A Soulful Journey

A legend:  Two brothers lived side by side on adjoining lands.  One was the head of a large family, the other lived alone. One night the older brother lay awake and thought, "My brother lives alone without companionship of wife or children to cheer him as I have.  While he sleeps I will carry some of my sheaves into his storehouse." At the same hour the younger brother reasoned, "My brother has a large family and his needs exceed mine.  As he sleeps I will place some of my sheaves into his storehouse." Thus the two brothers went out, each laden with sheaves, and met.  There they embraced.  Years later, at the very place where they embraced God decreed would be built the holy Temple in Jerusalem and on the very spot where they met would stand the altar.

Rav Dimi said that he believed Hillel and Shammai were brothers.  In their lives Hillel was the scholar while Shammai was a businessman.   Rav Dimi also stated that Jacob's sons, Issachar studied at yeshiva and Zevulun went to sea to become a merchant. Both were partners in the world and the next. - Yalkut Shimoni 160 Affording others to travel their own path, knowing they are individuals who do not share our interests while still maintaining love with them is what God wants and expects of us.

Too often we want to improve   ourselves and our relationships so   quickly that we make ourselves   frustrated and confused.   -Rebbe Nachman, The Empty Chair

A king entered a province and asked the people to accept him as their king. "Why?" the people asked.  "Why should we accept you as our king?  Have you done anything for us?" So the king built a fortress to protect the country against invasion, waged war against its enemies, and created a water supply.  When he came again to the people to ask if they would have him as their king they answered, "Yes." So it is with God.  First God dried the Reed Sea for Israel, then He supplied them with manna, quails and water, and finally fought on their behalf.  Only then did God come and say, "I am the Lord your God." Exodus 20:2  -Mechilta bhodesh 5:II

A study was commissioned on spontaneous healing:  A farmer was diagnosed as having cancer.  He accepted what he was told.  There was no denial. Similarly when the EPA told him he had oil in his fields he replied, "Well, I still have corn." There is an old saying in the Jewish tradition, "One should bless God for the good and the bad."  Perhaps such realistic living allows us to become the most whole person God expects we can be.

Two men are traveling in a coach.  One of them suddenly realizes that his wallet is missing and he suspects his traveling companion.  Soon afterward, however, he found the missing wallet in a pocket from another suit. "I beg your pardon.  I made an error in suspecting you," he said. "We both did," responded his neighbor. "You thought I was a thief and I thought you were a gentleman." Does this story relate to our life?

"As a confirmed melancholic. I can testify that the best and maybe only antidote for melancholia is action. However, like melancholics, I suffer also from sloth." - Edward Abbey Do not give in. Do not give up. Go.

The wagon driver said to his passengers when they came to a long, steep hill, "Them that's going on with us, get out and push.  Then that ain't, get out of the way."  - Robert Fulghum If this simple axiom were adopted by us all it would work.

A publisher was troubled by the estimated cost of a book-jacket design she had requested from a prominent photographer.  It would pose a beautiful woman in the embrace of a crocodile.  The cameraman explained the expense of hiring a live crocodile that would have to be anesthetized for the model's peace of mind.  The publisher thought it over, then asked, "How much would it cost to dug the model?"  - George Mandel in Reader's Digest There is always more than one answer to a question.

Devotees of Lewis Carroll, author of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", work to find the sources of Carroll's imagination. Joel Birenbaum, member of the Lewis Carroll Society, investigated an altar at St. Peter's Church in Croft, North Yorkshire, where Lewis Carroll worshiped as a boy.  There Birenbaum saw a small cat crudely carved on a stone wall panel.  When Birenbaum started to kneel the perspective ont he cat changed and it began to vanish from view until all that remained was the strange grin on the creature's face.  - Colin Wright, The Daily Telegraph All things have their source.  The joy that we feel some days and the darkness that touches us in the eve.  Our task is to find the source, learn what our soul wants to teach, and grow.

I Have a Boy I’ve a wonderful boy, and I say to   him, “Son Be fair and be square in the race you must run. Be brave if you lose and meek if you win. Be better and nobler than I’ve ever been. Be honest and noble in all that you do, And honor the name I have given to you.” I have a boy and I want him to know We reap in life just about as we sow, And we get what we earn, be it little or great. Regardless of luck and regardless of fate. I will teach him and show him the best that I can, That it pays to be honest and upright, a man. I will make him a pal and partner of mine, And show him the things in this world that are fine. I will show him the things that are wicked and bad. For I figure this knowledge should come from hid dad. I will walk with him, talk with him, play with him too; And to all of my promises strive to be true. -Hugh M. Pierce

A Christian theology student once wandered into a lecture by philosopher Martin Buber.  He became more interested as the talk proceeded.  When leaving the hall, he said that this man Buber was alright-- except that he was pretty weak in his Christian beliefs.   -Emil Fackenheim, Midstream 1974 We are more alike than dissimilar.  Sometimes the closer we are to one another the more we feel compelled to draw lines of distinction.  Is this really necessary?

