Kol Israel Congregation

From the time we are infants we try to control the world around us, because we naturally feel that the world revolves around us. That's why infants cry when things are taken away from them, they are losing their control over the environment. As much as we hate to admit it these egos still exist in us adults. The question that naturally arises is how do play down, or get rid of these egos.

The first place to turn to for answers should be the Torah. It is a model for living so it can help us with this life problem. If we truly indulge in the ideas of the Torah we will naturally become perfected. This encompasses more than just "religious" in the common sense. A person who is truly "religious" will be in control of his thoughts, emotions and therefore his actions. So where can this remedy for our egos be found in the Torah.

One remedy is found in the ideas of Sisit. According to the Hilchot of Sisit one opinion holds that they should be worn whenever we are wearing day clothes. This basically includes all clothes besides pajamas or gym clothes. When we wear these clothes we naturally feel more important and worthy. For example, if you've ever tried on an outfit for an important meeting you know the feeling I'm talking about. It is at this moment, when we are trying to feel distinguished and make an impression that we are most vulnerable to our egos. The torah therefore makes us where Sisit when we are wearing our day clothes so that we remember that we are dependant on God. When we truly internalize this idea we should have no problem with our egos because we realize how small we truly are.


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	Tying Down Your Ego by Morris Dweck From the time we are infants we try to control the world around us, because we naturally feel that the world revolves around us. That's why infants cry when things are taken away from them, they are losing their control over the environment. As much as we hate to admit it these egos still exist in us adults. The question that naturally arises is how do play down, or get rid of these egos. The first place to turn to for answers should be the Torah. It is a model for living so it can help us with this life problem. If we truly indulge in the ideas of the Torah we will naturally become perfected. This encompasses more than just "religious" in the common sense. A person who is truly "religious" will be in control of his thoughts, emotions and therefore his actions. So where can this remedy for our egos be found in the Torah. One remedy is found in the ideas of Sisit. According to the Hilchot of Sisit one opinion holds that they should be worn whenever we are wearing day clothes. This basically includes all clothes besides pajamas or gym clothes. When we wear these clothes we naturally feel more important and worthy. For example, if you've ever tried on an outfit for an important meeting you know the feeling I'm talking about. It is at this moment, when we are trying to feel distinguished and make an impression that we are most vulnerable to our egos. The torah therefore makes us where Sisit when we are wearing our day clothes so that we remember that we are dependant on God. When we truly internalize this idea we should have no problem with our egos because we realize how small we truly are.
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