Skip to main content

How we Live

Rabbi Israel Rizhiner lived in a very comfortable fashion. A modern Jew once visited the rabbi and was amazed at his luxurious surroundings.
”This is quite a contrast from the way the rabbis lived past years,” he remarked.   “Then they resided in wooden houses, dressed in plain linen clothes, and traveled on foot. Today the rabbis dwell in palaces, wrap themselves and velvet and satin and travel around in beautiful coaches.”
”There are three classes of people who come to a rabbi,” Rabbi Israel Rizhiner replied.  “Hasidim, ordinary people and frivolous men.   All three give the rabbi contributions. This money the rabbi spends according to the donors. The money that the hasidim give him, the rabbi spends on mitzvot and tzedakah.  The money that ordinary people give he spends for sustenance of himself and his family. But the money he obtains from the frivolous, the rabbi spends on luxuries. Years ago there were no frivolous people, therefore the rabbi was not able to indulge in anything too costly. Nowadays, the frivolous have multiplied to such an extent that he can afford to travel about in a coach and live in comfort.”

How we live is often determined by how others live.  Wouldn't it be so much simpler if we made our own path, lived as we liked, independent of how others live?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Contact

“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?
1 comment
Read more

Speech

  “To say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time.”     John W. Roper Those who get in trouble most often are those cannot seem to keep still, remain silent.  Life teaches many lessons.  Among the best lessons of life is one my father taught me at an early age was, “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.” The contributions we make to life via our mouth are many and varied.  Most of the time, I reckon, they are not contributions at all, but things that diminish the richness of life.    
Post a Comment
Read more

Your Worth

  A father  congratulates his daughter on graduations and was about to present her with a car, his car.   “ But before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them I want to sell it and see how much they offer you for it.” The daughter went to the used car lot, returned to her father and said, “They offered me $1,000 because the said it looks pretty worn out.” The father said, now “Take it to the pawn shop.” The daughter went to the pawn shop, returned to her father and said, ”The pawn shop offered only $100 because it is an old car.” The father asked his daughter to go to a car club now and show them the car. The daughter then took the car to the club, returned and told her father,” Some people in the club offered $100,000 for it because “it's an iconic car and sought by many collectors.” Now the father said this to his daughter, “The right place values you the right way,” If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means you are in the wrong place...
Post a Comment
Read more