Self-Worth - Are You Worth $20?

The Departure of a Righteous Person Leaves Behind an Impression

Parshat Vayeitze begins by telling us the Yaakov left Be'er Sheva in order to make his journey to Charan. Yaakov was beginning a new phase of his life. He was about to embark on the journey to find a woman whom he could marry. Life had become unpleasant for Yaakov. 

His father Yitzchak had prepared himself to bless his eldest son Eisav. Eisav - of course - had already forfeited his blessings by handing over the rights of the first-born to his younger brother Yaakov many years before this moment! In truth - as Rashi points out, Yaakov was indeed conceived first - much like the concept of placing a ball into a thin container and thereafter placing another one into the same container. The first in - is the last out! Though the first ball placed into the tube is placed first, it actually comes out last. So too, Yaakov was conceived first, and by rights should also have been born first - but due to the rule of FILA - first-in-last-out, Yaakov was born only after his brother Eisav. Yaakov grabs Eisav's heal at birth, because it is in a certain respect his way of trying to hold back Eisav so that he can be born first - as things should have been.

When Eisav grows up - he has no interest - in any case - of any first-born rights. Life as a first-born can be filled with myriads of tests and unwanted useless things! The eldest will be required to serve in the Temple. Doing things wrong there could end up causing a variety of problems for this first-born - with his standing to lose his opportunity to continue living! Of course, the first-born should also take a certain amount of care for his younger siblings too. He should act as the example in life! Eisav wants fun! He wants to hunt. He wants a good deal of "feminine companionship." He wants as much of the physical world as he can have. Yaakov - on the other hand, wants nothing more than to sit and study Torah in the Tents of Torah. He wants to grow close to the Creator of life. He wants to meditate. He wants the quiet of the world - if it is possible! Indeed if only he had been the first born - he would have delighted in reflecting all these values to his younger sibling - so that he could follow in these ways too. But alas - in the end, Eisav was indeed born first.

Many years before this moment of blessing... Eisav returns home from an exhausting hunt to find Yaakov preparing some cooked lentils. It was the mourning period for his grandfather Avraham - who had just died - and as is the custom - Yaakov (the other grandson) was cooking a food item which has no mouth - much like the mourner who too, "lacks a mouth." Eisav was still a young teenager - but certainly old enough to know that what lay in front of him was something meaningful. He was only interested in the actual taste of the food - that it should fill him up and give him enough energy to continue his day filled with adventure - rather than sitting with the rest of the family, mourning the sad passing of their grandfather. Eisav demands his share of the prepared lentils - and Yaakov agrees - provided he sell him the birthright! Eisav has no interest in this "burdensome" birthright - and is really only too happy to let it go.

Years later, when Yitzchak - his father, is about to bless him, Eisav suddenly wakes up, realizing the importance of the blessings from his righteous father. But Rivkah - his mother, overhears a conversation with Yitzchak telling Eisav to find some animals and prepare them for his father so that his father will feel sated, and be able to best bless his eldest son - before he himself dies. Eisav goes off to attend to obeying his father, and fulfilling the Mitzvah of honoring his father. Rivkah - realizing the dangers involved, immediately informs Yaakov that he must prepare himself to receive the blessings. He will need to "trick" his father into thinking that he is his brother - a hairy man! His mother tells him he will need to wear the fur coat of his brother, so that he feels more like him. Yitzchak was of course blind at this time - and had no idea who would be in front of him.

Yaakov enters and though Yitzchak is confused (wondering if indeed it was Eisav in front on him,) he ends up giving the blessings to the younger son Yaakov. Eisav enters the room to find that Yitzchak has already given over the first-born blessings (to his younger brother no-less!) - and breaks down! Eisav plots to kill his brother in revenge - when his father Yitzchak dies (after all, it would certainly not be honourable to kill his brother in his father's lifetime!)

Rivkah is notified about Eisav's plan through Ruach HaKodesh - Divine inspiration - and immediately notifies her son to flee for his life - at least until his brother's anger cools down! She tells him he must get on with his life now - he must go to find a wife for himself from her own brother's family and stay there until Eisav cools down.

So Yaakov left... He left Be'er Sheva and went to Charan! This is how our story unfolds! The Midrash asks - however - why did the Torah need to tell us this?! Surely we already knew that he was in Be'er Sheva - at the very least! It could just as easily have told us that he went to Charan. Why the need to emphasize that he had left Be'er Sheva to go to Charan?!

Indeed, many people involved in merchandise activities would enter and leave the city every day! Here, the Torah makes no mention of these people entering and leaving. Does it really seem relevant to tell us that Yaakov left Be'er Sheva?! Did not anybody else leave? Our verse seems to indicate that it was only Yaakov who made his way out of the city... as if to say that nobody else had done so.

