As a native New Yorker, profanity is my first language. In New York, profane language is not considered sin or evil, but is simply a way of exclamating your comments. It lets people know you feel strongly about something.
off with the dross
cleanliness and filters
{enclose 2011-05-02-cleanliness-as-filters.mp3}
in this podcast, rebbetzin malkah relates the lessons of parasha kedoshim (Lev. 19) on speech and forbidden mixtures as it relates to cleanliness of heart and mind.
counting and cleanliness
clean garment of speech
cleanliness and Godliness
the honored guest
holy hands
cleanliness - messy yards
fall is a time when we are consumed with yard cleanup. in this podcast, the idea of our internal cleanliness is explored as well as solutions for cleaning up our internal "messy yards."
{enclose 2010-11-04-cleanliness-messy-yards.mp3}
cleanliness as holiness
In a world where spirituality is characterized as being an inner reality, it is easy to fall into a state of disconnect with the externality of spiritual life. We can lose the sense of value of how we present ourselves to one another and God on a physical level. We mustn’t forget that there are many times when the externalities of life are used as metaphors for things that encompass all dimensions of existence. Cleanliness is particularly connected to holiness in TaNaKh and in the apostolic Writings.
cleanliness according to Rabbi Hillel
dry-cleaning for the soul
It’s strange to say, but unfortunately the spiritual disease of tzara’at does not exist today. Life might be a little easier if we had a physical barometer of how well our soul is connected to others and to the Divine. Once we see the physical signs we could get some help, repair, restore, and reconnect. Today our purity of soul is much more difficult to measure so we must be proactive in it’s care.
unsmudging the soul
oil changes of life
The service check light never came on, but the sticker on my windshield is telling me that I need to get my oil changed. It's not like I couldn't think of a myriad of other things I would rather be doing. What I do know is that if I continue driving my car much longer without that oil change, I put my car in closer proximity to having engine difficulties and serious car bill headaches.
the rung of cleanliness
Cleanliness is the rung of immediate interest. Many of us are aware of the well-known phrase, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” For as cleanliness leads to holiness, or separation, holiness thus brings us to a higher level in Hashem through saintliness. This gives us good reason to practice cleanliness on a higher level.
cleanliness in mind
questions to ask yourself
Use these questions to evaluate your day:
What were the "seeds" that started to affect your cleanliness today?
Were you able to be pure in your deeds and thoughts today?
What events today caused you to stray and perhaps not act as ethically and wholesomely? How did you respond to them? Were they in speech? Movies? Television? The Internet? Emails?
Were you able to use prayer or meditation to help you through the circumstances?
