You have all asked and you will now recieve. H has come through with an update of her time in Haiti. She continues to work and help with the relief efforts. In everything she is seeing G-d and allowing G-d to be seen through herself. To you H, we are so incredibly proud of you in every way. Your work, your attitude, and your faith in something to behold. We pray for you always and love you endlessly. Enjoy everyone! G-d Bless!
I consider myself relatively tough on the mental side, having mental toughness in adversity or having control of emotions, having the ability to compartmentalize fear, that kind of toughness.
I've learned to place emotions in the right compartment so that years later, I just forget about them.
I think the last time I really cried was when I left South Africa.
Then I came here to Haiti.
I haven't shed so many tears in all my life. Most of us here can't go but a few hours without tender feelings rising to the surface in the form of tears. There are tears of sorrow for the tragedy and unfathomable destruction here, but there are tears of gratitude for G-d who helps us to make a difference every day.
And we are making a difference. You can see it in the eyes of this great nation. I see it in the eyes of the people I have met and helped.
In a medical ward of the University Hospital in Port-au-Prince, family members provide care during the night because there are not enough nurses, so relatives do the work. The world can learn so much from these humble, selfless people.
The few times that I have gone home for a break, have been good for me, even though each time I have left my heart back in Port-au-Prince. When it is time to return my family always say, "We will pray for you and the Haitian people." I think to myself that I need those prayers now because, I have to say I'm a little scared. Scared that I won’t be able to do enough for these poor people.
But then the answer comes: Just stop, listen, give it all to G-d and you'll be helped.
At this point, I'm going on pure faith that there are angels among us, and that it's time to trust in all prayers from friends and family back home and at the same time be thankful for all those prayers.
Miracles happen, and are happening every day in Haiti.
The children of Haiti are amazing. Yes, most are poor, but they love life, and they're so happy. I think there's a special resilience in them, due to many factors which include living conditions, which half of the world would consider awful.
But among the world's children, they are special because they testify that you don't need to have material things at all to be happy. From the naked, barefoot child waving to our convoy, between the sheets which are the walls of his home, to the children in hospitals and orphanages. They are genuinely happy.
We went to the Central Ward building in central Port-au-Prince again the other day. This place has had new births on the ward ping-pong table, at the back of the cultural hall a few times. It just goes to show. Who knew this was possible? A new infant joins the rest of these joyful children.
There are many families here, either homeless or too afraid to go back home. But what strikes me are the children. A young Haitian girl with the biggest smile and angelic countenance greeted me with a kiss to my cheek while speaking what sounded like kind words and thanks in Creole. I saw little kids playing soccer next to the ward building screaming with laughter. It made me so happy.
This feeling of happiness extended to the sick and injured children we encountered when we arrived at Central Community Hospital. It sounds like the LDS Church has committed significant amounts of resources to rebuild the wound care clinic at this hospital. G-d Bless them.
Here I met the sweetest 7 year-old girl. She was standing next to a wall when the earthquake shook. A cinder block crushed her pointer finger and thumb and deeply lacerated her legs and arms. She cried when I helped changed the bandages, but with tears in her eyes, she hugged me and said, "thank you" in English when I was finished.
Her little brother, meanwhile, got a kick out of swiping his finger across the glass of my iPhone while looking at my family pictures. He squealed each time a new picture came and whizzed by.
The first lady of Haiti commented a few weeks ago to the delegation that was here to ensure the safe transport of 66 orphans, "Take care of our children in America. They are the hope of Haiti."
The children are the hope of Haiti.
For as long as G-d needs me here whether it be in a legal capacity or to help change a bandage or just to give someone a hug, I will be here. The progress of recovery is slow, but it is happening. Our biggest prayer now is for all the funds that have already been pledged and donated to actually reach us. To date many of the funds have not yet been distributed in many organizations that are helping here. At home Haiti now has a small column here and there in the back pages of the newspapers; already forgotten by many. Please do not forget. These are people who in so many ways are so much better than any of us. Their humbleness and gratitude humble me. G-d bless you all and thank you for your continued prayers
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Escape and Return of Self
The Torah sections of Tazria (Leviticus 12-13) & Metzora (14-15) discuss the laws of tzaraat, a spiritual illness. Its identifying mark is a white patch or patches appearing on the skin of a person, on the walls of a home, or on a cloth or leather garment.
Not every white patch indicates tzaraat. There are several secondary symptoms that determine whether the person (or house or garment) should be declared tameh (impure). In the human body, one of the signs of tzaraat is if the white patch subsequently causes (at least) two hairs in its area to turn white.
Regarding this law, there is a remarkable passage in the Talmud that recounts a debate taking place in the Academy of Heaven:
It was debated in the Academy of Heaven: If the white patch precedes the white hair, it is impure; if the white hair precedes the white patch, it is pure; but what if there is doubt (as to which came first)?
The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: It is pure.
The entire Academy of Heaven said: It is impure.
Said they: Who shall decide it for us? Rabbah bar Nachmeini. For Rabbah bar Nachmeini had declared: I am singular[ly knowledgeable] in the laws of tzaraat... They dispatched a messenger [to bring him to heaven]... Said [Rabbah]: Tahor! Tahor! (Pure, pure). (Talmud, Bava Metzia 86a)
Flight From Self
To understand the meaning of this debate between the Holy One & the Academy of Heaven, & why a mortal human being was called upon to decide between them, we must first understand the nature of the tzaraat disease in general, & the significance of the white patch & the white hair in particular.
Chassidic teaching explains that the human soul is driven by two contrary forces: the drive to run or escape (ratzo), & the drive to settle (shov). Every time we are overcome by excitement, love, ambition or yearning, we are running, escaping the self to reach for something greater, more beautiful & perfect than it. Whenever we experience awe, humility, devotion or commitment, we are settling - affirming our connection to our existence, our place in the world & our mission in life. Ratzo drives us to climb a mountain, shov to build a home; ratzo to pray, shov to do a mitzvah.
