Hello Everyone! We have another new writer who wanted to share a wonderful experience with all of you. We will refer to her as 'A'. Enjoy and G-d Bless:
I was studying for an exam in a café one afternoon. The material was very challenging, so I was becoming frustrated. I thought to myself, “There is no way I am going to pass this stupid test!” All of the questions are so nit-picky, and I kept getting them wrong!” I let out an exasperated sigh, and said to myself, “L-rd, I have no idea how I’m going to pass this test!”
As I took a mental break, my mind and eyes began to wander around the café. I noticed a guy sitting at the table in front of mine. He had shaggy hair, several visible tattoos, and at least four ear piercings. He was hunched over a paperback book and was slowly sipping his coffee with every turn of a page. His back was towards me, so I was able to read the back of his shirt. It was his uniform for work (Texas Roadhouse Restaurant), and it said in big letters, “I love my job!” I chuckled to myself, wondering how many of the restaurant’s employees were forced to wear that shirt. How many of those employees secretly hated their job, or at the very least, “liked it”, but not “loved it”?
Feeling a little inquisitive and slightly cheeky, I called out to him, “So…do you love your job?” The man looked up from his book and turned to face me with a smile. “Actually, I do love my job!” He looked up to the ceiling for a few seconds pensively and then back at me. “You want to know why I like my job?” “Sure.”, I said. The man turned in his chair so that he was sitting sideways, and draped his arm across the back of it.
“Because it gives me the opportunity to serve people, and give them a break from their hectic day for twenty-thirty minutes. I get to be a part of their lives…and talk to them. They don’t have to worry about cooking a meal at that time. It’s funny, but I ask myself: If Jesus were a server, how would he do this job?” His reference to Jesus reminded me of how Jesus washed the feet of the apostles at the Last Supper. It was totally unexpected. I mean, here was the Son of G-d, washing their feet?! They were not even worthy to be in his presence, and he got down on his knees, and washed the dirt and grime from the apostles feet. We often forget how much Jesus humbled himself; and that we need to do the same for others.
The man continued with his speech. He said, “We all have different talents and gifts that G-d gives us, and it is up to us to use them wisely. I may be a server, but I will try to do the best job that I can while I am here on Earth. Then he went on to say, “I wasn’t always like this. Before I found Jesus and became religious, I just wanted the job that would pay me the most money. I never worried about which job it was, or how I performed. I didn’t care whether or not I was putting forth any effort! But now, I want to do G-d’s will. For me, right now, it’s to serve people in this capacity.
I was impressed by how he saw his job. I had never thought of a waiter really “serving” people before.
The young man tilted his head to the side and smiled. He said, “Now I realize that money or fancy things are not important, because none of those things last. You can’t take them with you to heaven. You can only take your faith in G-d with you. If you think about it, life is kind of like an internship for heaven. We are here for preparation of what is to come.” I smiled and agreed. I really liked the way he phrased that statement.
Then he looked at the time on his cell phone, and said, “Actually, I have to get going to my job. My shift is about to start. But before I go, can I pray with you about anything?” I was surprised that this stranger wanted to pray with me. How often do any of us stop and ask a stranger if they would like someone to pray with them? I told him about my test, and let him know that I would greatly appreciate his prayers. So he sat down at my table and bowed his head.
Dear L-rd, please allow your grace to help this young lady remember all the information for which she has so diligently studied. Please guide her choices during the test, so that she may pass it. Please be there to guide her in her daily life, as she takes cares of and heals your children. Allow her to use her talents and gifts that you have given her to the best of her ability. Please watch over her always. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. I thanked him as he got up from the table. He shook my hand and said, “G-d bless you.” He turned, picked up his book and left the café.
I was so touched that I started to cry. I was suddenly overcome with a sense of peace and calm. I felt Jesus talking to my heart, “Don’t worry, my child, I am here with you always.”
I wiped my eyes, and thanked G-d silently. I drove home that evening with a new renewed vigor. I was inspired to perform my best during this Divine Internship that we call life.
-A-
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Share your world with me.
I believe that to be Jewish today means what it meant yesterday & a thousand years ago. It means for the Jew in me to seek fulfillment both as a Jew & as a human being. For a Jew, Judaism & humanity must go together. To be Jewish today is to recognize that every person is created in the image of G-d & that our purpose in living is to be a reminder of G-d.
Naturally, I claim total kinship with my people & its destiny. Judaism integrates particularistic aspirations with universal values, fervor with rigor, & legend with law. Being Jewish to me is to reject all fanaticism anywhere.
To be Jewish is, above all, to safeguard memory & open its gates to the celebration of life as well as the suffering, to the song of ecstasy as well as the tears of distress that are our legacy as Jews. It is to rejoice in the renaissance of Jewish sovereignty in Israel & the re-awakening of Jewish life in countries where it was forbidden. It is to identify with the plight of Jews living under oppressive regimes & with the challenges facing our communities in free societies.
A Jew must be sensitive to the pain of all human beings. A Jew cannot remain indifferent to human suffering. The mission of the Jewish people has never been to make the world more Jewish, but to make it more human.
I am proud to be Jewish. Tell me about yourself and what you are proud of.
Naturally, I claim total kinship with my people & its destiny. Judaism integrates particularistic aspirations with universal values, fervor with rigor, & legend with law. Being Jewish to me is to reject all fanaticism anywhere.
To be Jewish is, above all, to safeguard memory & open its gates to the celebration of life as well as the suffering, to the song of ecstasy as well as the tears of distress that are our legacy as Jews. It is to rejoice in the renaissance of Jewish sovereignty in Israel & the re-awakening of Jewish life in countries where it was forbidden. It is to identify with the plight of Jews living under oppressive regimes & with the challenges facing our communities in free societies.
A Jew must be sensitive to the pain of all human beings. A Jew cannot remain indifferent to human suffering. The mission of the Jewish people has never been to make the world more Jewish, but to make it more human.
I am proud to be Jewish. Tell me about yourself and what you are proud of.
Being Religious & Being Spiritual
It is amazing that so many people feel that being religious & being spiritual is the same. Not that the two are mutually exclusive, but they are two different concepts that seem to get mixed together in most peoples’ minds. Below I would like to add my observations on the matter & I concede that my definition may be different from that of the definition given by the dictionary.
Religion, I understand, is a set of beliefs generally about G-d. In our religion, Judaism, it includes actions, i.e. commandments & thoughts, required & forbidden. A person is considered 'religious' when he/she adheres to such beliefs. (For sake of our discussion I acknowledge that there are more than one established set of belief in Judaism as well defined in the various branches of our people which revolve around the belief in the existence of one G-d.) A 'religious' person therefore is one who scrupulously adheres to the tenets of his faith. (Here I exclude from this discussion compulsive people who happen to use religion as an extension of their obsessiveness.)
Spirituality, on the other hand, is something which reflects those feelings or thoughts that connect one with the spiritual side of life, as opposed to the material aspects of this world. The spiritual experience being something that is experienced from the non-material, or in our case, the G-dly realm. A person who is spiritual is one who has had a spiritual experience; an experience with G-d (within or without the confines of religion). Here the emphasis is on the experience & not the knowledge, learned or otherwise acquired.
In concept we might expect to see religious people being spiritual & indeed it is the expectation of many. However it is my proposal that religion is the external manifestation of a spiritual being or experience, whereas the spiritual is the inner feeling that should accompany the religious person. A person performing a religious action should be experiencing a spiritual feeling; hence the religious aspect is the exterior to the inner spiritual experience.
To make my point clearer, let us take a person who is a prophet, like Moses or Samuel. Their essential being was to be connected with G-d. They communicated directly to Him not just in prayer but rather in a direct personal communicative manner as one speaks with his boss. Their essential being reflected that inner spiritual experience in a way that we can not describe from our own personal knowledge (since we generally lack a similar internal experience) but we can describe their personal spiritual experience from their external manifestation that caused a change in their personality & lifestyle as a direct result of that experience. We can note & relate to others the manner in which the spiritual experience has changed their being as they relate to the physical world by noting the changes in their personality from before their spiritual experience comparing to afterwards. We should note a change in regard to their relationships with other people & in the way they live their lives. We would expect a person who had a spiritual experience of some high degree to act differently after the experience than from before. If a spiritual experience does not cause a change in a person, then what good did the connection of the divine do?
To the extent of the intensity &/or frequency of the spiritual experience so will the person's relationship to the physical side of the world change. As an example, I would expect a person who had a 'close experiential relationship' with G-d to be less dependent or desirous of the physical side of life. We find that the prophets were not particularly materialistic people. Rather their desires were to become even more spiritualistic.
Unfortunately most people today are very much connected with the material side of life than ever before. This is to such an extent that unless G-d comes & literally hits them on the head they would never think of being spiritual. On the other hand, those people who are seeking to be spiritual reject the apparent confines of regulated & codified religion as being anti-spiritual. In many ways they are correct, but it is my contention that we need both as I shall explain.
We need to be spiritual; we need to develop a close relationship with G-d & we need to realize that we have been placed in a world that is entirely material & physical. In such an environment we must live & function; we cannot avoid it even if we were to go to a live in a cave in a remote area. Material needs are a prime concern of man.
Although the spiritual is the desirable choice between the physical & the spiritual, the spiritual closeness of the prophets is not possible to attain, therefore it is necessary to adhere to the tenets of our religion because (& although religion is externals of spirituality, none the less,) we need to maintain a frame work that keeps us in line with the manner in which G-d desired us to live our lives. This protects us so that we may on occasion have a spiritual experience.
May we be granted the wisdom to attain the spiritual heights that we are allowed & the understanding to realize that it is not a sustainable goal, but rather a gift from G-d.
Religion, I understand, is a set of beliefs generally about G-d. In our religion, Judaism, it includes actions, i.e. commandments & thoughts, required & forbidden. A person is considered 'religious' when he/she adheres to such beliefs. (For sake of our discussion I acknowledge that there are more than one established set of belief in Judaism as well defined in the various branches of our people which revolve around the belief in the existence of one G-d.) A 'religious' person therefore is one who scrupulously adheres to the tenets of his faith. (Here I exclude from this discussion compulsive people who happen to use religion as an extension of their obsessiveness.)
Spirituality, on the other hand, is something which reflects those feelings or thoughts that connect one with the spiritual side of life, as opposed to the material aspects of this world. The spiritual experience being something that is experienced from the non-material, or in our case, the G-dly realm. A person who is spiritual is one who has had a spiritual experience; an experience with G-d (within or without the confines of religion). Here the emphasis is on the experience & not the knowledge, learned or otherwise acquired.
In concept we might expect to see religious people being spiritual & indeed it is the expectation of many. However it is my proposal that religion is the external manifestation of a spiritual being or experience, whereas the spiritual is the inner feeling that should accompany the religious person. A person performing a religious action should be experiencing a spiritual feeling; hence the religious aspect is the exterior to the inner spiritual experience.
To make my point clearer, let us take a person who is a prophet, like Moses or Samuel. Their essential being was to be connected with G-d. They communicated directly to Him not just in prayer but rather in a direct personal communicative manner as one speaks with his boss. Their essential being reflected that inner spiritual experience in a way that we can not describe from our own personal knowledge (since we generally lack a similar internal experience) but we can describe their personal spiritual experience from their external manifestation that caused a change in their personality & lifestyle as a direct result of that experience. We can note & relate to others the manner in which the spiritual experience has changed their being as they relate to the physical world by noting the changes in their personality from before their spiritual experience comparing to afterwards. We should note a change in regard to their relationships with other people & in the way they live their lives. We would expect a person who had a spiritual experience of some high degree to act differently after the experience than from before. If a spiritual experience does not cause a change in a person, then what good did the connection of the divine do?
To the extent of the intensity &/or frequency of the spiritual experience so will the person's relationship to the physical side of the world change. As an example, I would expect a person who had a 'close experiential relationship' with G-d to be less dependent or desirous of the physical side of life. We find that the prophets were not particularly materialistic people. Rather their desires were to become even more spiritualistic.
Unfortunately most people today are very much connected with the material side of life than ever before. This is to such an extent that unless G-d comes & literally hits them on the head they would never think of being spiritual. On the other hand, those people who are seeking to be spiritual reject the apparent confines of regulated & codified religion as being anti-spiritual. In many ways they are correct, but it is my contention that we need both as I shall explain.
We need to be spiritual; we need to develop a close relationship with G-d & we need to realize that we have been placed in a world that is entirely material & physical. In such an environment we must live & function; we cannot avoid it even if we were to go to a live in a cave in a remote area. Material needs are a prime concern of man.
Although the spiritual is the desirable choice between the physical & the spiritual, the spiritual closeness of the prophets is not possible to attain, therefore it is necessary to adhere to the tenets of our religion because (& although religion is externals of spirituality, none the less,) we need to maintain a frame work that keeps us in line with the manner in which G-d desired us to live our lives. This protects us so that we may on occasion have a spiritual experience.
May we be granted the wisdom to attain the spiritual heights that we are allowed & the understanding to realize that it is not a sustainable goal, but rather a gift from G-d.
Hatred
We are familiar with advertisements about cancer, AIDS, & reckless driving being killers. However, what we do not consider is that there is a worse killer that is spreading at remarkable rates infecting multitudes & causing more pain & sorrow than all other causes put together. This is the plague of hatred.
Hatred is a killer; millions of Jews together with many from other different groups, were murdered during World War II. Today, through out the Arab world, hatred of Jews has reached an unprecedented level & we know that this can kill & if not restrained, it will kill!
Let us ask ourselves the very basic question: What is it that causes people from one area or religion or group to hate people that they have never spoken to, never met, & with whom do not have any interaction?
There is an explanation: Know that there are two basic types of hatred: hatred based on personal grievance & hatred that is based on selfishness.
Hatred that is based on personal grievance is a hatred that is caused directly by an injustice that is done to you by another person. It could be a neighbour or a co-worker who has annoyed you, embarrassed you or harmed your property. You feel that you have been wronged & now you are upset. However if restitution in the proper form is made, the hatred will dissipate. Hatred like this is based on a real cause; erase the cause & the hatred disappears.
The selfish type of hatred appears to come with a 'reason', but the reason which is supplied is not the real reason but rather a justification of the hatred. In this case, the hatred precedes the reason; the reason comes afterwards to justify to others & conceal the real motives of the hatred. This type of hatred is much more difficult to identify, since its source is cleverly concealed with a plausible external rational that justifies the hatred, & even beckons those listening to agree & join in the hatred. Hatred without cause is called in Hebrew Sinat Chinam.
The world is full of this sick type of hatred. Individuals, nations, groups & races are infected with it & it spreads itself like a contagious disease. At the bottom of this hatred is selfishness & suspicion that causes the 'other' to be viewed with disdain & suspicion.
A selfish person is constantly worried about himself, but no one else. He views the other as competition that will reduce down his share of what he desires. This type of person is a coward & uses justification & counterfeit reasons to explain & substantiate his hatred. As an example, a person cannot clearly state that he fears that his co-worker may do a better job than he, & by comparison, will look bad, because it is an admission of his own weakness. Rather he will give a reason to justify hating this person, specifying a personal fault in order that the reason should look authentic.
The same is true of groups. A group can not simply state that they fear another group because of the possibility that the other group will do better than them, rather they conceal their insecurity in a mantle of righteous justifications in order to convince others of the faults of this rival group. Others who secretly share the same insecurities will latch on to this false accusation & continue to spread this hatred.
If a grievance is real, then the parties can work it out honestly & sensibly, since the problem is not the personalities, but the disputed item, i.e. property, honor, etc. In most cases, it is the retribution that is the desired end, not the continuance of hatred. Once restitution has taken place, then the person who was wronged is pacified & the hatred subsides. This is not true with baseless hatred, since any claim made is only to conceal the insecurity & to justify the hatred therefore a settlement will not take away the baseless hatred since the underlying insecurity remains.
Unfortunately, we Jews are living in a time similar to that of our parents. During the 1930's & 40's, Hitler's hate campaign against the Jews & other 'undesirables' convinced millions of Germans of the righteousness of his mission. Chamberlain thought that he could appease Hitler by giving him the Sudetenland. Hitler could not be appeased since his demands were not based on reason, but he used his 'reason' only to justify his hatred.
We see the same thing in the Arab world. How much have the Israeli governments given to the Palestinian Arabs, yet Israel is as far from peace with their neighbours as they were in 1948. The reason is that the Arabs use a 'reason' to justify their claims against the Jews, when in reality no appeasement on the part of any Israeli leader will make them stop hating us. They hate us because they view us with fright, they fear that our energies in building a beautiful society in the Middle East will expose them as the corrupt & lazy politicians that they really are, & that our Jewish success is a affront to the 'truth' of Islam & that by comparison they may feel that they are really lazy indolent people. It is much easier to spread the lie of Israeli atrocities than face the truth that they are responsible for their own destinies & it is not Israel or the Jews that caused them to be in the position in which they find themselves.
What is true with the group is true with the individual. The Torah commands us (Leviticus 19:17, 18) "Thou shall not hate thy brother in thy heart; you shall surely rebuke the neighbour, but not bring sin upon him. You shall not take vengeance nor bear a grudge, but you shall love thy neighbour as thyself."
Hatred blinds, & hatred kills. Love draws you closer together, but it requires courage to accept your own failings. Perhaps we cannot correct the world just today, but we can start by avoiding hatred & seeking truth in ourselves. If every one would look into himself & see & accept his own faults & not blame others for his position in life, the world would be a better place.
Hatred is a killer; millions of Jews together with many from other different groups, were murdered during World War II. Today, through out the Arab world, hatred of Jews has reached an unprecedented level & we know that this can kill & if not restrained, it will kill!
Let us ask ourselves the very basic question: What is it that causes people from one area or religion or group to hate people that they have never spoken to, never met, & with whom do not have any interaction?
There is an explanation: Know that there are two basic types of hatred: hatred based on personal grievance & hatred that is based on selfishness.
Hatred that is based on personal grievance is a hatred that is caused directly by an injustice that is done to you by another person. It could be a neighbour or a co-worker who has annoyed you, embarrassed you or harmed your property. You feel that you have been wronged & now you are upset. However if restitution in the proper form is made, the hatred will dissipate. Hatred like this is based on a real cause; erase the cause & the hatred disappears.
The selfish type of hatred appears to come with a 'reason', but the reason which is supplied is not the real reason but rather a justification of the hatred. In this case, the hatred precedes the reason; the reason comes afterwards to justify to others & conceal the real motives of the hatred. This type of hatred is much more difficult to identify, since its source is cleverly concealed with a plausible external rational that justifies the hatred, & even beckons those listening to agree & join in the hatred. Hatred without cause is called in Hebrew Sinat Chinam.
