A Soulful Journey

Onkelos was a convert to Judaism.  The Roman authorities were particularly angry, as Onkelos was a member of the royal house.  When troops came to arrest him. Onkelos spoke to them passionately about his devotion to Judaism and of it power and greatness. They were so moved that they too decided to convert.  Group after group was sent to him, each with the same result.  Finally, the emperor indicated that no more soldiers were allowed to speak with Onkelos.  On his way out, Onkelos kissed the mezzuzah attached to his doorpost and said, “Generals protect the king within the palace but God protects us from without." Check your home today.

The emperor sent a beautiful gem. Shmuel, wanting to send something in return, sent a mezuzah. The king was enraged. "I send you a priceless gem and you send me a worthless piece of parchment?!" "You do not understand," said Shmuel. "You sent me something that I must watch over and protect.  I sent you something that will protect you."

"They'll have to shoot me first to take my gun.  I wouldn't feel safe if I didn't have a gun in my house." -Roy Rogers Maybe we can be safe by practicing peace.

In the middle of the last century, a leading European rabbi, the Brisker Rav, told his congregants on Kol Nidre night to bring money the next morning.   As you can imagine, the congregants were dumbfounded but trusting their rabbi absolutely, they came his money to synagogue Yom Kippur day.  He explained to them that, “I asked you to violate the sanctity of the holiest day of the year because I received word before Kol Nidre that a socialist, Bundist, was going to be shot this afternoon unless we come up with a ransom.”  Many in the congregation angry that they were asked to violate the sanctity of Yom Kippur for a non-observant Jew who stood against everything they believed.  But the rabbi said to them, "Doesn’t the Torah demand that we love our neighbor as yourself?  He’s a Jew.” What does this story say to us at this moment?

A little girl and her father were crossing a flimsy bridge. The father was scared so he asked his little daughter: "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand." "What's the difference?" asked the puzzled father. "There is a big difference," replied the little girl. "Dad, if I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But, if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let go." Dear Heavenly Father, never let us go.

A King had entrusted his two sons with caring for a priceless diamond and its ownership.  When He saw that the diamond was being mistreated and came to be harmed, He cut the diamond in two and entrusted one half to each son, praying that they would both see the imperfections in having split the priceless jewel. During the nineteen years, the older son attempted to perform teshuvah shlayma and recognized that the priceless jewel could be restored to its former glory...but that it would require his younger brother to be willing to share in the unification of the diamond.  The other brother refused and even threatened to harm his brother's half.  The younger son could not be appeased. The first born son fearing for his life and wanting to protect both his possession and his brother's as it was their priceless inheritance from their Father, defended himself and eventually overpowered his brother and against his younger brother's wishes took his brother's half and...

The phone rings in a Russian apartment block where several Jewish families live. “Hello, can I speak to Moishe?” “There’s no one here by that name.” “I’m sorry, can I speak to Misha?” (a common peasant Russian name) “Moishe! It’s for you.” If you do not speak up for your family, who will?

A Jew and a Christian Scientists shared a hospital room and a terrible leg disease.   Both were treated by the same doctor who came in frequently to examine each man’s leg. When the doctor looked at the Christian Scientist’s leg the man would scream in agony.   When the Jew’s leg was touched, he would grit his teeth but utter no sound. After a few days the Christian Scientist turned to the Jew.   “”I’m the Christian Scientist who has been taught since early childhood to ignore pain and suffering.   Yet, I cannot bear to be touched.   How can you make no sound?” “Shmegegee!” replied the Jew. “Do you think I show him the bad leg?”    -Michael Brooks

"Of all the tasks of government the most basic is to protect its citizens against violence." -John Foster Dulles While we may get caught up in arguing about what is most vital in America today, Dulles' statement reminds us of our core value.

The overseers of the Brisker Synagogue decided to discharge the shammes, sexton.   They asked the rabbi, Reb Yoshe Ber, to break the news to him.   Reb Yoshe Ber refused. “Why won’t you do it?” the overseers questioned.   “You are the rabbi.   And he is your shammes!” Reb Yoshe Ber answered, “You recite every morning the passage where God ordered Abraham our Father to bring his son Isaac to the altar as a sacrifice.   That command God gave himself.   But when He told him to hold back his hand and not strike his son, God spoke through an angel.   Why didn’t God send an angel to speak at the beginning?   Because an angel would have said, ‘If you want to kill a Jew, do it yourself’.” Lesson? We need to protect one another.

Just ahead of me in line at the movies theater was a woman with a cellular phone glued to her ear, arguing with the ticket vendor.  "That movie can't be sold out!" she shouted.  "I'm talking to my boyfriend who's sitting in the theater, and he says there's two empty seats next to him.  One ticket, please!" She got her ticket.  - Reader's Digest Sometimes you have to speak out for yourself.  Most times, no one else will. Same goes for God.  He wants to hear even our disappointments.