In a spiritually healthy soul, the will vacillates between ratzo & shov like the rise & fall of a well-balanced pendulum, or the contraction & expansion of a smoothly beating heart. The constraints of our place in the world, the finiteness of our nature & body, the boundaries of our very being--these impel us to escape them, to strive for the unbounded & the infinite. But our very escape brings us to a place from which we better appreciate the beauty & necessity of our existence. Thus the ratzo peaks & provokes a counteraction of shov, a return to oneself & one's place in the world.
Tzaraat is a condition in which this crucial balance is disrupted. The pendulum of the soul ascends in its ratzo arc but fails to swing back in shov. The will escapes the self & fails to return, leaving behind a vacuum in which all sorts of undesirable elements can now take root like weeds in an abandoned garden.
This is symbolized by the white patches & the white hairs that are the symptoms of tzaraat. A patch of white skin indicates that life & vitality have departed from (this part of) the body. Still, a white patch alone does not mean that the will's failure to settle has resulted in any negative developments in the character & behavior of the person. But when we see white hairs sprouting in the white patch--when we see dead things feeding on this dead place - we have a full-blown case of tzaraat.
On the other hand, the existence of white hairs, in & of themselves, do not indicate tzaraat. These might represent the ordinary baggage that we lug through life, the run-of-the mill negative traits & experiences that actually have the positive function of challenging us & provoking our finest talents & most potent energies. It is only when the white hairs are caused by the white patch that something serious is afoot. Such a condition indicates that the person has run away with his escapist impulses so high & so far that he has completely abandoned his commitments to life & productivity, leaving behind a hollow & lifeless self that is a breeding ground for what is worst in human nature.
Hence the law that a white hair is a symptom of tzaraat only when the white patch precedes the white hair, indicating that this dead growth is the result of a certain area of the person's life having been drained of its vitality.
Two Visions of Man
What is the root cause of tzaraat? Ratzo is the escape from self, while shov is the return to self. It would therefore seem that tzaraat - ratzo without shov - derives from excessive selflessness.
In truth, however, the very opposite is the case. Ratzo is what the soul desires to do, while shov is what the soul is committed to do. Escapist behavior is the ultimate self-indulgence, while settling down is the ultimate submission. Tzaraat, then, derives from a lack of humility, from the failure to yield one's own will to the will of one's Creator.
This explains the aforementioned debate between the Holy One & the Academy of Heaven. We speak of two types of divine energy that nourish our existence: a divine light that "fills the worlds," entering within each creature to relate to its individual character; & a divine light that "encompasses the worlds"- a transcendent energy to which we can relate only as something mystical or spiritual - something that is outside of ourselves.
Of course, the divine essence is neither "filling" nor "encompassing." Ultimately, G-d's relationship with our existence cannot be defined as internal or external - it is neither & both, for the divine reality is beyond such distinctions & characterizations. But G-d desired to relate to us in a manner that is consistent with our reality. In our experience, there are things that are internal--things that we can understand & empathize with - & things that are encompassing, meaning that they are beyond the parameters of our understanding. So He, too, relates to us via these two channels, making Himself available to us via rational & apprehensible media (e.g., the laws of nature), as well as through mystical & spiritual vectors.
There are numerous differences between these two modes of divine energy & their effects upon us, discussed at length in the works of Kabbalah & Chassidism. One basic difference is that the divine light that "fills the worlds" give credence to our sense of reality and selfhood, while from the perspective of the "encompassing" light, which transcends the parameters of our existence, our reality has no true validity & our sense of self is little more than an illusion.
The "Academy of Heaven" is an allusion to the filling light, while "the Holy One" (kedushah, holiness, means transcendence) connotes the "encompassing" light of G-d. So regarding the case in which there is doubt as to whether the white hair came before or after the white patch, the "Academy of Heaven" is inclined to declare this a case of tzaraat. For this is the divine perspective on man that recognizes man's selfishness. If tzaraat is a possibility, we must suspect that it has indeed occurred.
"The Holy One," however, sees man as an essentially selfless being. From the standpoint of the "encompassing" light, tzaraat is an anomaly. If there is clear and conclusive evidence that a person has indulged his escapist desires to such an extreme, the laws of tzaraat apply. But where there is doubt, this divine perspective is inclined to declare him pure.
The Verdict
Who might decide between these two divine visions? Only one who is in touch with the overriding vision, with the singular truth that transcends both the "filling" and the "encompassing" modes of divine relationship with reality.
Rabbah bar Nachmeini was "singular in the laws of tzaraat." He was a human being, but a human being who had so thoroughly devoted himself to G-d's Torah that he had uncovered its singular core - uncovered the divine vision of reality as it relates to the very essence of G-d rather than to either the "filling" or the "encompassing" elements of His light.
When Rabbah bar Nachmeini pondered the laws of human selfishness and selflessness, he saw man as G-d Himself sees him: as a creation utterly devoted to the will of its Creator. A creation who, even if touched by the possibility of a shov-deficiency malady, is invariably declared: Pure!
Not every white patch indicates tzaraat. There are several secondary symptoms that determine whether the person (or house or garment) should be declared tameh (impure). In the human body, one of the signs of tzaraat is if the white patch subsequently causes (at least) two hairs in its area to turn white.
Regarding this law, there is a remarkable passage in the Talmud that recounts a debate taking place in the Academy of Heaven:
It was debated in the Academy of Heaven: If the white patch precedes the white hair, it is impure; if the white hair precedes the white patch, it is pure; but what if there is doubt (as to which came first)?
The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: It is pure.
The entire Academy of Heaven said: It is impure.
Said they: Who shall decide it for us? Rabbah bar Nachmeini. For Rabbah bar Nachmeini had declared: I am singular[ly knowledgeable] in the laws of tzaraat... They dispatched a messenger [to bring him to heaven]... Said [Rabbah]: Tahor! Tahor! (Pure, pure). (Talmud, Bava Metzia 86a)
Flight From Self
To understand the meaning of this debate between the Holy One & the Academy of Heaven, & why a mortal human being was called upon to decide between them, we must first understand the nature of the tzaraat disease in general, & the significance of the white patch & the white hair in particular.