The world is full of this sick type of hatred. Individuals, nations, groups & races are infected with it & it spreads itself like a contagious disease. At the bottom of this hatred is selfishness & suspicion that causes the 'other' to be viewed with disdain & suspicion.
A selfish person is constantly worried about himself, but no one else. He views the other as competition that will reduce down his share of what he desires. This type of person is a coward & uses justification & counterfeit reasons to explain & substantiate his hatred. As an example, a person cannot clearly state that he fears that his co-worker may do a better job than he, & by comparison, will look bad, because it is an admission of his own weakness. Rather he will give a reason to justify hating this person, specifying a personal fault in order that the reason should look authentic.
The same is true of groups. A group can not simply state that they fear another group because of the possibility that the other group will do better than them, rather they conceal their insecurity in a mantle of righteous justifications in order to convince others of the faults of this rival group. Others who secretly share the same insecurities will latch on to this false accusation & continue to spread this hatred.
If a grievance is real, then the parties can work it out honestly & sensibly, since the problem is not the personalities, but the disputed item, i.e. property, honor, etc. In most cases, it is the retribution that is the desired end, not the continuance of hatred. Once restitution has taken place, then the person who was wronged is pacified & the hatred subsides. This is not true with baseless hatred, since any claim made is only to conceal the insecurity & to justify the hatred therefore a settlement will not take away the baseless hatred since the underlying insecurity remains.
Unfortunately, we Jews are living in a time similar to that of our parents. During the 1930's & 40's, Hitler's hate campaign against the Jews & other 'undesirables' convinced millions of Germans of the righteousness of his mission. Chamberlain thought that he could appease Hitler by giving him the Sudetenland. Hitler could not be appeased since his demands were not based on reason, but he used his 'reason' only to justify his hatred.
We see the same thing in the Arab world. How much have the Israeli governments given to the Palestinian Arabs, yet Israel is as far from peace with their neighbours as they were in 1948. The reason is that the Arabs use a 'reason' to justify their claims against the Jews, when in reality no appeasement on the part of any Israeli leader will make them stop hating us. They hate us because they view us with fright, they fear that our energies in building a beautiful society in the Middle East will expose them as the corrupt & lazy politicians that they really are, & that our Jewish success is a affront to the 'truth' of Islam & that by comparison they may feel that they are really lazy indolent people. It is much easier to spread the lie of Israeli atrocities than face the truth that they are responsible for their own destinies & it is not Israel or the Jews that caused them to be in the position in which they find themselves.
What is true with the group is true with the individual. The Torah commands us (Leviticus 19:17, 18) "Thou shall not hate thy brother in thy heart; you shall surely rebuke the neighbour, but not bring sin upon him. You shall not take vengeance nor bear a grudge, but you shall love thy neighbour as thyself."
Hatred blinds, & hatred kills. Love draws you closer together, but it requires courage to accept your own failings. Perhaps we cannot correct the world just today, but we can start by avoiding hatred & seeking truth in ourselves. If every one would look into himself & see & accept his own faults & not blame others for his position in life, the world would be a better place.
Friday, November 19, 2010
What is hurtful to yourself do not to your fellow man.
Hello Everyone! We have a new writer. These are the wise words of a Jewish man that has been around for more than eight decades who we will affectionately call Grandfather F:
What is hurtful to yourself do not to your fellow man. That is the whole of the Torah & the remainder is but commentary.
It's early Friday evening near sundown in south-central Jerusalem. A group of us are gaily walking the 3-4 blocks to the synagogue in anticipation of the Sabbath. As we enter the synagogue grounds, many families, & some clusters of young people chatter excitedly, but quietly. All heads are covered by hat, yarmulke or scarf, all male shoulders wrapped in a tallit. As we pour into the main hall, we systematically sort ourselves by sex, the men remaining on the main floor, the women filing upstairs to the screened balconies. A cantor begins to intone in melodious Hebrew. At conspicuous intervals, the lower hall explodes into davening (an offering of prayer); men rock back & forth creating a wondrous commotion. It's sometimes quiet and gentle, it sometimes expresses great passion, but always there is a precise individual expression. All together an Orthodox Jewish community welcomes the Sabbath, the holiest day of the week.
Almost half a world away, a Reform community prepares to usher one of its boys into manhood. This Saturday morning is the day of his Bar Mitzvah (literally, “a responsible man”), the Sabbath closest to his 13th birthday. He has spent months under the tutelage of his rabbi so that he might lead the synagogue in prayer, chanting in Hebrew. Now the tension builds, a hush falls, as hundreds of well-dressed relatives, friends & well-wishers anticipate his performance. At the critical moments, cameras flash and videos hum as people move about for better vantage. As difficult pronunciations flow smoothly from the boy's lips, short gasps of relief escape from many in the hall, feeling his ordeal. Yet no matter how well he may have represented the Hebrew text, this event will have been a great success. The service has been sandwiched between lavish feasts, carefree dancing, & the giving of generous gifts. This has been a cardinal community event, placing the boy squarely in the spotlight for all to see & acknowledge. As much for the family as the boy, this will have been a most significant transition.
As one would expect in a religion more than 5000 years old , these two examples represent just the smallest part of what it means to be an “observing” Jew in the modern world. How great the differences in style & the interpretation of traditional forms, & yet how much there is in common as well. Officially, Judaism has four major divisions. The Orthodox are those who look to the Torah & Bible for fundamental guidance, observing over 600 rules covering the entire breadth of Jewish life. Strict adherence to the Law has often led to a considerable degree of separation from the non-Jewish society which surrounds Orthodox communities. (The Orthodoxy has consequently been established as the state religion of Israel.) The Reform movement began in the mid-nineteenth century in Europe, & soon spread to the United States & Africa. Inspired by the Enlightenment, it sought to make the religious life more relevant to the modern world. Particularly in the United States, Reform Jews have become well assimilated into the American society but still carry Israel, & all it stands for, deeply in their hearts. In between these two extremes, lie the Conservative movement & an early 20th century spin-off, Reconstructionism. In the United States, over 80 % of observant Jews are either Conservative or Reform (see What is a Jew? Rabbi Morris N. Kertzer, 1996, Simon & Shuster).
But what are the elements that are common to Judaism as a whole? A friend of mine councils that it is not a religion bound to essential theological concepts. Judaism describes a way of life & not inherent solutions; it is “a very busy religion”. Another friend adds that Jewish discussion usually reverts to ethics rather than theology. A most basic concept is that of Tikkun Olam (“to repair the health of the world”) which is well understood & observed by secular as well as observing Jews. They both point to the shared experiences of so many American Jews: the summer camps & the songs they had learned there; Challah on the Sabbath - the Passover Seder; Hebrew &/or Yiddish spoken in the home when they were children; the uniqueness of the Jewish calendar. In fact these are referred to as “the hook” used by Rebbe Zalman, the inspiration for the Jewish Renewal Movement. They form the foundation of the first & second editions of The Jewish Catalog (edited by Michael Strassfeld & Richard Siegal), a compendium of Jewish life intended to reach out to secular Jews who have strayed from the fold. What is unique is how much of a pull such cultural traditions continue to have in a secularizing world. The overall Jewish experience is ubiquitous & defining in so many ways.
But it would be wrong to minimize Jewish spirituality in the midst of its cultural & ritual accouterments. Asked to name the primary historic gift brought to the world by the Jewish people, many friends hastily answer: “the worship of one God” -- indeed, an attentive & caring G-d. It is a blend that serves as a powerful model for ethical human behavior. The Jewish religion is distinguished by “the support we receive from G-d as we pursue our human potential & our basic moral responsibilities toward all of humanity.” (What is a Jew, p. 107) The emphasis is on human responsibility rather than that which descends from G-d. The Jewish sacred texts have long offered abundant guidance for living a life of meaning.
To be a religious Jew is to devote oneself to the study of Torah. In the broadest sense, “Torah is the essence of Jewish spirituality. It is synonymous with learning, wisdom and love of G-d” (What is a Jew, p. 39). More specifically, the Torah refers to the first five books of the Bible (the books of Moses) in particular, the Torah scroll. Considered the most sacred part of the Bible, one or more scrolls are the prized possessions of every modern synagogue. This hand-lettered scroll, copied onto parchment in the ancient Hebrew & usually sheathed in an ornate fabric cover, is at once the story of the creation of the world, a lineage of the ancient patriarchs of the Jewish people, the deliverance into freedom from hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, & the handing down to Moses of the Law. It is a gripping story, full of intrigue, miracles, heroes larger than life, & extensive directives for the living of a pure life. It is also believed to portray the direct Word of G-d, as passed through Moses, leading to the birth of Israel.
The Torah has always stood at the center of Jewish ritual & study. The weekly Torah Portion is a division of the five books for use as a focus of study on each Sabbath. The beginning point is the festival of Simchat Torah, approximately two weeks after the Jewish New Year (early Fall). This is the day when the Torah scroll is rewound. In one sense, it is celebrated by reading a passage from the end, by carefully rewinding the scroll, & by beginning again with a passage from Genesis. But it is also occasioned by much merriment. The scrolls are lovingly removed from the ark & carried, even danced, throughout the hall, eagerly touched by all whom they pass. From that day forth throughout the year, the Torah portion serves as a weekly study guide for almost all observing Jews.
In order to understand the remaining books of the Jewish Bible, as well as other sacred Jewish texts, it is necessary to acknowledge the centrality of time. The Jewish tradition embodies a rich & eventful history. Typically, within each Jewish festival day lies a call to remembrance of past events & giving thanks for one's predecessors. Also, Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his classic presentation on the Sabbath (The Sabbath, Farrar, Straus and Giroux), argues that after the fall of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (70 CE) Judaism finds meaning in time rather than reverential space & material things. He exclaims, “the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals”.
The remaining books of the Bible convey a rich blend of history, prophecy, & legal, ethical, & theological concerns. But what should also be stated is that these “books” are the collected observations, commentaries, & visions of individuals (or many individuals, whose writings have been collected under one name). Additionally, this record does not end with the last book of the Bible (ca. 100 years before the current era). After the fall of the Second Temple & the dispersal of the Jews throughout the Mediterranean basin, a rabbinic succession emerged which would carry on the tradition. Their ongoing commentary on the Torah, on contemporary Jewish life, on the wisdom of their time comes down to us in the Mishnah (circa 200 CE) & the Talmud (some three hundred years later). Together with the Bible these texts represent a living tradition, one that continues today through the diligent exploration of contemporary students. Their study is not a halfhearted pursuit: the Talmud alone contains some 63 volumes that are often complex & incredibly obscure.
How does the average person use these books? On the one hand, one could go directly to the source. A vast number of books have been written to guide, explain & decipher. One could go on to consult the original texts. A visit to any of the diminutive synagogues in Sefat, Israel, reveals stacks of thick books, hoary with age & yet obviously well-used, crammed into every comer. These are a wonder to look at but remain securely held in the watchful gaze of the Rabbi standing in the doorway. On the other hand, our modern technology offers a convenient alternative to travel & years of study. A visit to one of the many Jewish websites, such as aish.com, offers learned commentaries from all sources to suitably impact one's meditations on the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is said to be the prized possession of the Jewish people. A friend jokingly remarks on what a great religion Judaism is; the Holiest day of the year comes each week. The Sabbath is concerned with nourishing the body as well as the soul. It is the day of rest & cessation of one's normal routine, extending from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. “People assemble to welcome the wonder of the seventh day, while the Sabbath sends out its presence over the fields, into our homes, into our hearts. It is a moment of resurrection of the dormant spirit in our souls” (The-Sabbah, p.66). There are many carnal aspects: the best food, free & easy gathering with family & friends. There is the setting aside of time to study, usually in coordination with the Torah Portion of the week. But in the largest context, the Sabbath sets a weekly rhythm of some proportion, beginning on Thursday with cleaning, buying provisions & planning the family evening. Within it, the religious find a place to pause & renew themselves for the coming days.
Two other Jewish holidays are of note, not only because they are well-loved by Jews but because they are also well-known by non-Jews. The first, the High Holy days, denotes the observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement; Yom Kippur, the Jewish new year; & the week in between. Celebrated in the early Fall, this is a time for repentance & remembrance of G-d. It is the beginning of a new cycle of cultural & religious practice. It is in every way comparable to the culmination of the Christian year in Christmas & New Years Eve & its services tend to draw far greater numbers than the weekly norm. The second is Passover, particularly the sharing of the Passover meal, known as the Seder. Where the Sabbath meal is often a family affair, the Seder is to be shared among numbers of friends. It is clothed in ritual & story, all to emphasize a remembrance of Israel's passage into freedom from Egypt, as well as the urgency of finding freedom for all peoples. These both contain important facets of the “busy-ness” of Jewishness, but are also important spiritual turning points in the Jewish year.
Beyond the comfort of the cultural & religious experience, lies a wealth of “hidden things”, the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbala. Writes Herbert Weiner, author of 9 1/2 Mystics, the Kabbala Today (Macmillen Publishing),”The Kabballists like to use images like the layers of an onion, or the shell and kernel of a nut... to illustrate this contrast between inner and outer” (p.6) & 'Most Kabbalistic writings are taught through hints which can set off an inner train of associations that might be blocked by too explicit an explanation” (p.32). Its modern revival can be traced to an 18th Cent. Polish rebbe/mystic, the Bal Shem Tov, & the writings of 20th century thinkers, such as Martin Buber. In Jewish Mysticism , Buber states, “The Hasidic teaching is the most powerful & unique phenomenon which the diaspora has produced. It foreshadows a renaissance. No revival of udaism will be possible that does not contain some of its elements”. Indeed the Kabbalistic tradition has grown in importance & popularity far beyond the movements that are known for it, such as the Hasidim, and more specifically, the Lubavitchers. Many popular books on Kabbala seek to council & guide a vast audience of college students, & many of their elders, both Jewish & non-Jewish alike.
Many Jews have great affection for the Hasidic tradition. Up until the point of its emergence, Judaism had been very hierarchical & the priesthood remained somewhat aloof from the masses. Under the Bal Shem Tov's founding guidance, this became a popular movement where people could embrace the divine through personal prayer, often the ecstatic movement of dance & song. The Bal Shem Tov not only exemplified the Rabbi, or “Rebbe” as a central teacher in the community but also as a direct channel to G-d. In fact, much of his renown, & that of many succeeding Rebbes, could be traced to the miracles they were said to have performed. “The Bal Shem Tov was not just an affirmer of life, a champion of the poor & unlettered, ... He was a mystic, even an ecstatic, whose religious seizures might be diagnosed in our day as psychotic”( 9 1/2 Mystics, p. 132). These were men who proved continuously that” G-d demands no temples ... but the temple of a sincere heart, “What is a Jew, p.21). One of the enduring legacies of the Hasidim of Central Europe has been the wealth of stories about the wisdom and powers of the Rebbes, the central figure in the Hasidic village. The philosopher, Martin Buber, has produced one classic collection called “Tales of the Hasidim (Schocken Books). Yet there are literally thousands of shorter stories that are true to the traditional character. It is significant that many of these are included with the weekly Torah Portion posted by on-line programs such as aish.com. These are stories that convey the extraordinary life experience of the crafty Rebbe, the constant interplay of extreme ethical living with the exigencies of life. An example appeared with the Torah Portion, Lech Lecha on October 26, 2001, called “Go to yourself':
A fisherman was sitting by the river fishing. Along came a wealthy man & watched with amazement as every few minutes he would reel in another fairly large fish. After only an hour, the fisherman began to pack up & leave. The wealthy man ran over to him & asked, “Why are you leaving so soon?” “Well,” said the fisherman, I've caught enough fish to last me for the week & I don't need any more. Now I'm going home to study Torah & spend time with my family.” “But think of what you could do with more fish.” the wealthy man implored. “You could sell the extra fish, use the money to invest in more fishing rods, then you could buy a boat & hire other people to do the fishing.” “And what is the goal of all this?” asked the fisherman. “Well,” replied the wealthy man, “you could then hire someone to manage your business and retire to do what you really want in life.”
With that the fisherman bid the man goodbye & said, “Thank you very much, but I'm doing that already!”
The intermixing of the commonplace with deep wisdom is an alluring quality of these Jewish stories. It implies a type of perception, combined with a biting sense of humor, that has become familiar to all Americans through Hollywood & the entertainment industry over the past 100 years. Yet culturally & spiritually, there can be no understanding of modern Judaism, either the religion or the culture, without a consideration of two recent & very specific events. Here is a contemporary context for a tradition awash in the grinding march of history.
The first event, chronologically, presented an appalling challenge to the humanity of mankind. It was the ultimate persecution: the Holocaust, the attempt by Hitler's tyranny to eliminate an entire people solely for their common religious, cultural & genetic heritage. As a friend states, “The holocaust is the 800-pound gorilla sitting in the midst of any Jewish dialogue. There is no Jewish theology without Holocaust theology”. The Holocaust (or Sho'ah) is specifically commemorated in the holiday called Yom Hashoah in the Spring. It is memorialized at Yad Vashem (among other places) where names of the millions of victims are listed & many personal effects preserved. But in fact, the Holocaust lives on in the hearts & minds of not only Holocaust survivors & their children but all Jews. It is a part of Jewish history that cannot be forgotten.
This event led rapidly to the second: the rebirth of Israel, in 1948, after almost 2000 years of Diaspora to all comers of the Western & Near-Eastern world. Beginning in the late 1800s with the work of Theodor Herzl, the Zionist movement sought for the Jews both a return to an ancestral home & a refuge from the continuous persecutions experienced by Jews virtually wherever they lived. This was the land of the great temples, the “land of milk and honey” to which the Israelites had been led by Moses some 3200 years ago. And it was & is looked to with hope & yearning by virtually all Jews. Where else on Earth does an entire country observe the Sabbath as traditionally defined? Where else is the postman, the policeman, the delivery truck driver & the elementary school teacher all Jewish? Thus, the common farewell, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
It may not even be possible to describe the Jewish religion without exhaustively portraying the fullness of the Jewish people & their culture. Here is a continuity from very ancient times that is decidedly unusual from today's perspective. It is a tradition that cares for “the health of the world”. It is a tradition that has much to teach the other peoples of the world.
What is hurtful to yourself do not to your fellow man. That is the whole of the Torah & the remainder is but commentary.
