<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/24/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Micha Berger</b> <<a href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<br><br>However, it makes no difference in our original question. Each person<br>still has to live as to become one of those few. The Rambam may explain<br>why Hashem created a world in which most people don't get the Torah
<br>and of those who do, most do not try to follow it, and of those who do,<br>few get it right. But the Rambam does not change the basic premise that<br>few do get it right, few are true ovedei Hashem, who "implement the Torah"
<br>correctly. And the rest of us are obligated to try joining that few. The<br>need for the rest of us to rethink our implementation of "keeping the<br>Torah" is still there.</blockquote><div><br>Comment the above paragraphs supports the apparent requirement for INDIVIDUAL self-perfection.
<br><br> </div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">All that said, I would be surprised if our community did show a lack of<br>
measurable refinement overall. In chessed alone: all 5 of North Jursey's<br>most charitable communities (according to a local paper's audit) contain O<br>communities. How many non-Jewish communities pull together a bikur cholim,
<br>volunteer chevrah, tomchei Shabbos, pull together their own EMS service<br>(as needed), a dozen gemachs, etc...?</blockquote><div><br>Comment: And the above seems to supports the notion that it is what the community accomplishes as a UNIT that is the over-riding goal or criteria for perfection.
<br> </div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> I am just defending my decision that<br>it would not be a show stopper for me -- just a source of surprise.
<br><br>Tir'u baTov!<br>-Micha<br><br>--<br>Micha Berger It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where<br><a href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</a> you are, or what you are doing, that makes you
<br><a href="http://www.aishdas.org">http://www.aishdas.org</a> happy or unhappy. It's what you think about.<br>Fax: (270) 514-1507 - Dale Carnegie<br>_______________________________________________
<br>Avodah mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Avodah@lists.aishdas.org">Avodah@lists.aishdas.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org">http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org
</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Kol Tuv / Best Regards,<br><a href="mailto:RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com">RabbiRichWolpoe@Gmail.com</a><br>Please Visit: <br><a href="http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/">
http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/</a>