A Soulful Journey

“The entire world is not as precious as the day upon which the Song of Songs was given to Israel, for all of the writings are holy and Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies!”    -Rabbi Akiva  (Yadayim 3:6) Woe to the one who looks at this book as simple musings of love.  It is a paean of adoration to the Holy One.

Dear God, help me break My desire to eat too much. Instead, let me eat and drink just enough To be strong and fulfill Your will. May I be worthy of sharing my food with guests, Particularly those who are in need. Protect me always from forbidden foods Since they bring impurity to my soul. Help me fulfill, dear God, the mitzvah Of washing my hands for meals, Which purifies my hands And draws down Your holiness upon me. May I please say the blessings before and after eating With concentration and devotion. Grant me the ability To eat in holiness, As this calms my mind And allows me to be in charge of what I do. Please God, when I eat, Let me have You in my thoughts. And then, through eating, I can reach true understanding . -Between Me and You

"...the right answer is usually more important that the right answer to the wrong question." -Alvin Toffler Words are not just sound waves passing through the air. They are creative powers. Words contain seeds of generation or destruction. They build or they tear down. With a well-chosen word we have the ability to nourish a needy soul. They can become motivated to achieve a noble goal. Think of the kind words people have said to you. Each one was a diamond. It lead to increased inner strength and resiliency. Without their help we would not have been enabled to become what we are today. With a barb aimed at hurting us people have eked away at our potential. Feeling excoriated by their comment we retreated into a protective shell. Perhaps their hurtful words deprived us of a moment of growth which affected our life. Forever. Imagine such power. Every utterance can give birth to great possibilities or can implant a life- long toxicity. It is a human imperative to...