It's early Friday evening near sundown in south-central Jerusalem. A group of us are gaily walking the 3-4 blocks to the synagogue in anticipation of the Sabbath. As we enter the synagogue grounds, many families, & some clusters of young people chatter excitedly, but quietly. All heads are covered by hat, yarmulke or scarf, all male shoulders wrapped in a tallit. As we pour into the main hall, we systematically sort ourselves by sex, the men remaining on the main floor, the women filing upstairs to the screened balconies. A cantor begins to intone in melodious Hebrew. At conspicuous intervals, the lower hall explodes into davening (an offering of prayer); men rock back & forth creating a wondrous commotion. It's sometimes quiet and gentle, it sometimes expresses great passion, but always there is a precise individual expression. All together an Orthodox Jewish community welcomes the Sabbath, the holiest day of the week.
Almost half a world away, a Reform community prepares to usher one of its boys into manhood. This Saturday morning is the day of his Bar Mitzvah (literally, “a responsible man”), the Sabbath closest to his 13th birthday. He has spent months under the tutelage of his rabbi so that he might lead the synagogue in prayer, chanting in Hebrew. Now the tension builds, a hush falls, as hundreds of well-dressed relatives, friends & well-wishers anticipate his performance. At the critical moments, cameras flash and videos hum as people move about for better vantage. As difficult pronunciations flow smoothly from the boy's lips, short gasps of relief escape from many in the hall, feeling his ordeal. Yet no matter how well he may have represented the Hebrew text, this event will have been a great success. The service has been sandwiched between lavish feasts, carefree dancing, & the giving of generous gifts. This has been a cardinal community event, placing the boy squarely in the spotlight for all to see & acknowledge. As much for the family as the boy, this will have been a most significant transition.
As one would expect in a religion more than 5000 years old , these two examples represent just the smallest part of what it means to be an “observing” Jew in the modern world. How great the differences in style & the interpretation of traditional forms, & yet how much there is in common as well. Officially, Judaism has four major divisions. The Orthodox are those who look to the Torah & Bible for fundamental guidance, observing over 600 rules covering the entire breadth of Jewish life. Strict adherence to the Law has often led to a considerable degree of separation from the non-Jewish society which surrounds Orthodox communities. (The Orthodoxy has consequently been established as the state religion of Israel.) The Reform movement began in the mid-nineteenth century in Europe, & soon spread to the United States & Africa. Inspired by the Enlightenment, it sought to make the religious life more relevant to the modern world. Particularly in the United States, Reform Jews have become well assimilated into the American society but still carry Israel, & all it stands for, deeply in their hearts. In between these two extremes, lie the Conservative movement & an early 20th century spin-off, Reconstructionism. In the United States, over 80 % of observant Jews are either Conservative or Reform (see What is a Jew? Rabbi Morris N. Kertzer, 1996, Simon & Shuster).
But what are the elements that are common to Judaism as a whole? A friend of mine councils that it is not a religion bound to essential theological concepts. Judaism describes a way of life & not inherent solutions; it is “a very busy religion”. Another friend adds that Jewish discussion usually reverts to ethics rather than theology. A most basic concept is that of Tikkun Olam (“to repair the health of the world”) which is well understood & observed by secular as well as observing Jews. They both point to the shared experiences of so many American Jews: the summer camps & the songs they had learned there; Challah on the Sabbath - the Passover Seder; Hebrew &/or Yiddish spoken in the home when they were children; the uniqueness of the Jewish calendar. In fact these are referred to as “the hook” used by Rebbe Zalman, the inspiration for the Jewish Renewal Movement. They form the foundation of the first & second editions of The Jewish Catalog (edited by Michael Strassfeld & Richard Siegal), a compendium of Jewish life intended to reach out to secular Jews who have strayed from the fold. What is unique is how much of a pull such cultural traditions continue to have in a secularizing world. The overall Jewish experience is ubiquitous & defining in so many ways.
But it would be wrong to minimize Jewish spirituality in the midst of its cultural & ritual accouterments. Asked to name the primary historic gift brought to the world by the Jewish people, many friends hastily answer: “the worship of one God” -- indeed, an attentive & caring G-d. It is a blend that serves as a powerful model for ethical human behavior. The Jewish religion is distinguished by “the support we receive from G-d as we pursue our human potential & our basic moral responsibilities toward all of humanity.” (What is a Jew, p. 107) The emphasis is on human responsibility rather than that which descends from G-d. The Jewish sacred texts have long offered abundant guidance for living a life of meaning.
To be a religious Jew is to devote oneself to the study of Torah. In the broadest sense, “Torah is the essence of Jewish spirituality. It is synonymous with learning, wisdom and love of G-d” (What is a Jew, p. 39). More specifically, the Torah refers to the first five books of the Bible (the books of Moses) in particular, the Torah scroll. Considered the most sacred part of the Bible, one or more scrolls are the prized possessions of every modern synagogue. This hand-lettered scroll, copied onto parchment in the ancient Hebrew & usually sheathed in an ornate fabric cover, is at once the story of the creation of the world, a lineage of the ancient patriarchs of the Jewish people, the deliverance into freedom from hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, & the handing down to Moses of the Law. It is a gripping story, full of intrigue, miracles, heroes larger than life, & extensive directives for the living of a pure life. It is also believed to portray the direct Word of G-d, as passed through Moses, leading to the birth of Israel.
The Torah has always stood at the center of Jewish ritual & study. The weekly Torah Portion is a division of the five books for use as a focus of study on each Sabbath. The beginning point is the festival of Simchat Torah, approximately two weeks after the Jewish New Year (early Fall). This is the day when the Torah scroll is rewound. In one sense, it is celebrated by reading a passage from the end, by carefully rewinding the scroll, & by beginning again with a passage from Genesis. But it is also occasioned by much merriment. The scrolls are lovingly removed from the ark & carried, even danced, throughout the hall, eagerly touched by all whom they pass. From that day forth throughout the year, the Torah portion serves as a weekly study guide for almost all observing Jews.
In order to understand the remaining books of the Jewish Bible, as well as other sacred Jewish texts, it is necessary to acknowledge the centrality of time. The Jewish tradition embodies a rich & eventful history. Typically, within each Jewish festival day lies a call to remembrance of past events & giving thanks for one's predecessors. Also, Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his classic presentation on the Sabbath (The Sabbath, Farrar, Straus and Giroux), argues that after the fall of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (70 CE) Judaism finds meaning in time rather than reverential space & material things. He exclaims, “the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals”.
The remaining books of the Bible convey a rich blend of history, prophecy, & legal, ethical, & theological concerns. But what should also be stated is that these “books” are the collected observations, commentaries, & visions of individuals (or many individuals, whose writings have been collected under one name). Additionally, this record does not end with the last book of the Bible (ca. 100 years before the current era). After the fall of the Second Temple & the dispersal of the Jews throughout the Mediterranean basin, a rabbinic succession emerged which would carry on the tradition. Their ongoing commentary on the Torah, on contemporary Jewish life, on the wisdom of their time comes down to us in the Mishnah (circa 200 CE) & the Talmud (some three hundred years later). Together with the Bible these texts represent a living tradition, one that continues today through the diligent exploration of contemporary students. Their study is not a halfhearted pursuit: the Talmud alone contains some 63 volumes that are often complex & incredibly obscure.
How does the average person use these books? On the one hand, one could go directly to the source. A vast number of books have been written to guide, explain & decipher. One could go on to consult the original texts. A visit to any of the diminutive synagogues in Sefat, Israel, reveals stacks of thick books, hoary with age & yet obviously well-used, crammed into every comer. These are a wonder to look at but remain securely held in the watchful gaze of the Rabbi standing in the doorway. On the other hand, our modern technology offers a convenient alternative to travel & years of study. A visit to one of the many Jewish websites, such as aish.com, offers learned commentaries from all sources to suitably impact one's meditations on the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is said to be the prized possession of the Jewish people. A friend jokingly remarks on what a great religion Judaism is; the Holiest day of the year comes each week. The Sabbath is concerned with nourishing the body as well as the soul. It is the day of rest & cessation of one's normal routine, extending from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. “People assemble to welcome the wonder of the seventh day, while the Sabbath sends out its presence over the fields, into our homes, into our hearts. It is a moment of resurrection of the dormant spirit in our souls” (The-Sabbah, p.66). There are many carnal aspects: the best food, free & easy gathering with family & friends. There is the setting aside of time to study, usually in coordination with the Torah Portion of the week. But in the largest context, the Sabbath sets a weekly rhythm of some proportion, beginning on Thursday with cleaning, buying provisions & planning the family evening. Within it, the religious find a place to pause & renew themselves for the coming days.
Two other Jewish holidays are of note, not only because they are well-loved by Jews but because they are also well-known by non-Jews. The first, the High Holy days, denotes the observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement; Yom Kippur, the Jewish new year; & the week in between. Celebrated in the early Fall, this is a time for repentance & remembrance of G-d. It is the beginning of a new cycle of cultural & religious practice. It is in every way comparable to the culmination of the Christian year in Christmas & New Years Eve & its services tend to draw far greater numbers than the weekly norm. The second is Passover, particularly the sharing of the Passover meal, known as the Seder. Where the Sabbath meal is often a family affair, the Seder is to be shared among numbers of friends. It is clothed in ritual & story, all to emphasize a remembrance of Israel's passage into freedom from Egypt, as well as the urgency of finding freedom for all peoples. These both contain important facets of the “busy-ness” of Jewishness, but are also important spiritual turning points in the Jewish year.
Beyond the comfort of the cultural & religious experience, lies a wealth of “hidden things”, the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbala. Writes Herbert Weiner, author of 9 1/2 Mystics, the Kabbala Today (Macmillen Publishing),”The Kabballists like to use images like the layers of an onion, or the shell and kernel of a nut... to illustrate this contrast between inner and outer” (p.6) & 'Most Kabbalistic writings are taught through hints which can set off an inner train of associations that might be blocked by too explicit an explanation” (p.32). Its modern revival can be traced to an 18th Cent. Polish rebbe/mystic, the Bal Shem Tov, & the writings of 20th century thinkers, such as Martin Buber. In Jewish Mysticism , Buber states, “The Hasidic teaching is the most powerful & unique phenomenon which the diaspora has produced. It foreshadows a renaissance. No revival of udaism will be possible that does not contain some of its elements”. Indeed the Kabbalistic tradition has grown in importance & popularity far beyond the movements that are known for it, such as the Hasidim, and more specifically, the Lubavitchers. Many popular books on Kabbala seek to council & guide a vast audience of college students, & many of their elders, both Jewish & non-Jewish alike.
Many Jews have great affection for the Hasidic tradition. Up until the point of its emergence, Judaism had been very hierarchical & the priesthood remained somewhat aloof from the masses. Under the Bal Shem Tov's founding guidance, this became a popular movement where people could embrace the divine through personal prayer, often the ecstatic movement of dance & song. The Bal Shem Tov not only exemplified the Rabbi, or “Rebbe” as a central teacher in the community but also as a direct channel to G-d. In fact, much of his renown, & that of many succeeding Rebbes, could be traced to the miracles they were said to have performed. “The Bal Shem Tov was not just an affirmer of life, a champion of the poor & unlettered, ... He was a mystic, even an ecstatic, whose religious seizures might be diagnosed in our day as psychotic”( 9 1/2 Mystics, p. 132). These were men who proved continuously that” G-d demands no temples ... but the temple of a sincere heart, “What is a Jew, p.21). One of the enduring legacies of the Hasidim of Central Europe has been the wealth of stories about the wisdom and powers of the Rebbes, the central figure in the Hasidic village. The philosopher, Martin Buber, has produced one classic collection called “Tales of the Hasidim (Schocken Books). Yet there are literally thousands of shorter stories that are true to the traditional character. It is significant that many of these are included with the weekly Torah Portion posted by on-line programs such as aish.com. These are stories that convey the extraordinary life experience of the crafty Rebbe, the constant interplay of extreme ethical living with the exigencies of life. An example appeared with the Torah Portion, Lech Lecha on October 26, 2001, called “Go to yourself':
A fisherman was sitting by the river fishing. Along came a wealthy man & watched with amazement as every few minutes he would reel in another fairly large fish. After only an hour, the fisherman began to pack up & leave. The wealthy man ran over to him & asked, “Why are you leaving so soon?” “Well,” said the fisherman, I've caught enough fish to last me for the week & I don't need any more. Now I'm going home to study Torah & spend time with my family.” “But think of what you could do with more fish.” the wealthy man implored. “You could sell the extra fish, use the money to invest in more fishing rods, then you could buy a boat & hire other people to do the fishing.” “And what is the goal of all this?” asked the fisherman. “Well,” replied the wealthy man, “you could then hire someone to manage your business and retire to do what you really want in life.”
With that the fisherman bid the man goodbye & said, “Thank you very much, but I'm doing that already!”
The intermixing of the commonplace with deep wisdom is an alluring quality of these Jewish stories. It implies a type of perception, combined with a biting sense of humor, that has become familiar to all Americans through Hollywood & the entertainment industry over the past 100 years. Yet culturally & spiritually, there can be no understanding of modern Judaism, either the religion or the culture, without a consideration of two recent & very specific events. Here is a contemporary context for a tradition awash in the grinding march of history.
The first event, chronologically, presented an appalling challenge to the humanity of mankind. It was the ultimate persecution: the Holocaust, the attempt by Hitler's tyranny to eliminate an entire people solely for their common religious, cultural & genetic heritage. As a friend states, “The holocaust is the 800-pound gorilla sitting in the midst of any Jewish dialogue. There is no Jewish theology without Holocaust theology”. The Holocaust (or Sho'ah) is specifically commemorated in the holiday called Yom Hashoah in the Spring. It is memorialized at Yad Vashem (among other places) where names of the millions of victims are listed & many personal effects preserved. But in fact, the Holocaust lives on in the hearts & minds of not only Holocaust survivors & their children but all Jews. It is a part of Jewish history that cannot be forgotten.
This event led rapidly to the second: the rebirth of Israel, in 1948, after almost 2000 years of Diaspora to all comers of the Western & Near-Eastern world. Beginning in the late 1800s with the work of Theodor Herzl, the Zionist movement sought for the Jews both a return to an ancestral home & a refuge from the continuous persecutions experienced by Jews virtually wherever they lived. This was the land of the great temples, the “land of milk and honey” to which the Israelites had been led by Moses some 3200 years ago. And it was & is looked to with hope & yearning by virtually all Jews. Where else on Earth does an entire country observe the Sabbath as traditionally defined? Where else is the postman, the policeman, the delivery truck driver & the elementary school teacher all Jewish? Thus, the common farewell, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
It may not even be possible to describe the Jewish religion without exhaustively portraying the fullness of the Jewish people & their culture. Here is a continuity from very ancient times that is decidedly unusual from today's perspective. It is a tradition that cares for “the health of the world”. It is a tradition that has much to teach the other peoples of the world.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Music Series: “You’re a firework...”
I have said it a million times; life is filled with all kinds of ups and downs. People of all kinds can find themselves drowning for so many different reasons. Sometimes we are in the middle of a very difficult struggle. Sometimes just being afraid to be ourselves can be crippling. The song I chose for this blog is called “Firework” by Katy Perry. It has been very recently released; I actually heard it for the very first time last night while I was driving home from work and absolutely loved it. Then I came home and got on YouTube looking for the video and it just made me smile and say “Wow.” Since then (because of how I brainstorm for these blogs) I have listened to it at least 30 or 40 times and it isn’t in any way getting old. Katy found a way of pointing out that we all have the ability to be incredible inside us...it just all depends on whether or not we have the courage to release it.
G-d doesn’t make junk. He never has and He never will. But so many things in this life can bring us to our knees; one of them being the fear of being ourselves. Society always manages to do damage to us, especially when we are young. The teen years, for a lot of people, have got to be the most difficult and awkward. People are constantly being scrutinized for their appearance, origin, sexuality, religion, or even just their way of being. No one is the same and I am actually very thankful for that. We come from different places and backgrounds with different ideas, beliefs, and interests for a reason. How boring would the world be without that diversity? And the kicker is that so many people will sit there and agree but they go out the door and start looking around and critiquing the people around them. I have had more than my fair share of scrutiny for most of my life. If it wasn’t for one reason, it would be for another. I have struggled with low self esteem, self loathing, and I have even experienced that it’s like to want to die. The worst part of it all is that it’s actually very common for people to feel that very same way; especially teenagers. There are all these stories of teen suicides because of bullying that has gone too far; and it’s even more terrifying to see that some of these kids are only 12 or 13. It’s not OK at any age but that’s so young to have so much weighing down on you! When I was in high school, I had a friend whose younger brother committed suicide. He was only about 13 or 14. I think that was the saddest visitation I have ever attended. I attended for the sake of my friend due to the fact that I didn’t really know him because we were about 4 or 5 year apart in age. But the building was packed with people. There were notes taped to the walls telling him he was loved and missed. You saw people of all ages crying and grieving. I myself couldn’t keep the tears back. I can’t help but wonder; was all that love that was being shown at his funeral being shown to him while he was still alive?
It wasn’t till recently that I really started feeling more equipped to start becoming comfortable in my own skin. By comfort in our skin, I don’t just mean by health or physical appearance; I also mean by being confident in who you are. Knowing what you have to offer and being able to spread it the way G-d intends you to. It’s also knowing your flaws and learning to work with them. It’s not being afraid to be who you are. It’s knowing that there will be people thinking ill of you at times...it’s inevitable...but it’s also knowing that those people aren’t who define you. G-d defines us and it’s our right to explore and learn that definition and be proud of it. When you suddenly find yourself being able to be happy and free-spirited and YOU...your spirit will lift, you heart will lighten, your face will shine, and you will start learning more about why G-d made you who you are. It’s one of the most wonderful feelings any of us can experience. The best part is that light, or in the words of Katy Perry, “the fireworks” that you are releasing will be seen by everyone. Have you ever come across someone that was so happy in life that it just radiates through their face and in their words and actions? I have and whenever I would look at them, I would desperately wish to have what they have and to be brave like them. One of the lines in the song is, “There’s a spark in you, you’ve just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine.” We are not made to hide who we are! G-d wants us to be proud because He is very proud. But it’s also our choice as to whether we hide it or let it show. Sometimes it can take considerable courage to get to the point where you put aside fears and insecurities and allow yourself to be who you are but it’s so worth it when you reach that point!
