Showing posts with label Enlightenment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Enlightenment. Show all posts
January 4, 2024
June 18, 2023
Looking Beyond the Superficial
We are all much more than our physical manifestations in this world, and looks can definitely be deceiving. The most important thing in dealing with ourselves and others is to look beyond the superficial and see each person for who they really are, and G-d’s holy spirit has an outsized role in realizing the potential of who we can be.
(Credit Photo: Activedia via https://pixabay.com/photos/spiritualism-awakening-meditation-4552237/)
November 20, 2022
Mutual and Eternal Love
Please see my new poem in The Times of Israel called "Mutual and Eternal Love."
Like Abraham, we are tested to do "what is right and just," and history is our witness.
For "we are dust and will return to dust," but our souls will rise to heaven and be reunited with our everlasting, loving Father.
(Also, please remember to listen to the Jewish music video as you read the poetry.)
October 3, 2022
March 27, 2021
In The Hands of Heaven
From Passover, we learn the Egyptians didn’t earn the riches, but built their wealth on the backs of the starving people of the world and of course that includes their Israelite slaves. As the Egyptians gloated on their arrogance, power and wealth, eventually the Master of the World showed them who is really boss. All the money, materialism, fancy titles, and honors are all just fleeting. In Hashem resides the glory and He has the say over who gets what and when.G-d can redeem 600,000 men, women and children, and a large mixed multitude of people with them and very many flocks and cattle in the Exodus and to Him, it’s just another day on the throne of Heaven. In our own times, we have experienced a miraculous redemption from the death camps of Europe, and have returned like the Israelites to the Promised Land of Israel. G-d decides then and now what the plan is and how it unfolds, and everything we have is by G-d’s grace, and these are Seder lessons worthy of celebrating.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 29, 2020
Buddha Happy
This was a great big Buddha by the cashier in the vegetarian restaurant.
He is, so to say, "fat and happy" (come on you can't miss that belly)!
I think that's the message the eatery is trying to get across.
The only problem is that fat does not make happy; it just makes you want to lose weight.
Then again, no really hungry person was ever that happy either. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 29, 2020
Mastering Cheerfulness
During Covid-19, it is easy to get down about all the people getting sick (many dying) and for the rest of us the intense feelings of isolation. However, during this time (and particularly this week of Thanksgiving), I am learning the importance of staying positive and appreciating all G-d’s blessings that we do have. More broadly, I am coming to understand that inside a person, G-d exists amidst love, kindness and cheerfulness: these are elements that nourish the flame of our soul and wherein G-d happily coexists with us. It makes a lot of sense that when we are angry, jealous, or sad, the holy Shechinah (presence of G-d) cannot fully reside inside us. Because G-d Himself is gracious, kind, and loving and created us from this, so His spirit within us (our soul) flourishes amidst these feelings, but diminishes within us like a flame without oxygen when we distance ourselves emotionally and spiritually.
Just like one candlelight extinguishes the darkness around it, so also the light that we nurture within ourselves can extinguish the darkness that we occasionally feel inside.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 20, 2020
Modeh Ani - Thank you G-d
Beautiful song after the prayer, Modeh Ani that Jews say every morning immediately when we wake up.
I give thanks to You, living and eternal King for you have restored my soul within me with mercy; Your faithfulness is great.
Thank you G-d for everything you do for us.
Your mercy endures forever!
As Sholom Aleichem say: we should not know the taste of hunger. ;-)
(Credit Video: Omer Adam עומר אדם)
November 8, 2020
From Creation to the End of Times
As Jews, we travel through history to our destiny along an arc of birth, growth, decline and the learning from our mistakes, to ultimately the fulfillment of our divine mission for world enlightenment. Jewish history can be broken down in a couple of amazing ways: first by every two millennium from creation forward, and second, starting with Abraham, in 400-500 year increments.
We have an incredible history that takes us along a clear trajectory from our founding of monotheism and special relationship with G-d as His "chosen" in the receiving the Torah and its transmission, to our many weaknesses and failures in going astray from our mission, and ultimately to our redemption and achievement of G-d's purpose for us in bringing his teachings and glory to all the world.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 1, 2020
Beautiful Japanese Pagoda
Beautiful integration of stone into natural surroundings.
Centered, self-reflection, mindfulness, enlightenment, peace.
You can see this at Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden in Delray Beach, Florida.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 27, 2020
Rope Light
May 12, 2020
Anger, Faith, and Growth
We live in an unpredictable world and I have made more than one bad decision recently. Fortunately, it was nothing too terrible, but I was still angry about it, and my gut reaction was to somehow blame G-d, and to feel angry at Him, because I thought somehow I didn't deserve what had happened. However, I asked myself how can you be angry at G-d if you believe that everything he does is for your ultimate good? It took me a little time, but I realized that I wasn't really angry at G-d, but at myself; It was my fault, I did deserve what happened, and my mistakes aren't G-d's.
Maybe this is what life is really all about--searching and finding G-d even among all the multitude of mistakes we make in life. We have to own our mistakes, learn from them, and thereby become stronger and better people.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 3, 2020
We Impact Each Other's Souls
And I rarely write twice on a book or movie, but this was so impactful.
First on our souls, Sharansky writes:
The law of attraction, interconnection, and interdependence of human souls...there is a universal gravitational pull of souls, of the bond between them and influence of one soul on the other.
