A Soulful Journey

" All signs are meaningful." -Abaye (simina milti hi) God gives us clues every day, each moment.  Pay attention.

When I got mad and hit my child “For his own good,” I reconciled, And then I realized my plight – Today, I taught my child to fight. When interrupted by the phone, I said, “Tell them I’m not home,” And then I thought, and had to sigh- Today, I taught my child to lie. I told the tax man what I made, Forgetting cash that I was paid: And then I blushed at this sad feat – Today, I taught my child to cheat. I smugly copied a cassette, To keep me free of one more debt. But now the bells of shame must peal Today, I taught my child to steal. Today. I cursed another race. Oh G-d, protect what I debase, For now, I fear it is too late. Today, I taught my child to hate. By my example, children learn That I must lead in life’s sojourn In such a way that they are led By what is done, not what is said. Today, I gave my child his due By praises for him instead of rue. And now I have begun my guide: Today I gave my child his pride. I now have rec...

The rabbi of a local congregation asks an elderly congregant if she saw a certain article in a Jewish magazine. “Oh, I don’t subscribe to it anymore,” she replies. “Which magazine do you read, then?” asks the rabbi. “I read the Klansman,” answers the elderly woman. “The Klansman!” blurts out the rabbi. “That hate-filled, vile, no-good rag? How can you bear to have that filthy thing in your home?” “You should understand, rabbi,” says the lady. “I’m old and pain keeps me up at night. When I read our Jewish magazines, they tell me that anti-Semitism is on the rise, that arguments about who is a Jew are tearing our people apart, that intermarriage is destroying the fabric of our people and that the loss of our younger generation is accomplishing the decimation that Hitler, yemach shmo, wanted. Oy, I stay awake all night with worry. But, when I pick up a copy of the Klansman and read that the Jews control all the media, that their power grows every year, and that banks and internat...

At the turn of the century, Hayyim Soloveitchik, the rabbi of the Eastern European city of Brisk, a scholar of extraordinary renown, revered also for his gentleness, took a train in Warsaw to return home. The rabbi’s slight appearance did not betray his greatness. He found a seat in a compartment surrounded by traveling salesmen who started to play cards. The rabbi sat there reading but his disinterest in the game annoyed the card players one of whom suggested that he join in. He politely declined saying that he never played cards. The salesman increasingly badgered the rabbi and finally threatened him. “Either join us or leave.” With that he picked up the rabbi by the collar and threw him out of the compartment. When the rabbi and the salesman got off at Brisk the rabbi was surrounded by his admirers, and the salesman discovered the rabbi’s true identity. His heart sank and he went over to the rabbi to ask for forgiveness. “I would like to forgive you, but I can’t,” he said. In...

“Your love has a broken wing if it cannot fly across the sea.”   Mathie D. Babcock Love, real love, knows no physical boundaries.

Although my drives are not too far,  And chip shots not too spectacular, And even when I reach the green, My putting eye is not too keen, But still, I love the game a lot I'm happy making every shot; The only part that I abhor Is when I total up my score. - Roger W. Dana Is the the game or the final tally?  This is a question for one's life.

“All love that depends on some material cause, with the passing away of that that cause, the love also passes away; but if it not be dependent upon such a cause, it will last forever.  Which love was the love that depended on a material cause?  Such was the love between Amnon and Tamar.  Which love was the love that depended on no such cause? Such was the love between David and Jonathan.’ – Avot 5:19 Lust what is the cause that pushed Amnon toward Tamar. The brotherly love between David and Jonathan was ironclad.  

A student asked his rebbe: “We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. But how can I do that if my neighbor offends me?” The rebbe answered: “You must try to understand what these words really mean. Love your neighbor because your neighbor is like you. For all souls are really one. Each is a spark from the original soul, and all are bound together like the limbs of a single body.  If you punish your neighbor, you only hurt yourself.” –Martin Buber, Tales

The late critic Anatole Broyard once surveyed several books on the subject of love.  His conclusions: Most of what we “know” about love derives from works of fiction.  Moreover, he claimed, one theme dominates all discussions of the subject. Love requires an element of “difficulty” if it is to be sustained. The Mishna parses this as, "According to the effort is the reward." - Avot 6

“Every couple is not necessarily a pair.” –Yiddish proverb Like does not have to translate to love.  As long as respect is present we are being menschen .