Another thing that can definitely bring people to their knees is difficult situations. This is something that none of us are immune too because in life, you get the sweets with the sours. That is just the reality of things. I have seen people go through horrific situations and some of them become broken in the end and others manage to rise up. The devil is everywhere in this world and he is trying to bring down as many people as he can. Nothing makes him happier than seeing misery and strife. Nothing angers him more than seeing someone chooses to lean on G-d and find a way to look toward the light. There are so many things about life that can make or break us. It comes down to us though, and how we choose to deal with it all. G-d’s hand is always there to help and hold but sometimes G-d means for that to not be enough...sometimes He means for us to lean on others and allow them to help us up as well. Sometimes it takes a situation going terribly wrong for us to learn about what we are doing to ourselves and the people around us. Sometimes a difficult situation can prepare us for the future and what we will be doing in the name of G-d. A friend to confide in is always a beautiful thing but I know that sometimes, I want to talk to someone that knows exactly what I am dealing with. You can take a situation and allow your light to burn and rise above it. You can show what you are really made of. You can find strength in yourself that was put there by G-d. A strength that only He can provide and you can absolutely rise and fly. We just have to choose this route. I for one believe in all of you. There are several of you that I don’t even know but you were all created by the same incredible G-d that created me and that alone tells me that every single one of you are completely amazing.
So in the words of Katy, “Let your colors burst.” Find what you need to light the fuse because there is so much inside of you that is begging to burst out. Allow yourself to shine and be everything that G-d means you to be. Allow yourself to smile and get to know that amazing person that you were created to be. Understand that we all struggle at different times in our lives and (even though it doesn’t always feel this way) G-d equips us with the means and the support to come through it all stronger, deeper, and capable of showing a light to others that struggle just as we do. Never ever forget that. With that I will leave you with a link to this song and wish you what I wish all the people I know and love....Be Safe, Be well, G-d Bless, and make sure you do at least one awesome thing per day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw
G-d Bless!
K
G-d doesn’t make junk. He never has and He never will. But so many things in this life can bring us to our knees; one of them being the fear of being ourselves. Society always manages to do damage to us, especially when we are young. The teen years, for a lot of people, have got to be the most difficult and awkward. People are constantly being scrutinized for their appearance, origin, sexuality, religion, or even just their way of being. No one is the same and I am actually very thankful for that. We come from different places and backgrounds with different ideas, beliefs, and interests for a reason. How boring would the world be without that diversity? And the kicker is that so many people will sit there and agree but they go out the door and start looking around and critiquing the people around them. I have had more than my fair share of scrutiny for most of my life. If it wasn’t for one reason, it would be for another. I have struggled with low self esteem, self loathing, and I have even experienced that it’s like to want to die. The worst part of it all is that it’s actually very common for people to feel that very same way; especially teenagers. There are all these stories of teen suicides because of bullying that has gone too far; and it’s even more terrifying to see that some of these kids are only 12 or 13. It’s not OK at any age but that’s so young to have so much weighing down on you! When I was in high school, I had a friend whose younger brother committed suicide. He was only about 13 or 14. I think that was the saddest visitation I have ever attended. I attended for the sake of my friend due to the fact that I didn’t really know him because we were about 4 or 5 year apart in age. But the building was packed with people. There were notes taped to the walls telling him he was loved and missed. You saw people of all ages crying and grieving. I myself couldn’t keep the tears back. I can’t help but wonder; was all that love that was being shown at his funeral being shown to him while he was still alive?
It wasn’t till recently that I really started feeling more equipped to start becoming comfortable in my own skin. By comfort in our skin, I don’t just mean by health or physical appearance; I also mean by being confident in who you are. Knowing what you have to offer and being able to spread it the way G-d intends you to. It’s also knowing your flaws and learning to work with them. It’s not being afraid to be who you are. It’s knowing that there will be people thinking ill of you at times...it’s inevitable...but it’s also knowing that those people aren’t who define you. G-d defines us and it’s our right to explore and learn that definition and be proud of it. When you suddenly find yourself being able to be happy and free-spirited and YOU...your spirit will lift, you heart will lighten, your face will shine, and you will start learning more about why G-d made you who you are. It’s one of the most wonderful feelings any of us can experience. The best part is that light, or in the words of Katy Perry, “the fireworks” that you are releasing will be seen by everyone. Have you ever come across someone that was so happy in life that it just radiates through their face and in their words and actions? I have and whenever I would look at them, I would desperately wish to have what they have and to be brave like them. One of the lines in the song is, “There’s a spark in you, you’ve just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine.” We are not made to hide who we are! G-d wants us to be proud because He is very proud. But it’s also our choice as to whether we hide it or let it show. Sometimes it can take considerable courage to get to the point where you put aside fears and insecurities and allow yourself to be who you are but it’s so worth it when you reach that point!
Another thing that can definitely bring people to their knees is difficult situations. This is something that none of us are immune too because in life, you get the sweets with the sours. That is just the reality of things. I have seen people go through horrific situations and some of them become broken in the end and others manage to rise up. The devil is everywhere in this world and he is trying to bring down as many people as he can. Nothing makes him happier than seeing misery and strife. Nothing angers him more than seeing someone chooses to lean on G-d and find a way to look toward the light. There are so many things about life that can make or break us. It comes down to us though, and how we choose to deal with it all. G-d’s hand is always there to help and hold but sometimes G-d means for that to not be enough...sometimes He means for us to lean on others and allow them to help us up as well. Sometimes it takes a situation going terribly wrong for us to learn about what we are doing to ourselves and the people around us. Sometimes a difficult situation can prepare us for the future and what we will be doing in the name of G-d. A friend to confide in is always a beautiful thing but I know that sometimes, I want to talk to someone that knows exactly what I am dealing with. You can take a situation and allow your light to burn and rise above it. You can show what you are really made of. You can find strength in yourself that was put there by G-d. A strength that only He can provide and you can absolutely rise and fly. We just have to choose this route. I for one believe in all of you. There are several of you that I don’t even know but you were all created by the same incredible G-d that created me and that alone tells me that every single one of you are completely amazing.
So in the words of Katy, “Let your colors burst.” Find what you need to light the fuse because there is so much inside of you that is begging to burst out. Allow yourself to shine and be everything that G-d means you to be. Allow yourself to smile and get to know that amazing person that you were created to be. Understand that we all struggle at different times in our lives and (even though it doesn’t always feel this way) G-d equips us with the means and the support to come through it all stronger, deeper, and capable of showing a light to others that struggle just as we do. Never ever forget that. With that I will leave you with a link to this song and wish you what I wish all the people I know and love....Be Safe, Be well, G-d Bless, and make sure you do at least one awesome thing per day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw
G-d Bless!
K
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Music Series: If Today Was Your Last Day...
Hello and Blessings to you all! I have found some more inspiration for what I think will be a most enjoyable series...a music series. Music is pretty important to J and I. He excels in writing, playing, and singing music. I excel in listening to music...that’s about it. But I get much enjoyment from a song that has lyrics that really speak to people. Because the list of songs like this is basically limitless (because there are always new ones coming out every day) this series will have no limit as well. I would also like to remind everyone that you are all still welcome to write a blog and send it our way. You’ve seen that we have had a couple writers, besides ourselves, and we would love to hear from others that may have something on their hearts. Maybe you even have a song that you would like to share and write about. Our email address has not and will not change. It’s thegsight@yahoo.com.
Now to the first song of this series! I chose Nickelback’s “If Today Was Your Last Day”. Truth be told, Nickelback has been one of my favorite bands ever since their music hit main stream. Some of their music can be kind of angry and/or risqué; but when they decide to do an inspirational song, they do it very well. This particular song was released in 2007 and was well received but got most of its airtime when Michael Jackson passed away. When we lose someone before, what we perceive as, their time; it never fails to hit home. There have been 4 classmates that I know of that have passed away since we were in high school, and I am only 31 years old. J and I knew a brother and sister that simply left to take a day trip somewhere and ended up being killed due to a fatal car accident. He was only a year older than me and she was younger. These occurrences not only shatter our hearts because they are so quick and tragic, but they also hit home for every single one of us because we are suddenly reminded of our mortality. Think about it! If I speak of my death some day, it’s always pictured to happen when I am a tired old lady that has lived a very long, fulfilling life. How many of you have used this line, “I still have time.”? When my grandmother and grandfather on my father’s side passed away, they were both very old, tired and had been sick for a long time (one with Parkinson’s disease and then the other with Cancer). When their passing came, yes it was extremely sad and they are still missed considerably, but at the same time, it was a relief because they had lived good lives and they had been in so much pain in the end. We don’t all get that option when our lives come to an end. I could walk out my door today to go to work and not make it home. It’s a scary thought but a very real one. With this in mind, I will present one of many questions that you will be reading in this blog; if today was your last day, would you be ready to die? That’s a very difficult and even scarier question to face. But it’s as real as you can get with yourself and other people.
One of the first lines in the lyrics is, “Each day’s a gift and not a given right.” G-d made this world. G-d created each and every one of us with a plan of what will come. He knew exactly when He needed us to be born and He knows exactly when He needs us to die. There is no controlling this and there is no putting it off. You can take your vitamins, go to your doctors, you can be extra careful but it will happen in His due time.
If today was your last day, is there any regret that you would have? Also a very difficult question. Who enjoys owning their short comings and mistakes? Who enjoys being reminds of memories that hurt them. No one, that’s who! I have plenty of things from the past that go through my mind and make me feel bad. Whether they be things that were done to me, or things I did to other people. Something that I have struggled with in the past and still do at times is holding on to these regrets and hurt feelings. I can’t even count how many times I have asked myself “why I do this?” What good does it do any of us to hang on to regrets and hurt? The answer would be none. Letting go can, at times, be easier said than done; but it’s always worth it.
If today was your last day, what have you not fulfilled? I have a (step) grandfather on my mother’s side that is currently dying of cancer and he’s going through what many of us know as a bucket list; all the things that he has always wanted to do in his life and hasn’t gotten around to. Whether we realize it or not, we all have one. It’s all the wants, dreams, and desires that many of us keep stored in the back of our brain. I have quite a few things that would be unfulfilled. I want to start a family. I want to find out G-d’s plan for me. I want to finish college and become a professional photographer. I want to own my own studio and sell beautiful wildlife and landscape pictures. And most of all...I want to finish something I start. (A flaw of mine) What it is that you want to do yet? Be completely honest with yourself in this. And then make a plan to do it. I know I will be.
If today was your last day, could you honestly say, “I LIVED!”? There is no certain way to describe how a person truly lives life because we are all different. J would tell you that you haven’t truly lived till you have spent the night in the African wilderness, looked on the African people and their different ways of life, and stood in the wild simply feeling G-d all around you. For me, it’s standing at the tip top of a mountain and feeling the wind dance around you. It’s walking in a light snow storm listening to the beautiful silence. It’s going to different functions and activities where people are experiencing G-d in different ways and just seeing His light shine through their faces as they praise Him. All of these things, I haven’t done near enough in my lifetime. And that will certainly be changing. So ask yourself...how do you LIVE?
Nothing about life is predictable. If it was, we wouldn’t need G-d, we would see it all coming. Our time here on Earth is very limited but it’s not about the amount of time spent here, it’s about the quality of that time. It’s about how we lived, loved, and, at times, let go. So I leave you with a link to hear the song that inspired this blog and with one last question...If today was your last day, what would you do?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrXIQQ8PeRs&NR=1
G-d Bless!
K
Now to the first song of this series! I chose Nickelback’s “If Today Was Your Last Day”. Truth be told, Nickelback has been one of my favorite bands ever since their music hit main stream. Some of their music can be kind of angry and/or risqué; but when they decide to do an inspirational song, they do it very well. This particular song was released in 2007 and was well received but got most of its airtime when Michael Jackson passed away. When we lose someone before, what we perceive as, their time; it never fails to hit home. There have been 4 classmates that I know of that have passed away since we were in high school, and I am only 31 years old. J and I knew a brother and sister that simply left to take a day trip somewhere and ended up being killed due to a fatal car accident. He was only a year older than me and she was younger. These occurrences not only shatter our hearts because they are so quick and tragic, but they also hit home for every single one of us because we are suddenly reminded of our mortality. Think about it! If I speak of my death some day, it’s always pictured to happen when I am a tired old lady that has lived a very long, fulfilling life. How many of you have used this line, “I still have time.”? When my grandmother and grandfather on my father’s side passed away, they were both very old, tired and had been sick for a long time (one with Parkinson’s disease and then the other with Cancer). When their passing came, yes it was extremely sad and they are still missed considerably, but at the same time, it was a relief because they had lived good lives and they had been in so much pain in the end. We don’t all get that option when our lives come to an end. I could walk out my door today to go to work and not make it home. It’s a scary thought but a very real one. With this in mind, I will present one of many questions that you will be reading in this blog; if today was your last day, would you be ready to die? That’s a very difficult and even scarier question to face. But it’s as real as you can get with yourself and other people.
One of the first lines in the lyrics is, “Each day’s a gift and not a given right.” G-d made this world. G-d created each and every one of us with a plan of what will come. He knew exactly when He needed us to be born and He knows exactly when He needs us to die. There is no controlling this and there is no putting it off. You can take your vitamins, go to your doctors, you can be extra careful but it will happen in His due time.
If today was your last day, is there any regret that you would have? Also a very difficult question. Who enjoys owning their short comings and mistakes? Who enjoys being reminds of memories that hurt them. No one, that’s who! I have plenty of things from the past that go through my mind and make me feel bad. Whether they be things that were done to me, or things I did to other people. Something that I have struggled with in the past and still do at times is holding on to these regrets and hurt feelings. I can’t even count how many times I have asked myself “why I do this?” What good does it do any of us to hang on to regrets and hurt? The answer would be none. Letting go can, at times, be easier said than done; but it’s always worth it.
If today was your last day, what have you not fulfilled? I have a (step) grandfather on my mother’s side that is currently dying of cancer and he’s going through what many of us know as a bucket list; all the things that he has always wanted to do in his life and hasn’t gotten around to. Whether we realize it or not, we all have one. It’s all the wants, dreams, and desires that many of us keep stored in the back of our brain. I have quite a few things that would be unfulfilled. I want to start a family. I want to find out G-d’s plan for me. I want to finish college and become a professional photographer. I want to own my own studio and sell beautiful wildlife and landscape pictures. And most of all...I want to finish something I start. (A flaw of mine) What it is that you want to do yet? Be completely honest with yourself in this. And then make a plan to do it. I know I will be.
If today was your last day, could you honestly say, “I LIVED!”? There is no certain way to describe how a person truly lives life because we are all different. J would tell you that you haven’t truly lived till you have spent the night in the African wilderness, looked on the African people and their different ways of life, and stood in the wild simply feeling G-d all around you. For me, it’s standing at the tip top of a mountain and feeling the wind dance around you. It’s walking in a light snow storm listening to the beautiful silence. It’s going to different functions and activities where people are experiencing G-d in different ways and just seeing His light shine through their faces as they praise Him. All of these things, I haven’t done near enough in my lifetime. And that will certainly be changing. So ask yourself...how do you LIVE?
Nothing about life is predictable. If it was, we wouldn’t need G-d, we would see it all coming. Our time here on Earth is very limited but it’s not about the amount of time spent here, it’s about the quality of that time. It’s about how we lived, loved, and, at times, let go. So I leave you with a link to hear the song that inspired this blog and with one last question...If today was your last day, what would you do?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrXIQQ8PeRs&NR=1
G-d Bless!
K
Sunday, November 14, 2010
"Happiness is a mood, not a destination..."
“Happiness is a mood, not a destination. There are times when you are happy and times when you are not. But you cannot catch a mood or earn it; you simply go through them. If you start thinking and focusing this way, maybe happiness will be your mood more often than when you are struggling to obtain it.”
Those are some wise words right? You can thank my cousin for them. This morning I woke up, in a not so happy mood. I was feeling pretty down actually. My usual routine is to get up, get some water, juice, coffee, or tea (whatever I am feeling like that day) and then I turn on my computer and give facebook a look over. As I sat there seriously considering going back to bed, my home page shows her status at the very top of the list and I just stopped and read it over a couple times then smiled. Don’t you just love with G-d reaches down and swats you upside your head and says “See those words? That’s me telling you to snap out of it.” OK...so maybe He doesn’t do it exactly like that but you get the idea.
I have heard so many people that make plans for life. A list of To-do’s if you will. “When I accomplish all this then I will be happy”. “When I get to this point, then I can be happy.” There’s always a bigger and better reason to be happy isn’t there? I, myself, have done this. You picture exactly where you want your life to be and you DECIDE that you can’t be totally happy till you hit that point. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with working toward a goal. I encourage it! But why can’t we be happy as we are getting there? Why does our “happy” have to depend on our present situation? We all have ups and down. Life is never going to be perfect but it seems like when people can only see happiness in the things that are to come rather than what they have now, don’t you think there is something wrong with that? To me that says that when one goal is achieved, another will be right behind it and “the happy” is always going to be out of our reach. Don’t get me wrong, being happy with what you have is in no way settling. We can always reach and improve anytime we really want to. We have it in all of us. But the reaching and improving is going to be a lot more tolerable and maybe even feel a little easier if we can be genuinely happy through it all. Even in bad times...I know we can’t all sit and smile through some them. I know I certainly don’t. But what if we changed our train of thought? Instead of, “This place is too small! I can’t wait till I can buy a bigger home!” try saying, “I am looking forward to buying a bigger place some day but at least I have a roof over my head right now.” Instead of, “I hate this job! They don’t pay me enough to do this!” try saying, “At least I have a paycheck coming in while I look for something better.” Instead of, “This homework is so stupid! When am I ever going to use this?!” try saying, “This may not be my favorite subject but at least I have the time and the means to get an education and work toward the career I want.” FYI... that last line...I actually said to a teacher in high school, and she then proceeded to assign a paper for all of us to write and explain how we WOULD be using algebra at times in the future. I was not popular among my peers that day.
The point is that G-d doesn’t mean for us to be happy when we get to a certain point in our lives. He means for us to be happy right now! He wants us to find joy and fulfillment in what we have or do. Like my cousin said, “Happiness is a mood...you simply go through them.” We are all going to have times that we feel happy as well as times when we are struggling to be happy. The good times are always there to be found and we are equipped to see the bad times through. G-d promised us that. And if there are any promises you can count on in life...they are His.
G-d Bless!
K
Those are some wise words right? You can thank my cousin for them. This morning I woke up, in a not so happy mood. I was feeling pretty down actually. My usual routine is to get up, get some water, juice, coffee, or tea (whatever I am feeling like that day) and then I turn on my computer and give facebook a look over. As I sat there seriously considering going back to bed, my home page shows her status at the very top of the list and I just stopped and read it over a couple times then smiled. Don’t you just love with G-d reaches down and swats you upside your head and says “See those words? That’s me telling you to snap out of it.” OK...so maybe He doesn’t do it exactly like that but you get the idea.
