A Soulful Journey

Mr. Goldwyn sat forward at his desk and peered over his glasses.  You’re a what?” “I’m a Jew, Mr. Goldwyn, and I can’t work on the high holy days.” “You mean it?  It’s not one of your little jokes?” “No. I’ll do anything in the world for you, Mr. Goldwyn, but I won’t work on Yom Kippur.” “You’re a real Jew?” “Yes, sir.  I converted several months ago.” “You know what it’ll cost me to suspend production for a day?  We can’t change the schedule, it’s too late.  Twenty-five thousand.  Maybe more.” “I just learned today that I’m scheduled to shoot on Yom Kippur, sir.  I came up as soon as I heard.” He threw out his hands. “Sammy –answer me a question. What did I ever do to you?” “Sir, you’ve been wonderful and I feel terrible about the problems I’m causing you.  It’s one day of the year when I won’t work.  I’m sorry.  I really am.” He took off his glasses. “...

… It was taught: In the year in which Shimon HaTzaddik died he foretold his own death. [His students] said to him, `How do you know?’ He replied. `Every Yom Kippur there met me an old man, dressed in white and wrapped in white, who entered with me into the Holy of Holies and left with me; but this year there met me an old man, dressed in black and wrapped in black, who entered with me but did not leave with me’. (Menachot 10) -Rabbi Menachem Creditor

When you are in pain it is hard to imagine someone else in pain. All we can think about is ourself. Yet, the world is not so closed that we are the only ones who feel crushed. Pain is ubiquitous: it is a frequent visitor to us and the rest of creation. “I read a joke in one of the columns that said you were playing golf on Long Island and the pro asked you for your handicap and you told him, “I’m a colored, one-eyed Jew – do you need anything else?” from Yes, I Can, Sammy Davis Jr.

"While I was on my way home one afternoon, a black lady who had been our maid got on. I had been taught that when a lady gets on a bus, you offer your seat. So I gave her mine , but some kids started snickering and whispering as though I had done something really dumb. When I got home, I told this to Mom who was fixing dinner at the long table in the kitchen. She stopped what she was doing, sat me down opposite her in the breakfast nook, and told me that what I'd done was right. Then she said: "You have to understand that you're one of the luckiest people in the world. You were born white, you were born Protestant, and you were born American. That means you'll be spared prejudices that a lot of other people have to put up with. But always remember: You had nothing to do with the fact that you were born that way. It gives you no right to look down on anybody who wasn't. No matter what the other children say, you must never look down on anybody....