TOV and Our Democracy

One of the things I tell my premarital couples is that, though marriages may be Made in Heaven (or Hell), the Maintenance is Done here on Earth! Every day!!! All relationships need to be maintained in some way. It is our responsibility to nurture and nourish relationships, as well as fix and mend them. It is the same with our Democracy and our way of life. "WE THE PEOPLE" is not a spectator sport!

Last Sunday, The Dallas Morning News had an article in the Travel Section about the Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism. This museum has no artifacts, but tells its chilling story with documents, photos and videos. It explains how the Nazis came to power in Munich and the lessons that history imparts. Winfried Nerdinger, the Director of the museum asks,"Why did it happen here, (Munich) not in any other place? And what do we learn about the fragility of Democracy?”

After the slaughter and brutality of the First World War, the accompanying humiliation, deprivation and starvation destabilized Germany, leading to unrest and revolution, especially in Munich, Bavaria's seat of power. "In the complicated political churn that followed, and a tug of war between moderate and political left-wingers, the political right started planting anti-Semitic seeds."

"By January 1919, the National German Workers Party was created and Adolf Hitler, who had a talent for getting people worked up, quickly rose to power within it." Hitler declared that Munich will always be the head-quarters for the movement. By 1922, there were 8,000 card carrying members. In 1933, the party seized power in Munich's City Hall. Thirteen days after the Nazis came to power, Dachau was opened.

The Director further said that, divide and conquer was the tactic. The Nazis split up people into "insiders and outsiders" -- US vs. THEM. Everyone and everything that didn't fit in this society was excluded. "On the ground floor of the museum, there is a news ticker of right-wing extremist actions from around the world that is continually updated, a stream of hatred, bigotry and exclusion that reminds us to stay vigilant, lest Democracy slip from our grasp again."

The cornerstone of the American political system is "WE THE PEOPLE," but unless Americans are able to communicate with others and act together, the "WE" will cease to exist!!

As Americans are becoming more isolated, more and more of them are becoming radicalized and joining extremist groups including cults. A recent CNN documentary showed how social media was being used to attract Americans. The analysis revealed that ISIS, among other groups, uses social media to repeat one strong message, "We did not belong where we were; now we belong!"

The TOV Teams model creates a place where everyone that shares TOV Values, can not only belong -- they fill spaces that no one else can fill. Each person brings his or her unique life experiences, skills, talents, creativity, ideas and passions to nurture, nourish, fix and mend Lives and Life, for the Common Good, a win-win for all. Come join TOV Teams and experience the full meaning of "WE THE PEOPLE" and the power and happiness that working together gives. Become a Founding Member of the TOV Center’s TOV Teams Network – Click Here.

Choose Life by Doing TOV!

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor

LIFE and TOV have Good Numbers & an Invitation for You

In the Hebrew alphabet, each letter has a numeral equivalent. For instance, the letter Aleph, which begins the alphabet equals 1, next letter Bet equals 2 and so on. There are a number of people who believe that the sum total of words or sentences have some hidden spiritual meaning or code.

The word "Life" in Hebrew, CHAI, equals the number 18. The letter CHET is 8 and the smallest letter YOD is 10=18. The name CHAIYIM( the plural of CHAI), literally means "Lives." Many of you who seen Fiddler On The Roof remember the song " To Life, L"CHAIYIM", which is the well known toast. An important part of a Jewish prayer service is called SHEMONAH ESREI, (or Amidah, because it's recited while standing) contains 18 blessings. When someone donates or gives money as a gift it is usually CHAI, $18 or double CHAI, $36 and so on. You can sum up the Jewish view of Life and Living from Fiddler, "One day it's honey cake, next day a stomach ache, drink L'CHAIYIM To Life!"

Judaism is a tradition that draws on a rich past, works for a positive future but is focused on the present. The work that Jim Myers and I are doing, teaching the TOV Standard, providing a means to examine our MEMES and to form collectives, teams of people with shared values and commitment, to address issues that need to be addressed and to take the actions needed to solve the practical problems our Political, Financial and Religious institutions cannot!

The word TOV also has good numbers! (TOV Standard are words thoughts and actions which Protect Life, Preserve Life, Make Life More Functional and Increases the Quality of Life) TET is 9, VAV is 6, BET/VET is 2. TOV equals 17. Tens and Sevens. Ten Plagues, Ten Commandments, Ten Generations from Adam to Noah another Ten Generations to Abraham. Seven Days of the week, Seven Days of Creation, Seven Blessings in the Jewish wedding ceremony. My own life seems to go in seven and ten year cycles. So, doing TOV strengthens and validates CHAIYIM, Life.

I saw a tee shirt recently that really hit the mark. It said, "TO CHANGE, WE MUST BE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED!" Are You Sick and Tired of the WAY IT IS? We have the power to see what COULD BE. IT'S TIME FOR TOV!

Many of you know that I have been working on making TOV a Reality in lives for a long time. An important part of my work has been the founding of the TOV Center. I have been giving hints of what it will be doing as have been putting the pieces together. In the next few weeks I will be telling you much more as we launch the first phase of the TOV Center’s work.

We are in still in the construction phase of our website (still editing, all of the links are not live, new pages will be added & different browsers may create different looks), but I want to share two very important pages with you today: WHAT IS TOV & WHY TOV.

Many of you know me and know I care about and do my best to help people by doing TOV and have been doing it for a very long time. The TOV Center will help me help many more people. I hope you will join with me by becoming a Founding Member of the TOV Center and making a year-end contribution. My goal is to have the first 100 Lifetime Members join with me before the end of 2015, during this prelaunch period. I hope you will be among that group. If, that level isn’t possible for you at this moment, join at a level that works best for you. My primary goal is for us to be members of the TOV Team together – at any membership level! As I said above, the website is in a prelaunch mode right now, but a temporary Membership page is now online – CLICK HERE (you will recognize the role of “18” in membership levels).

I am really looking forward to receiving your email -- telling me you have become a fellow member of the TOV Team and are committed to the TOV vision – doing actions that Protect Life, Preserve Life, Make Life more Functional and Improve the Quality of Life!

Let’s Do TOV & Choose Life Together!

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor