A Soulful Journey

 "This, then is all It's not enough to know. At least I'm still alive, as you may see. I'm like the man who took a brick to show How beautiful his house used to be."  - Bertolt Brecht In the final analysis what we have to show for life are not our accumulations, just a brick, but the actions that affect other lives.

  "Darwinian man though well behaved At best is only a monkey shaved." -W.S. Gilbert We are better thank that, and at our lowest ebb, infinitely worse.

 Darwin did not like the word, "progress."  He favored "descent with modification." Maybe he was correct.

T his article was written in 1899 when anti-Semitism was widespread in the United States. Large companies did not hire Jews, Universities either didn't admit Jews or limited their numbers with strict quotas. "Respectable" people like Ford and Edison expressed their anti-Jewish feelings openly. Mark Twain had an answer: Written by Mark Twain in Harper's Magazine, September 1899 If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and obtuse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He

  Two fellows meet up again by chance who hadn’t seen each other since they were yeshiva bachurim together decades before. They each have achieved success in their respective fields.  One is a well known biology professor at a top university and the other is a Rosh Yeshiva. The professor invites his former Yeshiva buddy to his next class at the university.  The Rosh Yeshiva happily accepts.  As the class begins and the professor begins his presentation, the rabbi looks around and sees some students dozing off, others reading a newspaper, and only a few paying attention.   At the end of the class the professor and the rabbi chat together, and the rabbi invites his friend to attend his next shiur at the Yeshiva.  The professor happily accepts.   At the Yeshiva, the professor finds a seat with all the students, but when the Rosh Yeshiva walks in, all the bachurim stand up in respect and only sit down once the rabbi takes his seat. During the shiur all listen attentively and follow the le

Rabbi Pinchas entered the Beit Midrash, the House of Study, and viewed his students animatedly talking.   When they saw their master they quickly fell silent.     Rabbi Pinchas’ curiosity piqued.     He asked, “What were you talking about?”     One student shyly murmured, “We were talking about the   yetser ha-ra , the evil urge, that chases after us day and night, whispering for us to do bad things.” “Do not worry,” said the venerable rabbi.  “You are not advanced enough that the  yetser ha-ra  is pursuing you, you are chasing after it.” The stronger, more learned, and wise we become the more powerful becomes the Yetser-ha-ra. What is most critical is to not give in.

  Chaim, comes into his Rebbe’s office with a sad, hangdog look about him. The Rebbe asks “Vat’s the matter, Chaim?” Chaim says, “Dear Rebbe, I have sinned terribly in my business. I’m a painter. I sinfully cut corners; I sinfully thinned the paint with turpentine, I sinfully used the cheapest paint I could find and still charged the full price. I’m feeling so terribly guilty. Please, Rebbe, what can I do to atone?” The Rebbe stroked his long beard and thought a moment. “Repaint. Repaint and thin no more.”

Ibn Ezra strongly denied the possibility of the existence any shedim , evil spirits.     Israel Jacobs once remarked of Ibn Ezra that when he was in England, he was attacked by a pack of black dogs.     It was there that Ibn Ezra died, Jacobs held.   Our lives are affected by what we feel.  Beliefs are built on those intense feelings.  Who can argue with them?

  When Reb Hayim Brisker was a young boy he was obstinate in not wanting to spend his time studying.     His father, exasperated, asked, “Why is it that you refuse to learn?” The boy replied, “It is my yetser ha-ra, my evil inclination, that prevents me. It holds me back.” “But,” the father asked, “Doesn’t the yetser ha-ra also do God’s bidding?  You too, should push yourself to God’s will by studying.” “Yes,” said Hayim.  “But the yester ha-ra doesn’t have a yester ha-ra.”  - Rabbi Louis Jacobs   Moral: If you really do not want to do something you will find any excuse.

A traveler wearily made his way over the rocks and sand over the vast expanse of desert. Finally, raw and parched he came to a small oasis. A mighty tree towered up over the spring. Sitting under the shade of the verdant branches of the tree, the traveler ate the luscious fruits that easily came off the heavy, thick branches. He drank the sweet water and lay down in the coo shade now shielded from the unrelenting sun. After he dozed, the traveler turned his face to the tree and said, "What can I give you that you do not already have? You are blessed with beauty and shade, strong limbs and delicious fruits. You are poised in a precious location and a spring feeds your roots. What can I offer? Let me wish that all your offshoots be just like you!" - Yohanan bar Nafpacha in Bamidbar Rabba 2:12 A blessing is a great gift. It is heartfelt. A joy. A present that is beyond value.

  “Everything in is the hands of heaven... Save the fear of heaven.”      - Berachot 3b   They say that everything is foreseen (Hillel).  God knows all.  He knows what has happened, see what is happening and is aware of what is about to happen.  

  I.                      Talk to people.   There is nothing quite as nice as being greeting with a friendly, “hello.” II.                   Smile.  Because it is so much easier.  Did you know it takes seventy-two muscles to frown and only fourteen to smile? Go the easy route.  Smile. III.                 Call people by their name.  Everyone wants to be remembered.  Don’t you? IV.                Be nice.   Pretend you are having a good time when all else fails . V.                   Take an interest in others.  People want to feel valued and appreciated. VI.                Heap on the praise.  We lose nothing by thanking people and telling them how good they are. VII.              Be stingy with criticism.    We can lose a lot with critical comments. VIII.           Try empathy.  If you were in their “shoes” what would you do? IX.                Think before speaking.  A single moment of thought can save a relationship. X.                    Help.  If someone needs something run to ass

  A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a  reunion and decided to go visit their old university       professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a   large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.    When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.  In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drin

  1)  I   learned that artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. 2)   When I grow up, I’d like to be a retired lottery winner. 3)   I don’t understand why people say hurtful things like “Want to go for a run?” or “Try this kale.” 4)    "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."  Albert Einstein  5)   Don’t believe what you see in the cartoons.  No matter how hard you throw a toilet plunger, it won’t actually stick to a someone’s face.  Don’t ask me how I know this.