<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/becoming-your-best-self.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 65, 112); ">http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/becoming-your-best-self.html</a><div>
<br></div><div><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/becoming-your-best-self.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 65, 112); "></a>It appears we aren't the only people in the world who have a focus on self improvement. We are the only one that have a focus on torah though. I believe a decent explanation of Derech Eretz Kadmah LaTorah is that Derech eretz is so pashut (in both senses) and that the torah is meant to refine those sensitivities as well as often to redefine which ones we are supposed to be concerned with. It can't be that our entire existence is meant to work on proper middos, that is supposed to be something that comes from proper living. (meaning if our entire purpose is to refine our middos what do we need to torah for, there are plenty of people working on living a refined and decent life). Now that we have been around for so long, that focus has been lost and a small amount of time must be spent working on our middos and to let our refinement happen over time. We aren't meant to go to a vaad and become perfect overnight. That is not what the veadim are for! The veadim are meant to be a means for which we can have a guided organic growth.</div>
<div><br></div><div>If that doesn't make sense please ask. </div><div><br></div><div>Yosef Skolnick<br>Looking for a Computer Science summer or fall internship <br>516-690-SKOL</div></span>