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Did you ever notice our common propensity to hide from reality? The uncomfortable email we let sit, the bills or paperwork we leave unprocessed, or romantic relationships we pursue that have zero objective future: reality can be uncomfortable.
I couldn’t help but be struck by that tendency in full bloom in the Wall Street Journal’s news video about Atami, Japan, a resort town that has recently catered to thousands of paying male tourists on vacation with their computer game-generated girlfriends.
As one hotel manager in Atami said, “We try not to ask too many questions because we want them to be able to remain immersed in that game world.”
It’s to that propensity within us that the Torah speaks when it says in this week’s portion, “I have placed life and death before you…and you shall choose life!”
My teacher, Rabbi Noah Weinberg, may his memory be a blessing, used to give me a hard time about that. “Wake up!” he’d say. “You want to be alive or dead? Choose or escape?”
Where in our lives are we vacationing in our own Atami, Japan?
Shabbat Shalom,
Henry Harris
What kind of High Holiday shape are you in?
Get your Jewish mensa moving with our mind-bending challenge.
Exercise some introspection and New Year’s visions with great pre-holiday workshops.
Be a part of the journey at some inspiring and enjoyable holiday experiences.
Shana Tova!
Henry Harris
Ten days away from Rosh Hashanah seems like not enough time to finish off the year the way I really want to. This reminds me of a short but powerful story.
A king once announced that whoever would reach the top of a very high tower by his deadline would succeed him. Many lined up to try. The bell sounded and they raced to climb the seemingly endless tower.
Hours passed and most of the people lost hope of making it to the top in time. Two men were still climbing when one said, “I’ve had it! Look, there’s only 10 minutes to go and we are no where near the top! This king is mocking us! I have no more strength for this, I’m done!” and he left.
The last man was also exhausted but he declared, “My king is a loving king and I trust that he did not set us up to fail. I’m going to keep on going and even though I have no idea how, I am totally open to the possibility that I can get to where I need to go in time.” Just as he finished speaking he got to the next level and found a door with a sign: “Express elevator to the top.” He took it and reached the king who was waiting for him with open arms. “I am SO happy that you didn’t give up! Now you can receive my blessings!”
This is a little clarity reminder that G-d has infinite ways to get you an express elevator to where you most need to go as long as you don’t give up. G-d has the greatest blessings waiting for you. He is waiting for you to trust in His infinite love.
From this place of trust in His love we can make it to Rosh Hashanah resolved to not give up on going to G-d, improving ourselves and embracing others.
If you would like more of these clarity insights, please join us TONIGHT, Tuesday, Aug. 31, for a special workshop, Creating Your Spiritual Business Plan.
Warmly,
Tzipora Harris
The story of Rahamim Melamed Cohen, in the video link attached, is a blow away. It’s testimony to a person’s capacity to see the majesty of his own mission, no matter how feeble his circumstances.
On the first Rosh Hashana in creation, the first humans with soul were put in to this world. Once again, this Rosh Hashana, our life will be given anew. What determines the power, resourcefulness, wisdom, and staying power of that gift of life? How much we want a powerful, resourceful, wise, and resilient life.
Fortunately, most of us are not confronted by the difficulties of Dr. Cohen, but his simple message of small, unstoppable acts of gratitude and concern for others is the stuff that heroes are born from.
Shabbat Shalom,
Henry Harris
I love this message: slow and steady, patient and celebratory wins the race.
Meanwhile, check out our full High Holidays SCHEDULE for services/classes, etc. Whether you want
- to get Really Deep Stuff on Yom Kippur,
- explore The 4 Steps of Taking Responsibility for Your Life,
- or Create the Year You’ve Always Dreamed of,
there’s a whole lot happening in and out of services at Aish this High Holidays.
For pre-Holiday workshops, check out Mondays (8/30, 9/13, 7pm) and Tuesdays (8/31, 9/14, 8pm) HERE.
Bring on the Sweet New Year.
Henry and Tzipora Harris
Nick Vujicic was born with no arms and no legs. His motto: Attitude is Altitude. He shatters the myth that circumstances define outlook and sheds new light on the opportunity of the New Year.
On Rosh Hashana, we can make G-d the “melech” – king. Question: If He’s King, what does He need me to declare it for?
“MeLeCH” in Hebrew is related to “niMLaCH”: to consult, find consensus. Jewish Kingship is leadership not by force, but by consent and consensus. Its beauty is revealed in the hearts of those who embrace it – unconditionally: “How could I hope for something better than the King’s plan?”
Nick gets this in spades. If it happened, the King decreed it and it’s appropriate to embrace. There’s no question this guy is connected. How could any of my complaints and the shrines to victimhood I erect stand up in the face of his simple, “I love my life”?
I’m collecting stories for my Rosh Hashana (to which you’re invited: http://www.aishcenter.com/high-holidays-aish). Help me in the comments: who else has exhibited a take-no-prisoners approach to embracing their lives?