"And there is the good old Boston, The home of the bean and the cod, Where the Lowells talk to the Cabots, And the Cabots talk only to God." -toast by J. C. Bossidy at Harvard 1910 For those familiar with the history of the northeast this ditty will ring funny and true.  At a time the whole nation would chuckle reading these words.  Now, they are meaningful to students of history. What does this tell us about the importance of today's worries?

"And so he took Isaac to a certain place and prepared to sacrifice him but at the last minute the Lord stayed Abraham's hand and said, "How could thou doest such a thing?" And Abraham said, "But Thou said - " "Never mind what I said," the Lord spake.  "Doth thou listen to every crazy idea that comes thy way?"  And Abraham grew ashamed.  "Er - not really....no." "I jokingly suggest thou sacrifice Isaac and thou immediately runs out to do it." And Abraham fell to his knees.  "See, O never know when you're kidding." And the Lord thundered, "No sense of humor. I can't believe it."  - Woody Allen, Without Feathers

"Even a solitary one who is in Israel is allowed in the end of the world---1,000 miles are before him.  [Yet] God breaks through and also brings him near."  - seder Eliahu Zuta, ch 14 This midrash acknowledges that just keeping faith, even when feeling abandoned and lonely, is enough for God to draw the far distances into inches.

Once, a boy was walking in the street holding a beautiful apple.   An elderly man remarked, “That looks like a scrumptious apple.” The boy replied, “It certainly does and I intend to eat it!” The man asked, “Tell me. How could you enjoy twice as much pleasure out of this apple?”   “That’s simple,” said the boy.   “Give me another apple and then it will be double.” The man said, “You are mistaken.   Cut it in half and give half away.   Then you will discover the additional pleasure that comes from your friend eating the other half of the apple together with you.” When we share goodness we will never be lonely and always feel validated.

“Smart people spend time alone.   They don’t fill their days with appointments from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., as many politicians and executives do.   Great science does not emerge from hard logic and grinding hours.   It comes from the mysterious resources of the human brain and soul.   Inspiration is nurtured by activities like chopping wood and raking leaves, preparing dinner and reading to the kids.   The activities soften the rigid pace of the day’s pursuits and allow all our God-given intuition to work its unlogical magic.   Only then can we reach our fullest potential.   Only then can we leap from thinking to understanding.”   -  Philip K. Howard The secret of  life may be gained while walking down the street or holding the hand of a toddler.

“ Down to Gehenna or up to the throne, He travels the fastest who travels alone ,” penned Rudyard Kipling. The surest way to achieve a goal is to be focused, undistracted.  Allowing yourself to be moved from the goal may cause the intensity of the search to be derailed or even lost.

Anyway Anonymous People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

The overseers of the Brisker Synagogue decided to discharge the shammes, sexton.   They asked the rabbi, Reb Yoshe Ber, to break the news to him.   Reb Yoshe Ber refused. “Why won’t you do it?” the overseers questioned.   “You are the rabbi.   And he is your shammes!” Reb Yoshe Ber answered, “You recite every morning the passage where God ordered Abraham our Father to bring his son Isaac to the altar as a sacrifice.   That command God gave himself.   But when He told him to hold back his hand and not strike his son, God spoke through an angel.   Why didn’t God send an angel to speak at the beginning?   Because an angel would have said, ‘If you want to kill a Jew, do it yourself’.” Lesson? We need to protect one another.

  “Gold never doubted that racial discrimination was atrocious, unjust, and despicably cruel and degrading.   But he knew in his heart that he much preferred it the old way, when he was safer.   Things had been much better for him when they had been much worse.” -Joseph Heller , Good as Gold One of the great truisms of life is that it is better to know where you stand with someone who hates you than guess because someone is too polite to tell you.   If that is true, what can we learn about honesty and integrity?

“Amen” should not be underestimated.   It has the same import as a blessing, which, as you know, can shake the heavens.   That is why the famous Resh Lakish was known to say, “He who responds Amen with all his might has the Gates of Paradise open before him.”   - Talmud, Shabbat 119b

“Buber was the first Jewish religious thinker since Maimonides eight centuries earlier who was able to influence Christian theology.” – Milton Himmelfarb, The Condition of Jewish Belief The world is a vast lake.  One drop send ripple effects across the water.  Everything is affected.  All that must be done is exert the effort.