A Real Fool

To live with the truth, you must be a fool. Because the truth is infinite, and we are all fools before the infinite.

What kind of fool?

A fool who does good with simple sincerity
and disregard for worldly opinion.

Learn from this world we live in:
The world is a fool—only that it is a mindless, stupid fool.

You be a fool who reaches beyond the mind.

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The Convenient Mind

Wasting Life on Purpose

By Tzvi Freeman

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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16 Comments

Jeremy Llena Albaran Minglanilla, Cebu November 4, 2017

Oh my God makes me want to learn more about Judaism. Reply

Dawn Bello Livingston January 2, 2016

It surprised me to see that this wasn't well understood. Maybe I'm the one who misunderstood? To me, it means we are all imperfect, all evolving, before an eternal truth that cannot be tainted. Our role, our lives, are about trying to evolve and grow closer to & like, to be a better reflection of, that truth. We don't live to impress others or be worldly, we live to bring sincere goodness that is rooted in that truth. Meanwhile, people live and follow what society values and never stop to consider if what they are pursuing, what they are spending their lives on, has any real value... eternally, or even to themselves. That's a mindless fool. A wasted life. In the end, they will have only what society values to look back on as their life's contribution. It will be then that they realize it would have been better spent on more sincere pursuits, with eternal value. We all remain fools, imperfect, but we should live with a simple, sincere heart for good things with eternal value. Reply

Richard Fl November 3, 2017

in response to Dawn Bello:

I couldn’t agree with you more. As I continue to age, I see more hypocrisy, more self-centered, egotistical fools, especially in government and,sadly, even in manmade religions. To the point that the God spirit has said,”I have provided you a good foundation, which you have abandoned and wasted. Now, find your way to build on that foundation or to further destroy.” Reply

Brenda Toronto, Canada January 1, 2016

A WISE FOOL constructs the Infinite World A wise fool is able to recognize our broken state. Then he can join with others to use the method of Kabbalists to recreate the divine structure of the soul of humanity. This structure follows the laws of the Ten Sefirot encompassing all the perfect connections and relationships between us.

The chaos in our world now is a reflection of our shattered connections. A wise fool understands we must awaken the structure together now, otherwise we will be forced into it by many crises.

When all the refined details are realized in this structure we will be in the state of Ein Sof - unbounded pleasure, perception, Truth, revelation of G_dliness and Love between us. Reply

Bo warsaw January 1, 2016

no pain no life knowing the truth makes you not matching the world full of lies.

There is no doubt that G-d has sadistic inclinations - the less you believe in lies the more you must suffer. G-d made some of us with built-in programme to achieve the truth just to see how painf it is ;) Reply

Stephen Chelms January 1, 2016

As in the Mishnaic way of using the word hediot as opposed to the Greek, Latin and Western worlds. Reply

Ahavah San Francisco March 20, 2013

This is why I like haiku..Simplicity Reply

Anonymous S Francisco, CA June 29, 2011

another fool : --) I think maybe I'm one of those fools. Good advice for staying focused and for taking into mind logical life events in the community, at work, at home, and other things in life and being able to discern life events and figure out how to intelligently go about your day in a good, kind and professional manner. Reply

Anonymous Forest Hills, NY/USA June 29, 2011

A Real Fool I did not understand it when first read it. Some of your comments help. Then it dawns on me just yesterday I was exhausted about what a friend is doing, seems so futile, so going-no-where, so irrational... But who knows, maybe he is closer to the Infinite than I am. On top of that if one chooses to be a fool, being my brother's keeper I should respect instead of trying to make senses. Reply

Anonymous sydney, NSW June 29, 2011

Mindless Fool ...and yet a few days ago, you wrote that our head must lead our heart.... Reply

Tzvi Freeman Thornhill, Canada August 11, 2008

For Debby Yes, the Infinite, that's how Kabbalists refer to G_d ("Ein Sof"). The rest--you seem to get it pretty well. Read my comment to SDiego, too.

In general, these thoughts are best read in concert with one another. "Be Within, Stay Above" is out of print, but most of the thoughts appear (re-edited) in Book II of Bringing Heaven Down To Earth. Reply

Debby Bruck Cary, NC August 11, 2008

To Live With Infinite Dear Rabbi Tzvi ~ Please explain this puzzling statement. Hard to follow the lines of thought here. To live with the infinite [is this with G-d?] - you must be a fool [the fool is one who lives not in this world?] ...in simplicity and disregard to worldly opinion [so, lives with the knowledge of G-d's simplicity, and sincere wish and belief that all is good, all is for the good]. Yet, also, live in this world by learning from it...[that which is the fool living ONLY in this material realm; believing only in the limited human mind's understanding]... while you must go beyond that limitation to the infinite. Reply

Tzvi Freeman August 5, 2008

Fpr anonymous in SDiego Have you ever met an simple, earnest idealist who, after years of experience, still refuses to accept the shmutz of life as cold reality and continues to pursue truth, justice and compassion, as though he were impervious to failure?

That person is a fool. He's not getting the message. He's blind to reality. He believes in his ideals more than he believes his own eyes and ears.

He's the kind of fool we should all strive to be. Reply

Richard Fl November 3, 2017

in response to Tzvi Freeman:

So true. We must continue to raise ourselves toward the infinite best and not accept nor give in to the cold reality of this world that we humans have created through our corrupted egos. Reply

Anonymous san diego, ca August 4, 2008

a fool Please expalin in details this very timely statement and thought. Please. I must understand. it is very confusing. If teh world is a fool(couldn't agree more), so should I give up on giing to the world? or what is it exactly you are trying to say to us????Thank you. Reply

Brigitte Gigler Melbourne, Australia August 4, 2008

Daily Dose I look forward to reading your Daily Dose email every day. Thank you for sharing these lovely insights. Reply

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