A Soulful Journey

 In Rabbi Yohanan's old age, grief over his brother-in-law and colleague death caused his "sense to slip away. "  -Baba Metzia 84a Anguish can do that.  It can make us prematurely old, forgetful and confused.  So be kind to yourself and others when death visits.

What to do when we make mistakes: 1. Apologize. 2. Forgive Yourself. 3. Move on. Margaret Mead gave so many addresses that she once became confused.  She gave a a lecture on "Sexual Deviation among Tribal Members in Malaysia" to clergy (she thought she was addressing cultural anthropologists).   -Rev. Duncan King  I hope the clergy learned much that day that they would otherwise never know. I also hope Dr Mead gave herself the gift of personal forgiveness.

We work.   We go to school.   We save for vacations.   We raise our families.   We build homes and empires.   With all this busy activity sometimes we forget what it is all for.   What is our goal in life?   What are we doing all this labor for?   Am I putting emphasis where it belongs?   Or have I gone astray? In Ropshitz, it was customary for the wealthy – whose homes were built at the far end of town – to hire someone to watch over their property at night.   Late one evening, when Rabbi Naftali was taking a walk, he met a watchman on his rounds.   The rabbi asked, “Who are you working for?” After the watchman replied he also asked, “For whom are you working, rabbi?”  The question pierced the heart of the rabbi.   He walked silently beside the watchman for a while and finally asked, “Will you be my servant?” The watchman answered, “I would like to, but first tell me what my duties would be.” “To remind me,” replied...