Why are all my Mentors Dead?

Wow! I can't believe I used that title! But it's true, so I better start explaining why before you "x" out of here. I admit, this is one of my crazier posts!

Dead People don't Argue
In about 2006,  Rabbi S. invited me to study the Kedushat Levi with him. Rabbi Yitzhak Levi published the book in about 1760. The only problem is he wrote in Hebrew and Aramaic, and there aren't any translations. My task was to translate a bit each week and Rabbi S. would explain it. At first, I could only translate 50 words a week.

Gradually, I translated more, and one day Rabbi S. and I were discussing a difficult section. We each had a different opinion, and we both knew we were wrong.

That's when I said, "I like studying dead people's writings because they don't argue!"

Live People do Argue
One of my hobbies is computer programming. My saying is, "If I can think it, I can program it." So, I got this idea to program the translation. I imported all the words and the translations from the Tanach (what Christians call the Old Testament) and put it in the program.

Then I imported all the words for the Kedushat Levi, and it translated about 25% of the words with the program. Next I bought the Talmud on CD and also the 72 volume book set. I was able to search the CD to look up the location of the word and go to the book to get a clear definition and the context.

One day, I came to a study with about 1,000 words translated and nicely formated.

The Rabbi said, "You can't learn Hebrew on a computer!" 
To me, can't means Can. I knew I could do it, because I WAS doing it. Not only was I doing it, but I was learning the book and learning Hebrew.

Their wives argue, too!
The Rabbi's wife got sick, and during her long illness, we discontinued our studies together. I kept translating and learning.

After his wife died, he married a Rabbi.

One week, Rabbi S. said the next week he was going to read a section from the Kli Yakar . It is a book from the early 1600's. I quickly translated the section for myself so I'd be prepared.

Unexpectedly, Rabbi S. asked me to read my translation. I tried to explain it was a rush job, but he had me read it anyway.

His wife, Rabbi E. stopped me on the first sentence. I got the tense on some verb wrong. I didn't care because I was looking for the sense of the passage and that was all. Then Rabbi S. said, "You can't learn Hebrew on a computer!" and his wife joined in. It was somewhat embarrassing for me in front of the other members of the congregation.

Finally, when they were done with the rant, I said, "Can I at least give you the last line?"

The last line was something like "Studying Torah is a way to unite people and they shouldn't worry about small errors in interpretation."

Not long after, people started moving to other cities and the congregation disbanded.

Meeting my Dead Mentors
A couple years ago, I started studying, I mean REALLY studying, Napoleon Hill. I was stuck on forming a Master Mind Alliance. There aren't many writers who know how to form a Master Mind Aliance or who have enough in common. So, I asked Napoleon Hill to be in my Master Mind Alliance. Well, in one of his videos he said dead people can't be in a master mind alliance. I took him anyway because dead people don't argue.

I started choosing other members. Charles S. Hoyt who wrote "The Principles of Scientific Management." Frank Gilbreth who wrote "Applied Motion Study." Andrew Carnegie and many others.

After studying their books, I knew what they would say in any situation. If I was wrong, well, dead people don't argue.

Live people don't argue if they don't know you exist!
As a new writer, it's difficult to find an expert with free advice. New writers can't afford to pay for advice, so I started reading their books. I read everything I could find on how to write. Old books by dead people and new books by live people. I tried the recommendations that seemed reasonable and rejected the others. No hurt feelings because they didn't know!

One day, I realized they could join my Master Mind Alliance. I could invite the authors in as temporary members and ask them leave when I no longer needed them. There were no hard feelings because they didn't know they were my mentor.

Dead people and live people who don't know you are a perfect match
Eventually, I started picking parts of recommendations from different live mentors and forming my own mentor. I met the live mentors through their books. I only took the parts I agreed with because I learned, "Live people don't argue if they don't know you exist."

I even wrote a book about my perfect mentor and now I refer to his writings. I can't tell you which one as it would be a spoiler.

Then I wrote another book incorporating another mentor. Now I have many mentors inside! I call them Inner Coaches.

What about the Kedushat Levi?
I finished translating the first book and published it on Amazon. It was my first book and it is doing reasonably well. It is one of only two translations in the world. The book is deep, but if you are interested, you can read the description here.

It is in the smallest niche on Amazon. One book! All my inner mentors said "You have to find a profitable niche."

Can't means CAN! and "Dead people don't argue!"