A Soulful Journey

  Said Rabbi   Yehoshua ben Hananiah : "I was traveling, and I met with a child at a crossroads. I asked him, 'which way to the city?' and he answered: 'This way is short and long, and this way is long and short.' "I took the 'short and long' way. I soon reached the city but found my approach obstructed by gardens and orchards. So I retraced my steps and said to the child: 'My son, did you not tell me that this is the short way?'  Answered the child: 'Did I not tell you that it is also long?'"     - Talmud , Eruvin 53b There are many shortcuts in life but often they do not lead to the place we wish to go.  Only with time, effort and study can we achieve the heights we dream of.  

Once Mohammed Ali was about to take off on an airplane flight when one of the stewardesses reminded him to fasten his seat belt.  He replied brashly, “Superman don’t need no seat belt.”  The stewardess quickly replied, “Superman don’t need no airplane, either!”  Ali fastened his seat belt. Life is like that too.  It always makes sense to fasten your seat belt whether driving, flying, playing sports, talking with neighbors, engaging in business... We have little control over life, certainly much less than we think.

“Napoleon himself supposedly took the precaution of having diamonds sewn into the lining of his overcoat before riding off to the battle of Waterloo.” –Newsweek 6/1982 A realist?  Or optimist?  Perhaps the  answer is an indication of who we are.