A Soulful Journey

A woman soldier who was stationed in Afghanistan saw an Afghan woman, dressed very modestly with a scarf, walking to the marketplace with her husband. The woman made a point of walking five paces behind her husband. Then when the couple walked back from the market, again, she remained always five paces behind her husband. The soldier could not understand, and finally, through a translator, she went to speak with the woman. The soldier said “Don’t you know that the Taliban are no longer in power?” “I know that” said the woman. “Don’t you know that you are no longer required to walk five paces behind your husband?” “I know that” said the woman. “Don’t you know that men and women are treated equally in the new Afghanistan?” “I know that” said the woman. “So why do you insist on walking five paces behind your husband?” The Afghan woman looked at her and said: “Very simple. Land mines.”  - Rabbi Mark Zimmerman

A story tells of a conductor making his way down the train collecting tickets.  He came to  a couple of Hasidim.  They looked up and asked, "Why don't you ask the people in the engine cab for their tickets?" "They are driving the train," answered the surprised conductor. "So are we," said the Hasidim .  -Herbert Weiner When "God is with me, I will not fear."

"I am inferior to any man whose rights I trample underfoot." -Horace Greeley As timeless as Torah are Horace Greeley's words.  Too bad he is less famous for this statement than for "Go west, young man, go west."