Finding Recovery and Yourself in Torah: A Daily Spiritual Path to Wholeness

I far prefer this to Twerski's Living Each Day. It's a great daily meditation for those in Recovery or not.

.....a potentially better and more accurate title for this book. (see title)This book makes me wonder: would I buy a cookbook written by someone who never enters the kitchen...even if the recipes were good? Would I be able to take a fitness book seriously if it was written by someone who never works out....even IF the exercises actually worked? Well, maybe--even a broken clock is right twice a day; and, even some cancer patients statistically are "magically" healed, despite only taking sugar pills for a medical trial. Perhaps there is a hidden gem of all of the self-help writings by authors who are swinging blindly--eventually someone has to hit a bulls-eye I suppose. But not likely. But if the book actually worked, I would certainly a.) wonder where on earth the author actually got their material and b.) would have serious doubts about their motivation behind writing this book to begin with: why would any author bother writing a book about something they didn't actually do?When it comes to books on spirituality (that I would read for MY spirituality), I wouldn't want to read such in-congruent writings. Reading the 'spiritual' writings of an author whose life practices conflict directly with his own words would feel just as obnoxiously in-genuine as reading a book written by a trust fund celebrity discussing his deep insight to life (*eyeroll* nothankyou). I think that morality, integrity, ethics, and honesty are all things that are necessary in spirituality...either possessing them or striving to posses them. If I were to read something by an author who personally lacked any (or all) of those things, I would be going against my own spiritual code by even reading it. Yes, I'm sure you will find some wise words in here (I read it out of curiosity to confirm the above). HOWEVER, I cannot take any spiritual practice or guidelines to heart if it is written purely to please and impress others instead of being practiced by the preacher. A spiritual book should not be written purely to be an ego-booster for the author.Yes, I am aware that in Judaism, the only thing one must posses in order to earn the title of Rabbi is a great KNOWLEDGE of Torah. That means that Religious PRACTICE is not a requisite of the honorable Rabbinic post. But I'm sure that a Torah-Scholar-Rabbi who wasn't as observant wouldn't dare to preach to a congregation about kashrut when he himself didn't keep kosher, no matter how convincing he could be. To do so would make him a hypocrite. To refrain from doing so, conversely, would be tactful and still allow him to ethically serve as a rabbi while playing to what actually are his strengths. This book of spiritual practice makes Borovitz come off as that one Rabbi who had popcorn shrimp two days before he preached to the congregation about the halachic impurities of shellfish just to get a better sermon. Borovitz's quite frightening reputation of being someone who does not practice what he preaches (including many points in this book) makes me very anxious to have him be the person to guide me through finding myself in Torah.Furthermore (and on the same subject of needing a great knowledge of Torah to be a rabbi), there are some BLARING mistakes in the Torah narratives summaries by Borovitz that have me doubting his expertise in Torah only ten pages in. (ex: God breathed into Adam's nostrils on Day 6 of creation, not Day 5 as Borovitz has written. Also, the story of Adam and Eve eating the fruit didn't happen in the Torah on Day 6 as incorrectly paraphrased by Borovitz; rather, it was long after creation finished.) I already have doubts about the author's motivation of this book, to ALSO have doubts about the the author's knowledge of TORAH and ability to paraphrase the narratives accurately makes me even more skeptical.If I can't take it seriously as a Self-Help book....it's just a work of fiction: made up by someone only to entertain their readers.And for that, I go to the fiction aisle.

I really find this useful in my daily 12 Step work as a Jew. There are three penetrating questions at the end of each day's essay.

The "For Growth and Renewal" questions and advisories that represent calls to action at the bottom of the page are addressed to us as others by the author like he is a big boss or parent not one of us. My first reaction to such writings as a recovering person always is "who does he think he/she is? "Do Twelve Step Work and lift somebody up. Then you really have cause to celebrate." No recovering person responds well to such stuff. A.A. or Alanon or even Hazelden would have the same worded this way that would work. "When we do Twelve Step work and lift somebody up, we can feel we have a real cause to celebrate."

Most days this provides inspiration for me. I always find a nugat,

Brings me closer to religion and spiritual program of choice on a daily basis.

This is an interesting book that is divided into over 350 very short chapters, seven chapters for each of the 54 weekly biblical portions. There is a page for every day of the year. Each is no longer than a page, with some being only a half a page. Each small chapter is made up of two parts. There is a brief summary of part of the weekly potion with an analysis, a referral to other parts of the Bible, and a message, written in easy to follow English. This is followed by three questions designed to provoke the reader to think.For example, in the portion discussing Joseph being placed in a pit, the first section speaks about Joseph learning humility, finding God, reminding readers that many “of us have to go all the way down into a pit to find God and learn/relearn how to use our gifts to help others, rather than lord over them.” Joseph found God in the darkest part of his life. And as he rose from the pit, he saved Egypt.This section is followed by three thought-provoking questions: “What has been your deepest bottom. How can you stop digging, and are you ready to accept your proper place in the world? How will you live your gratitude for being alive?”The author Rabbi Mark Borovitz is an expert in the area of recovery. This easy to read enlightening volume will help people with all kinds of life problems, including addiction and the search for meaning in life.

As a person in recovery for the past 24 years and a Jew, I find the daily reflections to be very positive for my own personal growth. My Judaism greatly enhances my 12 step work. Daily self-evaluation is an essential part of the on going recovery process. Personally, I’d like to start out my day by reading the day’s meditation in this book and sometimes writing On the questions. I find it a very helpful way to start my day or even to restart my day. I would like to say that I am very saddened by And earlier or if you attacking the character of Rabbi Mark Borovitz and that’s trying to discredit the information in this book. I’m sure the man has flaws, most people in recovery are far from perfect. But we have a saying in 12 step meetings: Focus on the message not the messenger. I find it to have wonderful daily reflections for personal growth. If you’re Jewish and in recovery and looking for a way to find a connection to both, I would recommend this daily meditation book.