Why do we become a bar mitzvah at adolescence? Because something dramatic happens to our minds at this time: A sort of awakening, a consciousness, a realization that "I exist"
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Tzvi, you're my best writer. This was awesume. It was simple but deep.
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My son is becoming a Bar Mitzvah in a few weeks. When I read this article, Da'at The Knowing I, it became so clear. It was a voice that I can project to my family and friends and it is simple, clear, compelling and inspiring.
Are there any other written works that have to do with the same oncept as it relates to becoming a Bar Mitzvah. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know.
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This was actually originally written for a small book to be given out at a Bar Mitzvah event in Switzerland--in German. Of course, there was a lot more material that went with it. You can contact me at TFreeman@chabadonline.com if you would like to distribute the same (in English) at your son's bar mitzvah.
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Tzvi Freeman is among the most excellent of Torah teachers.
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I am not sure a spider knows how many other spiders exist all over the world, I do not know how many humans exist. How do you conclude that every atom knows all the atoms that exist as for knowing which way to go... When a tree bends in the wind, I would say it knows nothing, external forces move it. As for disease, the little bugs are discussing nothing. At a certain time they matrue. By now. They would be saying, holy crap, last time a needle killled a ton of us, let's attack right away. I do not know if an earth worm is self aware. If I had their little body, I may be wiser than a sage... But external forces would stilll limit what I could do & humans in their great self awareness would think I way a dope. Maybe we are not smarter at all, we know nothing, it just makes us feel good to put it in writing & in a few hundred years, others are impressed. Life is precious & time fleeting. An electron is a speck & nothing more. But, what the heck, if it makes you feel good... Enjoy
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When we become Bar Mitzvah--
This is when we are supposed to throw away our childish things-- The only thing that ALL children ,everywhere, do is "make believe" so, at 13 we are supposed tho throw away the word believe and stop blaming someone else for our actions and thoughts.
Do you agree or disagree??
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Alan Kay said that a genius is someone who became an adult without losing his child's mind. The child's mind is capable of learning very rapidly and of finding solutions that an adult would never think of. The child's innocence allows him or her to accept the truth wholeheartedly--what you might call "believe".
Yet, yes, this fault of the child is something the adult must discard--the sense that I can't do wrong, that I am only responsible for the good I do, but never for the bad. Yet, how many of us have left that behind?
As usual, we hold on to the bad, and leave the good behind.
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