A Soulful Journey

  An old Hasidic tale:     “When a tailor is awake he is a tailor but when he sleeps he is no longer a tailor.     When a carpenter is awake he is a carpenter but when he sleeps he is no longer a carpenter.     However, though a rabbi is awake is indeed a rabbi, he remains a rabbi even when he sleeps.”

One of the disciples of Rabbi Moshe of Kobryn was asked, "What was most important to your teacher?"  The disciple answered, " Whatever he happened to be doing at the moment."  (Buber)

A former Marine who was studying Aikido.  Despite the fact that Aikido is supposed to be peaceful, this individual was most anxious to test his skills in a combative environment.  He thought he had an opportunity on a Tokyo subway, when a drunk day laborer entered a subway car, hurling insults and curses.  The Marine was about to leap into action, when a little old man called to the laborer from the other side of the car.  “Hey!  Come here and talk to me.”  “Why should I talk to you?” the man replied?  “What have you been drinking?” the elderly man persisted.  “Sake, and it’s none of your goddamn business.” The wise elder persisted, engaging the laborer in conversation.  He shared how much he and his wife loved sitting in their garden at sunset and sharing a little bottle of sake.  “I’m sure you have a lovely wife too,” he said.  The laborer’s eyes teared up- “I don’t got no wife, I don’t got no home, no job, no money, nowhere to...

"The Jew may love God, or he may fight with God, but he may not ignore God."  - Elie Wiesel

A young child returned from school with a picture she had made. She danced into the kitchen to show it to her mother who is busy making dinner.  “Mother, you’ll never guess what!” she said. “Right,” said the mother. “I don’t know what.”  “Mother, you’re not listening.”  “Yes I am,” replied the mother while attending to her pots. “But mother,” said that young child, “You’re not listening with your eyes.”

Dr. Earl Loomis - one of the founders of the Academy of Religion and Mental Health, told a young eight-year-old who sat in a restaurant with his parents.  They said, “Give him a napkin.”  “He’ll take the fries.”  The mother and sister persistently ordered for him.  The waitress ignored them and took the boy's order.  After she left, he said, “Gee mom, she thinks I’m real.”

When he went to bat for the first time Pete Rose remarked: ”If I ever get to the big leagues and I draw a walk, I’m going to run to first hard as I’ve ever run in my life- they’re going to know I’m there.” Everybody needs attention.

In a study of leadership Max DePree tells that “in some South Pacific cultures, a speaker holds a conch shell as a symbol of a temporary position of authority. Leaders must understand who holds the conch - that is, who should be listened to and when.” Learning to listen is an  attribute .  We used to call it courtesy.

One day [William] Wordsworth at a large party leaned forward… at the moment of silence and said: ‘Davy, do you know the reason I published my “White Doe” in quarto?' ’No,’ said Davy, slightly blushing at the attention this awakened. "To express my own opinion of it replied Wordsworth.” Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes Far better is to be praised than to self praise.

Everybody knocks on the door of the rich man craving to be his friend while to the poor man’s door there is silence.   –Talmud, Shabbat 32a Is this how the thirty-six tzaddikim of the world exist?   No one pays them attentions so they live in as virtual unknowns.

David C. Kogan played an active role in the governance of the Rabbinical School at JTS, often mediating between the needs and wants of students and faculty.  Professor Saul Lieberman, although Rector, generally did not attend faculty meetings. One time when Kogan felt that the agenda of a particular faculty meeting dictated that Lieberman's presence would be essential, he went out of his way to invite Lieberman especially to this faculty meeting (and hoped that there wouldn't be too much time-wasting at this particular meeting). Lieberman did cooperate by attending the meeting.  However, much to Kogan’s chagrin, there was more time-wasting than usual.  D.C.Kogan was in a difficult position, as he was indubitably the one responsible for luring Lieberman to this colossal waste of time. As the meeting adjourned, D.C.K. felt that it made sense to be proactive with Lieberman, unpleasant as that might be.   So, instead of trying to s...

A British writer once wrote a satire which characterizes so many people’s attitudes towards their house of worship.   In the Screwtape Letters , he tells this satirical story: The devil sent emissaries to earth.   One of them is charged to keep touch with a certain person and to deliver him safely to hell.   His job is to encourage this man in wrongdoing.   One day Satan’s emissary writes a special-delivery letter to him.   He is failing in his mission.   His charge has joined the church.   The devil wrote back and told him not to worry if he joined the church.   This is what to do.   Every time he comes to services, don’t let him listen to the preaching or the prayers; turn his attention to all the unimportant things.   Let him observe, for example, that the usher is a hypocrite; that the officers are no good; that some people are sleeping; or that the lady in the next pew is wearing a hat that is not becoming. ...