ZOOM ONLY
Presented by Rabbi Tal Sessler, Ph.D.
The Lonely Man of Faith by Rabbi Professor Soloveitchik is the most important work of Jewish philosophy in the second half of the 20th century. His reflections on the two facets of the human condition mirror Jung’s comments on his number 1 and number 2 personalities, and the on-going tension between them. In this talk we will examine some of the ways in which Jung was influenced by the Kabbalah, and the unity of the opposites as articulated in the Chassidic tradition, including the notion that evil (the sitra ahra and the yezter hara) also originate from the Divine, rather than operating as an externalized figure. The clinical implications of balancing the tension of the opposites (what Jung referred to as the transcendent function), will be explored in relationship to the individuation process as reflected in the biography of the biblical figure of Jacob, as well as the story of Joseph, Judaism’s quintessential wounded healer.
Learning objectives:
- Describe similarities between Jung’s concept of holding the tension of the opposites and the unity of the opposites as articulated in the Chassidic tradition.
- Describe the clinical implications of splitting and projecting one’s destructive tendencies onto the other vs. the integration of the yetzer ha’ra, the internal inclination for destruction (or to perpetrate evil).
Rabbi Tal Sessler, Ph.D., is the rabbi of Temple Beth Zion and a spiritual counselor at the Chabad Treatment Center. The former Dean of the Rabbinical School, Professor of Jewish Philosophy at the Academy of Jewish Religion, and the author of four books. His fifth and forthcoming book is entitled Emotional Redemption: Jewish Wisdom for Psychological Growth.” His areas of interest include existential psychology, logotherapy, and the relationship between Jewish thought and contemporary psychological modalities.
Refund requests must be sent by email to administration@junginla.org before noon (12:00 pm) prior to the program being paid for. No refund will be issued otherwise.