Chassidic teaching explains that the human soul is driven by two contrary forces: the drive to run or escape (ratzo), & the drive to settle (shov). Every time we are overcome by excitement, love, ambition or yearning, we are running, escaping the self to reach for something greater, more beautiful & perfect than it. Whenever we experience awe, humility, devotion or commitment, we are settling - affirming our connection to our existence, our place in the world & our mission in life. Ratzo drives us to climb a mountain, shov to build a home; ratzo to pray, shov to do a mitzvah.
In a spiritually healthy soul, the will vacillates between ratzo & shov like the rise & fall of a well-balanced pendulum, or the contraction & expansion of a smoothly beating heart. The constraints of our place in the world, the finiteness of our nature & body, the boundaries of our very being--these impel us to escape them, to strive for the unbounded & the infinite. But our very escape brings us to a place from which we better appreciate the beauty & necessity of our existence. Thus the ratzo peaks & provokes a counteraction of shov, a return to oneself & one's place in the world.
Tzaraat is a condition in which this crucial balance is disrupted. The pendulum of the soul ascends in its ratzo arc but fails to swing back in shov. The will escapes the self & fails to return, leaving behind a vacuum in which all sorts of undesirable elements can now take root like weeds in an abandoned garden.
This is symbolized by the white patches & the white hairs that are the symptoms of tzaraat. A patch of white skin indicates that life & vitality have departed from (this part of) the body. Still, a white patch alone does not mean that the will's failure to settle has resulted in any negative developments in the character & behavior of the person. But when we see white hairs sprouting in the white patch--when we see dead things feeding on this dead place - we have a full-blown case of tzaraat.
On the other hand, the existence of white hairs, in & of themselves, do not indicate tzaraat. These might represent the ordinary baggage that we lug through life, the run-of-the mill negative traits & experiences that actually have the positive function of challenging us & provoking our finest talents & most potent energies. It is only when the white hairs are caused by the white patch that something serious is afoot. Such a condition indicates that the person has run away with his escapist impulses so high & so far that he has completely abandoned his commitments to life & productivity, leaving behind a hollow & lifeless self that is a breeding ground for what is worst in human nature.
Hence the law that a white hair is a symptom of tzaraat only when the white patch precedes the white hair, indicating that this dead growth is the result of a certain area of the person's life having been drained of its vitality.
Two Visions of Man
What is the root cause of tzaraat? Ratzo is the escape from self, while shov is the return to self. It would therefore seem that tzaraat - ratzo without shov - derives from excessive selflessness.
In truth, however, the very opposite is the case. Ratzo is what the soul desires to do, while shov is what the soul is committed to do. Escapist behavior is the ultimate self-indulgence, while settling down is the ultimate submission. Tzaraat, then, derives from a lack of humility, from the failure to yield one's own will to the will of one's Creator.
This explains the aforementioned debate between the Holy One & the Academy of Heaven. We speak of two types of divine energy that nourish our existence: a divine light that "fills the worlds," entering within each creature to relate to its individual character; & a divine light that "encompasses the worlds"- a transcendent energy to which we can relate only as something mystical or spiritual - something that is outside of ourselves.
Of course, the divine essence is neither "filling" nor "encompassing." Ultimately, G-d's relationship with our existence cannot be defined as internal or external - it is neither & both, for the divine reality is beyond such distinctions & characterizations. But G-d desired to relate to us in a manner that is consistent with our reality. In our experience, there are things that are internal--things that we can understand & empathize with - & things that are encompassing, meaning that they are beyond the parameters of our understanding. So He, too, relates to us via these two channels, making Himself available to us via rational & apprehensible media (e.g., the laws of nature), as well as through mystical & spiritual vectors.
There are numerous differences between these two modes of divine energy & their effects upon us, discussed at length in the works of Kabbalah & Chassidism. One basic difference is that the divine light that "fills the worlds" give credence to our sense of reality and selfhood, while from the perspective of the "encompassing" light, which transcends the parameters of our existence, our reality has no true validity & our sense of self is little more than an illusion.
The "Academy of Heaven" is an allusion to the filling light, while "the Holy One" (kedushah, holiness, means transcendence) connotes the "encompassing" light of G-d. So regarding the case in which there is doubt as to whether the white hair came before or after the white patch, the "Academy of Heaven" is inclined to declare this a case of tzaraat. For this is the divine perspective on man that recognizes man's selfishness. If tzaraat is a possibility, we must suspect that it has indeed occurred.
"The Holy One," however, sees man as an essentially selfless being. From the standpoint of the "encompassing" light, tzaraat is an anomaly. If there is clear and conclusive evidence that a person has indulged his escapist desires to such an extreme, the laws of tzaraat apply. But where there is doubt, this divine perspective is inclined to declare him pure.
The Verdict
Who might decide between these two divine visions? Only one who is in touch with the overriding vision, with the singular truth that transcends both the "filling" and the "encompassing" modes of divine relationship with reality.
Rabbah bar Nachmeini was "singular in the laws of tzaraat." He was a human being, but a human being who had so thoroughly devoted himself to G-d's Torah that he had uncovered its singular core - uncovered the divine vision of reality as it relates to the very essence of G-d rather than to either the "filling" or the "encompassing" elements of His light.
When Rabbah bar Nachmeini pondered the laws of human selfishness and selflessness, he saw man as G-d Himself sees him: as a creation utterly devoted to the will of its Creator. A creation who, even if touched by the possibility of a shov-deficiency malady, is invariably declared: Pure!
Why We Pray
We pray because our body requires nourishment, health, safety, comfort. We pray to acknowledge our dependency upon, our appreciation of, & our gratitude to the Source of all the needs, joys & achievements of life.
