A Soulful Journey

  Rabbi Levi Yitschak of Berdichev stood before the Holy Ark of the great day, Yom Kippur.  He cried out, “Lord, You forbade us to write anything on the Holy Days.  The only exception is to save a life.  Therefore, O Master, even You are bound by the Law of not writing – except to save us by inscribing our names in the Book of Life.” Life often seems like a contest to see who gets the prize for longevity, or amasses the most money, who becomes the most prolific writer, or any number of infinite things when we measure ourselves against other people.   “If someone loses, we win” goes the general attitude. A religious mindset is one that does not pit us against one another but one that cheers on our neighbor.  We root for other to cross the finish line alongside us.  Life is not a contest of “us versus them” but a journey where when one succeeds we all do better.

One unknown authored penned: To laugh is to risk appearing fool To weep is to risk appearing sentimental To reach out is to risk involvement  To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self  To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their love  To love is to risk not being loved in return  To live is to risk dying  To hope is to risk despair  To try is to risk failure  But the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing the one who risks nothing has nothing - and finally is nothing  He may avoid sufferings and sorrow but he singly cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love  Chained up by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited freedom  Only one who risks is free

“…he once engaged an innkeeper in a bitter argument over the price charged for his room. The difference between what he had been told and what he was being charged was less than a shilling….once he had won the argument, Hitchcock summoned up by huge quantity of expensive champagne for everyone and cast and crew.”   from "The Life of Alfred Hitchcock" Sometimes, for some people, it is not about the amount but the victory of being correct.  

A fictional story is told of a bird during the days of creation. This particular bird was created without wings and when it looked around at other birds soaring in the heavens it implored the Creator to allow it to fly. That night, whilst the bird was asleep, G–d affixedwings to its body. When the bird awoke and saw two new appendages to its body it said to G–d, “G–d, I asked you to make me fly, not to make me heavier.” G–d replied, “little bird, just flap them and you will see that you will fly.” The restrictions often seem like extra baggage but once we utilize them, they allow us to fly and soar into new heights. - Nissan Dubov

The teakettle puffed out its chest and boasted: "All pots have such pungent odors.  They reek of things that have been cooked in them.  Only we teakettles are odorless, pure." An old pot sent flying a sizzling droplet of the kettle's head and retorted, "See how he tilts his crooked nose.  What else can he do, this hero, but spout empty steam?  Yes, you have no odor because you are tasteless  - you boil nothing but plain water." Moral: To be faultless signifies little.