselves Short
 Mishna 9: The Truth but not the Whole Truth
 Mishna 10: Playing G-d
 Mishna 11: Getting a Second Chance
 Mishna 12: It’s A Small World After All
 Mishna 13(a): Creating Angels
 Mishna 13(b): Repentance and a World of Love
 Mishna 14: United We Stand
 Mishna 15(a): All Men are Created Equal – Part I
 Mishna 15(b): All Men are Created Equal – Part II
 Mishna 16: Ignorance Is Not Bliss
 Mishna 17: The Crown of Torah
 Mishna 18: The Torah Wanderlust
 Mishna 19: Does the World Exist?
 Mishna 20: Regardless of Race, Creed or Religion
 Mishna 21: The Story of Life
 Mishna 22(a): What is the World to Come? Part I
 Mishna 22(b): What is the World to Come? Part II
 Mishna 23: A Time for Silence
 Mishna 24: What We Think About Sinners
 Mishna 25: Young Minds and Old Minds
 Mishna 26-27: Age Versus Beauty
 Mishna 28: Staying in the World
 Mishna 29(a): A Controlled World
 Mishna 29(b): A Depressing World
Chapter 5
 Mishna 1(a) : Spiritual Global Warming – Part I
 Mishna 1(b) : Spiritual Global Warming – Part II
 Mishna 2: The World’s Fallen State
 Mishna 3: Abraham’s Legacy
 Mishna 4: Abraham’s Simplicity
 Mishna 5: G-d Showing Off
 Mishna 6: Too Close to G-d
 Mishna 7: G-d Revealed
 Mishna 8(a): What’s Special About Sabbath? Part I
 Mishna 8(b): What’s Special About Sabbath? Part II
 Mishna 9: Torah Scholar or Apparition?
 Mishna 10: Religion or Bird Watching?
 Mishna 11(a): G-d Striking Back – Part I
 Mishna 11(b): G-d Striking Back – Part II
 Mishna 11(c): The Perennial Battle
 Mishna 12: G-d Strikes Back Even Harder
 Mishna 13: It’s Not My Problem – – Or Is It?
 Mishna 14: Challenges – Not Problems
 Mishna 15: Are All Men Created Equal?
 Mishna 16: Playing G-d
 Mishna 17: Killing Ourselves
 Mishna 18: The Gift of Selective Memory
 Mishna 19: True Love
 Mishna 20: Endless Arguments
 Mishna 21(a) : Beyond the Bounds – Part I
 Mishna 21(b): Beyond the Bounds – Part II
 Mishna 22(a): Seeing Nature — and Beyond – Part I
 Mishna 22(b): Seeing Nature — and Beyond – Part II
 Mishna 23: How to Fight Back
 Mishna 24: Righteous Indignation
 Mishna 25: Quick Answers
 Mishna 26: The Infinite Depths
 Mishna 27: An Upside-Down World
Chapter 6
 Introduction: Leaving This World
 Mishna 1(a) : What G-d Really Wants – Part I
 Mishna 1(b) : What G-d Really Wants – Part II
 Mishna 2(a) : Is Torah a Burden? Part I
 Mishna 2(b) : Is Torah a Burden? Part II
 Mishna 3: Creating Souls
 Mishna 4: Creatures of the Next World
 Mishna 5(a): The Primordial Sin – Part I
 Mishna 5(b): The Primordial Sin – Part II
 Mishna 5(c): The Primordial Sin – Part III
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways – Introduction
 Mishna 6: Ways 1-2: (1) Studying to Transcend; (2) Listening to Change
 Mishna 6: Ways 3-4: (3) Explaining to Ourselves (4) Mastering our Surroundings
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 5-8: Exhilarating Fear
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 9-11: From Student to Teacher and a Perfect World
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 12-13: Patience
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 14-19: Moderation
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: Patience with Others
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 22(a): Are the Sages Infallible? Part I
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 22(b) Are the Sages Infallible? Part II
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 22(c) Are the Sages Infallible? Part III
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: (23-25) Accepting Our Limitations
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 26-27 – Impacting Others — and Ourselves
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 28-29: Love of G-d
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 30-3: The Big Picture
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 32 – Back to Nature
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 33(a) – Does Israel Know Better? Part I
 Mishna 6: The 48 Ways: 33(b) – Does Israel Know Better? Part II
 Mishna 6: Ways 34-36(a): The Human Challenge – Part I
 Mishna 6: Ways 34-36(b): The Human Challenge – Part II
 Mishna 6: Way 37: Helping Others
 Mishna 6: Way 38: “Inclining Others”
 Mishna 6: Ways 39-40: Words of Peace – Words of Truth
 Mishna 6: Ways 41-43: Maturity and the Big Picture
 Mishna 6: Ways 41-43(b): Maturity and Diversity
 Mishna 6: Ways 44-45: Torah to Do
 Mishna 6: Ways 46-47: Not Without a Fight
 Mishna 6: Way 48(a): Leaving It Up to G-d – Part I
 Mishna 6: Way 48(b): Leaving it up to G-d – Part II
 Mishna 7(a): Torah and the Throat
 Mishna 7(b): Torah and the Tree of Life
 Mishna 8(a): Peace and the Messiah – Part I
 Mishna 8(b): Peace and the Messiah – Part 2
 Mishna 9: Buying the World to Come
 Mishna 10(a): Being Possessed With G-d – Part I
 Mishna 10(b): Being Possessed With G-d – Part 2
 Mishna 10(c): Being Possessed With G-d – Part 3
 Mishna 11: We Can Write No More
 Conclusion: To Understand Man