I have heard so many people that make plans for life. A list of To-do’s if you will. “When I accomplish all this then I will be happy”. “When I get to this point, then I can be happy.” There’s always a bigger and better reason to be happy isn’t there? I, myself, have done this. You picture exactly where you want your life to be and you DECIDE that you can’t be totally happy till you hit that point. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with working toward a goal. I encourage it! But why can’t we be happy as we are getting there? Why does our “happy” have to depend on our present situation? We all have ups and down. Life is never going to be perfect but it seems like when people can only see happiness in the things that are to come rather than what they have now, don’t you think there is something wrong with that? To me that says that when one goal is achieved, another will be right behind it and “the happy” is always going to be out of our reach. Don’t get me wrong, being happy with what you have is in no way settling. We can always reach and improve anytime we really want to. We have it in all of us. But the reaching and improving is going to be a lot more tolerable and maybe even feel a little easier if we can be genuinely happy through it all. Even in bad times...I know we can’t all sit and smile through some them. I know I certainly don’t. But what if we changed our train of thought? Instead of, “This place is too small! I can’t wait till I can buy a bigger home!” try saying, “I am looking forward to buying a bigger place some day but at least I have a roof over my head right now.” Instead of, “I hate this job! They don’t pay me enough to do this!” try saying, “At least I have a paycheck coming in while I look for something better.” Instead of, “This homework is so stupid! When am I ever going to use this?!” try saying, “This may not be my favorite subject but at least I have the time and the means to get an education and work toward the career I want.” FYI... that last line...I actually said to a teacher in high school, and she then proceeded to assign a paper for all of us to write and explain how we WOULD be using algebra at times in the future. I was not popular among my peers that day.
The point is that G-d doesn’t mean for us to be happy when we get to a certain point in our lives. He means for us to be happy right now! He wants us to find joy and fulfillment in what we have or do. Like my cousin said, “Happiness is a mood...you simply go through them.” We are all going to have times that we feel happy as well as times when we are struggling to be happy. The good times are always there to be found and we are equipped to see the bad times through. G-d promised us that. And if there are any promises you can count on in life...they are His.
G-d Bless!
K
Monday, October 11, 2010
Words from "The Marine".
Hello Everyone! We are excited to introduce you to another writer among us. We will refer to this individual as "The Marine". He has some wonderful things to say here and we are sure you will enjoy this just as much as we did:
Towards the end of my deployment in Afghanistan, I learned how to don the tefillin in my hooch between patrols with my platoon from one village to the next. There, I had fifty other Marines with me protecting each others' back. We felt almost invincible. But when I was deployed to Iraq, a lone Jewish Marine Corps Officer among hundreds of Iraqi soldiers in a remote region of the Syrian border, I had to live with keeping my religious identity to myself.
I recall the loneliness I would feel while standing on the berm separating Iraq from Syria, staring across the desert and dreaming about being in Israel only a couple hundred miles away. I would laugh to myself how I could drive there and back in a day and nobody would have to be the wiser. So close, but a world away. It was like a kind of torture. Maybe Moses felt similar when he wasn't permitted to enter Canaan. I hope not.
As an imbedded trainer among 1,500 Iraqi soldiers, I had to conceal my identity twenty-four hours a day. In the eyes of the Iraqis that I was training, I was just another blue-eyed, Christian American. My teammates (all nine of them) understood my situation and knew that my religion had to be kept a secret. I couldn't even have "Jewish" on my dog-tags. We had two Iraqi translators who lived with us, and after a few months we built trust and they learned of my religion, but still I always felt I had to watch my back extra carefully. I was always afraid that somehow my religious identity would get out and an Iraqi officer smiling at me one moment would put a bounty on my head ten minutes later.
My one moment of consolation was going into our team hut on our compound, stepping behind my poncho liner hanging from the ceiling, putting on my tefillin and talit (which I received from the Aleph Institute) and saying the Shema and daily prayers. My teammates thought it was a strange ritual, but respectfully showed understanding and once in a while even a slight curiosity. I've been told that Jewish Marine Corps officers make up one half of one percent of the USMC. Truly, the very few and just as proud.
Raised as an unobservant Jew in Hollywood, CA, I never considered putting on tefillin. On a visit to Israel with a youth group, a group of Chabad Hassidim in Jerusalem offered to help me put on the tefillin and say a prayer. Being a rebel teenager, I thought it was a silly novelty. But in Iraq where IEDs, roadside bombs, snipers, and gunfights were an everyday occurrence and I knew that each and every day might be my last, I cherished my tefillin.
It was my invisible shield. I would physically put it on while I said my prayers, but even after it was removed, I felt that the presence of G‑d would stay with me and see me through one more day. Or at least give me the courage to face my death if my number was up. I've always believed in G‑d, but being in a high stressed combat environment helped bring my love of G‑d closer than ever.
Since returning from Iraq, I have returned to an almost normal life and, feeling less vulnerable, have since placed my tefillin aside. But after writing this message, I realize that whether in a combat zone surrounded by potential enemies who may or may not hate Jews (let alone a Jewish Marine Officer), or home amongst the tribulations, chaos and temptations of American life, placing my "shield" of G‑d over my body and mind to keep me grounded in His power and love is as important now as it was in the Iraqi desert. I may have felt more at risk in Iraq, but with my tefillin, tallit, and prayer, I feel more whole and complete, as if I carry the spirit of G‑d closer to me.
Maybe that's why I should start putting them on again, here at home. Keep G-d close all the time. We all need Him. And also, never forget who you are or your roots.
Towards the end of my deployment in Afghanistan, I learned how to don the tefillin in my hooch between patrols with my platoon from one village to the next. There, I had fifty other Marines with me protecting each others' back. We felt almost invincible. But when I was deployed to Iraq, a lone Jewish Marine Corps Officer among hundreds of Iraqi soldiers in a remote region of the Syrian border, I had to live with keeping my religious identity to myself.
I recall the loneliness I would feel while standing on the berm separating Iraq from Syria, staring across the desert and dreaming about being in Israel only a couple hundred miles away. I would laugh to myself how I could drive there and back in a day and nobody would have to be the wiser. So close, but a world away. It was like a kind of torture. Maybe Moses felt similar when he wasn't permitted to enter Canaan. I hope not.
As an imbedded trainer among 1,500 Iraqi soldiers, I had to conceal my identity twenty-four hours a day. In the eyes of the Iraqis that I was training, I was just another blue-eyed, Christian American. My teammates (all nine of them) understood my situation and knew that my religion had to be kept a secret. I couldn't even have "Jewish" on my dog-tags. We had two Iraqi translators who lived with us, and after a few months we built trust and they learned of my religion, but still I always felt I had to watch my back extra carefully. I was always afraid that somehow my religious identity would get out and an Iraqi officer smiling at me one moment would put a bounty on my head ten minutes later.
My one moment of consolation was going into our team hut on our compound, stepping behind my poncho liner hanging from the ceiling, putting on my tefillin and talit (which I received from the Aleph Institute) and saying the Shema and daily prayers. My teammates thought it was a strange ritual, but respectfully showed understanding and once in a while even a slight curiosity. I've been told that Jewish Marine Corps officers make up one half of one percent of the USMC. Truly, the very few and just as proud.
Raised as an unobservant Jew in Hollywood, CA, I never considered putting on tefillin. On a visit to Israel with a youth group, a group of Chabad Hassidim in Jerusalem offered to help me put on the tefillin and say a prayer. Being a rebel teenager, I thought it was a silly novelty. But in Iraq where IEDs, roadside bombs, snipers, and gunfights were an everyday occurrence and I knew that each and every day might be my last, I cherished my tefillin.
It was my invisible shield. I would physically put it on while I said my prayers, but even after it was removed, I felt that the presence of G‑d would stay with me and see me through one more day. Or at least give me the courage to face my death if my number was up. I've always believed in G‑d, but being in a high stressed combat environment helped bring my love of G‑d closer than ever.
Since returning from Iraq, I have returned to an almost normal life and, feeling less vulnerable, have since placed my tefillin aside. But after writing this message, I realize that whether in a combat zone surrounded by potential enemies who may or may not hate Jews (let alone a Jewish Marine Officer), or home amongst the tribulations, chaos and temptations of American life, placing my "shield" of G‑d over my body and mind to keep me grounded in His power and love is as important now as it was in the Iraqi desert. I may have felt more at risk in Iraq, but with my tefillin, tallit, and prayer, I feel more whole and complete, as if I carry the spirit of G‑d closer to me.
Maybe that's why I should start putting them on again, here at home. Keep G-d close all the time. We all need Him. And also, never forget who you are or your roots.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Rythm of the Universe
I like to believe that there is a song to the universe. That beyond the daily hustle & bustle, there is a tune to which life is playing, & that our task is to learn the rhythm of the Divine plan & fall into step with it.
You can see when someone is in sync with the song. You can see it on their face, in their eyes, the way they talk, the way they lead their life. These individuals have the strongest faith; they do not live in doubt, they have nothing to fear. They radiate joy; they are happy people.
I have learned that in order to fully connect to a melody, you must be able to let go of yourself. When you are preoccupied with details, you cannot truly listen, & when you are afraid to lose control, you cannot truly sing. A genuine artist can deliver sincerely because he knows how to lose his inhibitions. In turn, the music becomes his refuge, enabling him to leave life's worries behind & be absorbed in a world beyond the physical.
The same is true for the song of the universe. When G d composed it, He promised that it would protect us. He promised us that if we walked with Him we would be blessed to see the good in a world that may be fraught with pain. But in order to hear the Divine song, we must know how to put ourselves aside. When we can honestly surrender to G d, we are no longer bogged down by life's obstacles; it is then that we become a vessel for His infinite blessing.
There is a well known Chassidic story of Reb Shmelke of Nikolsburg who approached Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch (known as the "Maggid") with the following question:
How can the Talmud tell us that an individual must bless G d for the bad with the same joy as one would bless G d for the good? How is this humanly possible?
In response, the Maggid sent Reb Shmelke to the great Chassidic master, Reb Zushe of Anipoli, who suffered terrible hardship in his life.
Reb Shmelke repeated his question, to which Reb Zusha responded:
"You raise a good point, but why did our Rebbe send you to me? How would I know? He should have sent you to someone who has experienced suffering."
Indeed, Reb Zushe could hear the song. In a life filled with difficulties, he only knew goodness because he had sensitized himself to the Divine composition of the world & was wholly in tune with the Creator.
But, one may ask, how many can aspire to the spiritual heights of Reb Zushe?
However, it is clear that the Maggid did not send Reb Shmelke to Reb Zushe to simply highlight Reb Zushe's piety. For the Talmud's directive - that one must bless G d for the bad with the same joy as one would bless G d for the good - is towards every individual, not only the tzaddik.
The Maggid was showing Reb Shmelke & each & every one of us in turn, that what the Talmud mandated was humanly possible; that learning the Divine song of the universe was truly achievable.
Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from the philosophy behind the Suzuki Method of music education: that every child can make great strides in music regardless of the talent he or she initially displays. Japanese violinist Dr. Shinichi Suzuki believed that the difference between the prodigy child & the average child was simply a matter of time. With this empowering message he inspired hundreds of seemingly ungifted children to grow, to listen, & to ultimately unleash the potential they possessed.
Indeed, we can all get there. True, no two souls are alike, & when we embarked on the journey from above to below, each soul was affected by the descent in its own way. Some of us passed through the ethereal worlds with nary a scar; some of us arrived less spiritually aware. Yes, some of us are naturally more in tune with the Divine song, but we can all learn it. It is simply a matter of time.
Granted, it is a challenging experience, filled with frustrations & epiphanies, sorrows & joys, but it is a fascinating experience all the same. For it seems that every happening in an individual's life serves to unravel another part of G d's composition. I imagine that with each test G d is saying, "Here is one more piece of My song."
Every hurdle that we rise above is one more chord that we master; each moment that we believe is another note learned; & every recognition of G d in an exiled world means that we have discerned another nuance in the Divine symphony. As we journey through life we build, verse upon verse, until we reach the crescendo of an unbreakable bond with our Creator.
I used to sit behind her in the synagogue, my grandmother. Her face was weathered, her body frail, her legs could barely support her tiny frame.
During the services, there were moments when she wanted to cry. When they opened the ark & took out the Torah scrolls, everything became a blur & she was a young child again, in the synagogue in Germany. When the cantor sang the "Shema Yisrael", she heard the cries of her family as they were dragged to the gas chambers in Auschwitz, the words of "Shema Yisrael" on their lips.
But she did not cry. She stood up with the rest of the congregants as the Torah is raised, steadying herself by holding onto the table in front of her. She closed her eyes, thanking G d for her life, grateful for the opportunity to praise Him. (She often reminded us to be grateful to be part of His Kingdom)
I watched her, in awe, so many times. How strong & brave is the Jewish spirit! How valiant she was; she had witnessed what should have torn her down, & yet she continued to struggle to survive.
I lower my eyes when I think of those days, my grandmother & her stories. I am humbled. Master of the Universe, You have created the human with a mind that is sharp, & a heart that is gentle; but You have placed this being in a world of harsh dichotomies; a world of experiences that cannot be reconciled by human intelligence & emotion. The sharp mind cannot comprehend; the sensitive heart is easily broken. We ought not to withstand the journey of life, but we persist. We want to learn Your song.
I believe that when you listen to the music in your soul, when you walk in tune to the melody of your spirit, it is then that your life becomes like a dance; one single flow of energy, rising & falling to the rhythm of your destiny.
I'm still learning the song; it is a lifelong journey. But with every step I take, I look towards those who are already dancing to it.
G-d Bless.
J
You can see when someone is in sync with the song. You can see it on their face, in their eyes, the way they talk, the way they lead their life. These individuals have the strongest faith; they do not live in doubt, they have nothing to fear. They radiate joy; they are happy people.
I have learned that in order to fully connect to a melody, you must be able to let go of yourself. When you are preoccupied with details, you cannot truly listen, & when you are afraid to lose control, you cannot truly sing. A genuine artist can deliver sincerely because he knows how to lose his inhibitions. In turn, the music becomes his refuge, enabling him to leave life's worries behind & be absorbed in a world beyond the physical.
The same is true for the song of the universe. When G d composed it, He promised that it would protect us. He promised us that if we walked with Him we would be blessed to see the good in a world that may be fraught with pain. But in order to hear the Divine song, we must know how to put ourselves aside. When we can honestly surrender to G d, we are no longer bogged down by life's obstacles; it is then that we become a vessel for His infinite blessing.
There is a well known Chassidic story of Reb Shmelke of Nikolsburg who approached Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch (known as the "Maggid") with the following question:
How can the Talmud tell us that an individual must bless G d for the bad with the same joy as one would bless G d for the good? How is this humanly possible?
In response, the Maggid sent Reb Shmelke to the great Chassidic master, Reb Zushe of Anipoli, who suffered terrible hardship in his life.
Reb Shmelke repeated his question, to which Reb Zusha responded:
"You raise a good point, but why did our Rebbe send you to me? How would I know? He should have sent you to someone who has experienced suffering."
Indeed, Reb Zushe could hear the song. In a life filled with difficulties, he only knew goodness because he had sensitized himself to the Divine composition of the world & was wholly in tune with the Creator.
But, one may ask, how many can aspire to the spiritual heights of Reb Zushe?
However, it is clear that the Maggid did not send Reb Shmelke to Reb Zushe to simply highlight Reb Zushe's piety. For the Talmud's directive - that one must bless G d for the bad with the same joy as one would bless G d for the good - is towards every individual, not only the tzaddik.
The Maggid was showing Reb Shmelke & each & every one of us in turn, that what the Talmud mandated was humanly possible; that learning the Divine song of the universe was truly achievable.
Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from the philosophy behind the Suzuki Method of music education: that every child can make great strides in music regardless of the talent he or she initially displays. Japanese violinist Dr. Shinichi Suzuki believed that the difference between the prodigy child & the average child was simply a matter of time. With this empowering message he inspired hundreds of seemingly ungifted children to grow, to listen, & to ultimately unleash the potential they possessed.
Indeed, we can all get there. True, no two souls are alike, & when we embarked on the journey from above to below, each soul was affected by the descent in its own way. Some of us passed through the ethereal worlds with nary a scar; some of us arrived less spiritually aware. Yes, some of us are naturally more in tune with the Divine song, but we can all learn it. It is simply a matter of time.
Granted, it is a challenging experience, filled with frustrations & epiphanies, sorrows & joys, but it is a fascinating experience all the same. For it seems that every happening in an individual's life serves to unravel another part of G d's composition. I imagine that with each test G d is saying, "Here is one more piece of My song."
Every hurdle that we rise above is one more chord that we master; each moment that we believe is another note learned; & every recognition of G d in an exiled world means that we have discerned another nuance in the Divine symphony. As we journey through life we build, verse upon verse, until we reach the crescendo of an unbreakable bond with our Creator.
I used to sit behind her in the synagogue, my grandmother. Her face was weathered, her body frail, her legs could barely support her tiny frame.
During the services, there were moments when she wanted to cry. When they opened the ark & took out the Torah scrolls, everything became a blur & she was a young child again, in the synagogue in Germany. When the cantor sang the "Shema Yisrael", she heard the cries of her family as they were dragged to the gas chambers in Auschwitz, the words of "Shema Yisrael" on their lips.
But she did not cry. She stood up with the rest of the congregants as the Torah is raised, steadying herself by holding onto the table in front of her. She closed her eyes, thanking G d for her life, grateful for the opportunity to praise Him. (She often reminded us to be grateful to be part of His Kingdom)
I watched her, in awe, so many times. How strong & brave is the Jewish spirit! How valiant she was; she had witnessed what should have torn her down, & yet she continued to struggle to survive.
I lower my eyes when I think of those days, my grandmother & her stories. I am humbled. Master of the Universe, You have created the human with a mind that is sharp, & a heart that is gentle; but You have placed this being in a world of harsh dichotomies; a world of experiences that cannot be reconciled by human intelligence & emotion. The sharp mind cannot comprehend; the sensitive heart is easily broken. We ought not to withstand the journey of life, but we persist. We want to learn Your song.
I believe that when you listen to the music in your soul, when you walk in tune to the melody of your spirit, it is then that your life becomes like a dance; one single flow of energy, rising & falling to the rhythm of your destiny.
I'm still learning the song; it is a lifelong journey. But with every step I take, I look towards those who are already dancing to it.
G-d Bless.
