A Soulful Journey

  "Tzedakah saves from death.”-  Talmud. Why would the rabbis of old make such a claim? Further, midrash adds, “Though you may have given already, give yet again even a hundred times, for it says, ‘Give, surely give…’ [the word is repeated for emphasis in Deuteronomy 15:10].” Perhaps when we do  tzedakah  we breathe life into our soul.  While  tzedakah  obviously benefits the recipient, consider what it does for your soul. How will you enrich your soul through the vehicle of  tzedakah  this year and save it from a death of indifference? 

  From where  is it derived  that one who sees another drowning in a river, or being dragged away by  a wild  animal, or being attacked by bandits [ listin ], is obligated to save him? The Torah states: “You shall not stand idly by the blood of another.” -Talmud, Sanhedrin 73a After nearly a year in captivity, bring them home.

  Write a letter to yourself.  Connect with you at a pivotal time in your life. Perhaps it was when you had a child, went on a school field trip, or first experienced love.  Find the time in your past when you can scribe   a letter to your former self and give you advice about how to live your life forward. Here is an example to give you an idea.  Dearest Danny, I’m speaking to you from the future (more on that in a moment) and someone has asked me to write you a letter. I wasn’t planning on being in touch because, well, I didn’t want to mess with the whole natural order of things, you know? I’d say I hope you are well, but me being you, I know that you are and you are not. I know exactly what it’s like to be inside that head of ours. I hope you take some comfort in that — that there’s at least one other person out there who really gets you. I have a few pieces of career and relationship advice to give you but I’m not going to because that would mess up your chance to learn the lesson

You can be a silent witness, which means silence itself can become a way of communication. There is so much in silence. There is an archeology of silence. There is a geography of silence. There is a theology of silence. There is a history of silence. Silence is universal and you can work within it, within its own parameters and its own context, and make that silence into a testimony. Job was silent after he lost his children and everything, his fortune and his health. Job, for seven days and seven nights he was silent, and his three friends who came to visit him were also silent. That must have been a powerful silence, a brilliant silence.  -Eli Wiesel   "The wise person does not speak before those that are greater in wisdom; And does not break into their fellow's speech. And is not in a rush to reply. And asks what is relevant and replies to the point. And speaks of first things first and of last things last. Of what has not been heard they say, "I have not heard,"

  "Be not quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools!"  -Ecclesiastes 7:9 "If a clever man is angry, his wisdom quits him."  -Talmud,  Nedarim  22b "Calm, persevering patience is generally a virtue, but especially so for Torah study, for anger causes errors in judgment and leads one to forget one's learning."  - The Pirkei Avos Treasury , p.416 Anger is also an exceptionally bad quality. It is fitting and proper that one move away from it and adopt the opposite extreme. He should school himself not to become angry even when it is fitting to be angry. If he should wish to arouse fear in his children and household - or within the community, if he is a communal leader - and wishes to be angry at them to motivate them to return to the proper path, he should present an angry front to them to punish them, but he should be inwardly calm. He should be like one who acts out the part of an angry man in his wrath, but is not himself angry. The early S

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter once noticed that a fancy restaurant was charging a huge price for a cup of coffee. He approached the owner and asked why the coffee was so expensive. After all, some hot water, a few coffee beans and a spoonful of sugar could not amount to more than a few cents. The owner replied: "It is correct that for a few cents you could have coffee in your own home. But here in the restaurant, we provide exquisite decor, soft background music, professional waiters, and the finest china to serve your cup of coffee." Rabbi Salanter's face lit up. "Oh, thank you very much! I now understand the blessing of  Shehakol  -- 'All was created by God’s word' -- which we recite before drinking water. You see, until now, when I recited this blessing, I had in mind only that I am thanking the Creator for the water that God created. Now I understand the blessing much better. 'All' includes not merely the water, but also the fresh air that we breathe whi

The people of Chelm were worriers. So they called a meeting to do something about the problem of worry. A motion was duly made and seconded to the effect that Yossel, the cobbler, be retained by the community as a whole, to do its worrying, and that his fee be one ruble per week. The motion was about to carry, all speeches having been for the affirmative, when one sage asked the fatal question: "If Yossel earned a ruble a week, what would he have to worry about?"  - A Treasury of Jewish Folklore Consider: What do you worry most about?   If someone were to tell you that which worries you, worries them, what would you respond?

