Category — Thoughts to ponder

“Could you believe it? They were thanking G-d that his body washed ashore! If this B…… G-d does exist, why did he let him drown?”

I had just exited a gift shop after a lovely conversation with some old-timers, and was approaching my friend who was deep in conversation with a hippie looking guy in his fifties, who had rented some space in the mall to showcase his ($85,000) pianos.

I casually joined the conversation; the guy introduced himself as an assimilated atheist Jew who did not at all identify with any religion due the fact that they were all…

His language was kind of annoying due its rich mix of high vocabulary English and lowlife street barf, most of which was pointed to G-d.

I had heard enough. Interrupting his ranting I asked him if he knew the meaning of Chutzpa, he said “yes, I sure have a lot of it”.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question with chutzpa?”

He replied, “No problem, with pleasure.”

“Is it possible that the reason and source of your “so called” lack of belief in G-d is primarily emotional and very little intellectual?

“I mean if you truthfully did not believe in a divine power, and that everything just happens without purpose and reason, then you would not be cursing him out as if he were a punk, you would not think of him at all!”

Honestly I was expecting him to remove G-d as his target and now aim all his sophisticated vocabulary at me. Surprisingly he became thoughtful and quiet.

“You know, my brother died when I was six years old, it was very traumatic, and my friend always said that my atheism was born from that experience. So maybe I do…”

“So you’re angry at G-d, and can’t stop thinking of him, you think of him more then I do! You might be a bigger believer then I am…”

His cell phone came to life at that moment, conversation over. I’m sure he thanked G-d for the rescue.

Do something about it:

You believe in G-d, admit it.

I’m sitting and writing this thought, in beautiful sunny Boca Raton Florida , where I am filling in for the local Shliach for the next few weeks. B”H I am really enjoying every minute, for it really is a great learning experience.

Yet although the nature of the article would be expected to be fun, humorous and sunny, being influenced by the climate and atmosphere, it is not of that kind. It’s due to a powerful event I lived through just a few moments ago and can’t seem to get my mind off it, that I feel like sharing with you this powerful, albeit depressing and overwhelming experience.

Today in the Chabad house we hosted a round the table session for the families of the incarcerated, there were psychologists, volunteers from the Aleph institute and over half a dozen family members of those sitting in prison.

Among those sitting around the table was a soon to be 94 year old man, whose son is in prison, for relatively a small amount of time. The reason shall remain private, due the common trust of not relating the stories that were tearfully told at this meeting.

As he finished his tale of woe, he concluded with a statement that shook me and all those present to the core, he said: “I have lived through the holocaust, for four and a half years I was transferred from one camp to another, yet all that was not nearly as hard as my present situation having my son in prison.”

Honestly no words can be written and do justice to the feelings of compassion that poured in our hearts when he delivered his tearful thought.

As I sit before a the computer, thinking to myself why did I have to hear this statement coming from such a broken heart and spirit, what do I as a free kid with endless opportunities walk out with.

I think one of the messages that can be derived, is that we must understand how important it is to live a life of values, of repentance and of spirituality, infusing our lives with purpose and meaning, because at the end of the day the disgrace and self pity of those who have not lived the life of meaning, and those of their loved ones is greater then we can ever imagine.

No Nazi was able to do the old man what a lost and confused young man did to himself. The biggest threat to us as a nation is ourselves, when we lose focus and mix up our values.

I am sorry for the depressing tone of this thought; it’s just that I felt compelled to share this moment with those I know.

Do something about it:

Be something you can be proud of!

Leadership is the ability to get men to do what they don’t want to do and like it.

– Harry S. Truman

***

Life is comprised of many moments. There was the moment life began and the moment we took our first step; the moment we stepped on the school bus for the first time and the moment we graduated from kindergarten.

We finish elementary and move on to high school, get married and have children. These are all moments of which we take note. We herald them as milestones. Yet how many moments that we live through have no significance? How many are just lame, empty or even destructive? For many of us, unfortunately, the majority of moments in our lifetimes would probably fall into the latter category.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, for whom this Tuesday will mark thirteen years since that unforgettable 3rd of Tammuz 1994, teaches the world the power of a moment.

He asked and demanded small seconds and little acts: Teffilin, Shabbat candles, Mezuzah and Matza on Passover. He taught that there is no better time than the present to add light and goodness into this universe; no more auspicious occasion than now to make a 180-degree turn on the course of life. Change your destiny NOW, the Rebbe demanded.

He appreciated the awesomeness of a single second because he appreciated life itself. Life is growth; dead objects don’t grow. Each second is an opportunity to reach for the stars. What was here a mere second ago is now nonrefundable, a loss for all eternity.

The Rebbe never took a vacation – there was simply no time. The Rebbe barely slept – there was just too much to accomplish. Decades after he paid a visit to the first Chabad overnight camp, the Rebbe told one of his students that he was still making up for the lost hours.

One split second was all it took to kill hundreds of thousands with an atom bomb. One instant took down the twin towers. In one minute, a new baby joins the living, and all we have is one fleeting second to say goodbye. With mere choices of words or expressions, relationships are born or terminated - in seconds.

