FaceBook:
https://www.facebook.com/avrohom.lipszyc/videos/10157530559778257/
SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/hachaim/5-toldot-5780-an-organic-blend-how-to-treat-ourselves
Written Lecture:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1jxq5jq6gy68gpc/5.%20Toldos%205780%20-An%20Organic%20Blend%20--Learning%20How%20to%20Treat%20Ourselves.pdf?dl=0
YouTube:
https://youtu.be/dBgE0B6lxZE
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The modern-day issue of this lecture is about how is one to treat himself or herself. Our sages tell us that G-d had the same question in concerning how to treat us: "A king had fine crystal drinking glasses, and said, 'If I will clean them in hot water they will crack, and if I will clean them in cold water they will remain dirty...' so too G-d said concerning the world, 'If I will use the attribute of strictness the world will not survive, and if I will use the attribute of kindness, they world will devolve into sin...'"
So too, concerning how we should treat ourselves. If we are to be gentle with ourselves, we will devolve into slothfulness and over indulgence. While, if we are to be strict with ourselves we will devolve into self-resentment, bitterness and cruelty. Discipline is important, and necessary, and so is emotional self-care. Finding a balance between the two is the obvious answer. However, this isn't just a matter of balancing the quantity between the two, gentleness and strictness with self. Rather, what we primarily need is a balance between the quality of our strictness and gentleness towards self. As the joke goes, "He stuck his head in boiling water, his feet in freezing water, and wondered why he wasn't feeling lukewarm..."
What we are going to learn here is that the appropriate way to treat ourselves all the time is with a qualitative balance between gentleness and strictness. However, what exactly is a qualitative balance between gentleness and strictness?
This lecture is based primarily on a maamor the Rebbe delivered on this Shabbat, in 1965, exploring the mystical meaning behind Abraham and Isaac being identical in appearance.
