If you ever have the privilege of seeing some of the world’s most beautiful mountains, you will be aware of the great power and beauty they possess. Standing tall and magnificent, they are kings of the sky and of the earth. But interestingly, mountains, even the greatest ones, are comprised of many little stones. We talk...
What does it truly mean to be advanced in life? What is a true evolution? Gary Zukav writes in The Seat of the Soul, “Our deeper understanding tells us that a truly evolved being is one that values others more than it values itself, and that values love more than it values the physical world...
I have said before, it may be nice to sit alone on a mountain top and meditate, but that isn’t really why we are here. The world is full of people who need our hands. For when a child is hungry, we must feed them. For when a friend is in need, an action is...
Do you remember as a child ever trying to capture a butterfly? With delicate wings, the butterfly bounces and floats gracefully through the air. It seems like the more we tried to capture it though, the more it eluded us. Yet if we had become still, taken a deep breath, and extended our hand, it...
According to the Talmud, every blade of grass has its own angel watching over it, whispering, “Grow, grow.” So too is it with us. This beautiful teaching is ours this week. As the nights grow longer and darker, we are compelled more than any other time of the year, to go within for reflection, meditation,...
The power of kindness, compassion, and love sometimes find our hearts in the darkest nights. While hard to accept in the throes of challenge, the truth is: Without challenge, there is no growth. Without darkness, there is no Light. Take, for example, the portion of Toldot, in which Rivka, the wife of Isaac, finds herself...
This week happens to be the week of my birthday, and so naturally I have always felt an affinity with this week’s portion of Noach – the story of Noah and the ark. There is endless wisdom contained within this portion, and each year that I study from it, I find new things. This year, I’d like...
I’ve always loved Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables because in it, the story’s hero is redeemed and restored by one powerful, transformative act of kindness. The main character in the book is Jean Valjean, a convict who was unjustly imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread to give to his starving sister. In the opening...
I’m sure you’ve all seen and used the little monkey emoji that have their eyes, ears, and mouths covered. But have you ever considered where they come from and what it means? The origins for these three fellas are a bit obscure. They are Japanese in origin, depicted on the walls of a Shinto shrine,...
Have you ever tried to change someone else? If your answer is yes (which it is probably for all of us), then you know it’s a trap which only leaves you feeling dis-empowered and frustrated. What can be even more painful is watching someone you love go through a difficult process and knowing that you...
