|
Jewish World Review
Chosen Words
A newsletter for personal and spiritual growth gleaned from classic biblical and other sources that will help you enhance your day to day life. Likely the most constructive three minutes you will spend today
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
A museum curator procured
a bar of raw iron for $5.
This, he placed
into a glass case
with the following
sign: "This
raw iron was
purchased for
$5. If you make a
horseshoe from
it, the value increases
to $10. If
you refine it
more, you can
make $355 worth
of sewing needles
from it. If
you shape it differently,
you can make $2,000
worth of razor blades. But if
you hone it to its maximum
potential, you can derive balances
and springs for Swiss
watches from it. The value of
those delicate springs is
$250,000."
And that's just a piece of
iron. Imagine applying this
logic to the "raw iron" situations
of everyday life. How
many ordinary tasks could be
polished into their finest form
and emerge as
something
greater? You're
unhappy with
an employee's
work. You can
insult him, or
maybe by bending
and working
the situation,
you can help
him learn something.
You've
been waiting an
hour for the
dentist. You can
fume at the receptionist, or
teach yourself patience. You
need to get the baby dressed.
You can make a perfunctory
rush job of it, or you can coo
and smile and make the baby
feel loved.
Take the theory one step
further. What could possibly
harbor more potential than a
human being invested with a
holy neshamah (soul)? If we concentrate our efforts on bringing
out that Divine spark in those
around us — with praise, interest
in their ideas, help and
support — the potential is truly
unlimited.
—
Adapted from an article in
Yated Ne'eman
Better Relationships
SINKING THE SHIP
When someone irritates or
injures us in some way, the natural
reaction is to want revenge.
In the rest of the world, revenge
is considered sweet. But a member
of Klal Yisrael (Jewry) cannot harm
another without harming
himself.
In the
Midrash (Vayikra
Rabbah 4:6),
Rabbi Yishmael illustrates the
folly of revenge:
"This can be likened to
a group of travelers aboard
a ship. One of the travelers
begins to drill a hole in the
floor beneath him. His companions
cry out 'What are you
doing?' 'What do you care?' he
responds. 'I'm drilling only
beneath my seat.' 'But the boat
will be flooded and all of us will
drown!' the others answer."
The injunction against
revenge does not mean we
can't try to redress a wrong or
correct a flaw. It means that we
have to accept that the troubles,
which have
come our
way, have
arrived by
Divine
decree;
the perpetrator
is
simply the
agent. When we
accept this, we grow from
it. When we seek revenge, we
sink the ship.
—
Adapted from "Chofetz Chaim: A
Lesson a Day," Rabbi Shimon Finkelman and Rabbi Yitzchok Berkowitz, with permission from
Mesorah Publications
Personal growth
BLESSED PEACE
Inevitably, the agenda of a
child and that of the parent
will clash. The child wants to
take it easy; the parent teaches
responsibility. The child
acts on impulse; the parent
patiently insists on restraint.
The tension that results often
frays the loving family bond.
But there is a way to
restore it to full strength,
even in the midst of the
Terrible Twos or the
Turbulent Teens. That is the
blessing of children on
Friday night. This sweet, rich
moment, played out against
the aromas of Sabbath food,
the sight of the set table, the
sense of tranquility, assures
the child that he is a beloved
member of his family.
As his
father's hands rest on the
child's head and the words of
the blessing are recited, the
loving link between parent
and child is affirmed.
Conflicts and hurt feelings
are soothed, anger dissipates,
and shalom bayis (family tranquility), the secret
ingredient of Jewish family
life, reigns.
To Do:
Use the Friday night blessing
as a time to rekindle the
warmth of parents and children
toward each other.
Adapted from "Dear Daughter,"
by Rabbi Eliyahu Goldschmidt, with permission from Mesorah Publications
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in uplifting articles.
Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Chosen Words, a newsletter of spiritual and personal growth, is produced by the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. Comment by clicking here.
© 2005, Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation
| 
