A Soulful Journey

“Only two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity.   And I’m not sure about the former.”   -Albert Einstein

Why was the holy Temple destroyed? There are three reasons given by the Sages: 1.      Avodah Zarah (idol worship) 2.      Inappropriate relations 3.      Spilling of blood. But in the Second Temple the people were immersed in Torah and mitzvot and acts of kindness.   Why then was it destroyed? Because of baseless animosity.   This teaches that baseless animosity is equivalent to Avodah Zarah, inappropriate relations and the spilling of blood.   –Yoma 5b

“Gossip is the most common of human habits and causes the most trouble.” “People eat and drink together, yet pierce each other with the sword of their tongues."   – Yoma 9b “Gossip comes from peddlers and vermin from rags."   – Berakhot 51b “Man’s fingers are shaped like plugs, so that he can put them in his ears when ugly words are spoken .”   -Ketubot 5a “Gossipers start with praise and end with derogation.” – Tanhuma, Shelach "Even if all of a slander is not believed, half of it is.” –Beresheit Rabbah 56 “The whisperer separates friends.” – Proverbs 16:28 Out of the mouth comes great destruction.

Rabbi Mikhail of Zlotchov told:   Once when we were on a journey with our teacher, the Baal Shem Tov, he went into the woods to say the afternoon prayer.   Suddenly we saw him strike his head against a tree and cry out loud.   Later we asked him about it.   He said, “While I plunged into the holy spirit I saw that, in the generations which precede the coming of the Messiah, the rabbis of the Hasidim will multiply like locusts, and it will be they who delay redemption, for they will bring about the separation of hearts and groundless hatred.” –Martin Buber Even good intentions can bring about disaster.  We must always be vigilant and ask if we are doing the correct thing.

There was once a house about to collapse in Babylonia.   Rav sent one of his disciples to clear everything out of the house.   as soon as he finished the house collapsed. The sages asked, “What good deeds did you do to merit that?” He said to them, “In my entire life I went to the synagogue early and got there before anyone else.   When I went out I never walked more than four cubits without speaking words of Torah.   I also never mentioned the teachings of Torah in an inappropriate setting.   I never overslept.   I never tried to advance myself over my colleagues.   I never called a colleague by a nickname.   I showed them respect.   I never cursed my fellow.   I never walked to the marketplace to collect money from someone who owed me.   I also never lost my temper with my family. This is what is meant in Psalms, "I will walk with integrity of heart within Your house.”   - from the Jerusalem Talmud, ...

Heedfulness leads to cleanliness.  Cleanliness leads to purity.  Purity leads to abstinence.  Abstinence leads to holiness. Holiness leads to humility.  Humility leads to fear of sin.  Fear of sin leads to piety (hasidic).  Piety leads to the holy spirit,  The holy spirit leads to the resurrection of the day.  And the resurrection of the dead comes through Elijah, of blessed memory.  - Pinchas ben Yair, Tanna of second century

Adlai Stevenson said: “If we win men’s hearts throughout the world, it is not because we are a big country, but because we are a great country.   Bigness is imposing, but greatness is enduring.” We must  always strive to be good.  All else follows.