Machpelah: Rav and Shmuel comment on its meaning:   Rav says there were two caves, one inside the other. Shmuel says that one cave was on top of the other. What the Hebrew tells us is that Machpelah means “double.”  - Talmud, Eruvin 53:a

“One advantage of marriage is that when you fall out of love with him, or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until you fall in again.”   – Judith Viorst

Is "love" a verb or a noun?  A teen says, “all week long it is a noun. But on the weekend it is a verb.” For us, it must always be a verb.   - Rabbi Sidney Greenberg

The lulav and etrog are likened to four types of Jew-the good and the learned, the good but not learned, the learned but not good, and neither is the learned nor the good. And just as the four species are bound together so the four types of species form one unit, one people. We are, and always will be, one.

“God is the shadow of man” was commented upon by the Baal Shem Tov as follows:  Just as a shadow follows the gestures and motions of the body, God follows those of the soul. If a person is charitable, God will be charitable too. The name of a person’s secret is God and the name of God’s secret is none other than the one invented by humanity, love. Who loves, loves God.

“In my eyes you are precious and I love you.”   Isaiah 43:4 These words should be uttered every day.

The story is told of the Tzemach Zvi who compared himself to a hatter. A hat has to fit one's head and yet they hatter makes hats without regard to size. Customers try on the hats until they find one that fits.   The Tzemach Zvi said that he too makes hats and when someone finds a hat fits, it is for that person that the hat was made.  – Rabbi Dan Yoel Levy No one person is the same as another.  Therefore each person must be treated as unique, an individual.  “ One size does not fit all.”

Once upon a time, a young girl who lived at the edge of the forest and loved to wander in the forest became hopelessly lost. As it grew dark in a little girl did not return home, her parents became worried. They began calling for the little girl and searching in the forest, as it grew darker. The parents return home and called neighbors and people from the town to help them search for that little girl. Meanwhile, the little girl wondered about in the forest and became very worried and anxious as it grew more dark because she could not find her way home. She tried one path and another and became more and more tired. Coming to a clearing in the forest, she lay down by a big rock and fell asleep. Her frantic parents and neighbors scoured the forest.  They called and called the little girl’s name but to no avail.  Many of the girl’s searchers became exhausted and left, but the little girl’s father continued searching throughout the night. Early in the mornin...

Maxie Dunnam tells an interesting story about the great Canadian photographer, Yousef Karsh. According to Dunnam, Karsh only took one portrait of a person’s back, that of Pablo Casals in a French abbey in 1954. Karsh writes that as he was setting up his equipment, Casals began playing by on his cello. Karsh was so enthralled by the music that he almost forgot why he was there. He took his portrait of Casals with the little baldheaded man bent over his cello, frozen in time against the plain stone wall of the chapel.  Karsh said that he took it that way to capture the loneliness of the truly great artists and the loneliness of exile. Years later, when the portrait was on exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, another old, baldheaded man came day after day and stood for long moments at a time in front of the portrait. The curator of the museum noticed him and, when his curiosity got the best of him, went over, tapped him on the shoulder and asked why he staye...

A wealthy man strolled through his garden and spied a little bird and tangled in a mesh of wire. He freed the frightened creature and held her in his hand. Suddenly the bird began to plead, “Kind sir, please let me go. I will be of no value to you for I am not beautiful. I cannot sing and I am not edible. If you will set me free I will offer you three valuable pieces of advice." The amazed man agreed. The bird then spoke, “Do not worry over that which is gone. Desire not that which you cannot obtain. Believe not that which is incredible.” The rich man appreciated the bird’s advice and set her free. The wise little bird quickly flew to the highest branch of a nearby tree and laughed heartily.  “Why are you laughing?” the man asked.  “I am laughing at you,” the bird chirped, “for if you were not such a fool you could have been the wealthiest man in the world.” “How?” the man asked, bewildered. “Very simply,” the little bird replied, “for I carry a diamond the s...

When Moses freed the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, he became known throughout the world as a saintly figure. An Arabian King, who had heard of the miracles of Moses, asked one of his famous artists to go to the desert and depict Moses’ face on canvas. The artist’s mission was to be withheld from the knowledge of others.  Several weeks later the artists brought back the painting. The king then invited all the wise men of his kingdom and said, “My friends, observe this painting, study the facial lines of this man, and tell me the type of person he is. Has he any virtues or is he filled with vices?” The elder of the sages wrinkled his brow and said, “He has an ugly character.” Another said, “He is very proud.” A third one uttered, “He is ill tempered.” The last of the group confidently replied, “He is the type of man who seeks honor.” Finally the exclaimed together, “Such an individual has no love for God or mankind!” “Hold your vile tongues!” The king ...

