A Soulful Journey

To feel the nearness of God we need intervals of withdrawal from other men. If we are not to lose ourselves in that real loneliness which is remoteness from God, we must have periods loneliness upon the earth when our soul is left to itself and we are remote from other men. If we are not to go astray in the world, we must look into ourselves and remember our souls and God. The purpose of prayer is to allow us to be alone with God and apart from other men, to give us seclusion it the midst of the world. We are seek loneliness also in the house of God even when it is crowded men, to be alone there also with ourselves and our God. Is our life is to be filled with devoutness, we must from time to time abandoned ways of the world so that enjoy the peace of God .   – Abraham Joshua Heschel

"I would rather live my life as if there is   a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t and find out there   is.” –Albert Camus

A story is told in Leviticus Rabbah 9:94: Rabbi Meir used to hold regular classes in the synagogue every Sabbath eve. A certain woman was present who regularly came to listen to him. On one occasion he went on later than expected. When she arrived home she found the lights out. Her husband asked her: “Where have you been?” She told him: "I have been listening to a class.” He replied: “You may not enter this house until you go and spit in the face of the teacher.” Maybe her husband fears she has a crush on the rabbi? Meanwhile, Rabbi Meir has elected to hold his class on a Friday night. Rabbi Meir witnesses this domestic exchange “through the Holy Spirit”. He understands that he brought about discord in the woman’s marriage, and responds to it the next day. Rabbi Meir pretended to be suffering from pain in the eyes, and announced: “If there is any woman skilled in whispering charms for the eyes, let her come and whisper.” Her neighbours related this to her and said: “Thi...

Konrad Adenauer was from he Rhineland and had ambivalent feelings about eastern Germans.  In later years he traveled to Berlin and as the train crossed the Elbe River he muttered, "Now we enter Asia." When we are far from what is familiar it almost seems like we are entering another continent, or planet.  Yet people everywhere have the same wants, foibles and needs.

“The best people usually owe their excellence to a combination of qualities which might have been supposed incompatible.”  -Bertrand Russell We are all a myriad of like and opposing forces, contradictions and aspirations.   We are remarkable creatures, aren’t we?

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." ~  Plato

"Poor Gentiles should be supported along with poor Jews; The Gentile sick should be visited along with the Jewish sick; and their dead should be buried along with the Jewish dead in order to further peaceful relations."   -Gittin 61a It is easy to be exclusive, to say that members of my club, tribe, organization, social class, faith, etc. are the only ones allowed here.  That is the way of hatred.  The path of peace is to admit that we are all creations of the same God.

Two men were walking don the street when it began to rain.   One, who was fortunate to have an umbrella, opened it but it was riddled with holes.   His companion asked, “Why did you bring that umbrella?” He replied, “I did not know it was going to rain.” It is an oddity of life that people are least prepared for what they ought to expect.   For example when we say the same thing to the same person that got them angry twice before we ought too know better.   When we get a ticket for speeding more than once there should be a lesson learned.   When we treat our loved one in a disparaging manner and   they   emotionally withdraw shouldn’t we learn?