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About Me

Rabbi Chaim Coffman
Rabbi Coffman has helped people from all across the spectrum to prepare themselves properly for Orthodox Conversion to Judaism. His students admire his vast knowledge and appreciate his warm, personal attention and endearing sense of humor.
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Followers

Welcome to Rabbi Chaim Coffman's Blog!

I would like to thank you for visiting my blog, Beyond Orthodox Conversion to Judaism.

The conversion process can be a lengthy and daunting one to say the least and I want you to know that I am here to help you through it.

I have been teaching newcomers to Judaism for over a decade and over the last few years I have seen that conversion candidates really lack the support and knowledge they need to navigate the conversion process and successfully integrate into the Orthodox Jewish community.

I created my mentorship program in order to help make this whole experience as smooth and as painless as possible! (Can't do much about the growing pains, though ;)

Feel free to get to know me a little through the posts on my blog and visit the mentorship and syllabus page if you are interested in possible joining us.

I sincerely wish you all the best in your search for truth and spiritual growth.

Looking forward to meeting you,
Chaim Coffman

My Rebbe, Rav Moshe Sternbuch

In case you were wondering why I have all of these articles written by Rav Moshe Sternbuch, he is my Rebbe, and one of the gedolei hador (greatest Rabbis of our generation).

Rav Sternbuch fully endorses me and supports my mentorship program.

He is the address for all of my halachic or hashkafic (practical and philosophical) questions that I or my students may have.

The articles are based on his weekly talks on the Torah portion that the Rav gives in Jerusalem in his kollel. As a member of the kollel I get first dibbs on the photocopies and I type them up for my blog so you can all benefit from the Rav's erudition and insight.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The 48 Ways to Acquire to Torah: Set People at Peace

The next of the 48 ways to acquire Torah is set people at peace. This means that a person helps others to find inner peace in a world that can be in turmoil. There are many reasons why a person may not be at peace.

It could stem from past experiences that have not gone away or a decision that one has to make that makes one uncomfortable. It could also be the epic battle that goes on between body and soul that leaves a person on edge.

This battle is constant as the body and soul are constantly fighting for supremacy. The body wants to overcome the spiritual through his physicality while the soul tries to "spiritualize" the body and sanctify it.  Each one looks to beat the other which causes a person to be in constant conflict.

Inner peace means to be able to have both body and soul coexist without one trying to obliterate the other. The body needs the soul, otherwise it could not exist while the soul needs the casing of the body to be able to "live" in this world.

The soul, through the performance of the mitzvos can strengthen and beautify the body with its actions, and the two can work hand-in-hand. Although the spiritual soul comes from above, it is put in a physical body to be able to use the physical and turn it into the spiritual.

How do we do that? If we eat an apple, we think of what went into its creation and nurturing to be able to be eaten. I take this physical piece of food and make a blessing on it and sanctify its existence for the sake of my hunger and spirituality at the same time.

This means I can take a simple physical act, make a blessing by invoking G-d's name and thanking for creating it so I could get benefit from it. If I think in these terms and always keep this in the back of my head, then I have this inner peace that allows to live and benefit in this world on my way to becoming the spiritual person I can!






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