A Jewish traveler was going through China at the turn of the century and found himself in a remote Chinese village one day. Looking at his calendar he was surprised to find that that very evening was Yom Kippur. Quickly searching through the area he finally came across a Chinese synagogue. Just in the nick of time, he prayed with them. The Chinese Jews were dressed in their finest white clothes with her hair tied in ponytails. At the end of the service he was approached by the president, "What are you doing here?" He asked. "I came here to pray since it is Yom Kippur," came to reply. "Funny, you don’t look Jewish.” Truth be told there is no “Jewish” look.  We are Semitic in origin, although that is far distant in time from today.  Jews come in all sizes, shapes and hues.  And we are all  related  by blood and  covenant.

The stovepipe hat mocked the yarmulke: ”Poor, little insignificant skullcap. You are always an object of ridicule. Only pious Jews and Rabbis wear you. Look at me! I am proud to be worn by aristocrats the wealthy show me off at elaborate affairs. How inconspicuous you look next to me!” “Yes, that is true,” the yarmulke room agreed. I cannot deny you receive great honor and are worn at the finest affairs. Remember, dear stovepipe, that you are empty from top to bottom whereas I am filled throughout with head.” MORAL: Elegance or appearance is not always a sign of intelligence.

If the world made sense men would ride sidesaddle instead of women. – Rita Mae Brown But the world, or rather people in it, is not logical.

Yogi Berra was asked what he would do if he found $1 million in the street. ”I’d see if I could find the guy who lost it, and if he was poor, I’ll give it back to him.”         Who is poor?   Someone  unsatisfied.

Abe was killing half an hour waiting for a train to arrive. He wandered around the station, bought a soft drink, and then stepped on a penny scale to learn his weight and fortune. The fortune card amazed him. It said, “You are Jewish, you weigh 185 pounds, and you are on your way to Chicago.” Every word of it was true and this was too good to be a coincidence.  So he decided to wait for another man to use the scale. ”You are Catholic,” said the card, “you weigh 179 pounds and you are on the way to Detroit.” Upon checking with the man he found the statements were correct. Now for the acid test. The traveler decided that he would get on the scale again. Up on the scale he went down in the slot went his penny.  He could hardly wait to read the card which said, “Shmo! You just missed your train!”  The future waits for us but do not to waste too much energy anticipating.  Live in the now.

"Solitude is very hard to come by in this world. Only the very rich can afford it - and paupers like me. Everyone else dreams of splendid isolation, but they can only dream. Daily life must be lived with others.” -Father Ron who lived on top of Mt. McKinley

Father:  “She has no money, you have no money, yet you both want to get married.” Son: “My mother did not have any money, and neither did you, still you got married.” Father: “Must you copy all our foolish acts? While  humorous, the real question and  conundrum that we must all consider is can we teach our children to learn from our mistakes and those of past generations?  This is one of the compelling reasons we teach Torah, to learn from the past.

A bus driver in Colorado told people he would be back in one minute. He left, came back five minutes later with coffee and donuts for everyone. People were astounded.  They called the television and the radio. Later, the bus driver was surrounded by the press and asked, “Why did you do it?” ”I did not want the publicity. I have just never seen such a depressed group of people.”   - Bernie Siegel Imagine if we all acted like that.

“The Bible is a great record of human loneliness.”    - Thomas Wolfe A  leader is a groundbreaker, someone who acts out of "the norm."  They say and do things no one else has done.  That leadership invariably brings great loneliness.   And yet history records them as heroes.

When the Soviet Union broke off relations with Israel during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, it didn't waste time on diplomatic niceties. Andrei Gromyko, then the Soviet foreign minister, currently informed is really foreign minister Abba Eban that the Soviets were making the move to protest Israel’s seizure of Arab lands. Eban, said that in times of conflict nations ought to intensify their contacts. “You are giving me logic, Mr. Foreign Minister,” Eban remembers Gromyko replying. “But I am not here to be logical. I am here to break relations.” Sometimes  even logic fails when people are stubborn and refuse to enter into a dialogue.

Three men were playing poker in New York, a Roman Catholic priest, Protestant minister and a rabbi. During the course of the gambling the police broke in and arrested all of them. Sometime later the three were brought into court on charges of gambling without a license. First, the court called upon the Roman Catholic Priest. “Did you or did you not gamble?” The judge asked. ”May I have a moment to pray?” Came the reply. ”Certainly.” The priest picked up his rosaries and began to petition God. He asked the Almighty, “Please forgive me for this sin."  “No, I was not playing poker,” came the reply. Next came the Protestant clergy’s turn. “How do you plead?” ”May I have a moment to pray?” Came the reply. “Certainly.” He asked Jesus and Mary for forgiveness and then said, “I am innocent.” Finally, the rabbi was brought up and the judge requested that the man take an oath on the holy Bible. Assenting to the judge’s wish the rabbi took the stand. ”How...