  Consider the thoughts of two ancient scholars: Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah used to say: One whose wisdom exceeds his or her good deeds what is that person like? To a tree whose branches are many, but whose roots are few; and the wind comes and uproots it and turns it upside down. But the one whose good deeds exceed his or her wisdom, what is that person like? To a tree whose branches are few, but whose roots are many, even if all the winds in the world were to come and blow against it, they could not budge it from its place. ( Pirkei Avot  3:22) Rabbi Elisha ben Abuyah said that a person who has learned much Torah and has good deeds is like a horse which has reins. The person who has the first—much Torah, but not the second—good deeds, is like a horse without reins: it soon throws the rider over its head. ( Avot de Rabbi Natan  xxiv, 39a as found in  The Rabbinic Anthology  # 469)

  "A mature person welcomes constructive criticism; he or she puts spiritual growth ahead of ego. One must always understand that whoever offers rebuke is merely a messenger of God sent to make us focus on our shortcomings. Thus, do not reject the criticism of humans for if you do so, you really detest the rebuke of God." ( Pirkei Avos , ArtScroll p.420)  "I doubt whether in this age there is a single person who accepts rebuke." (Talmud, Arakhin) Rabbi Yosi ben Chanina said: “A love without reproof is no love.” Resh Lakish said: “Reproof leads to peace; a peace where there has been no reproof is no peace.” Genesis Rabbah 54:3

  According to the Urban Dictionary, Jewish Time means,   Not perfectly on time; possibly somewhat late, but no harm is done as a result. The implication is that there is no need to be exactly on time, and starting a little late is acceptable.  The term comes from Jewish culture, which is often relaxed about punctuality. Leo Baeck, the early 20 th  century German rabbi, always arrived on time to his lodge meetings, but often at the beginning it was just him and the treasurer.  One day he decided to bring to a vote at the very beginning of the meeting a proposal to provide lots of money for the publication of a new Bible translation by Martin Buber.  Only two of them there, and they voted to approve, and none of the others were ever late again. Rabbi Joshua Hammerman 

  "When a lazybones is told, 'Your teacher is in the city nearby; go and learn Torah from your teacher,' the lazybones replies, 'But I fear there will be a lion on the road.' When the lazybones is told, 'Your teacher is in your township, get up and go to your teacher,' the lazybones replies, 'I fear that the lion may be in the streets.' When the lazybones is told, 'Behold, your teacher is at home,' the lazybones replies, 'If I go to my teacher's home, I am certain to find the door bolted.' Then the lazybones is told, 'But the door is open.' At that point, when the lazybones is at a loss to reply, the lazybones says, 'Whether the door is open or bolted, I want to sleep a bit more.'" ( The Book of Legends Sefer Ha-Aggadah , Bialik and Ravnitzky 429:267)  BARBARA BINDER KADDEN This parable is about getting ahead of one of our worst human  impulses, apathy.

Rachel Naomi Remen says the opposite of slavery is not freedom, it's the unknown. When the Jewish people left Egypt, many of the people were angry at Moses. Because as horrible as it was, it was still all they knew.  What are you enslaved by?  What is your personal Egypt?  What can you do to step out of your comfort zone and achieve personal liberation?

  Here are ten quotes that can help cultivate gratitude each day: "Trade your expectation for appreciation and your world changes instantly." - Tony Robbins "The single greatest thing you can do to change your life right now would be to start being grateful for what you have today."  - Oprah Winfrey "We can complain that rose bushes have thorns or we can rejoice that thorn bushes have roses."  -Abraham Lincoln "Thankfulness has an inner connection with humility. It recognizes that what we are and what we have is due to others and above all, to God."  - Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, z”l "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." Albert Einstein "Acknowledge your gifts and be grateful to the source. Because if you know from whom you are receiving, you can always go back for more."   -Rabbi Noah Weinberg, zt”l "Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty instead of upon your past misfortunes, of whi