Browsing Tag

Jewish inspiration

Uncategorized September 5, 2011

To Fight is To Lose

If you have kids, and your kids fight, pay close attention.

How does it feel when our kids fight?  We raise them; we give them everything we’ve got.  We give them our sleep, our food, our best decades.  We give them our money and our time and our brain cells and our non-gray hair.

And they fight.

They fight for the dumbest reasons.  They fight out of boredom, for attention, or for competition.  They fight out of anger, jealousy, and for no reason whatsoever.  They fight because they feel that it is safe to fight with one another, as opposed to outsiders.  They fight because they don’t dream that they are wrong.

And so, they fight.

And when they fight, we crumple.

Us adults, with our psycho-savvy, and with our dual degrees, and with various self-help books memorized in part, crumple.  Admit it, parents: it brings you to your knees.

Nothing feels worse than our children, flesh of our flesh, blood of our blood, carrying our very DNA, not to mention each other’s, turning against one another.

Well, well.

If God is our Father, and we are His children, why, oh why, do we do it… to each other?

When will the madness end?

 Related posts:
1. If “Orthodox” is Offensive, What About “Non-Orthodox”?
2. Hypocrites
3. Newsflash: We are more alike than different
4. Judgmental is Not a Religion, It’s a Personality Defect
5. The “O” Word

Uncategorized August 15, 2011

Newsflash: We are more alike than different by guest blogger Sindy Warren

My friend Sindy rocks.  She is a loving mom, a power attorney, a fellow blogger (she inspired this blog), and an insatiable learner.  I’m a big fan of hers.  Definitely check out her blog.  And Sindy says:
I’m new to this observant Judaism stuff.  Less than a year ago I had my first ever exposure to “Orthodox” Jews.   I had literally never met one before.  Which is kind of strange, given that I’ve been Jewish my whole life.  Temple on the high holidays, bat mitzvah at age 13, a ketubah when I got married, the whole nine yards, at least in my community.  When it came to Orthodox Jews, though, I thought they were totally different from me.  Why did I think this?  Lack of exposure probably, more than anything.  And making silly assumptions based on superficial things, like the way we dress.

This past year I’ve come to know differently.  The observant Jews I’ve had the pleasure to get to know are funny, smart, cool, and care about the same things I do: family, friendships, loving relationships, personal growth.  What’s more, they know way more about how to cultivate these things than I ever have.  So I’m learning.  A lot.  I’ve even been inspired to start a blog based on my Mussar learning.

One more thing I should point out, and interestingly enough, this relates to the theme of Ruchi’s last guest blogger: the Orthodox Jews I’ve come to know are incredibly accepting and non-judgmental.  I’ve never felt like my lifestyle choices are being judged.  I’ve shared intimate and not at all flattering details of my personal life, only to be met with understanding and assistance in my quest to grow, do better, and be better.  I feel privileged to be on this spiritual journey under the tutelage of wise and loving teachers, and I’m grateful for the fact that my eyes have been opened to this essential truth: we are far more alike than we are different. 
    
Uncategorized August 8, 2011

Sad Day

Tonight and tomorrow.  Sad day.

I’ll be sitting shiva.

For the Temple.  In Jerusalem.

That I lost 2000 years ago.

I’ll sit on low chairs.  Not eat.  Not drink.  Not make small talk.

I didn’t know the Temple, much.

I’ve heard about it, though.

Seen the ruins.  Heard about the miracles.  Prayed for its return.

Cried, for the sorry state we find ourselves in today.  In spiritual disconnect and confusion.

Hard to mourn, for that which you never had.

That just makes it sadder.

To distract myself with blogging would be wrong.

I want to dwell on my shiva, not be distracted from it.

My fellow Jews, we are one family.  We all sit shiva together.

We need each other, for comfort and support.

Can’t afford to hate… to gossip… to vilify.

If we were sitting shiva for a person, would we, could we fight, while burying our loved one?

People do.

*Sigh.*

I pray for the return of my loss.

A rebuilt Temple.

A rebuilt Jerusalem.

A rebuilt relationship.

Between us and God.

Between us and each other.

Between us and ourselves.

Amen, may it be so.