Machshava:

Chassidut 

Collections: Rabbi Weinberger: The Ba'al Shem Tov's Program For Character Refinement

Description

Entering into a new approach on working on ourselves and growing. Using means beyond sechel (intelligence) to uproot a negative midah (trait) - it's about uprooting the trait rather than merely taming it. As long as a person is, by nature, drawn to the physical, it is difficult for him to uproot negative traits. He therefore has to "convert" and become an "ish neshamah" (a soul person). In physicality, if the other person has something, then I don't (e.g., 50 seats left on the bus, and I'm the 51st person). In the world of the neshamah there is no such thing as somebody else having something that's "mine." We can daven (pray) for everything, and Hashem can give us everything. We are only jealous of those who are a part of my world or close to me, who took a piece of my pie. Tradditional strategies for combatting jealousy. Caring too much about honor. I may not be rich in money, but I can be rich in learning, in davening and saying Tehillim.