The expression seems to tell us that the entire city felt some sort of feeling as Yaakov left... as if to say - while there was a constant buzz of activity of people moving in and out of the city - it was this particular thing - that was felt by all... Yaakov has left Be'er Sheva!

Rabbi Azaria in the name of Rabbi Yehuda the son of Rabbi Simon said that this comes to teach us that at the time a righteous individual (a Tzadik) stays in a city, he is the city's light(!), he is its beauty(!) and he is its praise(!) - because the light, beauty and praise of the city comes about only through this righteous individual! When this righteous individual leaves the city, its light departs, its beauty departs and its praise departs! This is what the verse was teaching... And Yaakov left from Be'er Sheva... the Tzadik had left!

We see this same pattern occurring later in the book of Ruth. Here we are told that Naomi, the wife of Elimelech (she was the mother-in-law of Ruth the Moadbite who would become the great-grandmother of King David) - that when she left the place of the field of Moav to return to the Land of Israel - as it says that "And she left the place where she had been... to return to the Land of Yehudah," where we had no need to learn where she had left but rather only where she was going to. All reading the story know clearly where she was - and had the verse just told us she returned to the Land of Yehudah - we would surely know she had left the place she had been at! The verse says that "she left," as if her leaving had created an impression as if she had left a place that was sealed - where no person had left before (yet she managed to do it!) Really, however, the verse was telling us something else... It was telling us that the entire city felt that her presence had left - she would be missed - all would know that she had gone... The city would change (and not for the good) with the loss of the righteous individual.

Again Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Simon as well as Rabbi Chanin in the name of Rabbi Shmuel the son of Rabbi Yitzchak teach, "this teaches us that when a Tzadik is in the city... but when the righteous person leaves... so too does its light, its beauty and its praise!" Here however they add - with regards to Naomi, it was quite correct to speak about her leaving. She was indeed the only righteous person to live in that city and then she left (with the city feeling the loss of her presence.) But what of our story when Yaakov left? Here, there was also Yitzchak and Rivkah - still another two righteous individuals. How could it be that Yaakov would be missed when indeed there were at least another two outstanding righteous people still supporting the city with its light, its beauty and its praise?

To this Rabbi Azaria in the name of Rabbi Yehuda the son of Rabbi Simon points out - one cannot compare the merit of one Tzadik who protects a city to the merit of two righteous individuals who protect the city, therefore even though these two righteous individuals still remained behind (i.e. Yitzchak and his wife Rivkah) still, the departure of the one righteous person made an impression.

When the world was created, the holy kabbalist known as the Arizal teaches that G-d constricted Himself in a way that He - so to speak - departed from a particular area (removed from the concept of space and time). It would be in this place of His departure that all the worlds of creation would be built up. How could it be - however, that His departure could occur leaving a void without His presence? The world would not be able to exist if the Creator would remove Himself (so to speak) from a particular place. Since He is present everywhere (albeit hidden), were He to remove Himself - this would be something impossible! So too do we learn here - when G-d departed - the exiting of a righteous individual creates an impression. Here too, G-d merely concealed His presence so to speak. The impression remains, because the force of the righteous continues to have an effect wherever they have been and to wherever they go...

Our lesson takes life much further however with its truest message. We live in a world where we take all for granted. We bump into each other, talk to each other as we wish - and often insult the other thinking little of who they are. Sometimes - however, we wake up when we realise what we have lost... When the righteous "leaves the city" - it is too late... suddenly, it is a time when we realise the impression that the other has made in the world - upon a city, upon us. When a friend or relative departs from our city - or from this very world - we suddenly wake up and see life differently. Now - we realise what we have lost... Things begin to happen as we suddenly realise the greatness of the other, his/her contribution to life - to ourselves. But it is too late. 

We must open our eyes to every person we interact with on a daily basis. We must realise their contribution to life - and to our own lives. We must realise that no matter what they have or no matter what they lack - they too make a contribution to someone's life at some point in time. When they leave the city - when the righteous one (the one who quietly attended to things without anybody really realising what he was doing) leaves the city (or this world), we will feel the impression that has been left behind. There is a part of that person there, though we cannot hold on to the tangibility of who they are any longer. Surely we have the space to now see just who they were, as the impression remains.

But what is more important than feeling impressions left behind - is in feeling the impressions they create upon us now. "Taking for granted..." Let these words never be an expression in our vocabulary. Seeing the other in need - let us be aware that they too provide someone with light, with beauty and with praise, and it is for us to perceive that beauty immediately - so that all will have the chance to continue to shine their lights wherever they are... before it is too late of course... and we are left with nothing more than just a painful impression...

And Yaakov left Be'er Sheva... because when a righteous person leaves a city, then its light departs, its beauty departs... and its praise departs... Eisav - the man of wickedness, has no idea just how much of an effect he had on an entire city. So too, must we be cautious in our plans against others - as we may not realise just how much we may stand to lose. Let us see the light. Let us bring it in, rather than await for it to leave...

