A Soulful Journey

The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism,  said that when the Torah says that the goal of the Exodus was for Egypt to “Know that I am God,” He didn’t just mean that the Egyptians need to learn that God is Hashem, the Merciful One, but also those Jews who had become like Egyptians to learn this as well.   -Rabbi Joel Finkelstein Never forget who you are or where you come from.

There are two ways to live; one is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is. --Albert Einstein

Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel prize winner in physics, was once asked:  "Why did you become a scientist?"  He responded, "My mother made me a scientist without ever intending it.  Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school:  'Nu?  Did you learn anything today?'   But not my mother.  She always asked me a different question.  'Izzy, '  she would say, 'did you ask a good question today?'   That difference--asking good questions--made me become a scientist."   - Donald Sheff, letter to the New York Times, January 19, 1988 Whether it is  Passover or Wednesday we are continually urged to wonder about life.  That begins with a question.

Tom Boswell published this account in the Washington Post . “One Tuesday night in Yankee Stadium, year old Carlton Fisk of the Chicago White Sox took 22-year old multisport multimillionaire Deion ‘Prime Time’ Sanders of the New York Yankees to the woodshed for not running out a popup.   And he did it in front of 24,241 witnesses. “Fisk said he blew his stack (causing a bench-clearing fracas) so that Lou Gehrig could ‘stop spinning in his grave.’ “When Sanders popped up, he walked toward first base, then strolled to the Yankee dugout before the ball was caught.   Imagine his surprise when there, behind him, bellowing, was the mammoth Fisk, who could bench-press two Deions. “Run it out, you piece of crud,’ ordered Fisk, who’s in his 21 st season, to Sanders, who hasn’t yet played in 21 big league games. ’Go on, run it out.’ “Sanders was nonplused.   Why would Fisk care if a player on another team didn’t run out a popup?   On his next at-bat, Sanders learned why.

The old father, who had a weakness for gambling, was dying and called his children to his bedside for their final blessing and advice. “You must promise me,” he said, “never to touch a card.   Above all I would warn you against playing baccarat.   It is a game which will cost you a fortune, waste your time and ruin your health.   Do you all promise me never to play baccarat?” Yes, father,” in chorus.. “And remember – if you do play, always take the bank !” -Friday Nite Book There is a gross difference between words and action.   That is why Judaism belabors this idea time and again in myriad ways.     A person of action always precedes one of words.

Invariably we are moved by things that affect us.  If it does not touch our lives it becomes almost unreal. A woman once came into a Synagogue where the rabbi preached an eloquent sermon.  Most of the worshippers were moved to tears.  A neighbor noticed one stony-faced woman sitting unfazed.  Finally she turned to her and asked, “Don’t you hear the sermon?  Doesn’t it mean anything to you?” “You see,” she replied,   “I am not a member here.”