A Soulful Journey

In Emile Durkheim’s  Elementary Forms of Religious Life,  he reasons that the initial purpose of religion was not to meet with God but to reach out to others.  Primitive rituals centered around experiences of birth, marriage and death when we all have a great need to share our sadness and joy with one another. “When we feel so terribly alone, singled out by the hand of fate, when we are tempted to crawl off into a dark corner and feel sorry for ourselves, we need to be reminded that we are part of a community, that there are people who care about us and that we are still part of the stream of life.” – quoted from When Bad Things Happen to Good People .  We are one community, one extended family.

When the Temple was destroyed, the number of Nazitites was increased, who would neither drink wine nor eat any meat.  Rabbi Yehoshua went to them and asked why.  They said: "How can we eat flesh now that the Temple is destroyed ?  It was the Temple that made flesh holy through sacrifices to God.  And how can we drink wine, seeing that wine was used as a part of the Temple ceremony?" Rabbi Yehoshua replied, "In that case how can you eat bread, seeing that the Temple's meal offerings are no more?" They said: "Perhaps we shall live on fruit." Yehoshua replied, "In that case we cannot eat fruit, for the offerings of the first fruit [on Shavuout] are no more." They replied, "Perhaps we can manage of fruits that were not used in the Temple ritual." Rabbi Yehoshua then said, "Still, you may drink no water, for water was used as a part of the Temple service." Then they were silent. But then Rabbi Yehoshua added, "Not t...

"Everyone who sheds tears for a pious man, HaKadosh Baruch Hu stores those those tears in a treasure house in heaven."  - Shabbat 105b

Give me the patience when little hands Tug at me with ceaseless small demands. Give me gentle words and smiling eyes, And keep my lips from hasty, sharp replies, Let me not in weariness, confusion or noise Obscure my vision from life's fleeting joys That when in years to come my house is still Beautiful memories its rooms may fill.  - unknown author

Slender deer run over the snowy mountains and their silvery horns prick the moon, but the moon pours goodness over them. My mother keeps them; she follows them carefully and for the wood’s wolves not to send them she erases their tracks on the snow. My mother died years ago but with her arms stretched out in the wind she keeps on walking her love through the space. She cradles the uneasiness of the paths; takes away the evil-eye from the little hares and calls the least worm my child. Neither in her grave if she left alone by her love. Here is that she opens her prayer book at the stars and prays, prays, so God may hear her. In my sleep her crying shines. – Itzik Manger   Never forget the love and lessons you have been taught.  And be selective.  Choose to recall what is most meaningful.

The growing dismay Of a wearying day No more for her. Through ancient release In softest peace Without a stir She Stays. She stays! I count the ways She's lost to me. Then turn my head And cry instead Too quietly. -Sada Applebaum

When baseball’s Henry Aaron hit his 175th home run breaking Babe Ruth’s record, he said, “I don’t remember the noise, or the two kids that ran on the field. My teammates at home plate,  I remember seeing them. I remember my mother out there and she hugging me. That’s what I’ll remember more than anything about that home run when I think back on it.  I don’t know where she came from, but she was there…” - interview with George Plimpton This is what matters, what we yearn for.  Connection with the people who love us most dearly and whom we look up to.  Make that call today.  You know which ones.