A Soulful Journey

There are many facets to life. We can be humble or arrogant; indignant or accepting; full of love or bitterness.   We always have a choice of how to accept the life come to us. Moses Mendelssohn worked as a bookkeeper for a very wealthy ignorant merchant in Berlin. “God is not just, a friend once remarked to Mendelssohn. “You, who are so educated and intelligent, are employed by such a rich man who is an ignoramus!” “No,” responded the philosopher.   “God is just.   Since I am educated and a bookkeeper I can always earn a living.   But what would my employer, poor soul, do if he were not wealthy.” When choosing your path, choose wisely.

Much can be learned from humor. Much truth. “Charity is when you bake cookies for the shul bazaar. Compassion is when you buy them back.” - Anonymous Live life practicing charity with compassion.

“Not long after Barbara Longworth moved her house in the Algiers Point section of New Orleans, she notices a boy and girl, both about ten, tearing flowers off their stems in her neighbor’s year. "Longworth’s neighborhood is like many others in New Orleans – full of charm, but threatened by drugs and crime, and scarred by boarded-up buildings and abandoned cars.   It has lots of children but little for them to do. “Stop that!” she yelled at the youngsters again and again, but to no avail.   Did they know how long it takes a flower to grow?   Had they ever planted a garden?   She asked.   No. "So Longworth bought plants.   She gave one to Frank and one to Lisa, their very own to take care of.   And they came every day to tend them and help in the garden.   In their garden. That was the beginning. "Now she has irises, gardenias, periwinkle and Mexican heather where she used to have nothing but weeds.   The children unearthed an old brick side...

A teacher visited a father to talk about his child. “I am not a novice,” the teacher began. “I’ve been at this profession for twenty-five years.” “You don’t look it.” "What do you mean?” the teacher asked. “You look healthy. Among Jews it is a known fact that after teaching for a few years brings on a weak heart or TB.” One of the most unfortunate things is life is when those who educate are under-appreciated. According to Torah and the great Sages of the past, teachers are to be revered on a par with parents! Even today it is customary to stand when a teacher enters into a room at yeshiva.

“ Hello, Abie? How’s business?” “Rotten. Every day I keep my shop open I am losing money.” “Well, why don’t you close it?” “What!! Close the shop? And what shall I live on?” - Friday Night Book Focus on what is real, what is most important. Then all those ancillary bug-a-boos will recede into the background, where they belong.

An old banker was very ill. The doctor was taking his temperature. “Ninety nine point nine,” he said looking at the thermometer. “When it reaches a hundred, sell!” murmured the old man weakly. -Friday Night Book Habits are ingrained. It takes great effort to not react as we have in the past. It takes steely courage to respond in a way that is out of character. Yet, if we do not attempt the change we will forever be trapped by the words and actions of the past.

A wealthy business man sent his servant to Leipzig twice each year to purchase merchandise on credit. Each time the servant purchased new stock on credit, he paid up the old debt. One day the merchant devised a scheme to go into bankruptcy. “When you go to Leipzig this time,” he told the servant, “try to buy a lot of merchandise. You will not need any money because I’ve paid enough already.” The servant was not pleased. He said, “But the dealers will not want to sell without cash.” “Do as I tell you!” the merchant shouted. The servant, having no alternative, went to Leipzig and said, “My master has instructed me to purchase a lot of stock on credit. When I told him that I doubted whether you would trust him for so much money, he told me to hold my tongue.” The dealer immediately understood and did not give him any merchandise. Moral: We may feel at times that we are stuck but we can always find a way to be honest.