The majority of the Torah's commandments fall into this category. And the reason is simple:Īs Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism explained, the reward for doing mitzvot is so great that this limited, physical world cannot contain it we must therefore wait until the less restrictive World to Come to receive our reward. However, most mitzvot (commandments) are rewarded not in this world, but in the World to Come. And there are hundreds of Torah classes, tens of thousands of Torah books, audio lectures and websites that will not only sooth the itch, but remove it permanently.Īt the end of the Torah portion of Va'etchanan it states, "Which I command you this day, to do them," upon which Rashi comments, "And tomorrow, in the World to Come, to receive their reward."Ī Jew is rewarded for observing G-d's commandments. There are 613 commandments in the Torah, all of which spell relief for an itch of the soul.
#CHAYA MUSHKA BUTEL CODE#
And the only way to "cool it," to remove the cause of the itch, is to do that which is authentically and verifiably Jewish - studying Torah, as transmitted through the generations, and fulfilling the commandments, as brought down in the Code of Jewish Law. The way to relieve a spiritual irritation is to "cool it" - that is, cool the passions and desires that have been inflamed by the allergens, stresses and "insect bites" of life in the physical world. Even things that appear good - actions, books, retreats - may just aggravate the condition. At such times, we may "scratch" that itch with something pleasurable, but not necessarily Jewish. The diversion is not a direct threat to our spiritual life, or life as a Jew, but it irritates us nevertheless.įor instance, when we realize, from whatever cause, that something's "missing in our lives," we have an "itch" to learn or do something spiritual. Hypersensitive, we can get diverted from our true goal. When we are under "spiritual stress," at moments when we are most searching for G-dliness, ironically then we can be most distracted. We can see in this process parallels to our spiritual life.
Other than will power, the best way to stop an itch is cold - cold water or an anti-itch cream that does the same thing, numbs the nerve endings and interrupts the cycle of itch-scratch, or false pain- false pleasure. But it was the weakening of mental resolve - the anxiety - that caused the itch, so it's hard to will away an itch. The best way to deal with a stress-induced itch is to ignore it. This is why scratching doesn't solve the problem: it masks the irritation, but doesn't get rid of it. Scratching might relieve itching, temporarily, because it activates nerves that stimulate pleasure systems in the brain.
(And if there is a physiological source, stress can aggravate the itching sensation.)
#CHAYA MUSHKA BUTEL SKIN#
Now, many things can cause itches, and if the itch is widespread, persistent or has other symptoms (major skin problems), obviously one needs to see a dermatologist.īut the most common cause of itching is not physiological, but psychological. Wait, first let's find out exactly what is an itch, why it makes us scratch, why we shouldn't, and what we should do if we can't help ourselves.Īn itch is an irritation of the skin. And what's the best way to relieve it? Well, if not the bet way, what's our automatic reaction? Scratch! And isn't that what the doctor - not to mention your mother, who knows best - tells you not to do?īut it itches! What am I supposed to do - ignore it? The Rebbe Writes | Customs | A Word from the Director | Thoughts that CountĮver have an itch? Of course. They’re almost always directed at one group, and they’re almost always a political football that should not be ever considered,” he said.Don't Scratch! | Living with the Rebbe | A Slice of Life | What's New “They are almost always political in nature. Hickey said Planning Commissioner Andy Porter said it best regarding problems with text amendments.ĭuring the Planning Commission meeting, Porter said he hates text amendments and called them the worst form of land use employed by the city. “We don’t have issues with museums or schools,” he said, adding the issue is how much traffic will it bring and what will it do to the area. They either meet the one-acre minimum requirement or are contiguous and could be combined for development of a museum or school, Hickey said. The second issue is that 26 separate properties in the association’s area are zoned as Office Neighborhood. Though the proposed changes limit a parcel to 250 students, two neighboring parcels in the same office development could add another 250 students each at that location. One was that it appeared possible that 750 students could attend school at that Roswell Road location, Hickey said. The association had two issues with the text amendment.