A Soulful Journey

Of Rabbi Meir of Talmudic fame, it was said, “Not a single one of his contemporaries could approximate the extent of his learning.” To be learned is the apex of Jewish yearning.  There is no excuse for ignorant and God is insistent that we consistently an constantly enlarge our scope of knowledge.

The words of the Midrash sound in my ears: “The wicked is as one dead, even in his lifetime, for he sees the sun rise without reciting the blessing , “You form light,” he sees its setting without reciting the blessing, “Whose word brings the evening dusk”; he eats and drinks without thanking God. But the righteous thank God for whatever they eat and drink and see and hear.” What does the Midrash mean? Surely the mere recitation of “You form light” and “Whose word brings the evening dusk” cannot infuse life into the righteous any more than the failure to recite them can deprive the wicked of life so that he should be “as one dead.” The meaning of the Midrash is that the wicked is so dead spiritually that he cannot feel the need to recite the blessing and take delight in so doing; he is so dead that he cannot sense the mystery in the rising and setting of the sun, in the peace of bread that he eats and the measure of water that he drinks; he is unaware of the eternal link between these

Every arrogant man is like an idolater: he denies the basic principles of religion. The conceited scholar is immoral, he does not deserve resurrection, and the Lord laments him. The haughty notice only those other men who have made themselves larger than life. But the good Lord God (blessed be He) is the opposite: the holy One notices the meek and the lonely and the humble. In fact, the good Lord God (blessed be He) has said in Scriptures: “I cannot dwell in the same world with those who are arrogant for they are dishonest at heart.”  - Michael Jay Katz   Night Tales

“A talking human, said the Maggid of Mezridtch, occasions no surprise, a talking bird evokes astonishment and admiration.  So too a virtuous angel is no novelty in the realm of the spirit but God and all His angels rejoice at the virtuous man who lives the good life despite his propensity for evil.”   -Louis Jacobs

Nachman Goldman once said that he always tried to be late for a Jewish meeting....but never succeeded.  -Nahum Sarna It may be fashionable to be late but it does not respect the others who make the effort to come on time.  It is the path of the just to always consider others.

In Scotland a tale is told of a little old lady who made her own whiskey.  Coming up with a new batch she placed the hot liquid on her doorstep to cool off.  Meanwhile, a grazing cow approached the house and tasted the hot whiskey.  Gradually, the cow finished it off.  Later, coming out to see if the brew had cooled, she saw an empty bucket and looked around to see if the culprit was nearby.  Now the cow, having drunk so much alcohol, was hardly in a position to go very far so the old woman grabbed a stick and began to beat the animal.  Meanwhile, the farmer saw the proceedings and put and end to the old lady's beating.  Incensed, the woman took the farmer to court.  The judge listened and asked only two questions: 1. "Was the animal standing upright at time the of the crime?"  The lady replied, "yes." 2. "Was the said liquor imbibed at the doorstep?"  Again, she answered, "yes." The judge proclaimed that the case be thrown out of court on

Rabbi Akiba said: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) is a fundamental principal of the Torah. You should not say that inasmuch as I am despised, let my fellow human being be despised with me, [or] inasmuch as I am cursed, let my fellow human being be cursed with me. Rabbi Tanhuma said: If you act in this manner, know Who it is you despise, for “God made the human being in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27; 9:6). -Beresheit Rabbah 24:7 Pain can consume us. Yet we are not permitted to afflict others as we have experienced pain.  Our God-mandated task to protect one another.  Just because you have been hurt does not give you permission to hurt someone else.   Can you imagine repercussions of passing pain on?  The world would roil with pain!

Thoughts on drugs & medicines :  “All drugs are poisons.”  -Paracelsus “If all the [medicines] as now used could be sunk into the bottom of the sea it would be better for mankind – and all the worse for the fishes.” –Oliver Wendell Holmes While Judaism believes that humankind is endowed with the ability to find cures, look for ailments to take the edge off pain, we also believe in thinking for ourselves.

In the tart words of William Blake, the unrepentant critic of Newton and the Enlightenment, “He who sees the infinite in all things sees God.  He who sees the Ratio only sees himself only.” We see what we are predisposed to see.

"Woe unto the heart that is not broken,"  - Aryeh Cohen

"They'll have to shoot me first to take my gun.  I wouldn't feel safe if I didn't have a gun in my house." -Roy Rogers Maybe we can be safe by practicing peace.

Sitting in a comfortable position I turn my attention inwards. I am aware of many thoughts moving through my mind. The speed of my thoughts begin to slow. I focus my attention on a star of radiant light within my mind, and I create quiet thoughts of peace. Slowly my mind becomes like the surface of a lake, completely calm, totally still. I experience a deep silence as I become aware that I am peace. And I spread the power of that light, of that peace, across the world. --unknown author

“A new heart will I give you a new spirit within you.  I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh.” -Ezekiel 36:26 Never despair.  God wants to make us whole.

"The seat of the soul and the control of voluntary movement - in fact, of nervous functions in general - are to be sought in the heart.  The brain is an organ of minor importance." - Aristotle Maybe he was right.  Sometimes we just need to act righteously rather than overthink and miss an opportunity to do a kindness.

One unknown authored penned: To laugh is to risk appearing fool To weep is to risk appearing sentimental To reach out is to risk involvement  To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self  To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their love  To love is to risk not being loved in return  To live is to risk dying  To hope is to risk despair  To try is to risk failure  But the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing the one who risks nothing has nothing - and finally is nothing  He may avoid sufferings and sorrow but he singly cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love  Chained up by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited freedom  Only one who risks is free

In a Chinese province there had been no rain.  Afraid of losing their crops, a delegation was sent to bring an aging rainmaker to the village.  The old man agreed and came with the delegation to the town. “I need,” he said, “to be alone. A small cottage will do.  And I require noting to eat for three days. Just some water.” The people did as he requested.  Three days later, rain fell from the sky filling the deep, dry crevices of the earth. Curious, the people asked the rainmaker how he did it.  “It is simple,” he answered,  “I had three days to put myself in order.  Then the world would be in order and rain would come.” Do not complain that the world in in disorder.  Begin with you.  All will be well.