Category: Hecker Character Development Series

HECKER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT SERIES: #2 LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

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Harvey S. Hecker Character Development Series: Our words are a powerful force to build – and destroy.

#2 Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Originally published by Rabbi Shraga Simmons on aish.com

“Love your neighbor as yourself – I am God.” (Leviticus 19:18)

“Love your neighbor” is the universal Golden Rule, which the Talmud defines as a “great principle” of Judaism. 1 How we treat others is a litmus test of our spiritual health. Since God is the ultimate “giver,” 2our pursuit of Godliness is driven by acts of giving. 3

When I give, I become more embracing and inclusive of the world. I expand my “personal investment portfolio” of the people I’ve helped. Seeing that bit of self in another attaches me emotionally and endears me to them. In this way, the giving actually leads to love. 4

This is the Kindness Paradox: the biggest beneficiary of kindness is the one performing it. (That’s why parents love their children most of all; it is their greatest investment.) Significantly, the Hebrew word for “give” – hav – is the etymological root of ahava, meaning “love.” 5

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HECKER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT SERIES: #1 THE ART OF CHARACTER PERFECTION

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Harvey S. Hecker Character Development Series: Our words are a powerful force to build – and destroy.

#1 The Art of Character Perfection
Originally published by Rabbi Shraga Simmons on aish.com

The Challenge

We all dream of achieving personal greatness and of living in a world filled with beauty and wisdom.

Yet this seems so difficult to achieve. We lose our temper, creating strife. We overindulge and later regret it. We put down others – and lower ourselves. The result is a negative self-esteem that radiates negatively toward others and spews negativity into the spiritual atmosphere.

How do we get out of this destructive loop?

The Solution

The Jewish solution is Tikkun HaMidot – fixing one’s character traits. The Hebrew word midot (character traits) literally means “measure,” i.e. each of our traits needs to be meted out properly and within limits. For example, it is not “compassionate” to let a killer go unpunished and be a menace to society. Nor is it “kind” to allow a child to play with fire, however attractive and interesting it may appear.

Correcting one’s defects is the very reason our soul is sent to this world.1 We are each born with a unique mix of abilities, inclinations, circumstances and traits to correct.2 Some of us are naturally more irritable, others more calm. Some are arrogant, others humble. Some are greedy, others generous.

By improving our character, we build ourselves into what no other human is capable of.

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