A Soulful Journey

Rabbi Elazar taught, “From the moment that the Beit haMikdash (Temple) was destroyed Heaven’s gates were locked, as it states “Even when I cry out he shut my tears away.”  And “Hear my prayer O God, and listen to my outcry; do not be deaf to my tears.” Psalms, 39,  Baba Metsia 59a Do not hold back.  Weep.  That is your key to unlock Heaven's Gate.

 Whenever ten people gather in the synagogue the Divine Presence is with them, as it is written, "God (Elohim) stands in the congregation of God."   Mekhilta on Exodus 20:21

Der Oilem iz a Goilem  ("The world is full of fools"). Avoid them. Vie m'bett zich ois, azoi shluft menn  ("You made your bed. Go sleep in it"). 

Reb Zalman Poizner was quite wealthy and yet he dressed as a peasant, like a simply farmer while wearing a handmade expensive hat. A friend asked Zalman why he chose to dress that way when he could afford finer clothes.   He answered; to most people the body is the most important element.  They feel they gain respect by others when they look at what they are wearing while leaving their head uncovered.  I, however, believe that the head is the most important part of the body so while my clothes are ordinary I will always wear and elegant hat.”

“What’s the matter?” “Never mind.” “What is mind?” “No matter.”   -nineteenth century joke

 "The Sages taught, "For two and one half years the schools of Shammai and Hillel debated the following question: The school of Shammai said, 'It would have been better for people to not have been created.' The school of Hillel said, 'It is better that people have been created than not'."   - Talmud, Eruvin What do you think? And why were they debating the point?

Jacob was wealthy but not very knowledgeable American Jew on his first tour of Israel.  the tour guide took the group to an expensive shop in Safed, where Jacob saw a beautiful silver mezzuza, which he decided to buy for the house that his newly married rabbi had purchased.  When Jacob returned home, he stopped at the Rabbi's study and presented his gift.  The Rabbi unwrapped the package, admired the mezzuza and looked inside it and then at the wrapping.  Finally, he asked: "Is that all they gave you?"  Jacob thought for a moment and then said: "There was a sheet on instructions in Hebrew, but I did not think you need it."   You have know what is important and what is not.

"As one’s fortunes are reduced, one’s spirit must expand to fill the void." - Winston Churchill

The Talmud tells of Onkelos, the son of Kallonymos, an outstanding personality of the ancient Roman Empire, who, becoming a proselyte, aroused the wrath of Caesar.  Caesar sent a group of solders to influence him to change his mind.  However, Onkelos succeeded in persuading the soldiers to become proselytes like himself.   Caesar then sent other militias, warning them not to converse with him.  They seized him and were about to bring him to Caesar when, leaving the house, he put a hand on the mezzuzah and smiled. Asking for an explanation, he said, "It is customary with a king of flesh that while he is in the palace his servants guard him from without.  Our King, the King of the Universe, lets His servants sit inside, while guards them." They too then became proselytes. Zie a yid , an old Yiddishism, meaning be who you were born to be and all will fall into place.

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods, working feverishly to saw down a tree. “You look exhausted,”  you say;  “how long have you been at this?” “Over five hours—I’m beat!” “Why don’t you take a break, and sharpen the saw—I’m sure it will go faster.”  “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw! I’m too busy sawing!” Sharpening the saw is preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have —you. It’s  renewing the four dimensions of your nature — physical, spiritual, mental, social/emotional... This is the single most powerful investment we can ever make in life — investment in ourselves. We are the instrum ents of our own performance... Renewal is the principle — and the process — that empowers us to move in an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement. ...Moving along the upward spiral requires us to learn, commit, do on increasingly higher planes. We deceive ourselves if we think that any one of these is sufficient. To keep progressing, we must learn, com

This was a peaceful tearing like the peaceful tearing of twilight when the warp and woof are parted for an instant so that their continuing can take place that was a peaceful tearing like the tearing that parts the eyelids in the morning when sleep dissolves before wakefulness rises to a new beginning.   -Rivka Miriam/Rabbi Steve Sager

Maimonides: "If you perform one Mitzvah, it may be just enough to tip the scales for the entire world bringing deliverance and salvation to you and everyone." -- Hilchot Teshuvah 3:4

The Torah speaks of the demolition of an entire nation that has gone awry.  But the Rabbis admitted that even if one kosher mezuzah existed in that evil city, the city would be spared.  To destroy a mezuzah with God's name in it would be a sacrilege.