We pray because our soul is lonely. A spark of the Divine fire, it has journeyed to a world heavy & dark with "matter" - with things, forces & objects that shout forth their own reality, obfuscating their Source. So the spark yearns for the fire & strives to become reabsorbed in it. Eagerly it awaits the times set aside for prayer - those precious daily moments when the person it inhabits ceases to commune with the world & communes with his or her Creator.
So a person praying is a standing paradox, a swaying contradiction, a self divided against itself. Both body & soul are praying. The body is praying for life & existence. The soul is praying to escape life, to transcend existence.
Yet, as prayer progresses, a certain harmony emerges. As the soul prays, climbing the heavens & shedding the husks of selfhood that encumber it with an identity with "needs" & hold it distinct from its source, the body (who's praying on the same page - there's no escaping that) learns that spirituality, too, is a need; that transcendent strivings are also a pleasure; that union with G-d is also an achievement; & the soul, who's praying on the same page as the body (there's no escaping that, either) learns that life, too, is Divine; that existence is also a way of fusing with G-d; that achievement can be the ultimate self-abnegation, if one's achievements are harnessed to a higher, G-dly end.
Why do we pray? Because the body needs the soul & the soul needs the body, & both need to be made aware that the other's need is also their own.
That, ultimately is the essence of prayer: to know our needs, understand their source, comprehend their true objectives. To direct our minds & hearts to He who implanted them within us, defined their purpose, & provides us with the means to fulfill them.
G-d Bless.
J
We pray because our soul is lonely. A spark of the Divine fire, it has journeyed to a world heavy & dark with "matter" - with things, forces & objects that shout forth their own reality, obfuscating their Source. So the spark yearns for the fire & strives to become reabsorbed in it. Eagerly it awaits the times set aside for prayer - those precious daily moments when the person it inhabits ceases to commune with the world & communes with his or her Creator.
So a person praying is a standing paradox, a swaying contradiction, a self divided against itself. Both body & soul are praying. The body is praying for life & existence. The soul is praying to escape life, to transcend existence.
Yet, as prayer progresses, a certain harmony emerges. As the soul prays, climbing the heavens & shedding the husks of selfhood that encumber it with an identity with "needs" & hold it distinct from its source, the body (who's praying on the same page - there's no escaping that) learns that spirituality, too, is a need; that transcendent strivings are also a pleasure; that union with G-d is also an achievement; & the soul, who's praying on the same page as the body (there's no escaping that, either) learns that life, too, is Divine; that existence is also a way of fusing with G-d; that achievement can be the ultimate self-abnegation, if one's achievements are harnessed to a higher, G-dly end.
Why do we pray? Because the body needs the soul & the soul needs the body, & both need to be made aware that the other's need is also their own.
That, ultimately is the essence of prayer: to know our needs, understand their source, comprehend their true objectives. To direct our minds & hearts to He who implanted them within us, defined their purpose, & provides us with the means to fulfill them.
G-d Bless.
J
"I Am Nothing"
Once upon a time, man was very big. The stars were tiny lights suspended in the "sky," which was a blue, roof like covering a few hundred miles above his head. The earth on which he stood was about a quarter the size it is today. At the very most, he was aware of the existence of several hundred thousand other human beings (the word "million" wasn't even in his vocabulary). He was obviously the most important thing around - stones were just stones & animals were just animals. It was equally obvious that he stood at the pinnacle of creation & all these other things existed solely to serve his needs.
Over the centuries man shrank. His world grew larger; suddenly, there were all these other people, & all these other species, dwarfing his significance. At the same time, it became tinier & tinier, until it was an infinitesimal speck in a universe of mind-numbing vastness.
Did man become humbler? Did we become less infatuated with self? Interestingly enough, the shrinking of man had the very opposite effect. Ideals such as devotion & sacrifice became "human weaknesses." Pride, once a sin, became a mark of psychological health. People started asking whether greed was indeed inferior to virtue, until greed became a virtue, ending the argument. Why is it that the more we came to appreciate our insignificance, the more selfish we became?
Upon closer examination, this is no paradox. The person who sees himself as the kingpin of creation, as something of paramount importance to the grand divine plan, is driven to fill that role & serve that plan; the person who believes that everything exists to serve his existence is certain that his existence serves a purpose beyond mere existence.
On the other hand, if man is insignificant, then he serves no higher purpose. "I am nothing" can be just another way of saying, "There's nothing but me."
This is not to say that the person who sees himself as the center of creation is not susceptible to egoism & self-aggrandizement. Nor is it to say that feelings of inconsequentiality will never be accompanied by altruistic behavior. The point is that feelings of insignificance do not make a person selfless - indeed, the most virulent forms of egomania derive from a lack of self worth. Conversely, a sense of self worth can be the source of either arrogance or humility - depending on how a person regards his worth.
The difference, says Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, is the difference between two alephs. In the opening verse of the book of Chronicles, the name "Adam" is written in the Torah with an oversize aleph; in the opening verse of Leviticus, the word vayikra, which refers to G-d's calling to Moses, is spelled with a miniature aleph.
Adam & Moses were both great men & both were cognizant of their greatness. Adam was the "handiwork of G-d" fashioned after "the divine image." His sense of himself as the crown of G-d's creation is led to his downfall, when he understood this to mean that nothing is beyond his ken.
Moses was well aware of the fact that, of all G-d's creations, he was the only one to whom G-d spoke "face to face"; he knew that it was to & through him that G-d communicated His wisdom & will to His world. But rather than the inflated aleph of Adam, this knowledge evoked in him the self-effacing aleph of Vayikra. Moses felt diminished by his gifts, humbled by the awesome responsibility of proving equal to them. As the Torah attests, "Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth"- not despite but because of his greatness.
Ancient man was both blessed & cursed by the prevailing evidence of his greatness. Modern man is both blessed & cursed by the increasing evidence of his smallness. Our challenge is to avail ourselves of both blessings: to couple our knowledge of how small we truly are with our sense of how great we can truly be. To become humbly great, which is the greatest kind of humility there is.
