A Soulful Journey

  There are two ways to live; O ne is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is. --Albert Einstein

  "God said, "Let there be light!" And there was light." - Genesis 1 "Where is this light? It shines into the world and keeps everything alive." -Zohar

 When a man dies he turns to his loved ones, his family and cries, "Save me!" They answer, "We cannot." Then he turns to his possessions and begs them, "Save me." But they do cannot. Everywhere he turns he meets the same response. Until he turns to his good deeds and they respond, "We are there already." -Midrash

  Rebbe Menachem Mendle of Kotzk said to his disciples: “The souls descended from the realms of heaven to earth on a ladder.  Then it was taken away.  Now up there they are calling the souls home.  Some do not budge from the spot, for how can one get to heaven without a ladder?  Others leap and fall, and leap again and give up.  But there are those who know very well that they cannot make it, but try and try over again until God catches hold of them and pulls them up.” Trust

"Don't be old! True, there are pious, righteous elders. But to be old is not good. Stay young – renew yourself every day and make a fresh start."    ~  Rebbe Nachman

  All things joyful have their place before God.    Consider: Miriam grasped a tambourine and led the Israelite women in a great dance after leaving the Sea of Reeds and slavery. Consider: David danced with abandon as he celebrated his return from war with the help of the Lord. Consider: Each year we fete the holy Torah as we embrace it on the Festival of  Simhat Torah  and dance for hours in the Synagogue! The roots of our ancient tradition all point to the idea that we are to celebrate life, rejoice for goodness, and allow our feet trace the path of dancing.   The world is our orchestra, our bodies yearn to beat in time with that rhythm, and the Holy One, blessed Be He, smiles because His children are smiling.

  The Hafetz Hayim woke up one chilly morning to say Shacharit, the morning prayers.  The  yetser hara  routed him and said, "Why are you up so early?  You are already an old man.  Go back to bed; it's cold outside. The Hafetz Hayim replied, "You are a lot older than me and you are up already."

"It is better to be a fool who believes in everything than to be so clever that you do not believe in anything."             ~  Rebbe  Nachman

Real meaningful prayer takes time and effort.  True, there are moments every now and again where God is like a blazing flame that touches every fiber of our being, but these times come as undeserved and infrequent gifts.  They are whetting out appetite for what is possible. He who is getting ready to pray should learn from a common laborer -- who takes a whole day to prepare for a job.  A wood cutter who spends most of his day sharpening his axe and only in the last hours of the cuts the wood has earned his day's wage.  Menachem Mendl of Koktz

  “Blessed are You… who made miracles for our ancestors in bygone days  during this season.” This is the second blessing recited by those who light Hanukkah lights; the single blessing recited by passersby who see and share the memory of freedom lighting the darkening street. May this be the time to turn our darkness into light! The American Jewish poet and activist, Muriel Rukeyser taught in her  poem  that especially  during dark times , we " turn to memory, we search all the days we had forgotten for a tradition that can support our arms in such a moment. If we are free people, so are we also in a sense free to choose our past, at every moment to choose the tradition we will bring to the future ." A cluster of lights at night: faces before the pillar of fire. A child watching while the sea breaks open. This night. The way in.

My Child Leaves Home (A Parent’s Prayer) Holy One, Heavenly Guide, My daughter / son is leaving home To begin the adventure of an independent life. Bless her / his journey with joy and wonder. Let opportunity open like a rose before her / his eyes. Be her / his compass and her / his shield. Lead her / him on a path of discovery Guided by the love of Torah, A commitment to mitzvot, And dedication to the Jewish people. Bless her / him with mentors and teachers, Companions and friends, Scholars and rabbis, To support and guide her / him along the way. In this marvel, In this glorious moment of growth fulfilled, My heart struggles with contradictions: Pride and fear, Joy and grief, Love and loss. The landscape of my life is shifting, Offering new challenges and new choices In the very moment my child departs. Give me the wisdom and the strength to honor my own life With gentleness and courage, And to embrace the beauty and promise of the time to come. G-d of our fathers and mothers, G-d of...

My burdens are lighter, because I hold no anger or grudges towards anyone. It's true, that when we forgive, we let go of our anger. Anger like hatred is too heavy a burden for me that I cannot accept it. Anger continues to fester inside of our minds and souls to the point it becomes a bad poison to our minds and souls. Get rid of it, fast! It's not worth it, be happy, light and free. -Elizabeth Unser  Forgiveness Helps the Forgiver  Forgiveness often helps the forgiver as much, if not more, than the forgivee. You can't do much about what people have done to you, but you can do EVERYTHING about how you react to it. -Terry Phillips  Forgive and You’ll Be Forgiven  I totally believe in forgiveness and I believe that if you forgive you will be forgiven. I have had a lot of bad things happen in my life and I forgive the people that did what they did to me-if you don’t you will live your life eaten up with hate and die a bitter and unhappy person. -Debbie J Elliott-Watkins...

 The Blessing of Two Eyes   Every human being is endowed by God with two eyes.  With one she/he is expected to look at his/he neighbor, fastening his/her gaze on his/her virtues, his/her desirable qualities.  With the other eye, she/he is to turn inward to see his/her own shortcomings in order to correct them.   -Rabbi Israel Salanter, founder of Musar Movement. ---------------------------------------------------------   Take it Back!   Rabbi Simcha Bunam of Pshyzka was playing chess with a sinner. Reb Bunam made a wrong move and asked if he could take it back.  His opponent consented.  gain, The rabbi erred and once more asked to be given another chance.  This time the partner refused. His eyes filled with intensity and compassion and Reb Bunam said, "There comes a time in life when we make a move that cannot be taken back." The opponent then felt a deep burning in his soul and vowed to begin the process to returning. - Rabbi Nehemia Po...

 "I go to seek the Great Perhaps.   Draw the curtain. The farce is over." -Francois Rabelais on deathbed. In Judaism this physical universe is where we ply our best skills to make it more humane.  The "Great Perhaps" is where we understand the effect of what we did while alive.

 Barry Bailey tells of visiting a woman with a keen sense of humor. "I asked how she felt and she said, 'Great.' I said, That's wonderful.' She said, 'No it's not, Barry.  I feel worse after I feel better'." J ust wait a moment. Things will turn around.