One night a disciple of the
great Maggid of Mezritch was returning
after a long trip with his master. On the way, he decided to visit the city of
Karlin to meet its renowned Rabbi Aharon. He arrived after midnight and headed
straight to the Rabbi's house. He saw a light in the window so he knocked on
the door. The Hasidim are accustomed to use given names in addressing one
another. The disciple called out,
“Aharon, please open the door.” He heard
the knock and the voice and asked, “Who is at the door?” The disciple answered, “It is I” (Dos bin ich).
It was a long pause until the Rabbi words cut through the silence, “Who is it
the dares to speak of himself as ‘I’? Only the Lord can say ‘I’!" -Rabbi S.Y. Zevin
“Between 1305 and the early 1800’s. the House of Taxis ran a form of pony express service all over Europe…. Its couriers clad in blue and silver uniforms, crisscrossed the continent carrying messages between princes and generals, merchants and money lenders.” –Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave We may think we are the first generation consumed by rapid communication but we are not. Throughout our history it has been a priority. Of course, now in the 21 st century we must ask: are we better or worse for it?
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