G-d Bless.
J
Over the centuries man shrank. His world grew larger; suddenly, there were all these other people, & all these other species, dwarfing his significance. At the same time, it became tinier & tinier, until it was an infinitesimal speck in a universe of mind-numbing vastness.
Did man become humbler? Did we become less infatuated with self? Interestingly enough, the shrinking of man had the very opposite effect. Ideals such as devotion & sacrifice became "human weaknesses." Pride, once a sin, became a mark of psychological health. People started asking whether greed was indeed inferior to virtue, until greed became a virtue, ending the argument. Why is it that the more we came to appreciate our insignificance, the more selfish we became?
Upon closer examination, this is no paradox. The person who sees himself as the kingpin of creation, as something of paramount importance to the grand divine plan, is driven to fill that role & serve that plan; the person who believes that everything exists to serve his existence is certain that his existence serves a purpose beyond mere existence.
On the other hand, if man is insignificant, then he serves no higher purpose. "I am nothing" can be just another way of saying, "There's nothing but me."
This is not to say that the person who sees himself as the center of creation is not susceptible to egoism & self-aggrandizement. Nor is it to say that feelings of inconsequentiality will never be accompanied by altruistic behavior. The point is that feelings of insignificance do not make a person selfless - indeed, the most virulent forms of egomania derive from a lack of self worth. Conversely, a sense of self worth can be the source of either arrogance or humility - depending on how a person regards his worth.
The difference, says Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, is the difference between two alephs. In the opening verse of the book of Chronicles, the name "Adam" is written in the Torah with an oversize aleph; in the opening verse of Leviticus, the word vayikra, which refers to G-d's calling to Moses, is spelled with a miniature aleph.
Adam & Moses were both great men & both were cognizant of their greatness. Adam was the "handiwork of G-d" fashioned after "the divine image." His sense of himself as the crown of G-d's creation is led to his downfall, when he understood this to mean that nothing is beyond his ken.
Moses was well aware of the fact that, of all G-d's creations, he was the only one to whom G-d spoke "face to face"; he knew that it was to & through him that G-d communicated His wisdom & will to His world. But rather than the inflated aleph of Adam, this knowledge evoked in him the self-effacing aleph of Vayikra. Moses felt diminished by his gifts, humbled by the awesome responsibility of proving equal to them. As the Torah attests, "Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth"- not despite but because of his greatness.
Ancient man was both blessed & cursed by the prevailing evidence of his greatness. Modern man is both blessed & cursed by the increasing evidence of his smallness. Our challenge is to avail ourselves of both blessings: to couple our knowledge of how small we truly are with our sense of how great we can truly be. To become humbly great, which is the greatest kind of humility there is.
G-d Bless.
J
Monday, April 12, 2010
An Important Note To All
Hello Everyone!
Yet another little note to you all. We hope this finds you all well and leaves you with an incredible week ahead of you. Some changes had to be made to the blog for the time being. It is now and will always be visible to the public. But we recently had an individual abuse the privilege of being able to post anonymously. It is very unfortunate but we stand by what we started this blog with and it is that there are plenty of differences among us all and we have a right to our individual opinions; but it must be presented in a respectful manner. We will not tolerate anyone posting hurtful negativity toward ourselves or any of you. Those comments have since been deleted and we are keeping an eye out incase more are posted. But unfortunately, we had to change our settings so that an ID has to be used if a person chooses to post a comment. That way, if it is done again, we have a way to block the individual. We are very sorry but we felt it was a decision that needed to be made for the time being. It’s just another case of one person ruining things for everyone else. If you have something you really want to post but don’t want to sign up for an ID, you are welcome to send it to our email (thegsight@yahoo.com) and we will be happy to post it on your behalf.
Honestly, as we sit and think about this occurrence, we must consider that it was only a matter of time. This site is proving to be very successful and continues to grow every day. To date, we have had over 7000 hits and the number steadily grows. We have both been dealing with the devil trying to distract us or discourage us for a few weeks now. And this is definitely the final straw. We thank all of you for being ever faithful in following the blog and we ask that you continue to spread the word and show interest. But we also want to ask for prayer. For continued inspiration for anyone that chooses to write. For protection from discouragements that are all around us. And for love and encouragement to continue to grow through the blogs and the comments on this site. He can only affect us if we allow him too and there is great power in numbers; not to mention we have G-d on our side. You all continue to be incredible blessings to us and to each other as well. And we should never let one person’s intolerance ruin something that we all benefit from.
For those who are new to the site, I want to let you know that we do have a mailing list at our email address (thegsight@yahoo.com) with which we send out word when new blogs are posted. It’s just an easier way for people to follow the site if they choose to do so. So you must all have a fantastic week! It’s our prayer that G-d grants you all peace, love, and inspiration and that He finds a special way to show Himself to each and every one of you. Be safe, be well, and G-d Bless.
J and K
Yet another little note to you all. We hope this finds you all well and leaves you with an incredible week ahead of you. Some changes had to be made to the blog for the time being. It is now and will always be visible to the public. But we recently had an individual abuse the privilege of being able to post anonymously. It is very unfortunate but we stand by what we started this blog with and it is that there are plenty of differences among us all and we have a right to our individual opinions; but it must be presented in a respectful manner. We will not tolerate anyone posting hurtful negativity toward ourselves or any of you. Those comments have since been deleted and we are keeping an eye out incase more are posted. But unfortunately, we had to change our settings so that an ID has to be used if a person chooses to post a comment. That way, if it is done again, we have a way to block the individual. We are very sorry but we felt it was a decision that needed to be made for the time being. It’s just another case of one person ruining things for everyone else. If you have something you really want to post but don’t want to sign up for an ID, you are welcome to send it to our email (thegsight@yahoo.com) and we will be happy to post it on your behalf.
