Learning to Trust, Lesson 9: Broken Cisterns
Studying Sha’ar HaBitachon, The Gate of Trust, from the classic text of Chovot Halevavot (Duties of the Heart), which teaches how to live with trust, certainty and tranquility.
| Related Text: | Shaar Habitachon - Gate of Trust: Introduction - Part 2: Tranquility |
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Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.
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Amazing class; I love how thorough Rabbi Kaplan is. Instead of just stating claims, he has gone to such lengths and effort to go right to the source.
I did have a somewhat cynical thought regarding his discussion of intimacy around the 40 minute mark. I concur that the current culture regarding casual intimacy is spiritually damaging, regardless of one's religious affiliation. However, I also wonder if reserving intimacy for marriage could make someone rush into marriage, or if a desperate need for intimacy could obscure an objective evaluation of the person they are marrying. I also don't like the idea of marrying someone merely to have access to intimacy, but wonder if this sometimes happens. In a sense, the decision to then preserve intimacy for marriage because less about waiting for a soul-connection, but gratifying physical desires in a sense that is just as superficial as pre-marital intimacy. How could someone prevent this while still living in alignment with Judaism?