A Soulful Journey

A Sage taught: Amram- the future father in law of Moses- was the greatest man of his generation.   When he saw that the wicked Pharaoh had decreed, “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river,” he said, “We labor in vain.”   And so he divorced his wife.   All the Israelites followed suit.   Whereupon his daughter said, “Father, your decree is more severe than Pharaoh’s which applied only to male children.   The implementation of your decree has severe implications for both males and females….    Furthermore, in the case of the wicked Pharaoh there is at least some doubt as too whether his genocidal decree will be fulfilled or not, whereas your divorce action most certainly will bring about an end to our people.   Talmud Sotah, 12a It is not always possible to do everything we want.  If, for example, a house were burining how could you hope to remove everything from the home?  You would just take what is mo...

There is a tradition that during our ancestor’s enslavement in Egypt Pharaoh ordered husbands and wives to live apart, to ensure that they would refrain from sexual relations.   Rabbi Shimon the son of Halafta said: “How did the daughters of Israel react to this decree?   They procured food and wine for their husbands in the fields who were exhausted from crushing labor.   After their husbands ate, their wives would take mirrors and gaze into them along with their husbands.   Each woman would say endearingly to her husband, “See I am more attractive than you.”   In this fashion each wife aroused the passion of her husband with the result that these women became the mothers of many children.   - Midrash Tanhuma Several lessons emerge: 1.      Do not give up. 2.      In your relationship keep the flame of intimacy burning. 3.      Love triumphs when given a chance. ...

A story from the tradition of the desert spirituality recounts how some monks asked Abba Peoman if they should awaken those who fell asleep during worship.   Abba Poeman responded, “For my part, when I see a brother who is dosing, I put his head of my knees and let him rest.”   Quoted by John s. Mogabgab, “Editor’s Instruction.” Next time, instead of criticizing, give someone the “benefit of doubt.”   You do not know what they need.

Q; What is the difference between inlaws and outlaws? A: Outlaws are wanted. Always tread carefully.

King Fredric the Great asked for visible proof of the existence of God.  His pastor answered, “the Jews.”  Rabbi  Jonathan Sacks

“The Egyptians, The Babylonians, and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and fury; then faded to dream-stuff and passed away. The Greeks and Romans followed and made a vast noise, and they are gone.   Other peoples have sprung up and held their torch for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished….All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains.   What is the secret of his immortality?”   -Mark Twain 1897     Never doubt  the covenant with your ancestors.

“I happened to be in Hungary,” Dr. Schwartz said, “when Mr. Bevin said he would want the Jews to stay in European countries and help to rebuild their economy. The reaction that I noted among Hungarian Jews for something like this: ‘For centuries now we have been building for others. Then, as reward, we have been murdered; we have been shoved into concentration camps; we have been deported; we have been treated as aliens even though we were patriotic.   Now the time has finally come when we must act and live in our interest, when we must build something which will be the future for us, when, if we lose, with people whom we understand, with people whom we love.’     from Behind the Silken Curtain At long last we have a home.