It is so hard to maintain faith in a society that is so focused on science, technology and material things. The simple answer is to ignore the voices that would lead one away from their faith. They can’t find the words to describe a sunrise or the majesty of a mountain, all they can do is speak of the technical aspects.

The beauty and wonder as seen and felt by those of faith cannot be explained. The magnificence of a simple act can leave lifelong impacts on this world and the next.

There was a man who used to curse and belittle a certain holy man, who was never unhappy. The man used to curse him and hope that he would lose his life and all his money. He also cursed him with the wish that he would commit many sins in order that he should lose his share in the World to Come. Then the holy man felt sad.

“Why did you become gloomy?” his students asked, and he said to them: “When he insulted me he did not affect me and I had no desire for honor. When a man dies he has no benefit from his honor. When he cursed me with the hope that I should not benefit from anything in this world—that all passes away in any case. But when he cursed me with the wish that I should not enjoy the World to Come, and that I should rebel against the Holy One, blessed be He then I was concerned for fear that he would cause injustice. And so I prayed that the voice of those who curse should not be heard, but rather the voice of those who bless.”

May all the voices that cause conflict, pain and curse be silenced and may we all join together in prayers of faith.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Vote  on this post on Jblog

Share this:

Tags: Derech Eretz, Faith, language, lashon harah, Rabbi's thoughts and teaching, Stories by Rabbi
No Comments »

A certain rich man had ten sons. He swore that on the day of his death he would give each of them one hundred dinars. In due course he lost part of his money and all he had left was nine hundred and fifty dinars. So he gave the nine hundred to nine sons, and the youngest one said to him: “Father, what shall I do? How can you leave me penniless?” And his father said to him: “I swore to give each one of you one hundred dinars and I could not break my oath. But only fifty are left me, and I have taken thirty of them for shouds when I die, so I shall give you the other twenty. For I never thought that the money would be lost to me. But I have ten companions. I shall give them to you and they are better than a thousand dinars. And he instructed his companions about his youngest son, and then he died and was buried.

The nine sons went off to traffic, each going his own way, and the youngest one was left at a complete loss, not knowing what he should do. Meanwhile he spent nineteen dinars and only had one dinar left. Then he said, what use can those ten friends my father left me be, when he told me that they would be better than a thousand dinars? But he took counsel and invited them to his home and spent the last dinar for a feast. They ate and drank with him and said to one another: “This is the only one of all the brothers who keeps his father’s affection for us. We have to keep that affection too and not let him go, but show him kindness for his deeds.”

So each of them gave him a cow in calf and money. The cows gave birth and he sold them, and gathered his money together and tried his hand at commerce. The Lord blessed him and made him richer than his father. Then he said: “My father said truly that friends are better than all the money in the world.”

Therefore a man should increase friends and honor and keep them. And it was in this sense that Ben Sira said: “There will be many who ask after your well being, but reveal your secret only to one in a thousand.”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

Click here for more storytelling resources

Vote  on this post on Jblog

Share this:

Tags: Rabbi's thoughts and teaching, Stories, Uncategorized by Rabbi
No Comments »