Interesting that you mention "trust," Enid because in my response to Heather, I also found a lesson in trust in Rumi's behaviour. I also mentioned "the way of the world" and your story raises that same idea for me, because it is the way of the world to build and tear down, build and tear down. I went to look at Ecclesiastes because I was sure it would say something about building and tearing down, and it does (3:3) but surprising to me is the order it gives: "A time to tear down and a time to build." I expected the two actions to come in the opposite order, as in your story. I don't have an interpretation right now as to why we tear down before we build.
Sorry to be slow in responding, Heather. The book tour is in full swing. In the Talmud (Eruvin 100b), it says: "Rabbi Yoḥanan said: 'Even if the Torah had not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat [which covers its excrement], and that stealing is objectionable from the ant [which does not take grain from another ant], and forbidden relations from the dove [which is faithful to its partner], and proper relations from the rooster [which first appeases the hen and then mates with it].'" I guess Rabbi Yoḥanan didn't know about Rumi, because clearly we could ALL learn patience from Rumi. And I wonder if Rumi was also practicing bitachon, trusting that her exile was temporary and it would be in the way of the world for her to find her way back into the house. What a good teacher you have.
Heather, I loved your story! Sounds like your cat can teach us about patience.
Yes, your suggestion to look back can serve as a teacher. I lived in a 3 floor ,center hall, clapboard colonial with shutters and pillars etc. The house needed to be painted. It was a huge project and hard to find someone. I finally did and then we had to wait another whole year to begin the project requiring patience. 5 years later we sold the recently painted house and it was torn down. I sometimes think of how much energy I could've saved by being truly patient and using that energy for the good! Nothing happened except what was supposed to. I think patient
requires faith and trust that Hashem is with us and things will work out and not necessarily on our time line.
Alan, a very profound and moving commentary. I agree, for me, Shabbat ushers in an opportunity to practice patience. By not participating in the usual week's activities, my body screams, " now what "! You have validated the impatience and that in itself takes away the intensity. In addition, having to put things that are not yet " marinated " in a container so they can take their time and do some can create an anxiety of doubt and uncertainty in itself. Yet it is in the marination that one can get the best Kosher Dill Pickle! Rewards for practicing patience can be " delicious " !
I am thinking about the concept of looking forward and backward in my life, it seems like looking forward is more productive but in the case of patience, I think it's a good exercise to look backwards.
When I look back at the things that have taken years to unwind and settle
And reflect on how I felt when they first happened and then compare it to years later-
Patience can teach me a lot.
I bet all of us have had situations where we have felt like we are in a vice grip that we just have to wait and wait. I definitely had mine. My father's untimely death, my daughters struggle with her immune system and one that is kind of interesting in the animal world.
I have this wonderful cat Rumi. The reason she is named that is because she won't kill anything. She is nothing but love.
One day, a precious dog came up for adoption that my son-in-law told me about and we took the stray dog in and and he was great with Rumi for the first two weeks and after we had fallen in love with him he got Jealous.
He changed his tack and wanted to chase Rumi.
This cat I dearly love wanted to live outside. She did not feel safe and she stayed outside. I was brokenhearted, but she never left the front area of our house. She came to be fed and she waited patiently for us to train Lucky. Lucky is now trained. It took us a long time, it was hard and Rumi watched us patiently. A couple months ago she felt it was safe enough to move back in.
Now the two of them live in this house but the process took a year.
My cat taught me a big lesson of patience.
I know this seems trivial but I leaned a lot from Rumi.
I'm tricked a lot by this middah because it’s a fine line of when we need to step up or need to wait.
Interesting that you mention "trust," Enid because in my response to Heather, I also found a lesson in trust in Rumi's behaviour. I also mentioned "the way of the world" and your story raises that same idea for me, because it is the way of the world to build and tear down, build and tear down. I went to look at Ecclesiastes because I was sure it would say something about building and tearing down, and it does (3:3) but surprising to me is the order it gives: "A time to tear down and a time to build." I expected the two actions to come in the opposite order, as in your story. I don't have an interpretation right now as to why we tear down before we build.
Sorry to be slow in responding, Heather. The book tour is in full swing. In the Talmud (Eruvin 100b), it says: "Rabbi Yoḥanan said: 'Even if the Torah had not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat [which covers its excrement], and that stealing is objectionable from the ant [which does not take grain from another ant], and forbidden relations from the dove [which is faithful to its partner], and proper relations from the rooster [which first appeases the hen and then mates with it].'" I guess Rabbi Yoḥanan didn't know about Rumi, because clearly we could ALL learn patience from Rumi. And I wonder if Rumi was also practicing bitachon, trusting that her exile was temporary and it would be in the way of the world for her to find her way back into the house. What a good teacher you have.
Heather, I loved your story! Sounds like your cat can teach us about patience.
Yes, your suggestion to look back can serve as a teacher. I lived in a 3 floor ,center hall, clapboard colonial with shutters and pillars etc. The house needed to be painted. It was a huge project and hard to find someone. I finally did and then we had to wait another whole year to begin the project requiring patience. 5 years later we sold the recently painted house and it was torn down. I sometimes think of how much energy I could've saved by being truly patient and using that energy for the good! Nothing happened except what was supposed to. I think patient
requires faith and trust that Hashem is with us and things will work out and not necessarily on our time line.
Alan, a very profound and moving commentary. I agree, for me, Shabbat ushers in an opportunity to practice patience. By not participating in the usual week's activities, my body screams, " now what "! You have validated the impatience and that in itself takes away the intensity. In addition, having to put things that are not yet " marinated " in a container so they can take their time and do some can create an anxiety of doubt and uncertainty in itself. Yet it is in the marination that one can get the best Kosher Dill Pickle! Rewards for practicing patience can be " delicious " !
I am thinking about the concept of looking forward and backward in my life, it seems like looking forward is more productive but in the case of patience, I think it's a good exercise to look backwards.
When I look back at the things that have taken years to unwind and settle
And reflect on how I felt when they first happened and then compare it to years later-
Patience can teach me a lot.
I bet all of us have had situations where we have felt like we are in a vice grip that we just have to wait and wait. I definitely had mine. My father's untimely death, my daughters struggle with her immune system and one that is kind of interesting in the animal world.
I have this wonderful cat Rumi. The reason she is named that is because she won't kill anything. She is nothing but love.
One day, a precious dog came up for adoption that my son-in-law told me about and we took the stray dog in and and he was great with Rumi for the first two weeks and after we had fallen in love with him he got Jealous.
He changed his tack and wanted to chase Rumi.
This cat I dearly love wanted to live outside. She did not feel safe and she stayed outside. I was brokenhearted, but she never left the front area of our house. She came to be fed and she waited patiently for us to train Lucky. Lucky is now trained. It took us a long time, it was hard and Rumi watched us patiently. A couple months ago she felt it was safe enough to move back in.
Now the two of them live in this house but the process took a year.
My cat taught me a big lesson of patience.
I know this seems trivial but I leaned a lot from Rumi.
I'm tricked a lot by this middah because it’s a fine line of when we need to step up or need to wait.
just thinking out loud…