Jewish Musings, Wednesday, October 2

[louise]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[louise]

Sorry, but I’m still on the “teshuvah” piece and changing ourselves. In Rosh Hashanah Readings, Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins tells a story about Levy Yitzchak of Berditchev. He started out his rabbinic career wanting to change the world. After several years, he realized that was too hard, so he decided to try to change his community. Several years later, that goal was abandoned as too difficult, and Levi Yitzchak chose just to concentrate on changing his own family. He finally concluded that the only one he could really change was himself! That’s the only person we can truly change anyway. If we decide not to help ourselves, we are totally lost.

This same rabbi also tells this story giving us insight into the process of growing wisdom and performing teshuvah:
After a long, hard climb up the mountain, the spiritual seekers finally found themselves in front of the great teacher. Bowing deeply, they asked the question that had been burning inside them for so long: “How do we become wise?”
There was a long pause until the teacher emerged from meditation. Finally the reply came: “Good choices.”
“But teacher, how do we make good choices?”
“From experience,” responded the wise one.
“And how do we get experience?”
“Bad choices,” smiled the teacher.

Dunno – that’s all I have.
A little brain dead after listening to the debate.
Also we have so many beautiful holiday books due to port (east coast) in the next couple of weeks – the strike could cause a huge dent in our holiday sales. I hope it is short!

I will not be posting on Rosh Hashanah. I will do a post for Thursday before Yom Tov starts and will not be online on Friday.

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.

Re today's topics: louise, I really like today's quote!

Re Rosh Hashanah: DS and I plan to be going to the supermarket after he gets home from work. We want to bake a spicy pear cake instead of apple this year (why not be different?).

Here's wishing everyone a happy and healthy year!!

And, of course, a peaceful one, Lee

[hollygail]

I just now got around to yesterday's thread. I sing that chorus over and over and I never thought about whether it would be the decree or me that got changed. Thank you, Louise and the rest of you, for showing me another way to look at my belief system!

Lee, I'm wondering whether you'll also be dipping pears into honey...

I learned (from life) that the only person you can change is yourself...

As for "good" and "bad" choices, unfortunately, I suspect that "bad choices" may not be the only way to gain the experience one needs to grow, to become wise, and on and on. But it sure does work!

DH and I chose not to listen to the debate. We turned it on for a few minutes and I was surprised (and a bit delighted) at how nicely the two men were being to each other. They went one step above civility. Whodathunkit! Especially after having suffered through watching the bigger debate!

Shanah tova, one and all. May we and the entire world experience a better year in 5785 than we did in 5784.

[gazelle18]

I relate to the story Louise tells of Levy Yitzchak. It made me think of my own life. When I was young, I had visions of changing the world. When I realized that was not within my power, I began to get very involved in my local community. While I did derive some good things from that experience, I ultimately concluded that my impact was likely small and temporary. As a mother, I turned to trying to make my kids “better.” Of course, I was a decent but imperfect role model to them , but ultimately, I could not change who they were. It has taken literally decades for me to accept that my son is who he is, and no amount of wise counsel or example-setting or outpourings of emotional support will change him. This realization has begun to bring me peace. Then there is myself. I have a ways to go, but I am definitely making progress.

[peachymom1]

Although we only truly have the power to change our own selves, we still serve as models and influences (whether intentionally or not) to others, and we never know when something we say or do causes someone else to make a good or bad choice. And I totally agree that bad choices, while certainly not the only teachers, tend to pack more of a wallop. And sometimes I need a wallop to get the lesson!

A sweet year of goodness and peace to all!