A Soulful Journey

                                Balance   Everything is delicately balanced.  One life supports another.  Tiny fish at once feed upon smaller fish and are fed upon by larger ones.  Like a perfectly calibrated piece of machinery all that exists thrums with predictability.   Night comes to cool the heated earth.  Daylight brings warmth to the fertile ground.  Death makes room for new life.  Everything that exists is in relation to everything else. Is this why God insists that we be good guardians?  Why we have so many commandments to care for one another?  If we do not care for each other the balance will become upset. The Kelmer Maggid was in the midst of delivering a powerful oration.  He shouted out, “Listen. my rich friends! ...

 "I am convinced that the only hell which exists is the inability to love."   Fydor Dostoyevsky

Reb Chaim Wolozinger's brother Reb Zalman was a great school and genius.  Friday afternoon, while he was in the bathhouse, someone stole his shirt.  Reb Zalman murmured not one word about it, dressed and went home. "Where is your shirt?" his wife asked in surprise. "Oh, someone just made an exchange with me," Reb Zalman replied. "Then where is other man's shirt?" she demanded. "The other person," Reb Zalman smiled, "forgot to leave his." What a great gift it is to ourselves to learn to let go.

Max and Irving went fishing on an overcast afternoon. About two hours into their expedition a fierce storm developed. Their small rowboat tossed and tossed and finally flipped over into the middle of the lake. Max, a strong swimmer, called to save Irving, but to no avail. Irving did not respond to any plea and unfortunately drowned. Max swam to shore to break the terrible news to Irving’s poor wife.  “What happened?” she screamed. “Tell me the whole story!”  Max recounted the entire episode in full detail.  “But what did you do to try to save my Irving?” she shrieked.  Max explained once again. “I kept screaming to your husband, ‘Irving, give me your hand — give me your hand — give me your hand!  But Irving just gave me a blank stare and drifted away.”  “You fool!” shouted the widow.  “You said the wrong thing.  You should have said, ‘take my hand.’  Irving never gave anything to anybody!”   -Rabbi Arthur Lavinsky Life is no...

The story is told about a rabbi who came home from shule one Shabbat, and his wife asked him: what did you speak about today? He said: I spoke about how the rich should give tsedaka to the poor. She said: how did the sermon go over? He said: I persuaded half the congregation. She said: Really? Which half? He said: the poor. Rabbi Jack Reimer

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.   It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”   -Arthur Ashe Give.  Do.  Today.

Make us worthy, Lord To serve our fellow men Throughout the world who live and die In poverty and hunger Give them through our hands This day their daily bread, And by our understanding love Give peace and joy. -Mother Theresa of Calcutta

When God created the world He also created insects.   Each species found for itself tasks from which to derive benefit and satisfaction.   The bees were the only species that expressed a desire to serve humanity.   They were not solely concerned with their personal interests.   A thundering Voice then pierced the universe: “Those insects that seek to satisfy their own interests while remaining unconcerned about the welfare of others shall live in the dust and eat the detritus of others.   The unselfish bees, however, shall nourish themselves in the nectar of flowers and give to humanity providing them with sweetness and honey. Moral: So it is among people, there are those who serve and those who serve only themselves.

"There are those who do not inherit yet give.   There are those who inherit and do not give.   There are those who do not inherit and do not give.   There are those who inherit and give." - Baba Kamma These are four types of character.  Which are you?

Reb Israel Mayer, the Hafetz Hayim, lived in poverty before he became renowned.   When people became aware of his poverty they offered money but Reb Israel refused.   One day Reb Israel’s mother asked him, “My son, you see how poor we are.   We do not have a slice of bread in the house.   When people want to help why do you refuse?” “Mother, don’t you realize that people want to give money only because I refuse?   As soon as I accept they will not want to give.” An important lesson about tzedaka: One cannot give unless there is someone to receive.   Both are necessary and we must never be dissuaded from doing the right thing.