J
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The “Tipper” Miracles: Part Three: The Incredible Tippers
We now find ourselves to the final part of this series of blogs. The most enjoyable part most likely. Not to mention the part we will all be most familiar with. In the world of the “wait staff” the incredible tipper is always the most welcome. They go above and beyond in gratitude and generosity. This doesn’t, necessarily mean that they are the best in the bunch. Truth be told, in my experience, many of these tippers don’t just hand out these tips on a whim. They make sure that their waiter or waitress earns it. They expect attention, respect, smiles, and gratitude. Some will even run us ragged. They expect us to understand that they aren’t required to leave extra...they aren’t even required to leave anything at all.
What’s this have to do with miracle? I think some of you may already know. This is about the incredible miracles. This is what you find when you type the word miracle into a Google search. This is what you hear about in messages at church or in synagogue. This is what people remember and desperately pray for. This is the stuff that commonly makes people in general sit back and say “wow” and even makes some nonbelievers rethink everything they thought they knew. These miracles are G-d giving us a very slight taste of what He can really do. They are also G-d reminding us just how mortal we really are.
These miracles are when someone beats all odds and recovered from a horrific illness or injury. When a parent sudden feels that something is very wrong and finds that they just knew their child desperately needed them right away. When a husband or wife knows that something is wrong with their spouse even though the two could be miles apart. The list is limitless because G-d is limitless. I believe G-d absolutely loves giving us these miracles. Like any parent, I believe He loves being able to help us out and lift us up out of a rough situation and make things better. But like any good parent, He also knows that constantly saving us from a situation or even ourselves is counterproductive.
I have heard it a million times, “If G-d is so powerful, why doesn’t He fix the world? Why doesn’t He snap His fingers and get rid of the violence and the hungry? If this stuff still exists, maybe He doesn’t care or even exist. G-d hasn’t given me any miracle, maybe I did something wrong.” I am sure many of you have heard at least one of these lines as well. We’ve seen some of our readers comment with these lines. In my past, I myself have used at least one of these lines. In difficult times it can be harder to believe that there is an all powerful being looking down on us. But consider something with me as I paint a picture for you.
Some of you are parents or even aunts/uncles or grandparents. When your child messes up, they instantly look to you to fix it, especially when they are young. As they get older, as hard as it can be for a parent, you need to start stepping back and letting them clean up their own messes. It’s the only way they can truly grow. When a parent instantly fixes everything, all the child seems to learn is that it doesn’t matter if I do this (again), mom and dad will fix this. The same goes for us and G-d. Our human side has a sinful nature that is here to stay. G-d can cleanse and cleanse all day long, day after day, but do you really think that is going to make everything better? He could snap His fingers and force us to be G-dly and well-behaved but that would consist of taking away our free will to choose. He loves us more than we can even begin to imagine, in good times and in bad. And sometimes, in those bad times, we need to lean on that more than anything. In some of these bad times, we may be left with only our faith in G-d to help us move forward. So many at times seem to think that it’s enough to acknowledge G-d and claim faith; but do you REALY have faith in Him? Faith is an “easier said than done” thing in the worst of times. It’s these struggles that will ultimately define you and your faith in G-d.
Now back to the miracles. Some of you have or are witnessing these incredible miracles. I myself have been privileged to witness them on more than one occasion. And I will tell you now, I can’t even being to describe the feeling when you see it. For me, my face lights up, my heart swells with a mixture of excitement, relief, amazement, joy, and awe; and my eyes fill with happy tears. Now, like our tippers, I believe that G-d wants acknowledgment as well. When are we most likely to pray and lean on Him? In bad times. When money is tight or life is changing or there is a chance of losing someone to sickness, you will find people praying like they have never prayed before. But what about when we are in good times? What about when all your ducks are all in a row and there are very few worries in your life? G-d wants our love, prayers, and praise in these times as well. He’s there by our sides no matter what, watching and loving. Shouldn’t we do the same for Him in return? As I said, the incredible tippers aren’t required to leave extra or anything at all. You know what, neither is G-d. He’s here and He loves us because He WANTS too. He wants nothing more than to see His creations blossom and thrive and to love Him in return. Don’t you think we could do that for Him...at the very least?
What’s this have to do with miracle? I think some of you may already know. This is about the incredible miracles. This is what you find when you type the word miracle into a Google search. This is what you hear about in messages at church or in synagogue. This is what people remember and desperately pray for. This is the stuff that commonly makes people in general sit back and say “wow” and even makes some nonbelievers rethink everything they thought they knew. These miracles are G-d giving us a very slight taste of what He can really do. They are also G-d reminding us just how mortal we really are.
These miracles are when someone beats all odds and recovered from a horrific illness or injury. When a parent sudden feels that something is very wrong and finds that they just knew their child desperately needed them right away. When a husband or wife knows that something is wrong with their spouse even though the two could be miles apart. The list is limitless because G-d is limitless. I believe G-d absolutely loves giving us these miracles. Like any parent, I believe He loves being able to help us out and lift us up out of a rough situation and make things better. But like any good parent, He also knows that constantly saving us from a situation or even ourselves is counterproductive.
I have heard it a million times, “If G-d is so powerful, why doesn’t He fix the world? Why doesn’t He snap His fingers and get rid of the violence and the hungry? If this stuff still exists, maybe He doesn’t care or even exist. G-d hasn’t given me any miracle, maybe I did something wrong.” I am sure many of you have heard at least one of these lines as well. We’ve seen some of our readers comment with these lines. In my past, I myself have used at least one of these lines. In difficult times it can be harder to believe that there is an all powerful being looking down on us. But consider something with me as I paint a picture for you.
Some of you are parents or even aunts/uncles or grandparents. When your child messes up, they instantly look to you to fix it, especially when they are young. As they get older, as hard as it can be for a parent, you need to start stepping back and letting them clean up their own messes. It’s the only way they can truly grow. When a parent instantly fixes everything, all the child seems to learn is that it doesn’t matter if I do this (again), mom and dad will fix this. The same goes for us and G-d. Our human side has a sinful nature that is here to stay. G-d can cleanse and cleanse all day long, day after day, but do you really think that is going to make everything better? He could snap His fingers and force us to be G-dly and well-behaved but that would consist of taking away our free will to choose. He loves us more than we can even begin to imagine, in good times and in bad. And sometimes, in those bad times, we need to lean on that more than anything. In some of these bad times, we may be left with only our faith in G-d to help us move forward. So many at times seem to think that it’s enough to acknowledge G-d and claim faith; but do you REALY have faith in Him? Faith is an “easier said than done” thing in the worst of times. It’s these struggles that will ultimately define you and your faith in G-d.
Now back to the miracles. Some of you have or are witnessing these incredible miracles. I myself have been privileged to witness them on more than one occasion. And I will tell you now, I can’t even being to describe the feeling when you see it. For me, my face lights up, my heart swells with a mixture of excitement, relief, amazement, joy, and awe; and my eyes fill with happy tears. Now, like our tippers, I believe that G-d wants acknowledgment as well. When are we most likely to pray and lean on Him? In bad times. When money is tight or life is changing or there is a chance of losing someone to sickness, you will find people praying like they have never prayed before. But what about when we are in good times? What about when all your ducks are all in a row and there are very few worries in your life? G-d wants our love, prayers, and praise in these times as well. He’s there by our sides no matter what, watching and loving. Shouldn’t we do the same for Him in return? As I said, the incredible tippers aren’t required to leave extra or anything at all. You know what, neither is G-d. He’s here and He loves us because He WANTS too. He wants nothing more than to see His creations blossom and thrive and to love Him in return. Don’t you think we could do that for Him...at the very least?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
More from 'H' in Haiti
I was ready to give up. Life was just too harsh. I didn’t think I could survive another day in Haiti.
I am a Human Rights Lawyer and have helped in slums like this all over the world; I have been helping in Haiti for the last eight months. It has become a horror story laced with rodents, roaches, ants and mosquitoes. Life without running water and electricity is exhausting. The stench of human waste and rotting garbage is inescapable. Violence and corruption are commonplace. We recently decided to stay and help out in an area known as Girardo-ville. Access to the heart of the slum is limited to one unpaved road that is almost impassable. The difficult physical journey out of the slum is symbolic of the even more difficult journey out of hopelessness in a city where death and disease linger everywhere in the toxic air.
One night, I became very sick. I awoke in the middle of the night shivering from the cold even though the night air was still very warm. I was running a fever and was wet from perspiration. I could not stop coughing. I became anxious when I realized there was no way out of Girardo-ville at night, and I had no access to help. The thought occurred to me that when people get sick here, especially at night, they die. It is that simple. Residents of this slum have nowhere to go for help; even if they did, they have no money to pay for medical treatment. Curable illnesses, such as malaria and pneumonia, quickly turn into death sentences.
In this place of overwhelming need, I faced my own emptiness and limitations. I faced my own dark side, my own deep poverty and loneliness, my own weaknesses and doubts. At the same time, in this dysfunctional city where extreme chaos and suffering are the foundation of every day, I found beauty, grace and a new way to look at life. This slum became a place of personal transfiguration. Haiti can change a person.
From my perspective, the situation in Haiti seems to be getting worse. There are still a million homeless people in Port-au-Prince. Tents are everywhere. They line the streets, they fill the fields and are jammed into every open space. After eight months, many tents are becoming frayed from the intensity of the sun and the nightly rain storms. Infectious diseases are spreading like wildfire. Violence against women is rising steadily. People are bathing in the streets. The rubble from the collapsed buildings is everywhere.
We met an amazing man - Fr. Tom
Nearly 20 years ago, a man walked into a lawless nightmare under the sun, a gentle, humble, funny man from USA. A former chaplain at Princeton University in New Jersey, he seemed ill-suited by temperament and training to be a beacon of hope in such a hopeless and violent place. His name is Fr. Tom. A member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Tom is the embodiment of the luminous force of intentional kindness and compassion.
He lives, not for himself, but for the forgotten and anguished people of Cité Soleil, a massive slum located on the margins of Port-au-Prince. He does so at great risk to his own life. He, with his dog, Julia, at his side, daily confronts the countless trials of slum life as he tries to comfort, encourage, educate, feed and care for the victims of oppression living in the shadow of death known as Cité Soleil. The first time we walked together through Cité Soleil, he turned to me and said, “In this neighborhood just because you are with me doesn’t make it safe. Someone put a gun to my head here just a few weeks ago.” Daily life in Cité Soleil is dominated by duplicity, fear, ambition, jealousy, rivalry, rumor, false per-ceptions, and slander. A current of violence flows just beneath the surface of it all. He has paid a huge price for trying to bring relief to desperate people of Cité Soleil. In his 16 years in the slum, more than 20 of his staff and volunteers have been murdered.
Half the newborn children in the slum will die before they reach the age of 5. At night, some kids are forced to stay up all night and beat the rats away with sticks. In Haiti, corruption and violence abound. The government is dysfunctional and out of money. Garbage is piled up in the streets and alleys. There is virtually no electrical power; people without a generator spend the night in the dark. Hunger and starvation are rampant. People live in unimaginable squalor and eat mud cakes made from clay, dirt, spices and sugar and contaminated sewage water. All of these shocking conditions existed before the earthquake. The grim, deadly and dangerous environment was made monstrously worse afterward.
Throughout his years in Haiti, he has been vigilant in protecting his morning time of solitude with G-d. Before the earthquake he used to get up every morning at 4:15. He would head straight for the kitchen to make some coffee in a small percolator. Then he would take the pot and a cup to the little chapel on the second floor. The walls were decorated with folk-art paintings of saints and people who had been murdered in Cité Soleil while serving with him. This was the most important part of his day, he said, and he jealously guarded this time of stillness and silence. He placed the coffeepot and cup on a small table next to his large, wicker rocking chair. A candle burned next to the coffee. He read his Jerusalem Bible by the light of a lantern flame, as electricity was only an occasional visitor, dropping in and out without notice. He would read a passage and then meditate on the words.
He said he often asked, “L-rd, why am I here?” He told me there were days when he couldn’t stand Haiti. Actually, a lot of days. He admitted that working with the poor is hard. “They are always pulling at me, always needing something. Some days it’s hard to get out, because so many are waiting outside the gate to ask me for something.” He said he would not survive without his early morning prayer time. “Some days I tell G-d I can’t get through another day.” At night, he returned to the chapel before going to bed, and thanked G-d for getting him through another day.
He still says Mass every morning at 6:30 in the nearby convent. “It’s like having a strong cup of coffee,” he said, which helps him get through the day. There would be many more tough days, as the earthquake destroyed his house, injuring him and killing two seminarians.
Confidence in G-d.
Cité Soleil, he said, has taught him there is no individual survival. “But the culture says we should know what we are doing all the time, you should be in control, self-sufficient. Well, that’s the advice of a fool.
“We are three-dimensional, we need to love ourselves, others and G-d all at the same time, which creates a synergism of love. Without any of those three dimensions, we become less human, less alive. All the evils of the world, I think, have been caused by one-dimensional people, people just focused on themselves. The culture is forcing us to be one-dimensional people.”
I asked Fr, Tom about Salesian spirituality. He said that according to St. Francis de Sales, everyone needed to have confidence in G-d. But if you don’t have confidence, tell G-d you don’t have confidence because it is really G-d’s problem. The priest added, almost with a chuckle, “Sometimes I am ready to say to the L-rd, ‘I’m losing confidence in you, too, where the heck have you been?’ ” But Francis de Sales’ point was more profound. He said, “You just know that the same loving G-d who took care of you yesterday will take care of you today and will take care of you tomorrow. So what you really have is what I call a positive arrogance. You wake up and know nothing will bother you. The spirituality of St. Francis de Sales is really about taking every moment as they come.”
In the aftermath of the earthquake, he uses a tiny temporary office, just barely large enough to fit a desk for his computer, a chair and a few cabinets. On one wall hangs a crucifix that seems to contain the story of the earthquake in all its agony. The crucifix once hung in the bedroom of the priest’s parents. It was fairly large, perhaps about 2 feet tall. After the death of his parents, he has always had the crucifix with him, no matter his assignment. In Haiti, it hung in the chapel inside his home.
When the quake destroyed his home along with most of the schools and other facilities that he had built over the years, the crucifix was hidden in the rubble. When it was pulled out, the Christ figure was missing its arms and legs. All that remained were thin strands of metal that formed the figure’s extremities. “In a country where so many people lost arms and legs, the figure was a disturbingly fitting symbol”, he said. “For me, the wounded crucifix perfectly represented the tragedy that had befallen the nation of Haiti”.
Ray of light.
In a world of shadows and despair, he is a gentle ray of light and hope.
He said, “Coming out of a collapsing building, hearing the cries and screams of those still trapped, has changed the way I look at things. Life has become more simplified. I can’t think of all the things I’ve lost or I’d be sad about it. The earthquake has made me become more detached from things I thought were important. I trust in G-d’s love. G-d does not want to hear about my aches and pains.”
He lamented that so much of the relief effort has excluded the Haitian people in the planning. “We are not going to make anyone’s life any better. We impose so much without asking actual Haitians what they need. But the longer I am here, the less I know. I feel strongly that we can do a great deal of harm with the best intentions when we begin to be the benefactor. Even with all this aid coming in, we must go slowly, and every step of the way we must include the Haitians in the decision-making.”
In the end, it seems, poverty is more than a lack of food and work. Poverty is a force that destroys the unity of the human family by dividing us into camps of those who have and those who don’t have. And between the rich and the poor, there is an impenetrable wall that separates us. That scandalous wall must come down. This humble man has taught me so much. One man, on a selfless mission; if only more people could care like he does. Proof of strength granted because of faith. G-d will always be everywhere we go and we will see Him if we believe. Please pray for all of Haiti and for men and women like Fr. Tom. Without them, Haiti would be lost.
I am a Human Rights Lawyer and have helped in slums like this all over the world; I have been helping in Haiti for the last eight months. It has become a horror story laced with rodents, roaches, ants and mosquitoes. Life without running water and electricity is exhausting. The stench of human waste and rotting garbage is inescapable. Violence and corruption are commonplace. We recently decided to stay and help out in an area known as Girardo-ville. Access to the heart of the slum is limited to one unpaved road that is almost impassable. The difficult physical journey out of the slum is symbolic of the even more difficult journey out of hopelessness in a city where death and disease linger everywhere in the toxic air.
One night, I became very sick. I awoke in the middle of the night shivering from the cold even though the night air was still very warm. I was running a fever and was wet from perspiration. I could not stop coughing. I became anxious when I realized there was no way out of Girardo-ville at night, and I had no access to help. The thought occurred to me that when people get sick here, especially at night, they die. It is that simple. Residents of this slum have nowhere to go for help; even if they did, they have no money to pay for medical treatment. Curable illnesses, such as malaria and pneumonia, quickly turn into death sentences.
In this place of overwhelming need, I faced my own emptiness and limitations. I faced my own dark side, my own deep poverty and loneliness, my own weaknesses and doubts. At the same time, in this dysfunctional city where extreme chaos and suffering are the foundation of every day, I found beauty, grace and a new way to look at life. This slum became a place of personal transfiguration. Haiti can change a person.
From my perspective, the situation in Haiti seems to be getting worse. There are still a million homeless people in Port-au-Prince. Tents are everywhere. They line the streets, they fill the fields and are jammed into every open space. After eight months, many tents are becoming frayed from the intensity of the sun and the nightly rain storms. Infectious diseases are spreading like wildfire. Violence against women is rising steadily. People are bathing in the streets. The rubble from the collapsed buildings is everywhere.
We met an amazing man - Fr. Tom
Nearly 20 years ago, a man walked into a lawless nightmare under the sun, a gentle, humble, funny man from USA. A former chaplain at Princeton University in New Jersey, he seemed ill-suited by temperament and training to be a beacon of hope in such a hopeless and violent place. His name is Fr. Tom. A member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Tom is the embodiment of the luminous force of intentional kindness and compassion.
He lives, not for himself, but for the forgotten and anguished people of Cité Soleil, a massive slum located on the margins of Port-au-Prince. He does so at great risk to his own life. He, with his dog, Julia, at his side, daily confronts the countless trials of slum life as he tries to comfort, encourage, educate, feed and care for the victims of oppression living in the shadow of death known as Cité Soleil. The first time we walked together through Cité Soleil, he turned to me and said, “In this neighborhood just because you are with me doesn’t make it safe. Someone put a gun to my head here just a few weeks ago.” Daily life in Cité Soleil is dominated by duplicity, fear, ambition, jealousy, rivalry, rumor, false per-ceptions, and slander. A current of violence flows just beneath the surface of it all. He has paid a huge price for trying to bring relief to desperate people of Cité Soleil. In his 16 years in the slum, more than 20 of his staff and volunteers have been murdered.