Honestly, as we sit and think about this occurrence, we must consider that it was only a matter of time. This site is proving to be very successful and continues to grow every day. To date, we have had over 7000 hits and the number steadily grows. We have both been dealing with the devil trying to distract us or discourage us for a few weeks now. And this is definitely the final straw. We thank all of you for being ever faithful in following the blog and we ask that you continue to spread the word and show interest. But we also want to ask for prayer. For continued inspiration for anyone that chooses to write. For protection from discouragements that are all around us. And for love and encouragement to continue to grow through the blogs and the comments on this site. He can only affect us if we allow him too and there is great power in numbers; not to mention we have G-d on our side. You all continue to be incredible blessings to us and to each other as well. And we should never let one person’s intolerance ruin something that we all benefit from.
For those who are new to the site, I want to let you know that we do have a mailing list at our email address (thegsight@yahoo.com) with which we send out word when new blogs are posted. It’s just an easier way for people to follow the site if they choose to do so. So you must all have a fantastic week! It’s our prayer that G-d grants you all peace, love, and inspiration and that He finds a special way to show Himself to each and every one of you. Be safe, be well, and G-d Bless.
J and K
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Q and A with K: Can You Hear Me?
Hello Everyone! Here is the first of my “Q and A” blogs. I will be going through all the comments as time goes by and I will pull out questions and comments that really stand out to me and present them like this with my thoughts. After they are posted others can feel free to comment and encourage and give whatever words might be lying on your hearts.
“My faith has wavered many times in my life. I get frustrated because I want answers immediately. Sometimes when I pray, I think to myself, how do I even know He is listening to me. I think you are right; maybe I don’t give Him full control. I’ll try that. Thanks for sharing.”
“What you’ve written sounds good about Him caring and all that, but I must be stupid or something because I got tired of looking for Him because I can’t find Him. Maybe He’s not interested in everybody. Can you tell me why I can’t find Him? I need to understand why He doesn’t hear me.”
When it comes to G-d answering prayers, He does it in His own time and His own way and sometimes this doesn’t match what we have in mind. As frustrating as it can be, we have to have faith that He is there and He is listening. Easier said than done, that is absolutely true. Especially when you might fear that you aren’t getting the answer that you are hoping for. Sometimes He feels you need to wait, sometimes He feels that there’s something better up ahead, sometimes He feels that what you are asking for just doesn’t have a place in His plan for you, sometimes there’s a lesson to be learned before you can move on...there’s limitless possibilities.
I know how it feels to wonder if you are even being heard. It took a while but after some struggles of my own, I finally found my way to a place where I was able to see His light, feel His warmth, and understand His love for me. Unfortunately, I can’t tell anyone else how to find it. It’s a journey that is taken between you and G-d, no one else. When you are ready to fully listen, fully trust, and obey whatever He has to say, you will find yourself in a position where the question of “Are You hearing me?” stops. For me personally, after I hit that point, my questions changed to “What more needs to be done?”, “Where do I go from here?”, or “What do You have to teach me in this?”
I don’t know that there is anything that I can actually say to anyone that is going to instantly bring a sense of peace to their hearts when they are struggling with hearing G-d or feeling His presence. It’s something that has to come from you. It’s finding the ability to just have faith in His presence and His Will. When you find it in yourself to let go of whatever you are holding on to that is keeping you from allowing Him to fully guide you, there’s such a weight that is lifting. It’s a sense of freedom that cannot be described by anyone and cannot be experienced through anyone but Him.
He hears everyone and everything. He knows our thoughts and sees straight into our hearts. He feels what we feel, He knows what we know, and that will never change. As I have said in the past, when He feels distant, it’s not because He’s stepped away from us, it’s because we have stepped away from Him; even if we don’t realize it right away. There is nothing you can do to make Him turn His back on you...NOTHING. That’s the beauty of His very existence. And no matter where your roots may be, no matter what choices you have made, He’s right there every step of the way; even if you don’t want Him to be. As imperfect humans, grasping this fully is impossible. I believe that we can certainly try and imagine it and describe it, and no matter how incredible of a picture we paint or a feeling we get, I believe it won’t even begin to compare to what we will experience when we have the opportunity to be in His presence when our time in this reality ends. And when we step forward and face Him, He will let us see that He’s been there every step of the way, through good and bad. But for now, we have to choose to have faith in His Word and His promises. It’s not something anyone else can convince us of. It has to come to each and every one of us individually. And it will if you allow it.
Something else that comes to mind while on this subject is actually something from my youth. I had to stand before a group and talk about a certain experience. And to be honest I really wasn’t sure what to say until I was standing before the microphone. When the words finally came to me, I explained that I had learned that when we are looking for G-d to reveal Himself, sometimes it’s done in a whisper. Life would be so much easier if all His messages to us were bound with bells and whistles wouldn’t it? And in His Word, you will read about such miracles where He presented Himself in ways that moved even the most skeptical person to drop to the ground and bow. But while I was hoping and praying for my amazing miracle of a confirmation, I wasn’t hearing Him whispering what I needed to hear. He quieted Himself in order to teach me that I need to quiet myself at times. While looking for your answers, don’t close your mind to one certain way of getting them, open yourself up to all possibilities and all way in which they could be presented.
So I am going to use this to start a discussion. Give your opinions, share a time when G-d answered a prayer and revealed Himself to you, tell us how you learned to open yourself to Him, or whatever else comes to heart. I think the feedback will be interesting and enlightening.
G-d Bless.
K
“My faith has wavered many times in my life. I get frustrated because I want answers immediately. Sometimes when I pray, I think to myself, how do I even know He is listening to me. I think you are right; maybe I don’t give Him full control. I’ll try that. Thanks for sharing.”
“What you’ve written sounds good about Him caring and all that, but I must be stupid or something because I got tired of looking for Him because I can’t find Him. Maybe He’s not interested in everybody. Can you tell me why I can’t find Him? I need to understand why He doesn’t hear me.”