Rabbi Eliyahu Shear

Co-Director Chessed Ve'Emet

www.lovingkindness.co

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The Prohibition of Waste (Includes Video Showing the Production of a Strawberry)

The Torah teaches (Deuteronomy 20:19-20), "When you besiege a city for many days to wage war against it to seize it, do not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them, for from it you will eat, and you shall not cut it down; is the tree of the field a man that it should enter the siege before you? Only a tree that you know is not a food tree, it you may destroy and cut down, and build a bulwark against the city that makes war with you, until it is conquered."

Some say one should read the words, "is the tree of the field a man..." as, "for a man is a tree of a field..." The Torah teaches us the importance of not wasting. There is a purpose to all of creation. One may not simply discard something because one wishes to. One should take care of everything. One should definitely not just throw something away that could serve some purpose for something.

In today's times, throwing away food is almost a norm of society. They say that some 40% of all food is simply thrown away. It is for us to learn to appreciate everything available to us, and to value just how much goes into producing whatever it is that we have. We should naturally value another person in the same light as well - leaving behind the attitude of discarding the other when one has had enough of them. This is not a Torah approach by any means.

It's often a good thing to contemplate on the existence of something and how much has happened to it - before one considers simply throwing it away. Think of it.. when eating something as simple as a chocolate yoghurt treat! Have you ever really considered how much goes into it's production? How many people take a part in making sure you'll have it? 

The owners of the farms who own the cows - who look after them. The cows that produce the milk. The workman who see to the milk. The milk which required further workers to pasteurize it. There's the packaging of the milk. The people who produce the containers for the milk. Even the graphic designers who must produce the graphics on the milk carton! Then there are the people who produce the printing equipment to produce the coloured graphics on the containers - and of course the designers of the containers too! Nobody thinks about it.

There are the people who produce the trucks which carry the milk to its destination. The people who learn about fridge design to keep that milk cool. The drivers. The teachers of all these people. The universities and colleges that have been built by architects and builders! 

Then the people who must understand the cocoa bean which will be used as flavoring for the treat! The designers of the containers for the treat! There's the store owner who must see to the delivery - who must see to the packing on his shelves - and manage his entire store. The list goes on - almost literally ad infinitum.

All these people work day and night - to see to it that the 20 second taste is given to us on one particular day! It's amazing how the world works and just how much goes into us being able to enjoy something which we simply hadn't thought twice about - all for the value of a dollar and even less!

Then of course are the people who forget - that ultimately, it is the Creator of the world who provides everything - so that all this can come about. They forget to thank the Creator with a blessing before they eat and afterwards!

This video below provides a sped up view of what goes into producing a strawberry. It is fascinating to watch, and a great lesson for us to appreciate just how much goes into producing just one strawberry - so that we can have something to enjoy on a hot summer's day! Who after watching the video can still think about not valuing something as simple as this - and who can, without any good reason, simply throw away something that has taken so much and so many people to produce?

Enjoy!

  

Be Grateful For What You Have (Video)

Enjoy the video... Something to think about... Powerful!

Helping Another Through Real Empathy - a Lesson From a Vet and a Pit Bull Terrier (Video Included)

It's something we should all be doing. It's something we all say we'd all like to do more of. Really - it's something we need to have! But at the same time, it's something we so often lack the ability to do. We see another hurting - or going through a hard time, and we want to know the best way of helping them. Very often we might even misunderstand what the other is feeling or why we can't seem to get things right in helping them. They seem sheltered and often can't seem to get out of the trouble they find themselves in. What can we do to help? How can we help?

This beautiful and meaningful clip shares a story that we can all internalise and use in practice. It's the story about a pit bull that found herself abandoned. Brought in to Granite Hills Animal Care (see full article here) Dr Andy Mathis did not know what to do with the sick looking animal. Would putting it to sleep be the solution (as so many of us think when we see another in distress too(!)) or could he do something to save the animal's life? After much consideration the doctor thought up a plan! As the animal was not eating, he entered the cage together with her, prepared for himself his own meal in similar looking crockery - and ate together with her. Once she saw him eating, she began to eat as well. It's really a simple story - with not much more needing to be added...

The sick animal is apparently doing much better already and it looks like she will recover from her ordeal.

That's really what empathy is all about. When the other is suffering, it is not enough to offer, to suggest ideas, to even present "practical" alternatives. What it takes - is getting into the cage with the other, truly experiencing what they are going through, and then showing them a way out. In this way, everyone stands to gain. The other will value the kindness, follow on - and succeed, getting out of the rut holding them back from getting on with whatever they should be getting on with. As for the helper - they gain in becoming just that more sensitive, that much more honoured and respected - and no doubt will feel a tremendous sense of joy at helping the other to get well again!

