A Soulful Journey

When Abraham passed from this world he was eulogized, “Woe to the ship that has lost its captain.”    (Talmud, Baba Batra 91b) Yet, he is not gone if we continue to learn from his ways, study the Torah and grow.  Then the ship, our ship, will always have its captain.

A professor was invited to speak at a military base and was met by an unforgettable solider named Ralph.  As they headed toward the baggage-claim area.  Ralph kept disappearing: once to help an older woman with her suitcase; once to lift two toddlers so that they could see Santa Claus; and again to give someone directions.  Each time he came back. "Where did you learn to live like that?" the professor asked. "During the war," said Ralph.  Then he told the professor about Vietnam.  His job was to clear minefields, and he saw friends meet untimely ends, one after another before his eyes. "I learned to live between steps," he said.  "I never knew whether the next one would be my last, so I had to get everything I could out of that moment between picking up my foot and putting it down again.  Every step felt like a whole world."  -Barbara Brown Taylor Make this day count.

“The Bible is a great record of human loneliness.”    - Thomas Wolfe A  leader is a groundbreaker, someone who acts out of "the norm."  They say and do things no one else has done.  That leadership invariably brings great loneliness.   And yet history records them as heroes.

A man goes to the pet shop to buy a parrot. “We have three,” says the clerk. “This blue one speaks four languages and costs $1000. The red parrot knows six languages and cost $2000. The orange one over there costs $3000, but doesn't talk at all.” “$3,000?!” Exclaimed the man. “How come so much?” “Well,” the clerk goes on.  “We don’t know what he does but the other two call him ‘boss’.”

“Life is like a dog sled team. If you ain’t the lead dog, the scenery never changes.”  – Lewis Gizzard There are many reasons people choose to be leaders.

Rabbi Yitzhak said, “A community leader must not be appointed unless the community has been consulted.”  -Berakhot 55a

A head of a tribe has realized that the end of his reign is approaching.   In need of a successor he summoned his three sons.   “Each of you,” he began, “Bring me an object of great value.   The one who returns with the best gift will get my blessing and the mantle of leadership.” The first son returned with a beautiful flower radiating vibrant color. The second son came back with gleaming stones. The third returned empty-handed.   He said, “I come back with a vision of a place.   It is near a river with many fish.   The land is green and fertile.   It is ripe for living,” The father gave him title to the last son because he had the vision to lead his people. This what our world needs more; people who can see what others cannot.   Everyone has this potential.   Everyone.

"After delivering a guilty man to the Roman authorities Elijah the prophet stopped visiting Rabbi Joshua ben Levi. Much later prophet came to see the Rabbi. The rabbi asked why the prophet had stopped coming. The rabbi continued and said, the man he turned over to the Romans was guilty. What did I do that was wrong? Elijah answered and said, the man was guilty but it wasn't the job of a rabbi to turn him over to the authorities."   - Aaron Kriegel    There are some words and actions a leader should not say or do.  

"Leadership means never letting them see you sweat"!!   - Ed Friedman

"Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would  be affected by it." —      MARIAN ANDERSON

A person never gets his head above the crowd unless he is willing to stick his neck out.    —       Benjamin  Disraeli

"It may get me crucified, I may even die. But I want it said even if I die in the struggle that, “He died to make men free".”  —      MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.