Here is the list:
[1] Raw beets. Don't worry about diets. Just
stuff yourself with raw beets.When you get tired of that try other raw
vegetables
[2] Jogging. President Kennedy discovered this
one and I have decided that there is no substitute for it. Even if spend as
much time in the gym, --there is something that is irreplaceable about jogging.
[3] Talking with God alone in a forest or in
some other place alone.[
[4] Musar. Reb Israel Salanter noticed
something about several books of ethics written by Jewish ages during the
Middle ages that they tend to bring Fear of God into a person. I know that
there are lots of claimants that say
they have some substitute that is more effective. These claims often false. The
proof is in the pudding. Would you trust a Hasid in a business deal until you
have the money in your hand? Of course not. So the idea that any books of
chasidut [even the best] can replace Musar is obviously false.
Later people did claim this but that is not supported by internal evidence.
Later people did claim this but that is not supported by internal evidence.
[5] The greatest gift I have above all others
is this : Don't Lie.
The power of truth can take you through all
problems and pierce tall mountains. If you hold to this one thing nothing can
hurt you. People can try to hurt you,You can have setbacks. But the strength of
always saying only the exact truth carries one above it all.
[6] Maimonides. There is something about his
path of combining Torah with reason as defined by Aristotle and Plato that is
see as a great gift to the world.
[7] Don't accept
substitutes for these gifts. This is my particular contribution to this
subject. Some people will tell you: you can get these benefits in other ways
but I say don't believe them.
For example some will say you don't need the
path of Maimonides about the importance of Greek Philosophy. But what happens
to many people is this: They are taught some kind of simple faith and then they
discover the world does not correspond to the simple faith they were taught. So
they revert to reason. But with no background in philosophy they think that
reason says things that it does not say. For example some people disillusioned
with Faith revert to materialism or relativism. Neither of these positions is
defensible but since people think these views are scientific they tend to fall
back on them.
[8] Shower once. Wash with soap. Rinse. Soap Again. The idea of doing this twice is that there is some layer of grease that does not come off until one has soaped twice
[9] Gravity. My wife discovered this amazing thing in child birth.. If you are a woman, don't lie down for child birth but remain standing as long as possible. Gravity helps immensely to make the process short and easy.