Making a Difference in The Lives of Others - as They Make a Difference in Our Own (Video Included)

Here's a story about life - the one in the video below of course! It's also about hope. We need to learn these important lessons - how we must look out and see the other. So often we just don't care. We have our own preconceived ideas about what the other must be - perhaps just because of the way he looks.

Strange - it's that person - the one who looks so different, who knows best what his true value really is. He's often around sharing it - but usually only to himself, because who else is really interested in listening?! But maybe he has a brother - maybe he is someone's brother - maybe your own! Even if he isn't, he too has a wealth of uniqueness he'd just so much like to give the world - if of course anyone is interested. Most of us go about our day to day's activities barely noticing those who lack. We need to realise how much talent the other may have - if only we give them a chance. Are we willing to?! Would we pay them so that they can actually live - so that they can share their talent? Or are we perhaps saving up for the next in smartphone technology - while the other barely has another person to even talk to... Are we done with purchasing two homes already and investing in the third - while the other must live in the streets - homeless? Do we actually care?!

It's a mixed up world where truly - those who appear to be on the top, may well be on the bottom, and those who look like they are on the bottom, are quite often - well on top! We need to see the soul inside the body. We need to value the other - as we value ourselves - and give them the opportunity to be the person they so much want to. If they need support - then we must do everything we can so that they they can live with us - with the goodness we have in our own lives - wishing for them the same things we wish for ourselves - valuing their money as we do our own... When we do - we will see just how much of difference they will make in our own lives too.

Jewish Parenting - What It Takes To Raise Good Children - Part 2 of 10 - Lubavitch Rebbe Video Clip

The Rebbe shares more about the importance of positive (and correct) parenting in this - "Part 2" of a 10 part series (just two minutes each!) The Rebbe is asked by the director of all of television in Brazil: "What must I do for my children to be good?"

The Rebbe's answer is not surprising...

How to ensure our children are "good children"? A question of paramount importance, and one that each of us asks.Part 2 of a 10 day series on the Rebbe's advice on parenting.5 Av 5751 - 1991
Posted by Daily Video of the Rebbe on Tuesday, 28 July 2015

Great Minds Who Can Prove That G-d Does Not Exist (Includes Video Clip)

 

By ESO (http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1118a/)
[CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The story is told about a great artist who was confronted once by an atheist. He believed the world had no G-d. He believed the world - the universe and the galaxies and all the creatures therein, came about all by themselves. A big bang (by "nature") - maybe. An eternal existence that just existed for all eternity before. He approached the artist one day in discussion about his conclusions of life, highlighting that clearly - the world came into existence just-like-that - spontaneously! There was no real Creator. With this, the artist told the atheist to come back the next day - and he would have an answer to the atheist's assumptions and "findings."

The next day the atheist returned. He entered the artist's main art room to find a splendid painting on his desk. "Who painted this?!" the atheist asked in awe of the stunning image of perfection in front of his eyes. "Oh... it was an accident," the artist replied. "I had my paints on the table, and they opened up and spilled all by themselves onto the canvas! This beautiful image was created from the spill." The atheist laughed! "How can such a thing happen? Not only did the paint bottles open of their own accord and spill, but they even painted this exquisite image! Surely a great artist must have produced this intricate work?!"

The artist replied, "You have answered your own question. If a simple painting which was produced by an ordinary human being could not come have come about by itself - and yet you stand in awe of it, how can it be that an infinite world filled with planets, galaxies, creatures of all kinds, with a brilliance and perfection impossible to understand - come about on their own too?! Surely there must be a Creator?! A Master Artist!"

The story repeats itself in every generation. It's just the characters who change. Even the greatest of minds can see infinity - the exquisiteness of creation. Even they can conceive of infinite creations. Yet, unfortunately for them - there is no Artist. These things have come into existence - much like that beautiful spilled-paint painting - all by themselves.

G-d is so great - that He can even create the greatest of minds who can prove that He does not exist.

The North Wind and The Sun - a Lesson in Kindness (Video Included)

By NASA, ESA [Public domain],

via Wikimedia Commons

If you've heard the story before - listen to it again. If you've never heard it - listen well. It's a beautiful one. The world continues in its usual way with each one "knowing" what's right - and what will make things better. Each one thinking that it is they who are the strongest and who can achieve the most. It's not what life is really all about. The world on land is not like that in the sea - where the larger fish eats the smaller. We are not to learn from those ways of creation. Instead we should learn from those things closest to us here - that we see every day, that teach us the lessons in life we need to internalise every moment.

We look around, and the one thing we receive benefit from every day is the sun. Shining, and giving us light, it is allows those of us who have the privilege of being able to see to view the beauty of life. It's warmth allows us to enjoy living, to enjoy being outdoors. Yet, there are many other "powers" that stand about, each claiming that they are in charge, and it is to them who we must bow down.

