A Soulful Journey

“Some maladies are rich and precious and only to be acquired by the right of inheritance or purchased by gold.”   -Nathaniel Hawthorne In the Talmud one rabbi asked his colleague when the latter was ailing, “Is your suffering meaningful to you?”   I do not know anyone who wished on themselves sickness.   Y et, if illness comes, it ought to come with a great gift of learning something so powerful it could only be taught from our suffering.  It should change us.

When Grandpa’s father was in his last illness at the hospital, Grandpa was visiting him and thought to cheer him up by asking him to tell a story of Rabbi Israel Salanter.   Israel Lipkin known as Salanter (1810-1883) was both a student of ethics and an exemplar.   He founded a moral movement based on the study of traditional and ethical literature, and when cholera swept Vilna in 1848, he worked in all the most dangerous relief activities.   When the Day of Atonement fell during the epidemic, he ordered the congregation to partake of food, and he set the example by publicly eating. Grandpa’s father told the following story: Once Rabbi Israel Salanter was in the middle of giving a talk when his favorite student, Rav Isaac walked in.   Salanter said, "Rav Iz’l you’re late,” and then continued with his talk. Shortly after, Grandpa’s father died. The following Shabbas, Grandpa was with Prof. Lieberman and Prof. Ginzberg, and, after talking to them for a while, he ...

Two men were walking don the street when it began to rain.   One, who was fortunate to have an umbrella, opened it but it was riddled with holes.   His companion asked, “Why did you bring that umbrella?” He replied, “I did not know it was going to rain.” It is an oddity of life that people are least prepared for what they ought to expect.   For example when we say the same thing to the same person that got them angry twice before we ought too know better.   When we get a ticket for speeding more than once there should be a lesson learned.   When we treat our loved one in a disparaging manner and   they   emotionally withdraw shouldn’t we learn?

“How to catch a knuckleball: Use a big glove and a pair of rosary beads.   Or else take Bob Uecker’s advice: ‘Wait ‘til it stops tolling, then pick it up’.” It is good to be wise and avoid pain when we can.  Yet, when we cannot, the best thing we can do is extract the lesson that can be learned from the experience.

An aged tribal leader was facing a rebellion.   Youthful warriors wanted to take over and embarrass the leadership.   They decided to hold a bird before the leader and ask him to say whether it was alive or dead. If he answered “alive” they would squeeze the bid’s neck and show how wrong he was.   If the leader said it was dead they would release the bird to the air and prove he erred. The group came before the leader holding the helpless bird and asked the chief, “Is the bird alive or dead?” He wisely answered, ”The choice is in your hands.” Stories are told to express morals.   Some lessons are clear and universal while others are specific.   This tale is one of the latter.   So, the question comes to the heart to the reader: What does this mean?