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 Rabbi Michael Gold is now the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Torah in Tamarac, FL, after having served congregations in Upper Nyack, NY and Pittsburgh, PA. The Ten Journeys of Life is his fourth book. He sends out a weekly spiritual message to his members and hundreds of others. (To receive his message, visit www.rabbigold.com.) All of his books attempt to apply the wisdom of tradition to the real choices people make.
Neela Sakaria: Thank you for joining us Rabbi Gold. As someone who is fairly unfamiliar with the Jewish faith, I found your book to be readable and very understandable. Was this your intention? Who were you considering to be your audience when you initially wrote the book, and has that changed?
Rabbi Michael Gold: I wrote this book for people of all faiths and no particular faith. This book assumes no knowledge of Judaism. It is based on the Biblical idea that God promised Abraham he would be a blessing for all humanity. What can I learn from the life of Abraham that can answer the fundamental questions about life all people face? That is why the subtitle of the book is Walking the Path of Abraham; A Guide to Being Human.
Neela: How did you decide to write this book? Do you have a background in writing? How did this come up?
RMG: This book grew out of an adult education class I taught based on the story of Abraham, and the ancient Rabbinic teaching that God tested Abraham ten times. I saw this as a paradigm for the tests God puts each of us through. I taught a similar class up in the Poconos in Pennsylvania at the Kislak Adult Center. It was during that summer that I decided to develop this material into a book.
NS: What kind of research went into writing this book? How did you decide which religious anecdotes to include?
RMG: The book flowed naturally from my more than twenty years as a pulpit rabbi, teaching and counseling. When I decided to base the book on Abraham, I read the Biblical stories and the Rabbinic Midrashim (legends) about Abraham's life, but most of the material grew out of my day to day work.
NS: What kind of response have you gotten from your readers, so far?
RMG: The word is just beginning to get out regarding my book, but so far I am thrilled with the positive response. I particular appreciate the positive reaction of my non-Jewish leaders, both religious Christians and people without strong religious convictions, who have found wisdom and guidance in my book.
NS: Although you use religious parallels to make your points, your book could almost be considered a "self help" book in a way - not only a spiritual one, in that you include steps at the end of each chapter which are sort of guidelines for change in one's life -- no matter what religion the person is, or whether they are spiritual or not. Do you think that is true? How do you feel about describing your book as a self help book?
RMG: The Ten Journeys of Life is definitely a self help book. If religion is worth anything, it has to contain practical wisdom to help people live better lives. As I wrote in each of the ten chapters, in the section I called Guideposts for the Journey, I imagined that I was sitting in my office counseling the reader one-on-one. How can I help them find the proper path?
NS: It seems that "self help" books in America today are eagerly consumed by the public. Do you think that society's consumption of these types of books reflects a breakdown in personal well-being and a desire for a quick fix? (whether or not it also includes a quick dose of spirituality or religion) Or do you see this desire as a positive sign, that we are more aware of our spiritual/personal shortcomings, and want to be pro-active about them?
RMG: I believe the plethora of self-help books reflect a great spiritual longing. We are more than mere chemicals, and we need answers to life's fundamental questions that go beyond the material. We need to turn to the spiritual dimension of life to answer some of our most fundamental questions.
NS: What do you think makes your book different from other books on changing one's life?
RMG: Although my book is very contemporary, it grows out of a 3500 year old tradition. The ideas in this book have been put through the test by generations of people facing many of the same situations. My book also avoids simple answers. It certainly teaches that change is possible, but that change is also an ongoing, difficult, struggle.
NS: When describing the second journey - the journey of Maturity -- from self indulgence to self control, you explain that fun and happiness are actually opposites, though most people don't tend to think of it this way. Can you expand on this concept for our readers?
RMG: Fun means immediate gratification. We have fun at an amusement park. But life can not be non-stop amusement parks. Fun can also be a hot fudge sundae, or a one night, non-committal sexual encounter. However, none of these lead to a lifetime of happiness. True happiness grows from long term commitment, often involving pain and sacrifice. Happiness comes from marriage and family, pursuing one's talents, working at one's career, religious and charitable work.
Neela: What projects are you involved with now? Are you planning to write another book any time soon?
RMG: In addition to serving my congregation here in Florida, I am looking for more opportunities to write, lecture, serve as scholar-in-residence, and send out my weekly spiritual messages. I have an idea for another book but it is in the early planning stage, and premature to reveal.
Neela: Well, thank you for joining us and for sharing your thoughts with our readers.
RMG: Thank you.
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