The sun knows what's best. It is not an act of violence that repairs the world. It is not an act of power. It is just being there for something or someone, just opening up oneself and allowing the good which one has - that makes all the difference to all who we come into contact with. Kindness will always win. It will always make others happy. Happy with themselves, and happy with the one who has bestowed it upon one. When in doubt - be kind.

Here is that beautiful story of the North Wind and the Sun - by Aesop.

The Other Side of The Story... There is Indeed Always One

Just a few weeks ago, an Ethiopian solider in Israel was involved in an altercation with a police officer. The officer struck the soldier and the entire episode was recorded on video. There's no sound, and nobody really knows what's being said. From our point of view, it is clear that the police officer certainly struck the soldier.

People strike each other every day. Sometimes people do it when they shouldn't, but at other times, they do when it needs to be done. Clearly, one cannot condemn a man defending himself from another and punching him or doing anything necessary to save his life (if need be.) Yet, if a man simply strikes others when he feels like it, he will certainly be in violation of basic societal rules - let alone the abundant transgressions from a Torah point of view.

But what if we see a man striking another and we do not actually know if he did so rightfully or not? How are we to judge and what makes us consider the striker in the wrong without adequate proof? Shortly after this episode took place, the soldier received an apology from the prime minister of Israel. Everyone saw that video and it seemed quite welcome. The media did a terrific job of sharing good values by not judging another for any one particular reason (like the colour of his skin.) It gave the world some reassurance that we are doing things right and we must know the right thing to do...

Are we ready to hear the other side of the story - and could it be valid (or have we perhaps already made up our minds?) Yes, there's no sound, so nobody can tell what's being said. Nobody seems to see the before scene of this either, having no real knowledge why the officer has appeared on the scene and what he might actually have being saying.

But perhaps we have all already made our decision. The public media has already shown who was in the right. We all saw the punches being thrown. But do we know what was actually going on at the scene?

It's something to think about in our daily interaction with others too - especially when we see things from afar - knowing nothing about what has brought the situation to be as it is - and what may have made the other do as they did.

It's a hard lesson and probably takes a life time of work before we can really think straight.

You be the judge. What really did transpire - however? Please - no negative comments about either side. If you have something positive to say, please feel free to share your comments. This post is in no way meant to take sides. It is meant to highlight how we are quick to make judgments, when quite often - there is another side to consider.

Watch the video below. Then read the news article - yes, the other side of the story: Cop at center of racial row: I'd like to tell Netanyahu what really happened

The Bridge of Life (Animated video included)

There was once this story... Someone was out on a life mission - you know, to get somewhere he needed to go. He found himself near a bridge he had to cross, and realised he just wouldn't make it, unless of course he crossed it. I think Rabbi Nachman of Breslov speaks about this bridge of life and never to be afraid of crossing it and all. Rabbi Nachman's story doesn't really tell us the conclusion. While out on his mission, this "someone" finds that as he crosses the bridge - there just so happens to be someone else in the world. Amazingly, he too is off on his mission too! If only Rabbi Nachman had told us that there would be others crossing the bridge too!

So meanwhile - while crossing his own bridge, he comes across the other fellow doing the same thing from the other side. As we know only too well, it's always "us" that's important, after all, would Rabbi Nachman have not told me about the importance of my mission and my bridge to cross if it were not important?! Go figure! The other fellow is a follower of Rabbi Nachman and his beautiful song too, so he seems to think he too has the right of way.

There's a collision. It seems to happen to the best of us. Yes, the entire world is a very narrow bridge, and we should not be afraid to cross it. But let us not forget that there may well also be other traffic - coming from the other side. Let us not forget, that if we're going to make it across with "flying colours," we're going to have to value the other fellow too! When we do, we'll probably both make it across that bridge - safely... and happily... Of course, if we're simply not prepared to value the other... well, we know well what the results will be...

It's a beautiful message - so just think of this animated movie every time you find yourself crossing that bridge - and finding another "in the way." There's always a way of doing things - and everyone stands to gain.

The Beautiful Teeth and The Shark Carcass (Video Included)

A story is told concerning Rabbi Akiva who was once walking with his students. They came across the carcass of a donkey. The donkey had a bad smell - and the students' response was to immediately comment concerning the vile odour emanating from the animal. Rabbi Akiva replied, "But look at how white it's teeth are!"

We live in a world where almost all things have the property of being able to be seen in a good light or a negative one. We can see the good in something we are looking at, or its opposite. The video included below is a fascinating example of the different types of people there are in our world.

