Cool! Probably not my generation word! LOL! A story: Halloween was coming. I had no candy to hand out and didn't have the energy to go to the store. I didn't force myself to go.Truth # 1.So, no candy! Halloween comes. Now, what am I going to do? I'll hide in my house and it will look like no one is home. Here comes truth # 2. Just open the door and tell the truth and kibbitz about Halloween, etc. Four or five 6th or 7th grade boys arrive. I tell them my tale of woe and that I live alone. The boys look very disappointed that they won't be able to get more sweet sugary stuff for their already loaded bags. One stood out. He said," I'm sorry you weren't feeling well. Would you like some of my candy? 'I said sure! One doesn't have a giver without a receiver. Truth #3. "What would you like, " he asks. I say I'll leave it up to you as he dipped into his stash.
Halloween isn't a Jewish holiday. However, it presented me with the opportunity to practice truth which in turn reverberated back with kindness and generosity. I found it fascinating that my awareness of the courage and choice I have to live in truth in this instant boomeranged back so potently. I was left with hope that there are those in the next generation wll practice chesed and tzedukah. There seems to be something in this story that is connected to Alan's article. I'm not sure what. Blessings of good values, for sure!
I loved this! It raises a question about Hitlamdut that I never really put the two topics together to think about their intersection.
Can't we say the same about Mussar's pursuit of wholeness and refinement in general? Without a definition of what people a "supposed to be" good at, how do we know if we are refining our abilities to do the actual right things?
I learned a valuable lesson recently when I found myself lost in a scam that cost me dearly. I found myself going back to some of the players that I was involved with and looking them in the eye, and apologizing for having lost my my way as I was led through the scam. It didn’t really affect those players yet I felt that it might’ve helped them with future situations that may come about bottom line. It occurred to me that if I was responsible, then I was also accountable.
Wow. I would have thought that by age 71, I'd know from whence my values originated. I have had to think about it. Certainly not from my parents, although they were the ones that started me in Hebrew school when I was 6. Dad would drop me off for Shabbat services (Junior Congregation) and then go play golf. He would tell me, "if anyone hits you, hit them back harder." Mom worked nights and slept days, and never talked to me. My earliest recollection of learning values is in Hebrew and Sunday school, notions of social activism were provided at Camp Blue Star, in North Carolina (1967), and then some activist teachers I had in middle school (1969). After that, I was the one seeking spiritual advisors I could trust in high school and college. Again, thanks for the push to think about this! I'm now going to ask my kids where they think they get their values from! I know my step-son credits me with teaching him values that he cherishes, but I'm going to ask the rest of them!
Cool! Probably not my generation word! LOL! A story: Halloween was coming. I had no candy to hand out and didn't have the energy to go to the store. I didn't force myself to go.Truth # 1.So, no candy! Halloween comes. Now, what am I going to do? I'll hide in my house and it will look like no one is home. Here comes truth # 2. Just open the door and tell the truth and kibbitz about Halloween, etc. Four or five 6th or 7th grade boys arrive. I tell them my tale of woe and that I live alone. The boys look very disappointed that they won't be able to get more sweet sugary stuff for their already loaded bags. One stood out. He said," I'm sorry you weren't feeling well. Would you like some of my candy? 'I said sure! One doesn't have a giver without a receiver. Truth #3. "What would you like, " he asks. I say I'll leave it up to you as he dipped into his stash.
Halloween isn't a Jewish holiday. However, it presented me with the opportunity to practice truth which in turn reverberated back with kindness and generosity. I found it fascinating that my awareness of the courage and choice I have to live in truth in this instant boomeranged back so potently. I was left with hope that there are those in the next generation wll practice chesed and tzedukah. There seems to be something in this story that is connected to Alan's article. I'm not sure what. Blessings of good values, for sure!
I loved this! It raises a question about Hitlamdut that I never really put the two topics together to think about their intersection.
Can't we say the same about Mussar's pursuit of wholeness and refinement in general? Without a definition of what people a "supposed to be" good at, how do we know if we are refining our abilities to do the actual right things?
I learned a valuable lesson recently when I found myself lost in a scam that cost me dearly. I found myself going back to some of the players that I was involved with and looking them in the eye, and apologizing for having lost my my way as I was led through the scam. It didn’t really affect those players yet I felt that it might’ve helped them with future situations that may come about bottom line. It occurred to me that if I was responsible, then I was also accountable.
Wow. I would have thought that by age 71, I'd know from whence my values originated. I have had to think about it. Certainly not from my parents, although they were the ones that started me in Hebrew school when I was 6. Dad would drop me off for Shabbat services (Junior Congregation) and then go play golf. He would tell me, "if anyone hits you, hit them back harder." Mom worked nights and slept days, and never talked to me. My earliest recollection of learning values is in Hebrew and Sunday school, notions of social activism were provided at Camp Blue Star, in North Carolina (1967), and then some activist teachers I had in middle school (1969). After that, I was the one seeking spiritual advisors I could trust in high school and college. Again, thanks for the push to think about this! I'm now going to ask my kids where they think they get their values from! I know my step-son credits me with teaching him values that he cherishes, but I'm going to ask the rest of them!