On messianism, it might be remarked, the Lubavitcher Chasidim believe that their Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Shneerson, is the Messiah even though the time has not yet arrived for him to openly to declare himself as such and thus inaugurate the messianic age.  In Lubavitch publications there regularly appear expressions of hope for the coming of Meschiach mamash (the real messiah).  The word mamash, with two dots over it to denote that it is an abbreviation, obviously refers to M enachem M endel S hneerson. -Rabbi Louis Jacobs Written years ago, Rabbi Jacobs points to our need for deliverance.  Time has passed but human nature has not changed and the yearning has only grown stronger for the Messiah.

  "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let each New Year find you a better man."   - Benjamin Franklin

 In the town of Chelm there lived a genuine desire to see the Messiah arrive soon.  So great was the desire that they gave no great thought to their future.*  So when finally the shamash of the synagogue asked for an old age pension, they fired him immediately. *In the Messiah's time all things will be provided. Faith, trust while living in the present are all necessary ingredients to a healthy life.

Devarim  (Deuteronomy) 15:7-11 If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the  Lord  your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs. Beware lest you harbor the base thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is approaching,” so that you are mean to your needy kinsman and give him nothing. He will cry out to the  Lord  against you, and you will incur guilt. Give to him readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return the  Lord  your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings. For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land.   Mishlei  (Proverbs) 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

  ittcha gotsa g'chin v'tilchos la, " If your wife is short bend down and whisper to her...."  -- Baba Metsia, 59a Always listen to the people whom you love.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai said,  "It is better that a person should cast himself into a fiery furnace than shame another."  - Talmud, Baba Metsia 59a

 It is taught: Anyone who makes a friend's face blanche (turn white) in public it is as if he has spilled his blood.   There are three people who descend to Gehinnom and will not ascend: 1. One who embarrasses another 2. Someone who sins with another man's wife. 3. A person who uses an offensive nickname when calling out a person.-    Talmud, Baba Metsia 58b

  "If someone comes to learn Torah and become a Jew you may not say to them, "Look at the mouth that used to eat treif (forbidden things) that now comes to learn Torah from the Almighty..."   Talmud, Baba Metsia, 58b Encourage.  Never discourage.  This does not only apply to proselytes but everyone who tries to better themselves.

 If someone was a baal teshuvah (someone who had repented) you may not say to them, "Remember what you did..." If someone was a  convert, or descended from converts, you may not say tho them, "Remember what your ancestors did...."  - Talmud, Baba Metsia 58b

“ We are the authors of our life”We are all at once both a composition and a composer. We have the ability not only to compose the future of our own lives, but to help compose the future of everyone around us and the communities in which we live.” - Maya Angelou

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi came upon Elijah the prophet while he was standing at the entrance of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai’s cave.   He asked Elijah, “When will the Messiah come?”  Elijah replied, “Go and ask him yourself.” “Where is he?” “Sitting at the gates of the city.” “How shall I know him?” “He is sitting among the poor covered with wounds.  The others unbind all their wounds at the same time and then bind them up again.  But he unbinds one at a time and binds it up again, saying to himself, ‘Perhaps I shall be needed: if so I must always be ready so as not to delay a moment.’   When Elijah had explained how we could find the Messiah sitting among the poor at the gates of the city, Rabbi Yehoshua, ben Levi went to the Messiah and said to him, ”Peace unto you my master and teacher.” The Messiah answered, “Peace and to you, son of Levi”. He asked, “When is the master coming?” “Today,” he answered.   Rabbi Yehoshua returned to Elijah who asked, “What did he tell you?” ”He indeed has dece

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny Lao Tzu 

  "Doing God's will is my problem. Jewish survival is God's"   -Rabbi Dow Marmur

  In the Celestial Court each person will be asked, "Did you wait and anticipate the Redemption?"  - Talmud, Shabbat 31 We are taught in our tradition to be hopeful and wait for the Messiah. The Hafetz Hayim had the custom of greeting people who recently came to Radin, his town, "Have you heard any news of the Messiah? "  He even kept his kapota (his special Shabbat cloak) close by in case he needed it quickly to greet him.  - Wolff, Der Chofetz Chayim

A little boy was listening to a Bible story as his dad read: 'A man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.’  Concerned, the boy asked: 'What happened to the flea?'