Take the shark for instance... It is a predator - an animal that eats other animals and any other meat it finds inside the ocean - for its own sustenance. Who could think well of the shark? Let us not forget the teachings of that Midrash that speak of the Jewish people as they left Egypt. While they crossed the sea to encounter their own freedom, the Egyptians were drowning. Here the Midrash teaches us, the Jewish people began to sing in praise to Hashem for having saved them. But Hashem was not happy. He has created a world and a variety of creatures in it - for His glory. How can one sing and rejoice when G-d's creatures are dying?! For this reason - when it comes to the festival of Pesach, we do not recite the entire Hallel, save for the first day (or two in the diaspora). We may not sing completely when others are suffering. It's a powerful lesson.

It tells us that even when there's a "carcass" - never forget that it may also carry beautiful teeth. It may have done good. It may be good itself. It may still have done even more good - had it continued to live. Hashem has a purpose for all of His creations - though we cannot always understand why. It is also redundant to have to say that it is unnecessary to praise the evil around us. We are not required to gloat over evil. However when something has a Pareve status to it, we must be able to acknowledge and praise it as being a creation of G-d. It may not be killed and murdered or destroyed just because we feel it has some bad element to it. We may not behave cruelly with something just because we cannot feel (sic) it as being a living creation with it's own feelings of life.

In the video we see the difference between the kinds of people there are in the world and we are reminded of the story of Rabbi Akiva and his students. While many people hunt shark for their fins (for soup) and for their meat - going so far as to cruelly kill these creatures, yet others see a mother in front of them with the potential for continuing its own species. It is a life after all. It is a part of G-d's wondrous creation! Is it correct to save the lives of a creature that consumes as the shark does?!

What is clear is that G-d has created this species. It is His desire that it be here and fulfill a particular task in the world. We certainly recall one enormous fish that saved the life of a great prophet - Jonah. Our duty is to look after the world and all its creatures in the best way we can. There will always be bad odours. But when it comes to ourselves, will we choose to smell the odour, or view something beautiful that may once have existed, or perhaps exists even now? Will we choose to destroy because "we are in charge," or will we choose to see good and do good wherever we are and in whatever we do?

What Would You Do?: Assist a Woman to Buy Groceries (Video Included)

She stands in line, ready to make a purchase. She has a family to feed - a baby in need of baby food, diapers and - well, everything a baby needs! She doesn't have the money for it all (let alone to imagine how she will pay her rent and taxes!) What would you do? Would you help?

This beautiful video shows a group of very special people who, when put to the test showed their true colours! Indeed, when one sees someone struggling financially - no matter what - if one is able to assist, the Torah teaches we should go all out for them. Of course, if one can't assist, a man in this video shows us another set of true colours - feeling empathetic rather than shouting out insults is also something special. Both take doing. So next time you're solicited for funds from someone who seems to look quite healthy - but going through hard times, consider this video. 

Remember, there is a Creator over all things who is ultimately putting each one of us through this test - every single day, even when we think we're not being watched. One day, however, the Creator will reveal Himself. Out comes the cameras and one is suddenly aware of the test that one had gone through. There's a "Crew" watching us in every situation just wanting and waiting to see the best sides of ourselves - constantly. Are you showing yours? If you can - help. If you can't - feel the other's pain as if it were your own. It may once have been your own too, that's why it should encourage you to give now - if you can! It's important to feel. And if you've never "been there", pay it forwards to others today - so that you may always be blessed. Life is a wheel that goes around.

Love your Fellow as (You Love) Yourself - Video Clip Included!

Parshat Kedoshim - a Parsha dealing with what it really means to be holy - what it really takes to be holy, includes within it one of the core principles of Judaism. After teaching, "Do not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbour and do not bear a sin on account of him," Leviticus 19:18 teaches, "You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people - and you shall love your fellow as yourself - I am G-d." 

The range of Mussar (/mystical) books available today is overwhelming - from the well known works such as Mesillat Yesharim (Path of the Just by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato,) to Shaarei Kedusha (Gates of Holiness by Rabbi Chaim Vital Chapters 1-2. Chapters 3 and 4 dealing with Divine Inspiration) to Reishit Chochma (The Beginning of Wisdom by Rabbi Eliyahu De Vidas,) there exist every angle of what needs to be done to improve oneself - to become truly holy. Yet Parshat Kedoshim includes it all! 

Rabbi Akiva said that loving another as oneself is a great rule in the Torah. Hillel taught the entire Torah to a convert as he stood on one foot, "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to another," he said. Rules for greatness. Rules for life. How does one do it? Is there a practical example we can learn from?! The Tanya - the Chassidic work discussing the core teachings of Chabad Chassidut, written by Rabbi Schenur Zalman of Liady, teaches in Chapter 32 (Lev - Heart) that one of the most important things is to see the other as a soul. The important thing is not to focus on the other as a body. This is distracting as it causes one to fall for the illusion of the externalities of everything - a veneer that usually masks the true beauty hidden underneath.