When it comes to G-d answering prayers, He does it in His own time and His own way and sometimes this doesn’t match what we have in mind. As frustrating as it can be, we have to have faith that He is there and He is listening. Easier said than done, that is absolutely true. Especially when you might fear that you aren’t getting the answer that you are hoping for. Sometimes He feels you need to wait, sometimes He feels that there’s something better up ahead, sometimes He feels that what you are asking for just doesn’t have a place in His plan for you, sometimes there’s a lesson to be learned before you can move on...there’s limitless possibilities.
I know how it feels to wonder if you are even being heard. It took a while but after some struggles of my own, I finally found my way to a place where I was able to see His light, feel His warmth, and understand His love for me. Unfortunately, I can’t tell anyone else how to find it. It’s a journey that is taken between you and G-d, no one else. When you are ready to fully listen, fully trust, and obey whatever He has to say, you will find yourself in a position where the question of “Are You hearing me?” stops. For me personally, after I hit that point, my questions changed to “What more needs to be done?”, “Where do I go from here?”, or “What do You have to teach me in this?”
I don’t know that there is anything that I can actually say to anyone that is going to instantly bring a sense of peace to their hearts when they are struggling with hearing G-d or feeling His presence. It’s something that has to come from you. It’s finding the ability to just have faith in His presence and His Will. When you find it in yourself to let go of whatever you are holding on to that is keeping you from allowing Him to fully guide you, there’s such a weight that is lifting. It’s a sense of freedom that cannot be described by anyone and cannot be experienced through anyone but Him.
He hears everyone and everything. He knows our thoughts and sees straight into our hearts. He feels what we feel, He knows what we know, and that will never change. As I have said in the past, when He feels distant, it’s not because He’s stepped away from us, it’s because we have stepped away from Him; even if we don’t realize it right away. There is nothing you can do to make Him turn His back on you...NOTHING. That’s the beauty of His very existence. And no matter where your roots may be, no matter what choices you have made, He’s right there every step of the way; even if you don’t want Him to be. As imperfect humans, grasping this fully is impossible. I believe that we can certainly try and imagine it and describe it, and no matter how incredible of a picture we paint or a feeling we get, I believe it won’t even begin to compare to what we will experience when we have the opportunity to be in His presence when our time in this reality ends. And when we step forward and face Him, He will let us see that He’s been there every step of the way, through good and bad. But for now, we have to choose to have faith in His Word and His promises. It’s not something anyone else can convince us of. It has to come to each and every one of us individually. And it will if you allow it.
Something else that comes to mind while on this subject is actually something from my youth. I had to stand before a group and talk about a certain experience. And to be honest I really wasn’t sure what to say until I was standing before the microphone. When the words finally came to me, I explained that I had learned that when we are looking for G-d to reveal Himself, sometimes it’s done in a whisper. Life would be so much easier if all His messages to us were bound with bells and whistles wouldn’t it? And in His Word, you will read about such miracles where He presented Himself in ways that moved even the most skeptical person to drop to the ground and bow. But while I was hoping and praying for my amazing miracle of a confirmation, I wasn’t hearing Him whispering what I needed to hear. He quieted Himself in order to teach me that I need to quiet myself at times. While looking for your answers, don’t close your mind to one certain way of getting them, open yourself up to all possibilities and all way in which they could be presented.
So I am going to use this to start a discussion. Give your opinions, share a time when G-d answered a prayer and revealed Himself to you, tell us how you learned to open yourself to Him, or whatever else comes to heart. I think the feedback will be interesting and enlightening.
G-d Bless.
K
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Our Awesome, Detail Oriented, Know-It-All G-d
Life has all kinds of little annoyances. And the other day I was experiencing one of them; cold, wet, heavy snow. Truth be told, sometimes I get very excited about the snow. But when winter is coming to an end and spring is supposed to have sprung, the familiar white flakes can make anyone groan. Spring fever takes a whole new meaning around here. Everyone is so excited to get out and enjoy some warm weather but, at an ironic twist, this is our snowy season. While everything was thawing after a storm, I was out looking around at all the snow that was melting. All the water that was pouring down the roads and gutters and I realized something, despite how inconvenient the snow can be, this is all a part of the incredible detail that G-d embedded in everything when He created all the beauty around us. This is a fairly dry area. So lots of moisture is needed to get things green. By enabling our climate to have a moisture filled early spring, enough moisture will get into the ground to allow nature to hit the reset button when things really warm up. Then the grass, the flowers, the trees, everything has what it needs to explode into the beautiful colors we get after they’ve had their long sleep.
Do yourself a favor. Go out into nature sometime soon and look around...I mean REALLY look around. Stand in the water of the ocean or a lake and feel it move around you. Watch a running stream move and bend for things like rocks or trees or even yourself, but at the same time, have the power to knock you right over if the conditions were right. Stand at the very top of a mountain and see the height of it that allows you to see for miles in all directions. Feel the wind as it slides around you, playing with your hair and clothes. Look closely at a flower. See the veins and pigments that are a part of it. Individual little details that, when you stand back and take it in as whole, creates this beautiful plant. If you see an animal, watch how they move. Some move quickly and in all different directions so that they can react quickly to predators. Others can run at incredible speeds straight across an open plain. Then you have those that are slow but have great mass like the elephant or the hippo. Some, like many cat species, are able to move in almost perfect silence in order to sneak up on their prey. I could go on and on about this for many pages, but I won’t.
My point is that when G-d created everything, when He brought it all together, He went to such incredible detail. He knew we would need warmth, so He created the sun. Yes, it’s bright and it can burn our skin and fades the colors from things, but we would die without it. He made the Earth turn so that we could have a night and day as well as keep our feet planted firmly on the ground. He even arranged everything just right so that when the giant land mass that used to exist split into many smaller land masses, everything would be in the right place to survive the right climate. He even gave everything the ability to evolve. Now when I say evolve, I am not saying that Adam and Eve were monkeys. I personally don’t believe that and I have no interest in arguing about it. We were created in G-d’s image. It says so in the Torah and, there for, it must be so. But I do think everything has the ability to adapt to the surroundings. People in colder climates acquire thicker blood to help them keep warm. They actually get used to the temperatures around them and feel comfort (to a reasonable point). You take someone that is used to the cool air and send them to the equator; they are going to feel the heat more than others that have become climatized to it. I am originally from an area with considerable humidity in the air and moved to a place with very dry air. It didn’t take long for me to adjust to the dry air and when I went back to visit, the humidity that had been normal to me my whole life, was now very uncomfortable.
