In Western society, the body has been deified. Many judge themselves by their physical beauty and strength (or lack of it). The Torah attitude is that our bodies are tools for spiritual elevation.
The value of a tool is not in its appearance but in its function. A person who looks at his body as a tool for spiritual growth does not think less of himself if he has a physical handicap. Since his body is a tool, he is only expected to utilize the tool that he was given.
(Alai Shur, vol.1, p .60; Gateway to Happiness, p.123)
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Self Esteem
NEW BOOK!
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's new book has just been published by Artscroll:
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About the Author
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Rabbi Zelig Pliskin is a noted psychologist and prolific author of 24 books, including Guard Your Tongue, Gateway to Happiness, Gateway to Self Knowledge, Love Your Neighbor, Growth Through Torah, The Power of Words, Consulting the Wise, and the recent Life is Now. Rabbi Pliskin lives in Jerusalem, and is the director of Aish HaTorah's Counseling Center and a senior lecturer at Aish's Essentials program and the Executive Learning Center. He was ordained at the Telshe Yeshiva in Ohio and holds a degree in Counseling Psychology.
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