When it comes to real love for another, you'll know you have it, when everything of the other is as important to you as your own "everything" is important to you - whether it's money, happiness - or even the other's very own life. That's what real love is. This most beautiful story - told over by the late Rosh Yeshiva of Aish HaTorah, Rabbi Noach Weinberg - is a winner all around. Keep it nearby whenever you feel you need a refresher on what this beautiful Mitzvah of loving another is really all about.

Courtesy of Aish.com

The Princes - You Are a Part of Them

When Moshe Rabbeinu completed erecting the Mishkan (the Tabernacle), the tribes wanted to take part in it in some way. They chose to do so by offering their very own unique offerings. For more on the offerings see Numbers 7:1-88 and the last verse 89 of Parshat Nasso. 

Since it was on the first day of Nissan that the Mishkan was erected and the first offering was offered by the leader of the tribe of Yehuda - Nachshon ben Aminadav, it is brought in Halacha that everybody should recite section in Torah dealing with the offering for the first day then - and thereafter the offerings offered on all the other days until the 12th day when the final offering - offered by the leader of the tribe of Naphtali - Achira ben Einan. An additional day is added for the tribe of Levi on the 13th of Nissan.

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (107:1) states:

כל חודש ניסן אין אומרים תחנון ולא צדוק הדין ואין אומרים צדקתך בשבת במנחה, נוהגין מראש חודש ואילך לקרות בכל יום פרשת הנשיא שהקריב בו ביום, וביום שלשה עשר קורין פרשת בהעלתך עד כן עשה את המנורה שהוא נגד שבטו של לוי

"For the entire month of Nissan, we do not recite Tachanun or Tzidduk HaDin. We don't recite Tzidkatecha on Shabbat at Mincha time. From Rosh Chodesh and onwards, we are accustomed to recite on every day the section of the prince who brought his offering on that particular day. On the 13th day we recite Parshat BeHa'alotecha until 'Ken asa et hamenora' which corresponds to the tribe of Levi."

What is fascinating to note is that each of the offerings from the different tribes is exactly the same! Yet the Torah goes into extremely great depth to highlight the offering they offered! The Torah is not one to include any additional words - and so the inclusion of each particular tribe's offering highlights just how important it was. The Torah could indeed have simply indicated that each prince gave the same offering as the first prince did!

The Torah comes to teach us the value of every person - and even when it appears that he may be doing the same thing as another. Nevertheless because the person is who he is, everything about the way he gives of himself will be highly different from how another gives of himself! In addition - one can never know the true motives behind why another does what they do - and even this is sufficient to make him stand out from the crowd - even when it seems to all watching that he is doing nothing more than what the others are!

Every year, we have the good fortune to be able to recite these verses discussing the offerings, from the first day of Nissan until the 13th day. We have the opportunity to remind ourselves that whatever we do in our Divine service, when we do it for the sake of Hashem - that even if it looks similar (and in fact exactly the same!) as another person's service, it is in fact quite different. We are all princes (princesses)! To Hashem it is valued on an individual level. Each person's service - is just as great as another's - when done with the right motives - even if nobody else knows why it should be valued so highly!

Being Saved - When at the Very Bottom of the Sea (with video clip)

Not everyone experiences life under the sea. Let alone to be stranded there - for days on end with no clothing, no food and no water (save for the sea water of course!) and then be able to miraculously swim back to safety to find air, food, water, clothing and life again! 

Though most will never relate to such an episode - there are indeed many who face this very situation while living on the land itself. They look around them at millions of people who seem to be going about life quite "healthily" - but at the end of each day find themselves with nothing. The situation can become desperate! Those on the outside, watching the "nebach" of society, are often quick to condemn and insult one who has fallen on hard times. Many will share their most knowledgeable opinions about why things have turned out that way for someone. "He didn't work hard," they may say. Or alternatively, "If only he wouldn't be so lazy," is offered as a plausible reason as to his current hard times. Others will offer, "If he would only have studied medicine in university as we told him to..." as the reason for the person's current woes.

But when one is stranded... when one is actually there... all the insults in the world do nothing to alleviate the suffering. Our duty is to help where we can, not to insult - just as much as it is the duty of the doctor to heal (and to do everything possible to heal!) and not to predict bad tidings which may well never happen.

Harrison Okene could well understand those words, because when he found himself on a ship almost a year ago, his fate would take on a similar story. Well qualified in hotel management and catering - he was a chef (though he calls himself merely a cook!) Yet when his ship was toppled over by the powerful seas that fateful day, even his greatest skills at cooking a cuisine of the very best flavours and spices would do nothing to save his life. The ship of which he was a part of the crew, sunk hard with 10 out of the 12 crew losing their lives and another never to be found. He was the lucky one - to survive. It seems, miraculously, an air bubble formed in the particular area of the ship he had escaped to and wearing just his boxer shorts, he remained seated hoping, praying and simply wishing someone would rescue him. What else could he do? Trying to find a job at that location wouldn't offer the assistance he needed then. All those stories about working hard for his living and taking care of himself didn't account for much. Finding himself at rock bottom (literally!) meant all he had left in his life was the hope that another would take care of him.

