Torah and 12 Steps; A Jewish Perspective

Inspired by the teachings of Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth

Although there are mentioned important  righteous traits to acquire within the 12 step  program, What is  missing from the 12 step programs is the rectified wisdom of an actionable guideline to help bring about righteous conduct and change.

For example , but not limited to;

• What is a Higher Power… G-d
• What is Humility, and how to acquire this trait
• What  is Honesty
• What is Sincerity

Typically 12 step programs rely on collective consciousness of people of the program or ‘recovery room’ of the concepts as mentioned (but not limited to those) as above; G-d, Honesty, Humility, Sincerity, which is limited to the consciousness of the group. And may lack what we may call according to Judaism ‘ actionable rectified wisdom’ .

There are many that have found an amount of recovery in the  12 step programs. For a Jew to be successful in recovery (of anything) according to a Torah definition,  he must access and integrate the appropriate ‘program of recovery’ for his body, mind and infinite soul, to become rectified … what the 12 step may refer as clean and sober requires for the Jewish neshama’s recovery the infinite, limitless wisdom of the guidelines of the 613; the Torah.

Although is is widely held that once an addict-always an addict, it remains possible , but unfortunately rare , that a  according to Jewish wisdom , a Jew  who is most astringent and mindful in the changing of  those character traits that have caused his transgression(s)  can affect  rectified change of his desires…. Tshuvah  and Tikun (rectification). A person that has truly rectified his yetzer hora (desire)  over substance(or other) would never personally claim so , so he may sit on his laurels  consumed with celebration of his ‘achievement’. That  would be haughty/arrogant, paradoxical  to the traits of his acquiring such  Tikun .He may however come to be aware of his life’s changes through the objective source.  A person of such loftiness will see his conquering of his yetzer hora as a having acquired a  great gift in his ways to acquire continued ways of perfection with his next challenges.

Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com