Wow, Sharansky understood the deeper meaning of the soul and how they all emanate and are pieces from G-d and they are all connected to their source and each other, and what one person says or does impacts all the others (and thereby G-d himself).
Literally, I experienced this the other day...when I personally made amends on something I felt that I had done wrong, and I could literally feel somehow righting a wrong in the universe and G-d, Himself, smiling down on me.
It was the best feeling I think I have ever had in my life.
Second on fear, Sharansky writes:
My inner freedom [is] more powerful than the external bondage...[and] fear of the L-rd...is a necessary prerequisite for man's achieving inner freedom, and is also the prerequisite for spiritual resolve, the fear of the L-rd is the only thing that can conquer human fear.
Wow again. Sharansky through his nine years of suffering and hardships in Soviet prisons and labor camps found his deep inner strength to resist the tyranny of the KGB worldly masters and overcame them with his finding his fear and faith in G-d and was able to overcome.
These are two amazing heavenly lessons that Sharansky shares with us from enduring and overcoming his incredible worldly hardships.
I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this and am with G-d's help continuing to quench my thirst for this type of wisdom and true enlightenment. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 1, 2020
Shabbat Shalom and Stay Healthy!
April 16, 2020
Our Journey To Freedom Is Almost At The End
Despite our redemption from slavery in Egypt (1312 BCE), we continue through cycle after cycle of enslavement and exile.
In Kabbalah, we learn that the Jewish soul reincarnates until it reaches its spiritual enlightenment and fulfills all the mitzvot. Similarly, the soul of the Jewish people is reincarnated and relives painful destruction, slavery, and exile until we learn, grow, and finally become what we are destined to be as servants only of Hashem and as a light unto the nations. This has been our fate, but also it is one that we are finally nearing the end of with the return to the Promised Land and perhaps even the arrival soon of Mashiach.
(Free Photo via Pixabay)
February 20, 2019
Simple And Beautiful
February 17, 2019
You Can't See Yourself
But what is really interesting to me is that when you stand in front of it (like I was literally doing here), you can't see yourself.
It made me wonder how you can look at yourself and yet not see yourself.
And I thought of this as being a bigger lesson in life.
When we are looking at ourself and there is a big donut whole in the mirror of ourselves then we are left blind to what should be reflecting back at us.
No matter how hard we try to see ourselves and what we are doing right and wrong, it's like a ghost out there--we are blind to it.
To really see ourselves, our heart and mind have to be receptive to seeing the full picture.
That means looking at ourselves as we really are, even when there seems to be a piece missing to the puzzle, and we have trouble being honest about what we see.
To change, learn, grow--to become a better person, we need to look full on and be willing to see what we will see.
You can't see yourself until you can. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 18, 2018
Everything Is 4 The Best
But it's funny how when we just take a little perspective or in retrospect...
We realize that everything G-d does is really for our best!
It may not look and feel that way at the moment.
But there comes an inner awakening about things when we see the bigger picture.
And then we sort of nod our heads knowingly:
"Ah, that's why that happened!"
There are many reasons, G-d may be directing something:
- Opening new and better opportunities for us.
- Teaching us important life lessons.
- Putting us someplace we need to be to help someone else.
- Even saving us from some worse catastrophe.
For G-d, there is no time or space--He supersedes all of these.
He puts us where we need to be when we need to be for His bigger plan for our good.
Also, when you think you have a problem, remember to look at what others may be going through.
Because there are problems and then there are problems!
As my dad used to say:
"The guy complained he had no shoes, until he saw the guy without any feet!"
Is your problem really so bad--maybe yes, maybe no.
Try for a second to think of others you know and what they are going through.
Imagine for a moment--what does really bad look like, feels like.
G-d works in what seems like mysterious ways.
But we can uncover the mystery and discover the holiness and grand plan of it all--if we just look beyond ourselves and towards the heavens.
Oh G-d, thank you for all that you do for us--your wisdom is glorious; your lessons are to teach me to be a better me; and your mercy endures forever. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 16, 2018
It's For Us
I love this saying from one of my colleagues:
"G-d doesn't do it to us.
He does it for us!"
Instead of asking with anger and resentment "why me?" -- perhaps we can try to see the larger picture and be grateful for all the blessings and opportunities that G-d does give us.
While certainly there is pain and suffering in this world, there is also the chance to learn, grow, and become stronger and better people.
We are here to hopefully leave the world a better place than before we got here.
The perspective that the challenges and obstacles are not meant to really harm us, but to help us is not an easy pill to swallow.
But maybe it really is the enlightened view of faith that we all need to fight on and overcome. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 8, 2018
Yearning For Redemption
There is such a yearning for people to do good and to merit the coming of Mashiach (Messiah) towards the ultimate redemption for mankind.
It's on every street corner and light post.
Whether it's eyes gazed on the righteousness of Rabbi Nachman or The Rebbe--as we used to sing as kids in NCSY:
"We want Mashiach now!"
Whether Mashiach is an actual person or a spiritual revelation in the world leading to redemption--it represents an unprecedented enlightenment, holiness and a spiritual healing, and love and peace for mankind.
While we strive to earn our daily bread, it's nice to have a part of us that also seeks a greater good and achieving betterment for the world.
Any small or big things we can do in our lives to contribute to Tikkun Olam ("fixing the world"), it's purposeful, hopeful, and uplifting to try. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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