Listening to Life's Messages

Which part of you really counts?  Which part of you matters most? Which part of you expresses your core? Which part of you, is YOU? You are not your wisdom or your knowledge.  You are not your creativity or your big ideas.  You are not your talents or your capabilities. You are not your job or your accomplishments. You are not your bank account or your house. You are not your interests or your hobbies. You are not your body or your clothing. You are not your family or your status.  You are not your personality or your preferences. That's not YOU. That's not what counts.  That's not what matters most. That's not what defines your essence. That's not what remains forever. Who are YOU. You are your middos. Your character. Your goodness. You are your kindness. Your love. Your generosity. You are your compassion. Your empathy. Your caring. You are your humility. Your modesty. Your selflessness. You are your fear of Heaven. Your self control. Your integrity. This is w...

One of my biggest challenges is choosing between all the million wonderful things that I need and want to do.   It's not easy trying to figure out who and what to say yes to, who and what to say no to...   And what to do first, what to do second... and what to push off indefinitely. But as I read today's Mitzvah of the day, I was reminded of just how much the right order of priorities matters. The mitzvah is that it's forbidden to switch around the order of how we give our donations. Instead, we need to follow the specific order of the Torah - First separating gifts of our first fruits to be given to the Priests in Jerusalem, then separating 1/50th of whatever is left for the Priests, then 1/10th of whatever is left for the Levites, and finally 1/10th of whatever is left, to be eaten by the owner in Jerusalem. If this order was not followed, and one separated the later tithe before an earlier one, even though he was doing a good thing, he has actually transgressed t...

When life feels dark... Don't fight  With the night Don't blame  Don't shame  Don't complain  Don't feel chained  Don't ask why  Don't justify  Don't cry  Don't sigh  Don't hide  Don't lose your pride  Don't obsess  Don't get depressed  Don't give up Don't close up  Don't stop  Don't drop Don't analyze  Don't philosophize  Don't escape  Don't run away  Don't contemplate  Don't start to hate  Dont criticize  Don't describe  Don't defend  Don't pretend  Don't think it's the end  Don't overspend  Don't accept  Don't object  Don't disconnect  Don't suspect Don't feel insecure  Don't just endure  Don't surrender  Don't fall under  Don't substitute  Don't change pursuits Don't be scared  Don't compare  Don't lose sight  Don't prove you're right...  Just s...

The day feels way too short,    And there's endless work to do   Who has time to daven?  It's something we rush through   But the Chanukah story reminds us That if we want to truly succeed Hard work, talent, and time are extras  There's only one thing we really need  It's having HaShem on our side  By being fully attached to Him  Because once we are connected Above There's no doubt that we will win  We can create great miracles  When our souls are ignited  We can rise above the laws of nature  When with Him we are united  When we really take the time to connect  All our work is Divinely blessed All our efforts are amazingly fruitful  All our time is remarkably stretched  And the light of our morning prayers  Is what guides us throughout the day Reminding us why we're here Pushing the distractions away  Pulling together the scattere...

Last week, someone forwarded an audio clip of a beautiful song, sung by a young girl Hindy, who was born very premature. She miraculously made it and is thank Gd completely healthy... Except,  that she can't see.  For some reason, her story really touched me and I just couldn't stop thinking about her.  I dropped what I was doing and sat listening to her song, over and over and over again.. until even my kids were singing along with me. And every time I listened, I found new layers of inspiration and personal meaning..  I had never met or personally known of anyone else who was completely blind before, so it was the first time that I really reflected on what that means..    My first impression was just wow! This girl is blind, yet she is so incredibly strong and positive! There is no trace of self-pity.  If she can find joy, how much more so can the rest of us! And she must have amazing parents because they truly succeeded in nurt...