Half the newborn children in the slum will die before they reach the age of 5. At night, some kids are forced to stay up all night and beat the rats away with sticks. In Haiti, corruption and violence abound. The government is dysfunctional and out of money. Garbage is piled up in the streets and alleys. There is virtually no electrical power; people without a generator spend the night in the dark. Hunger and starvation are rampant. People live in unimaginable squalor and eat mud cakes made from clay, dirt, spices and sugar and contaminated sewage water. All of these shocking conditions existed before the earthquake. The grim, deadly and dangerous environment was made monstrously worse afterward.
Throughout his years in Haiti, he has been vigilant in protecting his morning time of solitude with G-d. Before the earthquake he used to get up every morning at 4:15. He would head straight for the kitchen to make some coffee in a small percolator. Then he would take the pot and a cup to the little chapel on the second floor. The walls were decorated with folk-art paintings of saints and people who had been murdered in Cité Soleil while serving with him. This was the most important part of his day, he said, and he jealously guarded this time of stillness and silence. He placed the coffeepot and cup on a small table next to his large, wicker rocking chair. A candle burned next to the coffee. He read his Jerusalem Bible by the light of a lantern flame, as electricity was only an occasional visitor, dropping in and out without notice. He would read a passage and then meditate on the words.
He said he often asked, “L-rd, why am I here?” He told me there were days when he couldn’t stand Haiti. Actually, a lot of days. He admitted that working with the poor is hard. “They are always pulling at me, always needing something. Some days it’s hard to get out, because so many are waiting outside the gate to ask me for something.” He said he would not survive without his early morning prayer time. “Some days I tell G-d I can’t get through another day.” At night, he returned to the chapel before going to bed, and thanked G-d for getting him through another day.
He still says Mass every morning at 6:30 in the nearby convent. “It’s like having a strong cup of coffee,” he said, which helps him get through the day. There would be many more tough days, as the earthquake destroyed his house, injuring him and killing two seminarians.
Confidence in G-d.
Cité Soleil, he said, has taught him there is no individual survival. “But the culture says we should know what we are doing all the time, you should be in control, self-sufficient. Well, that’s the advice of a fool.
“We are three-dimensional, we need to love ourselves, others and G-d all at the same time, which creates a synergism of love. Without any of those three dimensions, we become less human, less alive. All the evils of the world, I think, have been caused by one-dimensional people, people just focused on themselves. The culture is forcing us to be one-dimensional people.”
I asked Fr, Tom about Salesian spirituality. He said that according to St. Francis de Sales, everyone needed to have confidence in G-d. But if you don’t have confidence, tell G-d you don’t have confidence because it is really G-d’s problem. The priest added, almost with a chuckle, “Sometimes I am ready to say to the L-rd, ‘I’m losing confidence in you, too, where the heck have you been?’ ” But Francis de Sales’ point was more profound. He said, “You just know that the same loving G-d who took care of you yesterday will take care of you today and will take care of you tomorrow. So what you really have is what I call a positive arrogance. You wake up and know nothing will bother you. The spirituality of St. Francis de Sales is really about taking every moment as they come.”
In the aftermath of the earthquake, he uses a tiny temporary office, just barely large enough to fit a desk for his computer, a chair and a few cabinets. On one wall hangs a crucifix that seems to contain the story of the earthquake in all its agony. The crucifix once hung in the bedroom of the priest’s parents. It was fairly large, perhaps about 2 feet tall. After the death of his parents, he has always had the crucifix with him, no matter his assignment. In Haiti, it hung in the chapel inside his home.
When the quake destroyed his home along with most of the schools and other facilities that he had built over the years, the crucifix was hidden in the rubble. When it was pulled out, the Christ figure was missing its arms and legs. All that remained were thin strands of metal that formed the figure’s extremities. “In a country where so many people lost arms and legs, the figure was a disturbingly fitting symbol”, he said. “For me, the wounded crucifix perfectly represented the tragedy that had befallen the nation of Haiti”.
Ray of light.
In a world of shadows and despair, he is a gentle ray of light and hope.
He said, “Coming out of a collapsing building, hearing the cries and screams of those still trapped, has changed the way I look at things. Life has become more simplified. I can’t think of all the things I’ve lost or I’d be sad about it. The earthquake has made me become more detached from things I thought were important. I trust in G-d’s love. G-d does not want to hear about my aches and pains.”
He lamented that so much of the relief effort has excluded the Haitian people in the planning. “We are not going to make anyone’s life any better. We impose so much without asking actual Haitians what they need. But the longer I am here, the less I know. I feel strongly that we can do a great deal of harm with the best intentions when we begin to be the benefactor. Even with all this aid coming in, we must go slowly, and every step of the way we must include the Haitians in the decision-making.”
In the end, it seems, poverty is more than a lack of food and work. Poverty is a force that destroys the unity of the human family by dividing us into camps of those who have and those who don’t have. And between the rich and the poor, there is an impenetrable wall that separates us. That scandalous wall must come down. This humble man has taught me so much. One man, on a selfless mission; if only more people could care like he does. Proof of strength granted because of faith. G-d will always be everywhere we go and we will see Him if we believe. Please pray for all of Haiti and for men and women like Fr. Tom. Without them, Haiti would be lost.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Who Are We?
Humans are the only creatures on earth - at least this is what humans think - who are aware of their own mortality. We are finite, & being conscious of our finitude we quest for immortality.
True, on one level we realize that even after our physical demise we will continue to exist as part of the whole, as part of the ecosystem. And we understand that just as the whole of the universe can never be lost; matter can not fall out of the universe, & the idea of total annihilation is scientifically & logically impossible, but that perpetuation is not us. What we want to know is, will we - who we are now, exist eternally & individually? And if so, how?
What is the future if not a distant present. What is now may well be a harbinger of what will be. If we wish to know what will be, we must delve deeper into what is. What becomes of us after the mortal body passes on? This question is but an extension of the broader question, who are we?
Our physical life journey begins at conception; we develop rapidly as an embryo in our mother’s womb. A miniscule germ of possibility, but in no way inanimate or unintelligent. In the Talmudic tradition we are told that prior to birth, we are infused with the totality of wisdom. We are trained to gather information from within. The underlying premise being, that what we know is already given to us, & not apprehended through our senses. We are sensitized to our inner voice, our soul. Yet, at the awesome moment of birth an angel appears & gently presses the upper lip causing an indentation & the erasure of all memory.
We open our eyes & find ourselves in an Olam Haphuch - an inverted world. Here we are told that only that which can be felt with our physical senses, is reality. Slowly, with the relentless passing of time, we become an intimate part of this three dimensional universe, where what is real must also be physical. We believe that only that which can be seen is the absolute truth. Our senses become our source of knowledge.
As young children we develop self-awareness, we explore our growing body in awe. We are told that this appendage is called a hand, while this is a foot, & so on. Each part is categorized & labeled. We are fascinated by our discoveries, & as we grow older, our fascination takes on a form of worship. We look deeply into the mirror & see only our body, the soul has been forgotten. We begin to identify with the bulb that carriers the light, instead of seeing ourselves as the light which the bulb is but a vehicle.
Inside, while in the embrace of the womb, we knew with certainty that we are more than physicality. We knew, long before our bodies were fully formed, that the body is but a shell, a temporary habitat for the soul.
The Empiricists did not have it quite right. The mind - psyche - soul is not “a blank sheet of paper upon which experience alone can subsequently write.” Rather, ‘essence precedes existence.’ Each person is born with a distinct soul. The soul is our higher self, the self of our potential and possibilities, the part of us that stands above ego, selfishness, aggression & resentment. Our soul is the one who observes life, the inner self that witnesses your life. The soul is the background of our being, the light that masters our thoughts, emotions & actions. And this soul, which is who we really are, is paradoxically a colored sheet of paper - an essence, upon which life’s experiences will write & can brighten. So who are we now? We are the space in which life experiences occur, we are the sum total of soul plus life experience.
The dilemma of death, & the age-old question of what becomes of us in that ‘final’ state, is almost superfluous, for we are a soul, & that soul is eternal. We are born with our unique & immortal soul, it is who we really are, & our souls live on forever. Throughout the journey of life, the essence of who we are, our soul, accumulates experiences; knowledge, feelings, relationships & all that made us uniquely individual. When a person’s body ceases to function, the loss is only of the physical vehicle. The corporeal entity which gave the soul the opportunity to materialize actions & accomplish physical deeds experiences a rearrangement of its elements. Yet, what lives on, as an individual, is our soul.
Death is a retransformation to the original state of soul, with a difference, however. The soul is now an individual person’s unique soul, replete with life experience, as distinct as the one who possessed it. The symphony of our life experiences is indelibly imprinted in our memory. This memory lives on as part of the collective memory of the omnipresence, in the spiritual state of Bina. Paradoxically, in this lofty condition, the individual soul continues to exist as both part of the whole, part of The Infinite, while maintaining its finitude & individuality. This contradiction violates our linear way of thinking, & seems to us illogical. Welcome to a universe of spirituality where anomaly is logical & parody reasonable.
It is empowering & true, that when we deeply desire a glimpse into that universe, we need only live life today in an integrated & harmonious way, & as such, experience the future within the present. We have the power to see a world bathed in the infinite, if we but expand our vision & cleanse the doors of our perception. To observe as a poet once did, “a world in a Grain of Sand / & a Heaven in a Wild Flower / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / & eternity in an hour.”
G-d Bless.
J
True, on one level we realize that even after our physical demise we will continue to exist as part of the whole, as part of the ecosystem. And we understand that just as the whole of the universe can never be lost; matter can not fall out of the universe, & the idea of total annihilation is scientifically & logically impossible, but that perpetuation is not us. What we want to know is, will we - who we are now, exist eternally & individually? And if so, how?
What is the future if not a distant present. What is now may well be a harbinger of what will be. If we wish to know what will be, we must delve deeper into what is. What becomes of us after the mortal body passes on? This question is but an extension of the broader question, who are we?
Our physical life journey begins at conception; we develop rapidly as an embryo in our mother’s womb. A miniscule germ of possibility, but in no way inanimate or unintelligent. In the Talmudic tradition we are told that prior to birth, we are infused with the totality of wisdom. We are trained to gather information from within. The underlying premise being, that what we know is already given to us, & not apprehended through our senses. We are sensitized to our inner voice, our soul. Yet, at the awesome moment of birth an angel appears & gently presses the upper lip causing an indentation & the erasure of all memory.
We open our eyes & find ourselves in an Olam Haphuch - an inverted world. Here we are told that only that which can be felt with our physical senses, is reality. Slowly, with the relentless passing of time, we become an intimate part of this three dimensional universe, where what is real must also be physical. We believe that only that which can be seen is the absolute truth. Our senses become our source of knowledge.
As young children we develop self-awareness, we explore our growing body in awe. We are told that this appendage is called a hand, while this is a foot, & so on. Each part is categorized & labeled. We are fascinated by our discoveries, & as we grow older, our fascination takes on a form of worship. We look deeply into the mirror & see only our body, the soul has been forgotten. We begin to identify with the bulb that carriers the light, instead of seeing ourselves as the light which the bulb is but a vehicle.
Inside, while in the embrace of the womb, we knew with certainty that we are more than physicality. We knew, long before our bodies were fully formed, that the body is but a shell, a temporary habitat for the soul.
The Empiricists did not have it quite right. The mind - psyche - soul is not “a blank sheet of paper upon which experience alone can subsequently write.” Rather, ‘essence precedes existence.’ Each person is born with a distinct soul. The soul is our higher self, the self of our potential and possibilities, the part of us that stands above ego, selfishness, aggression & resentment. Our soul is the one who observes life, the inner self that witnesses your life. The soul is the background of our being, the light that masters our thoughts, emotions & actions. And this soul, which is who we really are, is paradoxically a colored sheet of paper - an essence, upon which life’s experiences will write & can brighten. So who are we now? We are the space in which life experiences occur, we are the sum total of soul plus life experience.
The dilemma of death, & the age-old question of what becomes of us in that ‘final’ state, is almost superfluous, for we are a soul, & that soul is eternal. We are born with our unique & immortal soul, it is who we really are, & our souls live on forever. Throughout the journey of life, the essence of who we are, our soul, accumulates experiences; knowledge, feelings, relationships & all that made us uniquely individual. When a person’s body ceases to function, the loss is only of the physical vehicle. The corporeal entity which gave the soul the opportunity to materialize actions & accomplish physical deeds experiences a rearrangement of its elements. Yet, what lives on, as an individual, is our soul.
Death is a retransformation to the original state of soul, with a difference, however. The soul is now an individual person’s unique soul, replete with life experience, as distinct as the one who possessed it. The symphony of our life experiences is indelibly imprinted in our memory. This memory lives on as part of the collective memory of the omnipresence, in the spiritual state of Bina. Paradoxically, in this lofty condition, the individual soul continues to exist as both part of the whole, part of The Infinite, while maintaining its finitude & individuality. This contradiction violates our linear way of thinking, & seems to us illogical. Welcome to a universe of spirituality where anomaly is logical & parody reasonable.
It is empowering & true, that when we deeply desire a glimpse into that universe, we need only live life today in an integrated & harmonious way, & as such, experience the future within the present. We have the power to see a world bathed in the infinite, if we but expand our vision & cleanse the doors of our perception. To observe as a poet once did, “a world in a Grain of Sand / & a Heaven in a Wild Flower / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / & eternity in an hour.”
G-d Bless.
J
Reaching a Deeper Understanding of Self
Who are we? & what constitutes our beingness?
This is the most essential of all existential issues. To begin to discover who we are let us start examining that which is the most apparent, & most manifest, our bodies. In truth, to many people the physical physic is a major component in their self evaluation & value. The better & more beautiful their bodies appear the more confident they are, & visa versa. But what is the body? In its widest definition the body can be viewed as a collection of cells working in harmony to form a larger unit we call body. Simply & candidly put; the body is nothing more than a grand total of some one hundred & fifty pounds of protoplasm that we see, feel, & touch, & maneuver to do as we desire.
But can this be the real you?
More pointedly, towards which body part can we point to & accurately say that if we lose that physical property we will become less of who we are now. Say a person loses a limb, a hand or foot for example does that person in any way become ‘less’ the person he was prior to the injury? Certainly not, so then, what is the real you? If you are not defined by your arms, legs, toes & fingers than why assume that you are the sum total of these individual fragments.
For argument’s sake, one can still insist that indeed we are the sum total of all the parts of the body. Individually the body is seen as an assemblage of loose parts but as one unit they become you & I. To counter this line of reasoning we need to contemplate the fact that the substance of every human being’s body, even a healthy & robust one, is continuously being replaced. At a sub-nuclear level the elements that make up our atoms, the quarks & gluons, are perpetually being annihilated & recreated, so we are in fact never the same body as even a moment ago. As odd as it may seem, ninety-eight percent of the atoms in your body were not there a year ago. Your skin, for instance is renewed every month, your stomach lining every four days, & the surface cells that actually contact food every five minutes.
Being that the body is ceaselessly being altered & remade it would seem odd to acquire a sense of identity & selfhood from that which wavers & is unstable, thus the body on its own is somewhat ruled out. The body is ephemeral by its very nature. Even the brain, the storage house of all experiences & knowledge is in a state of continued flux. As such, the challenge becomes to discover is that which is lasting, permanent, & unchangeable; that which exists as the background & also the thread that runs through all of life, & the ‘thing’ that experiences the various changes one encounters throughout life.
Additionally, from the fact that we can feel & are aware of body is the greatest confirmation that we are not body; that which can be felt is not the feeler as that which can be observed is not the observer. We cannot be that which we are conscious of. When observing some object or thinking of it, you cannot be that object as you are separate from it. If you think about your body it means that something separate from it is doing the thinking. So while we are not our bodies & it is merely a part of us, who are we?
In the quest for self-discovery the challenge becomes to locate & identify the experience’r & the feeler, & not the manifestations, as the experience or the feeling. And ‘what’ is that? The soul. Our soul, is the unchanging that registers the changing, the continuous that observes the discontinuous, the uninfluenced that informs the influenced. As the body’s cells are constantly being modified & changing so are our emotions, thoughts & feelings, but the you within us, the essential self remains the same. The I within is eternal. Everything else comes & goes, but our ‘I’, the feeling of being alive, when not identified or blended with anything such as body, thought, or feeling, is always the same, never shifting & never modified.
Soul is who we are; it is the part of us that is not temporal or spatial housed in a three dimensional reality, nor is it subjective or dependent of the externals. It is the deeper ‘I’ that is independent of environmental influence or physical identity. It is the internal I; the I that was there when you were young & said “I am young” the I that was there when you grew a bit older & said “I am middle aged” & the I that is there when you said “I am old.” The perennial I, the soul. The soul is the deeper inner Self which incorporates all levels of beingness, including the small surface I of selfhood. It is the ultimate of all reality & the true I of existence.
From times of antiquity man in his search for ‘self’, has come to describe that unchangeable divine property within in various names, ranging from the soul, the psyche, the light, anima, sarira, naf, to the more modern terms like, the force, our center or ground of being, life energy, yet, for the most part they describe or wish to describe the same underlying pulsating reality. The soul, as we tend to call it is a spiritual unique manifestation, with a distinct individual ‘personality,’ & it is through the lens of our ‘individuated’ soul energy that we come to experience life. The path toward self-actualization & fulfillment is found in this discovery; the unearthing & living in accordance to the ‘finite’ spark of the divine that is distinctly made present in our own lives. The fullness of the I of the world, the infinite is revealed beautifully in the individual finite I-ness of self.
Essentially, our soul is not something we possess but who we are. It does not belong to the person rather it is the person. The soul is the higher self. It is the self of our potential & possibility, the part of us that stands above ego, selfishness, aggression & resentment. The soul is the background of our being, the light that masters our thoughts, emotions & actions, & effectively the whole of life.
The soul is the observer of life, the essence deep within that views life & witnesses our life unfold. Certainly, the known cannot be the knower. If you know your thoughts then you cannot be your thoughts. If you know your passions, emotions, desires, you cannot be that either. An important medieval philosophical/ethical text, attributed to the twelve-century French Rabbi, Rabbeinu Tam, writes that the soul is the knower of the known. In other words, the soul is the small voice beyond the mind that tells the conscious mind to think, feel or act.