Basically, I am trying to help you really see the kind of details that G-d puts into His work, and what’s more, that He obviously knows that He’s doing. He thinks ahead, He carefully considers, and He knows exactly what is needed. How many of you have looked out the window at the weather like I have and just groaned because it wasn’t what you would prefer it to be? The rain, snow, and wind seem to have such bad timing don’t they? If not for that rain coming down now, you would be complaining later about how dry things have become. It goes beyond the weather too. We all complain or are annoyed from time to time. Where I am from, we call them pet peeves; the little things that drive a person crazy. They vary from person to person, but nonetheless, we all have them. One of mine is people who drive slowly. Sadly, I acquired a “lead foot” somewhere between the age of 16 and now. (I try to blame genetics but my parents will argue that one straight to the grave.) So on a bad day (like when I am running late) even people going the speed limit seem slow. Impatience at its best, I know. More than once though, G-d has put me in my place when it comes to this. I will be following someone who’s watching their speed, I’ll be getting annoyed, and then low and behold, we pass by a police officer that is checking everyone’s speed. Had I not been behind this person rather than hurrying like I wanted too, I would have found myself getting a ticket.
There are so many little things in life that we can waste our time getting annoyed with or moaning about. I’m not saying that all worries or irritations aren’t valid. But we need to carefully consider what we are putting our time and energy toward. When you realize it’s something unnecessary, consider something productive that you could have put that energy toward instead...and then do it. Also, never forget to take the time to really see the kind of love and work G-d puts into everything around you. He knew every little thing that was needed and He certainly does know exactly what He’s doing. When I have my days where the human side of me wants to question that, I remember the ways He makes Himself known. Not just the big ways, the small ways too, the ways that only I can see. I hope you will do the same.
G-d Bless!
K
Do yourself a favor. Go out into nature sometime soon and look around...I mean REALLY look around. Stand in the water of the ocean or a lake and feel it move around you. Watch a running stream move and bend for things like rocks or trees or even yourself, but at the same time, have the power to knock you right over if the conditions were right. Stand at the very top of a mountain and see the height of it that allows you to see for miles in all directions. Feel the wind as it slides around you, playing with your hair and clothes. Look closely at a flower. See the veins and pigments that are a part of it. Individual little details that, when you stand back and take it in as whole, creates this beautiful plant. If you see an animal, watch how they move. Some move quickly and in all different directions so that they can react quickly to predators. Others can run at incredible speeds straight across an open plain. Then you have those that are slow but have great mass like the elephant or the hippo. Some, like many cat species, are able to move in almost perfect silence in order to sneak up on their prey. I could go on and on about this for many pages, but I won’t.
My point is that when G-d created everything, when He brought it all together, He went to such incredible detail. He knew we would need warmth, so He created the sun. Yes, it’s bright and it can burn our skin and fades the colors from things, but we would die without it. He made the Earth turn so that we could have a night and day as well as keep our feet planted firmly on the ground. He even arranged everything just right so that when the giant land mass that used to exist split into many smaller land masses, everything would be in the right place to survive the right climate. He even gave everything the ability to evolve. Now when I say evolve, I am not saying that Adam and Eve were monkeys. I personally don’t believe that and I have no interest in arguing about it. We were created in G-d’s image. It says so in the Torah and, there for, it must be so. But I do think everything has the ability to adapt to the surroundings. People in colder climates acquire thicker blood to help them keep warm. They actually get used to the temperatures around them and feel comfort (to a reasonable point). You take someone that is used to the cool air and send them to the equator; they are going to feel the heat more than others that have become climatized to it. I am originally from an area with considerable humidity in the air and moved to a place with very dry air. It didn’t take long for me to adjust to the dry air and when I went back to visit, the humidity that had been normal to me my whole life, was now very uncomfortable.
Basically, I am trying to help you really see the kind of details that G-d puts into His work, and what’s more, that He obviously knows that He’s doing. He thinks ahead, He carefully considers, and He knows exactly what is needed. How many of you have looked out the window at the weather like I have and just groaned because it wasn’t what you would prefer it to be? The rain, snow, and wind seem to have such bad timing don’t they? If not for that rain coming down now, you would be complaining later about how dry things have become. It goes beyond the weather too. We all complain or are annoyed from time to time. Where I am from, we call them pet peeves; the little things that drive a person crazy. They vary from person to person, but nonetheless, we all have them. One of mine is people who drive slowly. Sadly, I acquired a “lead foot” somewhere between the age of 16 and now. (I try to blame genetics but my parents will argue that one straight to the grave.) So on a bad day (like when I am running late) even people going the speed limit seem slow. Impatience at its best, I know. More than once though, G-d has put me in my place when it comes to this. I will be following someone who’s watching their speed, I’ll be getting annoyed, and then low and behold, we pass by a police officer that is checking everyone’s speed. Had I not been behind this person rather than hurrying like I wanted too, I would have found myself getting a ticket.
There are so many little things in life that we can waste our time getting annoyed with or moaning about. I’m not saying that all worries or irritations aren’t valid. But we need to carefully consider what we are putting our time and energy toward. When you realize it’s something unnecessary, consider something productive that you could have put that energy toward instead...and then do it. Also, never forget to take the time to really see the kind of love and work G-d puts into everything around you. He knew every little thing that was needed and He certainly does know exactly what He’s doing. When I have my days where the human side of me wants to question that, I remember the ways He makes Himself known. Not just the big ways, the small ways too, the ways that only I can see. I hope you will do the same.
G-d Bless!
K
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