On Bar Kochba*: And what did they do?  They assembled and went forth to battle and many of them were slain.  Why was this?  Because they did not believe in the Lord and did not trust in His salvation, but anticipated the end and transgressed the adjuration – Midrash, Shir HShirim Rabbah   So much of what we do depends upon our trust, our faith in the outcome.  Whether in business or in relationships, trust will decide whether we meet success or not.  Why should it be any different with God? *The Bar Kochba revolution was supposed to bring  about the end of the Roman occupation and the beginning of the Third Temple.  Instead, the revolt failed.  

Like all Hasidic Masters, he lived wholly in in expectation of the Messiah's coming.  Mornings he would go to the window, look outside and sadly remark, "He has not yet come, for the world is still the same." Menahem Mendl Never stop searching.  Neve give up.

“Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” ―  Albert Einstein,  The World As I See It

 The Baal Shem Tov: "But when, when will you come?" The Messiah answered, "When your spring will run over and when your teaching will cover the land." He even conversed its the Angel of Death, asking him, "Why do you massacre so many innocent and helpless Jews?" "I do it for the sake of Heaven, for the love of God and for His Glory," answered the Angel with disquieting humor. Remain strong, like iron, full of faith.  Only then will the one be released to redeem.

One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah ben Yehoyada, his most   trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring   that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which   gives you six months to find it." "If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I   will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?" "It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it,   he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy."   Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to   give his minister a little taste of humility. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he   could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a   walk in one of he poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a   merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet.   "Have you by any cha

Before his death, Rebbe Wolfe told his servant: "I can see... A day will come, and it fills me with fear.  The world will lose its stability and man his reason...  A day will come, and it it fills me with fear... A day will come, and it makes me tremble.  Do you hear me?" "Yes Rebbe. I hear you." "I ask of you to tell it to our people.  Tell them that on that day none will be spared, not even men like me or you.  We shall have to delve deep into our consciousness to find the spark.  Will you tell them?" "Yes, Rebbe.  But...when the day comes, what must they do in order not to go  under?  Do you know the remedy, Rebbe?" The sick man sighed: "When that day comes, tell our people that I have foreseen it."   He turned to the wall, and was gone.

Akiba himself did not long resist the contagion of messianism.  When he saw Roman legions yield to untrained Judean youths, new hope blossomed in his heart.  "Yet once, it will be a little while," he quoted from Haggai (2:6), "and I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land ."  He went so far as to encourage the popular delusion concerning the miraculous role to be played by the new leader and applied to him the verse (Numbers 24:1), "The star hath trodden forth out of Jacob."  Once he even said outright, "this is the messianic king." The dismal response of one of his friends, "Akiba, grass will grow out of your jaw and the messiah will not yet have come!" shows that some of the sages were till sane enough to realize the hopeless inequality of the struggle.  -Rabbi Louis Finkelstein In many generations when disaster confronted our people we have prayed and loved for the redeemer to be dispatched and deliver

A farmer came running home one day with news. "Did you hear, my wife?  There is a rumor in town that the Messiah is coming this year.  Woe as me!  What will we do?  I have so much invested in the farm, rebuilt the house and cultivated the fields.  Now we will have to leave everything behind and go." "Don't worry, my husband," his wife consoled him. "We Jews have gone through so much suffering.  We had a Pharaoh, a Haman and the good good Lord helped get rid of them.  I am sure that he will also help us get rid of the Messiah too!" When times are bad we wish for better days.  When times are good we forget what we once dreamed of.