Shabbat Shalom,
Henry Harris
I’ve delivered probably 300+ talks extolling the virtues of effort as the ticket to so many blessings: love, happiness, humility, etc. Why am I so resentful, I found myself asking, at my 3-year-old’s umpteenth request at bedtime?
She had run out of underwear (because she likes to change them several times per day). I offered her her brother’s. She didn’t like that. I threatened diapers (and other things). It wasn’t one of my more composed, rabbinic moments.
Later I was reviewing the thoughts of Rabbi Avigdor Miller, of blessed memory, on how to succeed in Judaism. He stressed that it all rests on gratitude: the recognition that I am the beneficiary of massive, not-to-be-taken-for-granted good, and the realization that I must LABOR to see that. If I do, it will be natural to repay the debt of gratitude with effort. If I don’t, I will always suspect that the effort of living is a favor to others and G-d.
That hit home. I know my daughter is a blessing. I know that at 3 (and probably 33) she might not always do what I want. I know that that’s part of the gift. But I am not working daily at reminding myself: I am so indebted.
And that’s normal. We should assume we will not notice our good – unless we take it on as a daily effort.
Shabbat Shalom,
Henry Harris
(Please read this only in a way that brings to good feelings and not the opposite!)
Dvir Aminolav was the first soldier killed in the Gaza war in Jan 2009. His father died of cancer two years earlier. Dvir, who was the only son among daughters, took on many responsibilities together with his mother. His loss was particularly traumatic. On his last birthday, family and friends gathered around his grave and his mother, Dalya shared this moving story.
One night, about 6 months after Dvir’s death, Dalya said out loud, “G-d, give me a sign, give me a hug from Dvir so that I will know that there is a higher reason for his death.” Then she went to sleep.
That week her daughter asked her to accompany her to a concert in Jerusalem. The mother, feeling quite depressed, went reluctantly. As the musicians were warming up and tuning their instruments, a 2 year old boy, with beautiful blond curls, looking like a little angel came up to her and touched her on the shoulder. A preschool teacher, Dalya turned around, saw the boy and started speaking with him.
“What’s your name?”
“Eshel” the boy replied.
“Do you want to be my friend Eshel?”
” Yes.”
“Do you want to sit next to me?”
” Yes. ”
Eshel’s parents, two rows above seeing their ‘angel’ bothering Dalya, ask him to come, but Dalya indicated that everything was fine.
” I have a brother named Dvir, ” Eshel tells her. Dalya was shocked to hear the name and walked up the two rows to his parents. She saw the baby in his carriage, and apologizing, asked,
“If you don’t mind me asking, was your son born before or after the war?”
“After.”
” And why did you name him Dvir?”
Baby Dvir’s mother began to explain. “I am an officer dealing with wounded soldiers in the army. When I was at the end of my pregnancy, the doctor’s suspected the the fetus may have a very serious birth defect. Since it was the end of the pregnancy the doctor’s couldn’t do anything, just to wait and see how things would turn out. When I went home and heard the news of Dvir being killed in the war, I told G-d: “If you give me a healthy son, I promise to name him Dvir in memory of the soldier that was killed.”
Dalya, the mother of Dvir, stood with her mouth open. She told them, “I am Dvir’s mother. My name is Dalya Aminalov from Pisgat Zeev.” When she heard that, Baby Dvir’s mother handed Dalya the baby and said, “Here, Dvir wants to give you a HUG!” (Adapted from a Translation by Noa Lev)
Especially during these important days until Yom Kippur, G-d is waiting to give YOU a hug. He is waiting for you to turn to Him and be open to seeing His love in your life with all the struggles, the blessings, and the pain. If you make a sincere prayer today and continue everyday until after Yom Kippur you can see amazing things open up in your life. For more details see below.
This is a little clarity reminder that G-d has infinite ways to show you how much He loves you and how everything in your life can be a part of fulfilling the purpose for which you came to this world. You can ask that G-d carry you this year more than ever and show you what you need to see gently. You can ask G-d to help you pass His hug to the people in your life.
Warmly, Tzipora Harris
My blackberry broke this week and I was in a quandary. I had never backed up its data before and I needed to do so before scrapping it. But how?
Download some software somewhere and sync it up, I thought. I’d never done that before - it is three plus years of carefully acquired data. Maybe I should ask someone how to do this? Nah. That’s for non-self-reliant wimps.
So, it turns out I downloaded an upgrade rather than the basic desktop program and the sync erased everything.
I’m not an instructions guy that often, and I must admit that I had no epiphany that I become one from this mishap. But it did give me pause to consider: Torah, the Hebrew word, literally means “instructions.” A fundamental of Judaism is that life is a wondrous, complicated, and consequential endeavor that works best with instructions.
I’m fine with plugging in the clock radio without ever reading the instructions. The blackberry, at this moment, has earned a little respect. Life, all the more so I realize, works best with instructions.
Shabbat Shalom,
Henry Harris
