Sinai Indaba demonstrates Torah values

MICHAEL BELLING

 “They have no connection with decency, civilisation or morality,” he added.

Sinai Indaba was a demonstration of communal unity, of Torah values. It was not for us to predict the future, he said, but to create the future we wanted, based on the values enshrined in the Shema, to help build a brighter and better tomorrow for the Jews of South Africa.

In the 19th century some said that secularism and pluralism could be used to define Jewish values. Research in the US, however, revealed an assimilation and intermarriage rate among non-Orthodox Jews of over 70 per cent.

“When Jews depart from the values of the Shema, we lose our way, lose our future,” he said.

“Hashem and His Torah belong in every part of our society, every part of what it means to be a human being, to be a Jew. G-d covers every dimension of who we are.”

The Shema was also about optimism, creating a better future. “We can make this a better community, a better country, a better world, if we are bearing the values of Hashem.”

In a discussion on life balance the following day between Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, of Jerusalem, who has written 24 books, and Dr David Lieberman, American psychologist and best-selling author, Pliskin said a wise balance was needed in life. Too much of anything was a problem.

He and Lieberman were answering questions from the floor. One person asked how to achieve balance in the home if the woman was involved in the day-to-day work, while her husband devoted his time to study.

Lieberman said that being a frum Jew encompassed shalom bayit, peace in the home. Each family had to find its own balance, what made sense for it.

Another question related to anxiety from the multitude of daily tasks facing us.

Lieberman said our lives were very busy, with some people advocating multi-tasking.

“Research shows that doing more things at the same time does not make us more effective,” he pointed out.

It showed that multi-tasking resulted in taking 50 per cent more time to finish any tasks and led to a likelihood of 50 per cent more errors.

“Life is a matter of priorities, to achieve more and to have more energy.” We had to prioritise according to our values. Balance was required.

Pliskin said some people were very focused on a goal and their partners were happy they were doing something meaningful.

A balance did not mean devoting equal amounts of time to everything. Some things required more, or less time.

On the impact of technology on a balanced life, Lieberman said technology was useful, but emotionally it could wear us out and make us more anxious, because of the amount of information and the distractions it caused. A break from it could be beneficial, creating clarity, calm and focus.

Pliskin said trying to do many things at once overwhelmed us. We should take one thing at a time, make haste slowly, slow things down mentally.

Lieberman added that it was the job of parents to educate, not entertain their children. Pliskin said sometimes parents had to take a position that was unpopular with children.