details about Yitchok

From Mystical Paths,
http://mysticalpaths.blogspot.com/
The story of Yitzchok -- the video of him is really powerful. Watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIUOZrDjSW0

..Yitzchok looks a bit like a nebach - a bit like a New York bag lady. Yitzchok is poor, very poor. He's married with children. He tries to work periodically, but can't seem to hold a job. (See video below.)

He waits by the grocery store and collects tzedakah, charity, shekel by shekel ($0.25 at a time). In between people stopping, he says tehillim (Psalms). In many US and Western Jewish communities, there are no obvious poor. We're not so used to meeting someone who might not eat if we don't help. In Israel, the poor aren't hidden.

Yitzchok is the kind of fellow you just give a quick glance to, dig out a coin to hand to him and quickly walk away. This is understandable, but looks can be deceiving...

Yitzchok gives a blessing to all who give him tzedakah. He's constantly saying tehillim. When he goes to shop for groceries, his pockets are often empty, so he goes through the store with his list speaking to his Abba b'Shamayim (his Father in Heaven). He says, "Abba, I need this for Shabbos, and that for Shabbos...". His emunah is beyond measure, and his list is usually fulfilled.

If you start speaking with him, he will bring Torah, chassidus and kabbalah that amaze and astound. Stories are told of Yitzchok's blessings coming true, and those who have insulted him regretting doing so. While we've heard of it from chassidic stories, Yitzchok shows that you never know whether that poor person might be a hidden tzaddik.

The poor range from those who have lost their jobs and businesses, those who's health prevents them from working, Torah scholars who suddenly find the system no longer has the means of providing them with a stipend, and those who just never seem to succeed. Their hope is in Hashem, in their Abba b'Shamayim (their Heavenly Father).

Who will be a shaliach for Hashem? Who will be the messenger of the goodness of G-d? That's the opportunity available with charity for Passover!

Help us help them, for that's the only way we can. Every single dollar / shekel / euro given will go directly to those in need (minus the credit card processing fee, ~3%). We are not taking one penny or agara (G-d forbid)! If you'd like to 'tip the bloggers for Passover' and help us personally, there's a separate button for that. [If you want to do 1 transaction, you can mention in the Paypal message/comment box how much for the tip from the total amount entered.]

May blessings flow abundantly to all those who help, and to all of klal Yisroel, and may we merit the ultimate blessing of Geulah and Moshiach Tzidkaynu this Passover!

someone else's idea

here is the 'real' center for spiritual atheism:

http://www.centerforabetterworld.com/SpiritualAtheism/f-about-spiritual-atheism.htm

there is an organization for everything, and nothing is new!

why JC?

why jesus? He not only was a faithful follower of god, but he became god himself. that's the thing i'm looking at. since god is within us, and there is no god 'out there' -- that is spiritual atheism -- then the realization that we are each a god -- that is the key. jesus realized this -- although he didn't see others as god, only himself. however, at the time i don't think an idea like mine, that we are all gods, would have worked in the roman empire. To be sure, i have the greatest respect for judaism. i choose jc because he found it within himself to proclaim himself a god, even at the cost of his life. luckily we can claim ourselves as gods without that penalty.

be a god.... like JC

yes, what i like about jesus is that he took it upon himself to be god, and not only a follower of god. of course, i think he thought he really was the messiah,... he wasn't a spiritual atheist at all. but i am. so i can use his story as a model for what i'm investigating. he took judaism's god and put it within himself. we can do that too. each of us can embody the spiritual values of our faith or heritage. the only gods are the concepts we hold in our minds.

why jesus and not god

yeah, the old testament is a better read than the new testament, but god as a role model doesn't work. he's too unhuman-like. what can i learn from a character like that? so, with jesus we have a human character to learn from. that's something we can reach for. there are other great role models in the OT. Moses, David, Elijah, Solomon. Esther, Judith, Ruth. we're all free to choose. i chose jesus because of his radical re-interpretation of judaism.

jesus and dr. pepper

it's like the old song....

i'm a jesus
you're a jesus
she's a jesus
he's a jesus
wouldn't you like to be a jesus too?

the old dr. pepper song.

start with atheism and freedom.

i start with atheism. i just can't believe in some outer deity beyond space and time. the god of genesis, or any other god. i've read too much mythology from around the world to believe that one group has got it right, and the others are misguided.

there is no god 'out there.' the only god is within each of us. it's a concept, an idea. mental states are real -- qualia are real -- spirituality is real -- in some sense every idea is real. so god is real in that sense. it's an idea we can use to guide us.

as a catholic i will use my background for this. people from other faiths can do the same thing. atheist jew, atheist muslim, atheist hindu, atheist buddhist, atheist mormon, atheist whatever. we are all free to use the ideas in our culture to help us live our lives better.

i start with that freedom. i do not ask anyone to believe me. each of us is free to choose. we are born free -- just like the song says!

the gospel in brief -- leo tolstoy

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486468119.html

the gospel in brief, by leo tolstoy, does something similar to what jefferson was trying to do.

the Jefferson Bible

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/JefJesu.html

The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, by Thomas Jefferson, was his attempt to remove the miracles, angels, and supernatural aspects of the jesus story from the gospels and put together a rationalist version of jesus as a man.

So I'm not the first to look at this subject in this manner. I'm attempting to put together an atheist xtianity that can use the old and new testaments in a way to bring to the world all that is good -- peace, love, harmony, justice, understanding, knowledge, wisdom, forgiveness... etc.

the two testaments

the old testament is the story of god within the story of the people of israel. the new testament is the story of jesus, a man who took it upon himself to bring godliness into his life. i use the term 'old testament' because i'm referring to the septuagint version of the hebrew bible. as i develop atheist xtianity i will limit myself to xtian texts. the hebrew bible is a book for judaism, and i'm not here to comment on the religion of others or to 're-interpret' their texts. but i was brought up as a catholic -- baptized, confirmed, etc., so xtianity is my cultural heritage to work with.

Jesus as role model

follow the lead of jesus. he claimed to be the son of god. we all are. he lived his life to prepare us for the coming of god. we can do that too. that god is within us. this is atheist christianity. each of us is a jesus, and each of us is a god. we have the freedom to live our lives and to try and make a better world. jesus showed us one way to do so. we can use his example in our lives.

we are gods

the only gods are within us. we are gods. we are messiahs. We are sons and daughters of god. Each of us is a Jesus.

creative acts are acts of creation

plant a seed and it grows. creation.
take the plant and cook it. creation.
eat the food and it becomes you. creation.

small scale miracles happen all the time. the seed becomes a plant, and becomes food, and becomes me.

March 1909 -- 100 years ago

I'm glad it's March

I'm glad it's March. I'm waiting for spring, and to plant our garden. We have big plans for the back yard: vines and gourds and flowers and sunflowers and pumpkins and vegetables. we're also gonna put up a shed in the back. spring and summer, we're waiting for you!