And so he waited. He ate nothing for three days. Somehow his body dealt with the extreme cold under the sea. What more could he do? Suddenly a hand appeared from nowhere. Miraculously (again!) he noticed it coming through and grabbed it. He could well have been asleep, but miraculously he was awake to see it - and he grabbed it. The rescue team realised there was someone still alive. The rest - as they say - is history.

The team took the greatest of care to save his life. There was no criticism for his having chosen chef-school as his means of earning a living - nor that he had decided to pursue his career on a ship (of all places!) in the dangerous area of the seas. Instead was the care and compassion of a team of people prepared to save someone in trouble - someone who was literally sinking! To save - because that's what needed to be done!

They explained exactly how they would help him - because that's what he needed! They even tied an "umbilical" to him so that they would hold onto him throughout the entire process. (Imagine the kindness of people prepared to construct an artificial cord to one in need today - when most so much want to keep away from assisting the one in need - telling them it's for their own good!) They explained to him what he needed to do. They gave him the oxygen he needed to stay alive while under water. They brought him up to ground level - safely, making sure that decompression was attended to correctly so as not to cause additional problems.

It's amazing what one can learn about how to give charity today - just from a story about a man who found himself sinking on a ship! But it's true - when one learns from all things in life, one can take these lessons seriously enough to realise that saving a (well qualified) man who has sunk in the sea, is really not that much different than saving any person who is struggling in life. That person too is currently helpless, and having reached his particular station in life, can do little more than to sit out and wait for a hand to come through, and pull one up to safety - all the while caring and sharing what will be happening until the other is on level ground again. That's what Tzeddakah - charity - is really all about. It's the one Mitzvah that acknowledges another person's needs and desires - as much as one acknowledges the needs of oneself. No wonder the Torah says - it is in this merit that the final Redemption will be hastened! 

We invite all who value the Mitzvah of Tzedakkah to take part in assisting some very special people who live their lives at rock bottom level on a daily basis to visit our Bayit Chadash Project - and to give them a chance to start life in dignity.

Enjoy the video! The actual rescue starts at about 5:50.

Planting a Seed - For Eternity

It's one of those strange things about life... With all the hustle and bustle of today's times, we're all focused on getting on with our own careers - you know - making whatever we're able to, so that we can take care of ourselves. The Talmud tells us the story of Choni HaMaagel - Choni the Circle-drawer who was not only famous for praying for rain when the town needed it - but was also famous for falling asleep for 70 years to awaken and find the world still carrying on as usual. The only thing that seemed to have changed was a tree that had sprouted up next to him. Some 70 years before he had "scoffed" when he noticed an old man planting a carob tree, knowing it would take some 70 years before any benefit could be had from it. When he asked the old man what in the world he was doing, because surely he wouldn't be alive at that time when real benefit could be had from it, the man answered that he was planting for the next generation - because after all, wasn't it the previous generation who planted for them to enjoy the fruits that they now eat from?!

Though we certainly must focus on ourselves, there's a far deeper message with Choni and even the cartoon above. In most instances, we'll find that much of life brings us what others have already left us. It's the greatness of the father planting a seed with his son and watering it daily that's going to count so many years later for his son. One day, there will be a large tree (with fruit too!) all thanks to the father. But the son will also have learnt a great lesson. He too must add something. Even a tree can have something more added - that will bring even further happiness for even the next generation. That son, may well add a swing for his child and attach it to the tree. I guess his child will enjoy both tree and swing, learn the lesson and find himself being able to add something even further.

It all begins with the intial seed though. It's about seeing to it, that wherever one is, that seed is planted so that the tree will grow somewhere - so that when the time comes, the next generation will have something even better. That's a great lesson a "Dad" can teach his "Son." It's a lesson for us all. We can't always do everything on our own - but with the right "inheritance" and guidance, we'll not only get to enjoy what a previous generation gave to us - but be able to give over something even greater!

Life is Like a Cup of Coffee (Video)

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. 

Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. 

In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. 

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. 

They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. 

Savor the coffee, not the cups! 

The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. 

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

~ Author unknown

Priorities in Life - An Animated Inspirational Story

What are your priorities in life? Take some time to write them down before watching the wonderful video below. Then enjoy these words of wisdom that may help place things in a different perspective!

Rock in the Road - a Video Animation about the Most Important Values in Life

What are your most important values in life? Do you ever stop to really consider what counts? Or perhaps you don't even notice when there's a rock in the road! Others do though...

 
Rock in the Road from SVAD Animation on Vimeo.