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In this issue
Nov. 6, 2009
Rabbi Berel Wein: Choosing to hear
JWisdom.com Zero to 1/60th: How to Empower An Hour with Gavriel Aryeh Sande (7 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick The mullahs' big week
Suzanne Fields A Fallen Wall for Fallen Man
Nov. 5, 2009
The Kosher Gourmet: Three scrumptious -- but simple -- butternut squash dishes
JWisdom.com Hidden Hints: Unlocking Faith & Prayer with Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz (10 minutes)
Nov. 4, 2009
Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger: Should prayers be covered?
JWisdom.com When God played peacemaker With Rabbi Sroy Levitansky (5 minutes)
Nov. 3, 2009
Martin Peretz: Beware, Barack. Beware, Rahm. Beware, Axelrod
JWisdom.com Are you are closet idolater? With Sara Yoheved Rigler (10 minutes)
Nov. 2, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The Holocaust is now on Facebook
JWisdom.com Abraham's Strange Change With Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer (5 minutes)
Oct. 30, 2009
Rabbi David Aaron: Secret to Immortality
Caroline B. Glick Silencing dissent in America
Oct. 29, 2009
Lini S. Kadaba: Do tactics avert flu or reduce humanity?
JWisdom.com We Must Revamp our Religious Vocabulary With Gavriel Aryeh Sanders ( 10 minutes)
Oct. 28, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Atheists in Bubbleland
JWisdom.com Why what we wear impacts who we are With Rabbis Mordechai Becher, Menachem Golberger and Aliza Bulow ( 10 minutes)
Oct. 27, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The United Nations Is Outraged Again, Or: Department of Mideast Static
JWisdom.com The Science of Love With Rabbi Jonathan Rietti ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 26, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Damaging disclosures with a twist
JWisdom.com Wisdom and Wonks With Rabbi Eytan Feiner ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 23, 2009
Rabbi David Aaron: Are you ready for the ultimate pleasure?
JWisdom.com Watermark and oneness with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 4 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick Stop using limited powers in a way that expands our enemies' advantages over us
Oct. 22, 2009
Steven Emerson: Terror Cases Share Desire to Kill Americans
JWisdom.com No More More Family Fights --- Really? By Sarah Chana Radcliffe ( 5 minutes)
Oct. 21, 2009
Tonya Alanez: Holocaust denier sues survivor, calling Auschwitz memoir 'vicious lies'
JWisdom.com Meditating Jewishly: A Panacea for Success by Sarah Yoheved Rigler ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 20, 2009
Dennis Prager: Obama and Dalai Lama: Why Israel Worries about U.S. President
JWisdom.com Abraham was not religious By Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer ( 6 minutes)
Oct. 19, 2009
JWisdom.comWhy Good People Do Bad Things By Rabbi Eytan Feiner ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 16, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Perfect Number
JWisdom.com Hearing Voices By Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 5 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick How Turkey was lost
Oct. 15, 2009
Jeff Jacoby: Peace vs. the 'peace process'
JWisdom.com: Former MTV producer and stand-up comedian Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff: Taming a Control Freak (A VERY fast 15 minutes)
Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review

The hallmark of a person

By Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski


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In an era when when 'spirituality' — as opposed to religion — is on the rise, how can one tell what's authentic and not?



http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The Talmud gives the characteristics of the disciples of Abraham: a benevolent eye, a humble spirit and a meek soul. The traits of disciples of Balaam, who is discussed in this week's Torah reading, are: an evil eye, an arrogant spirit and a greedy soul. The Talmud then says, ''How are the disciples of Abraham different than the disciples of Balaam?'' (Ethics of the Fathers 5:22).


Why does the Talmud focus on ''the disciples'' of Abraham and Balaam? Why not cite the differences between Abraham and Balaam themselves?


The answer is that anyone looking at Abraham and Balaam might not be able to distinguish between the two. After all, did not Balaam subjugate himself totally to G-d?


''If Balak will give me his houseful of silver and gold, I cannot transgress the word of G-d'' (Numbers 22:18). ''Balaam spoke up and said, 'Whatever G-d puts in my mouth, that I must take heed to speak'' (ibid. 23:12). ''I cannot transgress the word of G-d to do good or bad on my own. Whatever G-d speaks, that I will speak'' (ibid. 24:13). Are these not the words of a tzaddik, a truly saintly person? Anyone hearing Balaam might conclude that he is a very G-d-fearing person.


Appearances can be deceptive. There were people who were Torah scholars and who were even fulfilled their religious duties, yet all their disciples deviated from Torah and mitzvos.


On the other hand, if one looks at the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, who founded the Chassidic movement, or the great ethicist Rabbi Yisroel of Salant, one can understand the greatness of their masters.


If you wish to know the true mettle of a person, look at his disciples. The true nature of a person is revealed in those whom he taught. Their character, their behavior and their belief reflect that of the teacher.


Of course, the finest parents have had an errant child, and the finest teachers have had an errant student. However, if one looks at the body of students, one can get a fair idea of what the teacher was like.


This is an important concept in moral and ethical education. The character of the mathematician does not necessarily impact the subject he teaches. It is different when the subject is human behavior.


In the secular world, one may find books on guidelines in life written by people whose ethical and moral principles may leave much to be desired. In the Torah world this is untenable. The sixth chapter of Ethics of the Fathers begins with ''Blessed is He Who chose them (the sages) and their teaching.'' Them is a prerequisite for teaching. Only those whose character is such that they deserve to be chosen are acceptable as teachers.


Before accepting anyone as authoritative on how one should live, check into how he has lived his life.

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Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. is a psychiatrist and ordained rabbi. He is the founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, a leading center for addiction treatment. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he is a prolific author, with some 30 books to his credit, including, "Twerski on Chumash" (Bible), from which this was excerpted (Sales of this book help fund JWR). Comment by clicking here.

© 2009, Mesorah Publications, Ltd.