ב"ה
Channels Lectures American Idols

American Idols - Self

The Worship of Self

Autoplay Next

American Idols - Self: The Worship of Self

Is taking care of yourself an inherent value? The difference between "self-improvement" and "improvement of self."
Topics: Idolatry; Paganism, Ego & Selfhood
By Manis Friedman
Rabbi Manis Friedman, a noted Chassidic philosopher, author and lecturer, is dean of Bais Chana Women's Institute of Jewish Studies.
More from   |  RSS
© Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with Chabad.org's copyright policy.

More in this section

You may also be interested in...
What Is Ego?
. . . and is it kosher to keep just a little bit?
19 Comments
What Can I Do About My Ego?
20 Comments
Isifier Tutorial: Otherness
Watch (2:45) 4 Comments
Losing Perspective
My Lesson in Faith
2 Comments

Join the Discussion

Sort By:
5 Comments
Posting Guidelines
Leah Toronto, Canada March 5, 2014

I must have misunderstood the message.
So, going to pilates is wrong?
I want to be healthy. I want my kids to learn to take care of themselves too. I don't want them to grow up eating mindlessly (you can do that even with kosher) or getting sick in their 40's because of their irresponsible life styles.
How can that be wrong?
I work out at most a couple of hours a week and I surely don't take that time away from my kids. But from this lecture, which I actually really liked and found very insightful, it does sound that what I'm doing is improvement of self.

And any mother knows how precious is the alone time. Every minute of it. It doesn't get us bored. It gives the opportunity to replenish the mind and keep sanity. We don't get it very often, hardly ever. That's not a laughing matter and it just cannot be bad or degrading.

I would like to understand. Reply

Anonymous Solon June 24, 2013

:) very humerus!!! keep it up!!! Reply

Sarah Seattle, WA July 3, 2012

Becoming what you worship There are unfortunate instances where a baby is born with multiple arms or legs. Interestingly, many of these cases are in India where the gods they worship have multiple limbs. Not only does what we worship effect us, for sure it affects our children. Reply

Anonymous Montreal January 7, 2012

Thank you I found this video very enlightening and I enjoyed the way you explained it.

Thank you for your dedication. Reply

Anonymous Dallas, TX January 5, 2012

Who Are You? Freedom means doing what you want to do. No problem there. But who ARE you? If you are a body with all its physical needs and wants and we obey it, then we are not free. We are slaves to our appetites. If we listen only to our minds, that is our egos, then we become driven to succeed at whatever cost; we must be number one, better than the rest. We are driven, we are not the driver. It is only when we have discovered and listen to our deepest spiritual self that we have found who we truly are and who G-d is. It is only when we obey that voice that we obey G-d and we are free. Reply

Related Topics