A dog following his master comes to a triple fork. He takes the left, and then the dog comes back.  He then tries the center path. He races back without a sniff and finally chooses the third and final path. This is a conundrum that Pliny and Plutarch debated. Montaigne commented that the dog does not need to chase down the third pass by smell. He is figured out it must be the last and final choice. Aquinas believes that it was a fluke. The dog is not intelligent. Be careful not to attach human characteristics to animals.

A famous teacher was invited by a prince to go lion hunting.  When he returned, he was aces how the hunt had gone.  "Marvelous!"  And how many lions did they find?  "None - that is why is was so marvelous."  - Robert Fulgham Isn't is wonderful what does not happen?

If you have a smile for Mother, Give it now. If you have a kindly word, Speak it now. She'll not need it when the angels Greet her at the golden gate; Give the smiles while she is living. If you wait, 'twill be too late. If you pluck a flower for Mother, Pluck it now. Place it gently on her bosom, Print a kiss on her brow. What care she when life is over For the flowers that bloom below. She will have her share up yonder, Scattered at her fett galore.  - Akron Baptist Journal

"The trouble with love is that many people confuse it with gastritis.  After the ailment has been cured they find out they've been married to a girl they wouldn't be caught dead with." - Groucho Marx This is when the "rubber hits the road" and real love makes scaling a mountain possible.

1. When you come to a fork in the road, take it. 2. You can observe a lot by just watching. 3. It ain’t over till it’s over. 4. It’s like déjà vu all over again. 5. No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded. 6. Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical. 7. A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore. 8. Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours. 9. We made too many wrong mistakes. 10. Congratulations. I knew the record would stand until it was broken. 11. You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six. 12. You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you. 13. I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four. 14. Never answer an anonymous letter. 15. Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting. 16. How can you think and hit at the same time? 17. The future ain’t what it used to be. 18. I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to g...

A man who had suffered many tragedies was tired of it all, and came to his Rabbi seeking advice. His question was: how can I get rid of sadness? The rabbi, in soft but clear language, told him -you could probably live a life free of sadness, but it comes at a high price. And what is that price? asked the man.  The price, said the Rabbi, is that you end all love. Do the following: divorce your wife, banish your children, get rid of your friends. Then you will never have to endure the sadness of their illness or death. But I will be lonely beyond words! exclaimed the man. Aha! said the Rabbi, loneliness is the price we pay for living without love.   –Rabbi Reuven Bulka

"What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul.  "  - Jewish Proverb

"The righteous, even in death, are called living." -Talmud "The wicked in even life are called dead." -Talmud

A policeman noticed a shabbily dressed man looking down at the base of a street light a streetlight.  “Sir, can I help you,” asked the cop.  “Yes,” said the man. “I just now dropped a quarter/shekel  on the ground. Can you help me find it?” “Sure,” said the cop looking downward near the streetlight.” A minute later the cop tells the man he does not see the coin there. The man pauses and says, “That’s because I dropped it over there” - pointing to an unlit area a few feet away. “So why are you looking here, instead of there,” asks the cop.” “Oh,” says the man. “I’m looking here, where here where there’s light, because over there it’s too dark!” Nowadays, we delude ourselves thinking we can find happiness as we walk in darkness. But like our prophets of old let's shed some light on this matter.  Rabbi Joshua Adler

“Guess what? When it comes right down to it, wherever you go. there you are. Whatever you wind up doing, that’s what you’ve wound up doing,.  Whatever you are thinking, that’s what’s on your mind. What already happened to you, it has already happened.  the important question is, how are you going to handle it?  In other words, “Now what?” –Jon Kabat-Zinn

A pastor told a story that allegedly took place in a church in his denomination. Pastor got up and delivered a fire and brimstone sermon, railing against the sins of those created with flesh and blood. At one point he said lets put it to a vote: All of those who are against sin….stay seated. The entire congregation remained seated, and you could hear a pin drop. The reverend then said….all those who support sin….stand up. All of a sudden, some shmendrick who had fallen asleep during the sermon, jumped up, looked around, and said “Reverend, I don’t know what we’re voting on, but it looks like you and I are the only ones for it!!! Rabbi David Ebstein