QUESTION:
How can we deal with all of the katnus (small-mindedness and immaturity) in our communities? The more I live a life of pnimiyus, the more I am seeing how the tzibbur around me is not, living in total katnus, closed off from their pnimiyus, as if they are all asleep, and it’s hard to go into detail about it. When I’m alone, I can concentrate on my relationship with Hashem, but when I’m around others, I hear all of the silly and meaningless conversations that people have, and often I heard people talking nonsense, lashon hora, machlokes, etc. But mainly I am seeing a babyish, immature attitude in most people. People often have a childish and superficial perception. Over the years, my thinking and my life has changed, due to listening to the Rav as well as others who opened me to what pnimiyus is and who helped me have a burning desire for truth. My perspective matured so much that I can even notice how my own Rebbeim, maggidei shiur and Roshei Yeshiva have a very superficial way of looking at things, and how they’re full of issues in their own souls which they never sorted out yet, and I’m not seeing a burning desire for truth in them. It’s hard to describe this, but this is the painful reality I am seeing. What is the proper attitude to have about this?
ANSWER:
There is a statement from a wise person, brought in the writings of the Alter of Kelm, that “The entire world are fools, and the wise ones are like strangers among them.” HaGaon Rav Shmuel Auerbach zt”l already said to me close to 20 years ago that we should view the entire world as a giant playgroup full of children, who are all playing with their toys, and you are the mature adult who needs to worry for all of them.” That is how he guided me in how to act in the practical sense. Certainly the other side of the coin is also needed: One also needs to be humble.
QUESTION
2) How can we open up another’s heart, if the other person has a childish, immature perspective, and he doesn’t like to hear the truth? How do we get another person to be more truthful, how do we open up another’s heart?
ANSWER
Look for a small way in which you can introduce the other to have a more spiritual perspective about something. Do this gradually with another, introducing another to a greater level of awareness, step by step, beginning with very small steps and gradually increasing the others’ awareness to truths.
QUESTION
2) How can we open up another’s heart, if the other person has a childish, immature perspective, and he doesn’t like to hear the truth? How do we get another person to be more truthful, how do we open up another’s heart?
ANSWER
Look for a small way in which you can introduce the other to have a more spiritual perspective about something. Do this gradually with another, introducing another to a greater level of awareness, step by step, beginning with very small steps and gradually increasing the others’ awareness to truths.
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