A Soulful Journey

  Rabbi Chanan bar Chanila'i said, "A person must never deviate from the local custom."  - Baba Metsia 86b Even though traditions may differ we must always respect differing customs. This means respect for synagogues, homes and communities.

A learned teacher used the metaphor of Noah's Ark to describe the lot of an educator: -floating aimlessly -no particular direction -no one to talk to ...except a boat full of chayas.. .  - Richard Wagner

 "One who guards his mouth and tongue protects his soul from untold pain."  - Baba Metsia 83b Sometimes the best wisdom is silence.

Yitzhak was a poor storekeeper whose wife earned a livelihood for the family while he sat in the synagogue daily and studied.  The woman harassed her husband because she was the breadwinner and he never lent a helping hand.   Yitzhak always remained  silent and bowed his head with shame.  On the way to the synagogue one morning, he met an old man with a long grey beard. "Why are you so despondent, my friend?" the old man asked.   Yitzhak  immediately recognized the other as the prophet Elijah.  "Dear Rabbi," he moaned, " I am very unhappy.  Woe to the man who has to live on his wife's earnings.  Have mercy on me and bless me with good  fortune so that I may be able to support my family." "As soon as you reach your house," the prophet replied, "you will have luck in the first thing you touch, and that good luck will never forsake you." The storekeeper ran home as fast as his legs could carry him, and quickly began to count his wife&#

  "More than the rich man assist the poor man, the poor man helps the rich." - Vayikra Rabbah 34:8. Each time we help another person we enrich our souls, become better human beings, even more beloved of God.

"The end of all flesh has come before Me" said God before the deluge. "End" (heb kaytz): the time has come for Me to cut (hikkatzetz) them down. "Flesh": (heb. baser) the time has come for me to traetthem as unripened grapes. During the age of the Flood this is what used to happen: a man would bring a basket of lupines and someone would steal a minimal amount, less than a penny's worth, and they could not be punished. Simply because they had stolen so little  they could  get away with it, and they did.  Therefore God said, "You have acted callously, so I too will act callously." Common law does not concern itself with trivial amounts, trifles.  But in Judaism  any violation is destructive to humanity.   Beresheit Rabbah, Soncino . p120

Old Noah was saved from dehydration By an ark that provided flotation So the moral is plain, In this tale of rain: You be righteous in your generation.  - Cantor Harry Gelman

Rav Hisda states, “ A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read. ” - Berakhot 55a This is Joseph's gift .

 "Why was his name Nimrod?" (see Genesis 10:8)   "Because in his reign of power the entire world revolted* against God." - Eruvin 53a  *The root meaning of the name Nimrod is "revolt."

 Reish Lakish (great Talmudic scholar) said: "Whoever studies Torah at night, God draws a chord of lovingkindness to them during the day."  - Hagiga 12b Make it a nightly habit to pick up even a morsel of Torah and study it for the richness it will yield to you.

Noted author Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan was on an airplane and started to chat with the person next to him. Eventually, that man asked him, 'what do you do for a living?" And rabbi Kaplan responded, "I'm a rabbi." And the man answered, "Oh, you're a rabbi! You know, I don't know much about Judaism,   or much about any religion, actually,   but I’ve always thought that when you get right down to it,   what all of religion is really trying to say   is, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." And Rabbi Kaplan says, "Interesting you would think that. What do you do for a living? And the man responds, "I'm an astrophysicist." To which Rabbi Kaplan answers, "Oh, an astrophysicist!  Well, I don't know much about astrophysics,  but I've always thought that when you get right down to it, what all of astrophysics is really trying to say    is, "Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are...."

 Each household is obliged to have one lamp (Hanukkiah). The extremely zealous will have one per member of the household. Beit Hillel teaches us that we start with one light and proceed to add lights each night until the eighth night when all are burning. Only the shammash, the candle used to light the rest, can kindle the lights.  None other is allowed (if one light is extinguished use the shammash to relight it, not any other candle).  Three berachot are said the first night; two are recited on all other nights (Page 307 in Sim Shalom). On Shabbat, Friday, light the Hanukkah before Shabbat candles. Place the Hanukkiah in a conspicuous place, like a window, to proclaim the miracles of God. The Hanukkah can be used for no other purpose than proclaiming the miracle.  We may not use its light to read, warm or for any other purpose.

 "Every Jew who has ever stepped foot into a synagogue or temple knows that we have two names: the outside name with which we go through life, and the inside name, used in blessings and Torah call-ups, marriage and divorce ceremonies, and on tombstones.  It is a far-drifted Jew who has forgotten his or her inside name."   -Herman Wouk This is also, the name by which we are known by the Heavenly Tribunal.  It is the name we will be ultimately called when we are called Home.

  "All I know is what I seen the paper." -Will Rogers We have to be very careful about the news we read and hear.  It is often biased and one-sided.  Think.  Always think: Does this seem correct?   Or am I am being steered? If you take time to consider you will know truth from fiction.

" If you say something that has not been said before, you are likely to say something which will not be said again."  - Thomas Hobbes Most experiences are universal  They happen to many, if not all.  Most historical events have precedents and will likely recur in the future.  Yet, if you have a truly novel idea it belongs only to you. Question: Does anyone have a novel thought or word the has never been considered?

" …if a person takes a bundle of reeds – can he break them at the same time? But if he takes one at a time, even a child can break them. And so you find that the people of Israel will not be redeemed until they are one bundle…"   - Midrash Tanhuma  (ed. Buber,  Nitzavim This is how we must act.  Together, we are an indomitable force. Separate, we are weak and vulnerable.  Do not forget you are part of the Jewish people.  We stand together as we will on Hanukkah....remembering what happened when long ago we forgot we were one.

“There is nothing new under the sun.”    -Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) .  That which has been, will be again.  Here is the real task of a meaningful life: Can we learn from our mistakes and become a finer, greater and more responsible person than we were yesterday?

A neurosis, Larry Kushner defines, are the things we do to overcome neuroses. No one is perfect, not even close.  We strive t do good things, make wise choices and rid ourselves of bad habits.  Sometimes in our effort to overcome negative behaviors we overreach, creating the opposite effect.   Every day try to be yourself, as God intended. If you have nothing positive to say, remain silent. If you are angry, accept your anger but do not hurt another. Pray, like your life depended on it (it does). Look at the yourself the mirror and affirm that you are just right, as you were created to be.  Remember God does not make mistakes.

The child of a wealthy miser became ill, and the doctors gave up all hope for her.  Since nothing else could be done, the father remembered that there is an old Jewish custom to pray in such an event.  It was midnight and very cold when he woke the shammes of the synagogue and asked him to secure a minyan to pray. The shammes was very angry for being disturbed at such a time of night but had to do as he was told. So the two set out to look for a minyan. In the distance they noticed some people and started to walk toward them. As the shammes was about to speak to them, the rich man pulled his sleeve and whispered, “They are the thieves who robbed me several weeks ago.” ”Really?” The shammes replied. “Then they are excellent for the purpose of our minyan they can accomplish things even when all doors are closed.”     In the universe of the religious the doors of heaven are never closed. They are always open to every sick heart and sinful soul.