Dr. Bulka is Rabbi of Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. A prolific author, he has written extensively in the field of Judaism and Psychology. This article appears in issue 6 of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals.
Psychology is the modern-day philosophy. If something is psychologically sound, it almost automatically becomes a desired reality that we should embrace. If it is not psychologically sound, it deserves to be dismissed, even if such dismissal contravenes religious norms.
Consider the matter of guilt. Psychology has just about convinced the general population that guilt is psychologically unhealthful; it raises our anxiety level, interferes with our blood pressure, and compromises our ability to function happily. The remedy-drop the guilt by dropping the values that instill the guilt.
