A Soulful Journey

A chicken and a pig are strolling along the street. They see a deli with a sign - "Scrambled Eggs and Ham." The cow says to the pig: "Let's go in and have a bite." Pig replies:  "No, no.  From you they just require a contribution, from me they require a total commitment." ...and sometimes that is precisely what is required.  Half measures do not always work.

Three sons of a Yiddishe Mama left their homeland, went abroad and prospered.   They discussed the gifts they were able to give their old mother. Avraham, the first son, said: "I built a big house for our mother." Moishe, the second son, said: "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver." David, the youngest son, said: "You remember how our mother enjoys reading the  bible. Now she can't see very well. I sent her a remarkable parrot that  recites the whole bible,... took the greatest rabbis 12 years to teach him -- Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot recites it." Soon thereafter, a letter of thanks came from their mother. "Avraham," she said, "The house you built is so huge.  I live only in one room, but I have to clean the whole house!" "Moishe," she said, I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home so  I rarely use the Mercedes. And that driver has shpilkas...

Times have changed.   The concerns we used to have are not the concerns of today.   Yet, perhaps there is more reason to be concerned than before…. “By the time a chicken comes to the kitchen it has already been supervised and certified as kosher.   My father was asked why there were so many questions about chickens in the old days and so few now.   His answer:   “In the old country, the people were healthy and the chickens were sick.   In this country, the chickens are all healthy and the people are sick”.”   -Rabbi Jacob Chinitz