A Soulful Journey

There is an old tale about Lady Astor and Winston Churchill who were constantly goading one another.  Seated next to her at a dinner, Churchill asked if she would sleep with him for 10,000 pounds (an astronomical amount of money). She remarked that she would condescend to do that for that fortune. "Would you do it for sixpence?" he then asked. "What kind of woman do you think I am??" she responded indignantly. "We have already established that.  We are merely haggling over the price." At what price can intercity be purchased?  This is the true mark of one's morals.

When Grandpa’s father was in his last illness at the hospital, Grandpa was visiting him and thought to cheer him up by asking him to tell a story of Rabbi Israel Salanter.   Israel Lipkin known as Salanter (1810-1883) was both a student of ethics and an exemplar.   He founded a moral movement based on the study of traditional and ethical literature, and when cholera swept Vilna in 1848, he worked in all the most dangerous relief activities.   When the Day of Atonement fell during the epidemic, he ordered the congregation to partake of food, and he set the example by publicly eating. Grandpa’s father told the following story: Once Rabbi Israel Salanter was in the middle of giving a talk when his favorite student, Rav Isaac walked in.   Salanter said, "Rav Iz’l you’re late,” and then continued with his talk. Shortly after, Grandpa’s father died. The following Shabbas, Grandpa was with Prof. Lieberman and Prof. Ginzberg, and, after talking to them for a while, he ...

An aged tribal leader was facing a rebellion.   Youthful warriors wanted to take over and embarrass the leadership.   They decided to hold a bird before the leader and ask him to say whether it was alive or dead. If he answered “alive” they would squeeze the bid’s neck and show how wrong he was.   If the leader said it was dead they would release the bird to the air and prove he erred. The group came before the leader holding the helpless bird and asked the chief, “Is the bird alive or dead?” He wisely answered, ”The choice is in your hands.” Stories are told to express morals.   Some lessons are clear and universal while others are specific.   This tale is one of the latter.   So, the question comes to the heart to the reader: What does this mean?

"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....