The world began in a moment. Everything begins in a moment. Every moment is a lifetime.

The Rebbe cried: Each moment that we stay in exile is an eternity!

The Rebbe envisioned: Each moment during which Israel talks about concessions for peace will weaken its security.

The Rebbe promised: The moment we will resolve to bring Moshiach, he will come.

And now, the Rebbe pleads with each and every one of us: Use this moment to change the world!

Perhaps this worldview is best expressed by the slogan-turned-song that the Rebbe adopted and encouraged often, with amazing vitality: We Want Moshiach Now!

NOW!

Do something about it:

Catch the moment it will never return!

A religious man sits atop of a roof during a great flood. A man comes by in a boat and says, “Get in! Get in!”

The religious man replies, “No, I have faith in G-d. He will grant me a miracle.”

Soon, the water is up to his waist. Another boat comes by and this guy also tells him to get in. He responds that he has faith in G-d’s kindness. With the water about chest-high, another boat comes to rescue him, but he again turns down the offer because “G-d will grant me a miracle.”

With the water up to his chin, a helicopter throws down a ladder and they tell him to get in. Mumbling, with water in his mouth, he again turns down the offer of help, proclaiming faith in G-d.

He arrives at the gates of heaven with broken faith and cries to G-d:

“I thought You would grand me a miracle; I have been let down!”

G-d softly responds, “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. I sent you three boats and a helicopter….”

***

Did you have any events in your life that you could call a miracle?

Well, first we must define what a miracle is.Many might consider it a miracle for America to win the world cup. Having a government in Israel that finishes its full term would probably enter that category as well. A true declaration of victory in Iraq is certainly a desperate need – for the polls of the president… It would doubtless be a miracle.

The common denominator in all the above scenarios and in all those times we declare phenomena as miracles or pray for one is that these surpass nature. Such a miracle is, by definition, an event that goes against the natural course the world follows.

When an old man lies in open-heart surgery, the stakes are high; his chance for survival is slim. And so we pray for a miracle.

With the score 19-3 in the ninth inning it’s kind of impossible to believe in a comeback, but the diehard fans remain hoping and praying for a miracle.

Yet there is another kind of miracle, one that is often overlooked. For a miracle is nothing more and nothing less than the Hand of G-d at work. Take a moment to reflect on your own life: Have you ever experienced a miracle?

For starters, you were born. That is the greatest miracle – life. Plus, you are able to read this email, meaning that your brain and eyesight are functioning properly. And surely there are those in this selfish world who love you selflessly – the miracle of love.

Search in those tiny encounters, in the cries of a baby, in the roar of a car, in terror attacks averted, in the progress of the sciences.

And if you’re too blinded to see G-d’s Hand in your life, set out to create your own miracle: go beyond your nature by doing a noble act, by making a positive difference in someone else’s life.

Miracles aren’t a thing of the past; they happen daily as millions of people change the world with acts of goodness and kindness. With what do they alter creation if not the power of the Creator?

We have just entered Nissan, the month of miracles. Let us all make the greatest miracle of all and bring Moshiach!

Moshele was a new immigrant to the United States of America ; after much hardship in his native Poland , he had arrived to the country of hope. When he went into immigration office, the official asked him, “Will you support the constitution of the United States ?”
Moshele gets uncomfortable, and he answers, “Well, I will try, but I first I have to find a job to support my family…”
* * *
Most of Jewish history is filled with tales of our ancestors being oppressed by their governments and kings. Starting from Abraham being thrown into the fiery pit as punishment for destroying his father’s idols, down to Egypt, Babylon and Rome , then from France to Spain and Russia to Germany , the list goes on and on and on.
Rarely have we had a government which left us alone, and even then it was for selfish purposes, i.e. the Jewish taxes and loyalty. To be confined to a ghetto and taxed heavily was a blessing for the experienced sufferers – “at least they left our bodies alone…”
In 1776, however, a new country was born, a country which established for posterity in her Declaration of Independence: ” We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Finally, there was a people who appreciated the right of freedom for all humans, and granted it to millions of oppressed immigrants who would join together to build the super power of the free world.
Finally, a people who had the belief, understanding and conviction to declare on their currency the words “In G-d we Trust”. This seemingly simple fact symbolizes how even mundane activities, business and living are permeated with trust in the Almighty.
And five years ago, this pillar of freedom and trust was attacked and tested by the old world, by the few who refuse to acknowledge the freedom that is every creature’s right. In the name of religion and G-d, they caused death and destruction to the country which grants freedom of (not from) religion.
They tested us – but we prevailed. They hurt us – but we recovered, and emerged as a healthier nation than we had been before. They challenged our faith, yet our faith is stronger then ever. They thought that our pride in freedom would diminish, yet they dragged the world into a global war on terror – war for freedom.
I’m proud of my country; it proved itself. Now I look toward my homeland, Israel , hoping that they will learn that same lesson, praying for the day when it will be governed by true and honest individuals who will fight for justice and equality.
Is that ever going to happen? Not in my lifetime, from the way things look. And so I turn to the Almighty and beg: Please, send us Moshiach and usher in a time of true freedom and peace. After almost 5767 years, the time has come!