Anyone who has ever dabbled in meditative techniques or for that matter in the philosophy & mechanics of the mind knows that the mind appears to have a mind on its own, & there are levels beyond levels within the mind itself. When a person tells himself to think a particular thought it is one level of mind telling the more apparent level to think. And yet, having this awareness tells us that there is still a deeper level of mind that experiences this consciousness. This mental exercise can literally extend itself to no end, nonetheless, at its deepest, it is the essence of Self - the only I there really is who governs & instructs the I of small self.
Take a moment & try to be aware of the wall in front of you. Now, be aware of that level of mind that is aware of the wall. Then go a little further & try to be aware of that which is aware. You can apparently do this exercise infinitely until you reach a point where you realize that there is a part deep within that is, as some tend to call it, the absolute self, or the pure witness. This can never truly be grasped because it is what grasps. It can never truly be understood because it is the understander, it cannot be known on an intellectual level, for it is the knower of knowledge.
In it’s highest deepest & most pristine form the soul, the higher self is part of the divine I, part of the reality where the knower & the known are one of the same, as the Rambam - Maimonides ‘describes’ the Ultimate & Unconditional Beingness. It is part of a reality where the experience & the experiencer the observed & the observer are one & the same. Rooted in a ‘place’ beyond duality, polarity, separation or contextualization.
As the Creator who defies & transcends human logic, the soul as well being part & an individual expression of this truth embodies the paradoxical & its ‘entity’ is oxymoronic, at least to the human small mind constricted reality. The soul is both infinite & finite in its properties & expression. As challenging as it may be to intellectually grasp the soul is simply a finite sliver of the infinite, a holographic particle of infinitude. Perhaps this conception violates our way of thinking, & it does so because the brain is basically a binary instrument. For the brain it’s either up or down, left or right, 0 or 1, but never both at once, but this is only a limit to the physical brain which has difficulties navigating or interacting with a universe that allows for contradictory coexistence. On a simple level this means that though each soul is rooted & sourced in genuine oneness, nonetheless, as it emerges, while it still sparkles with infinitude it also becomes quite distinct, unique, & descends as the individual soul to embody one particular human form.
Pulsating within each of us is a Self that is uniquely us. Each person has distinctive unmatched & unparalleled characteristics of soul personality. In the afterlife, the celebrated Chassidic sage, R. Zusia of Anipoli said, I will not be asked “why were you not like Moses?’ rather, the question will be “why were you not like Zusia?” Why did you not reach your own full potential? No two people are alike spiritually, & as physical representation of the spirit even physically. Everyone, in his own way is exceptional and unique; each soul demands to be expressed & experienced differently. Every human being has a unique spiritual vocation to be fulfilled that only that person can fulfill it.
Our individual & particular way we experience life is a result of the individuality of our soul. Not only do we see the world around us through the lenses of our own distinct soul, but the world around us is also affected & influenced by the uniqueness of our soul. Whoever & whatever a person connects with emotionally or intellectually, physically or mentally he indelibly imprints his ‘personality’ of soul on those people & those events. Every relationship we entertain becomes colored & tainted - hopefully for the better with our personality & soul individuality.
Scientific exploration & advancement has come a long way. Today we have computers, which are essentially artificial intelligence that can solve mathematical riddles & win chess games against the best & brightest of human chess players. Yet for all that A.I. can do it still lacks a human soul. A self-enclosed machine lacks the ability to go outside itself & judge. A.I., can perhaps know how to react & what to do in a certain situations, but it will never know why it reacts this way & not in another way. It is deficient of what some philosophers call “qualia” incapable of having pleasure, desire, anxieties or hope. True, it can carry out brilliant arithmetic calculations & can play a wicked game of chess; still, while it plays does it know anything of playfulness? Does it get excited by wining or agitated when losing? Does it worry about its next move, or regret its previous ones?
Extending this idea a bit further we come to the realization that the various ‘things’ that make us human & demonstrate our humanity, primarily our emotions are experienced by each of us quite differently. No, it is wrong to assume that “all happy families are alike.” Happiness as sadness or for that matter the whole gamut of human emotions & feelings are unique, singular, & felt by each of us in our very own distinct way.
It should only be added, though at its core the soul is unchangeable & it is the element of permanence that runs through life, the manifestations of soul are certainly not static, stagnant, & non-fluid, & clearly they are not a ‘thing’, as in a noun. The more dense levels of soul, those aspects that are more present as everyday consciousness are continuously expanding via our life experiences. The more outer dimensionally related parts of soul are in a perpetual state of flux & growth.
True, what defines us is our soul, yet another valid truth is that we are a psychosomatic being, comprised of soul & body. Part of who we are is a reflection or a result of the body we possess. On some level, we are who we are because or despite the bodies we posses. Take for example short people; some short people tend to be more introverted & timid because of their physical contour, & some short people act quite the opposite, in despite, & ‘suffer’ from what is referred to as a Napoleon complex. Mentally, the shaping of ones’ internal personality maybe forged by physical appearance; heavy thin, tall short, black white. How they look, or perceive themselves to look affects the way they feel about themselves, for better & for worse.
In all honesty, whether our personality is a result or despite physical appearance & a facelift or the like will make us feel differently, or alternatively, our physical presentation is a manifestation of personality & on its deepest level a physical materialization of the soul, depends on us. It reflects whether we choose to live life from the inside-out or from the outside-in. People who live from the inside out, harmoniously, & in an integrated manner their physical form will be an accurate representation of their spiritual form, the body will reflect soul. By its very nature, the body is a physical representation of the inner pattern of the soul that animates it; the question is only, whether we live in concurrent to that level or not. When we do live from the inside-out & cultivates a healthy internal outlook the result may in fact be apparent on our physical posture.
All & all, the body is not a prison house for the soul. The body is not, by its created nature an alien abode that oppresses or stifles the spirit; rather “the bodies of the upright are holy.” The Creators infinite presence is to be found everywhere, from the sublime to the mundane, from the spiritual to the physical, even in a coarse matter such as corporal existence. The body is, at least in its natural & original form a physical expression of the spirit that animates it & gives it life.
Body & soul can & should be the best of friends. When the body & soul work in unison, when they are both engaged in positive acts & thoughts then the body can be a vehicle to experience freedom, when the converse occurs the body becomes a prison house, an unfriendly place instead of a friendly one.
Genuine integration & wholeness is achieved when we come to view, both the body & soul in the light of their respected purposes. Spiritual equilibrium is attained when there is harmony & symmetry between the various aspects of our personality; when the physical self/body expresses the spiritual self/ soul, & when the body is seen not as a hindrance or shackle biding the spirit, rather a vehicle for the most powerful of soul expression.
The self is a beautiful synthesis of body & soul, our ego & transcendence, the finite matter & the infinite spirit, the temporal material & the eternal spiritual, & a realized selfhood can only be complete when we are fully aligned & create a perfect harmony between all aspects of our selves, when we are fully present, & our I-ness is effusively lived on all levels of existence. When we do so, the ‘perfect self’ is expressed, & we become fully aware & realize how our I is one with the I of all reality & all existence.
G-d Bless.
J
This is the most essential of all existential issues. To begin to discover who we are let us start examining that which is the most apparent, & most manifest, our bodies. In truth, to many people the physical physic is a major component in their self evaluation & value. The better & more beautiful their bodies appear the more confident they are, & visa versa. But what is the body? In its widest definition the body can be viewed as a collection of cells working in harmony to form a larger unit we call body. Simply & candidly put; the body is nothing more than a grand total of some one hundred & fifty pounds of protoplasm that we see, feel, & touch, & maneuver to do as we desire.
But can this be the real you?
More pointedly, towards which body part can we point to & accurately say that if we lose that physical property we will become less of who we are now. Say a person loses a limb, a hand or foot for example does that person in any way become ‘less’ the person he was prior to the injury? Certainly not, so then, what is the real you? If you are not defined by your arms, legs, toes & fingers than why assume that you are the sum total of these individual fragments.
For argument’s sake, one can still insist that indeed we are the sum total of all the parts of the body. Individually the body is seen as an assemblage of loose parts but as one unit they become you & I. To counter this line of reasoning we need to contemplate the fact that the substance of every human being’s body, even a healthy & robust one, is continuously being replaced. At a sub-nuclear level the elements that make up our atoms, the quarks & gluons, are perpetually being annihilated & recreated, so we are in fact never the same body as even a moment ago. As odd as it may seem, ninety-eight percent of the atoms in your body were not there a year ago. Your skin, for instance is renewed every month, your stomach lining every four days, & the surface cells that actually contact food every five minutes.
Being that the body is ceaselessly being altered & remade it would seem odd to acquire a sense of identity & selfhood from that which wavers & is unstable, thus the body on its own is somewhat ruled out. The body is ephemeral by its very nature. Even the brain, the storage house of all experiences & knowledge is in a state of continued flux. As such, the challenge becomes to discover is that which is lasting, permanent, & unchangeable; that which exists as the background & also the thread that runs through all of life, & the ‘thing’ that experiences the various changes one encounters throughout life.
Additionally, from the fact that we can feel & are aware of body is the greatest confirmation that we are not body; that which can be felt is not the feeler as that which can be observed is not the observer. We cannot be that which we are conscious of. When observing some object or thinking of it, you cannot be that object as you are separate from it. If you think about your body it means that something separate from it is doing the thinking. So while we are not our bodies & it is merely a part of us, who are we?
In the quest for self-discovery the challenge becomes to locate & identify the experience’r & the feeler, & not the manifestations, as the experience or the feeling. And ‘what’ is that? The soul. Our soul, is the unchanging that registers the changing, the continuous that observes the discontinuous, the uninfluenced that informs the influenced. As the body’s cells are constantly being modified & changing so are our emotions, thoughts & feelings, but the you within us, the essential self remains the same. The I within is eternal. Everything else comes & goes, but our ‘I’, the feeling of being alive, when not identified or blended with anything such as body, thought, or feeling, is always the same, never shifting & never modified.
Soul is who we are; it is the part of us that is not temporal or spatial housed in a three dimensional reality, nor is it subjective or dependent of the externals. It is the deeper ‘I’ that is independent of environmental influence or physical identity. It is the internal I; the I that was there when you were young & said “I am young” the I that was there when you grew a bit older & said “I am middle aged” & the I that is there when you said “I am old.” The perennial I, the soul. The soul is the deeper inner Self which incorporates all levels of beingness, including the small surface I of selfhood. It is the ultimate of all reality & the true I of existence.
From times of antiquity man in his search for ‘self’, has come to describe that unchangeable divine property within in various names, ranging from the soul, the psyche, the light, anima, sarira, naf, to the more modern terms like, the force, our center or ground of being, life energy, yet, for the most part they describe or wish to describe the same underlying pulsating reality. The soul, as we tend to call it is a spiritual unique manifestation, with a distinct individual ‘personality,’ & it is through the lens of our ‘individuated’ soul energy that we come to experience life. The path toward self-actualization & fulfillment is found in this discovery; the unearthing & living in accordance to the ‘finite’ spark of the divine that is distinctly made present in our own lives. The fullness of the I of the world, the infinite is revealed beautifully in the individual finite I-ness of self.
Essentially, our soul is not something we possess but who we are. It does not belong to the person rather it is the person. The soul is the higher self. It is the self of our potential & possibility, the part of us that stands above ego, selfishness, aggression & resentment. The soul is the background of our being, the light that masters our thoughts, emotions & actions, & effectively the whole of life.
The soul is the observer of life, the essence deep within that views life & witnesses our life unfold. Certainly, the known cannot be the knower. If you know your thoughts then you cannot be your thoughts. If you know your passions, emotions, desires, you cannot be that either. An important medieval philosophical/ethical text, attributed to the twelve-century French Rabbi, Rabbeinu Tam, writes that the soul is the knower of the known. In other words, the soul is the small voice beyond the mind that tells the conscious mind to think, feel or act.
Anyone who has ever dabbled in meditative techniques or for that matter in the philosophy & mechanics of the mind knows that the mind appears to have a mind on its own, & there are levels beyond levels within the mind itself. When a person tells himself to think a particular thought it is one level of mind telling the more apparent level to think. And yet, having this awareness tells us that there is still a deeper level of mind that experiences this consciousness. This mental exercise can literally extend itself to no end, nonetheless, at its deepest, it is the essence of Self - the only I there really is who governs & instructs the I of small self.
Take a moment & try to be aware of the wall in front of you. Now, be aware of that level of mind that is aware of the wall. Then go a little further & try to be aware of that which is aware. You can apparently do this exercise infinitely until you reach a point where you realize that there is a part deep within that is, as some tend to call it, the absolute self, or the pure witness. This can never truly be grasped because it is what grasps. It can never truly be understood because it is the understander, it cannot be known on an intellectual level, for it is the knower of knowledge.
In it’s highest deepest & most pristine form the soul, the higher self is part of the divine I, part of the reality where the knower & the known are one of the same, as the Rambam - Maimonides ‘describes’ the Ultimate & Unconditional Beingness. It is part of a reality where the experience & the experiencer the observed & the observer are one & the same. Rooted in a ‘place’ beyond duality, polarity, separation or contextualization.
As the Creator who defies & transcends human logic, the soul as well being part & an individual expression of this truth embodies the paradoxical & its ‘entity’ is oxymoronic, at least to the human small mind constricted reality. The soul is both infinite & finite in its properties & expression. As challenging as it may be to intellectually grasp the soul is simply a finite sliver of the infinite, a holographic particle of infinitude. Perhaps this conception violates our way of thinking, & it does so because the brain is basically a binary instrument. For the brain it’s either up or down, left or right, 0 or 1, but never both at once, but this is only a limit to the physical brain which has difficulties navigating or interacting with a universe that allows for contradictory coexistence. On a simple level this means that though each soul is rooted & sourced in genuine oneness, nonetheless, as it emerges, while it still sparkles with infinitude it also becomes quite distinct, unique, & descends as the individual soul to embody one particular human form.
Pulsating within each of us is a Self that is uniquely us. Each person has distinctive unmatched & unparalleled characteristics of soul personality. In the afterlife, the celebrated Chassidic sage, R. Zusia of Anipoli said, I will not be asked “why were you not like Moses?’ rather, the question will be “why were you not like Zusia?” Why did you not reach your own full potential? No two people are alike spiritually, & as physical representation of the spirit even physically. Everyone, in his own way is exceptional and unique; each soul demands to be expressed & experienced differently. Every human being has a unique spiritual vocation to be fulfilled that only that person can fulfill it.
Our individual & particular way we experience life is a result of the individuality of our soul. Not only do we see the world around us through the lenses of our own distinct soul, but the world around us is also affected & influenced by the uniqueness of our soul. Whoever & whatever a person connects with emotionally or intellectually, physically or mentally he indelibly imprints his ‘personality’ of soul on those people & those events. Every relationship we entertain becomes colored & tainted - hopefully for the better with our personality & soul individuality.
Scientific exploration & advancement has come a long way. Today we have computers, which are essentially artificial intelligence that can solve mathematical riddles & win chess games against the best & brightest of human chess players. Yet for all that A.I. can do it still lacks a human soul. A self-enclosed machine lacks the ability to go outside itself & judge. A.I., can perhaps know how to react & what to do in a certain situations, but it will never know why it reacts this way & not in another way. It is deficient of what some philosophers call “qualia” incapable of having pleasure, desire, anxieties or hope. True, it can carry out brilliant arithmetic calculations & can play a wicked game of chess; still, while it plays does it know anything of playfulness? Does it get excited by wining or agitated when losing? Does it worry about its next move, or regret its previous ones?
Extending this idea a bit further we come to the realization that the various ‘things’ that make us human & demonstrate our humanity, primarily our emotions are experienced by each of us quite differently. No, it is wrong to assume that “all happy families are alike.” Happiness as sadness or for that matter the whole gamut of human emotions & feelings are unique, singular, & felt by each of us in our very own distinct way.
It should only be added, though at its core the soul is unchangeable & it is the element of permanence that runs through life, the manifestations of soul are certainly not static, stagnant, & non-fluid, & clearly they are not a ‘thing’, as in a noun. The more dense levels of soul, those aspects that are more present as everyday consciousness are continuously expanding via our life experiences. The more outer dimensionally related parts of soul are in a perpetual state of flux & growth.
True, what defines us is our soul, yet another valid truth is that we are a psychosomatic being, comprised of soul & body. Part of who we are is a reflection or a result of the body we possess. On some level, we are who we are because or despite the bodies we posses. Take for example short people; some short people tend to be more introverted & timid because of their physical contour, & some short people act quite the opposite, in despite, & ‘suffer’ from what is referred to as a Napoleon complex. Mentally, the shaping of ones’ internal personality maybe forged by physical appearance; heavy thin, tall short, black white. How they look, or perceive themselves to look affects the way they feel about themselves, for better & for worse.
In all honesty, whether our personality is a result or despite physical appearance & a facelift or the like will make us feel differently, or alternatively, our physical presentation is a manifestation of personality & on its deepest level a physical materialization of the soul, depends on us. It reflects whether we choose to live life from the inside-out or from the outside-in. People who live from the inside out, harmoniously, & in an integrated manner their physical form will be an accurate representation of their spiritual form, the body will reflect soul. By its very nature, the body is a physical representation of the inner pattern of the soul that animates it; the question is only, whether we live in concurrent to that level or not. When we do live from the inside-out & cultivates a healthy internal outlook the result may in fact be apparent on our physical posture.
All & all, the body is not a prison house for the soul. The body is not, by its created nature an alien abode that oppresses or stifles the spirit; rather “the bodies of the upright are holy.” The Creators infinite presence is to be found everywhere, from the sublime to the mundane, from the spiritual to the physical, even in a coarse matter such as corporal existence. The body is, at least in its natural & original form a physical expression of the spirit that animates it & gives it life.
Body & soul can & should be the best of friends. When the body & soul work in unison, when they are both engaged in positive acts & thoughts then the body can be a vehicle to experience freedom, when the converse occurs the body becomes a prison house, an unfriendly place instead of a friendly one.
Genuine integration & wholeness is achieved when we come to view, both the body & soul in the light of their respected purposes. Spiritual equilibrium is attained when there is harmony & symmetry between the various aspects of our personality; when the physical self/body expresses the spiritual self/ soul, & when the body is seen not as a hindrance or shackle biding the spirit, rather a vehicle for the most powerful of soul expression.
The self is a beautiful synthesis of body & soul, our ego & transcendence, the finite matter & the infinite spirit, the temporal material & the eternal spiritual, & a realized selfhood can only be complete when we are fully aligned & create a perfect harmony between all aspects of our selves, when we are fully present, & our I-ness is effusively lived on all levels of existence. When we do so, the ‘perfect self’ is expressed, & we become fully aware & realize how our I is one with the I of all reality & all existence.
G-d Bless.
J
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