When You Think Your Hut is Burning...

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for G-d to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. Then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost.

He was stunned with grief and anger. "G-d, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because G-d is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of G-d. 

Great little parable to bear in mind next time it seems as though the worst has happened. We are surrounded every day by Blessings in disguise and it’s our job to uncover them. 

Never, ever give up faith. It’s so imperative to always, no matter how dire the circumstance, stay strong in your faith. 

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” -FDR

All For One and One For All

Wow! It’s been quite some time since I’ve blogged but I’m back and better than ever :)

As humans, most of us tend to have a selfish nature to us. It doesn't stem from a spiteful place but with the busy lives we all lead it’s easy to focus your attention on your own personal needs and not so much focus on that of others. 

How often do we see the urgent cries of a fellow facebook friend to please say Tehillim for an ill loved one or an organization seeking volunteers for their upcoming event, and we think to our self I’m sure someone else will help out. 

When it doesn't personally involve you and is solely the problem of a friend it can be very easy to just look the other way and hope the problem will get fixed on its own or with the help of someone who maybe has more time on their hands etc. 

This is why it is so important to at all times remember- “Kol Yisroel Araivim Zeh Lazeh.” As Jews we have that inborn responsibility to help out our fellow brethren and sisters. Like it or not, we are all connected. We share one Father, Hashem, and just like we would never abandon a blood sibling in their time of need we should do the same for our fellow Jew. 

Take a look at the following parable:

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. “What food might this contain?” He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mousetrap in the house.”

The pig sympathized, but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.”

The mouse turned to the cow, and the cow said, “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. But his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer’s wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral; the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

So the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn’t concern you, remember, when one of us is threatened, we may all be at risk.

We see in Bereishis, Kayin turned to Hashem and said about Hevel, his brother, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

We are all involved in our task down here of turning this physical world into a dwelling place for G-d. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

“Each of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry; our lives are woven together for a reason.”

Ayekah? Where are YOU?

I’m sitting at my desk at work doing the usual- e-mails, calls, paper work etc. and can’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

Today, Yud Tes Kislev, one of the most fundamental Chassidishe Yomim Tovim, is coming and going as if it were an ordinary day.

Back when I was in elementary and then onto High School such a day was far from the ordinary. Starting with us being allowed to leave our uniforms at home and come dressed in Shabbos finery, on to a day filled with programs, speakers, Farbranging and more, there was no way; no matter how “disconnected” you thought you were, to not feel the specialty of the day.

Not being in school anymore is a poor excuse to let such a day go by without doing something. Of the many beautiful stories and lessons this day has to offer one famous incident stands out that I want to share. A lesson we hear about all the time which only stresses how important it is.

“Ayekah”

In 1798, The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, was put into prison because of the slanderous behavior of Misnagdim who strongly opposed the Rebbe. For fifty two days he sat in St. Petersburg’s prison.

As per the daily routine there, an interrogator came in one morning to ask the Rebbe some questions. Having a broad knowledge of the Bible and Jewish studies he asked the Rebbe to explain the verse (Genesis 3:9), “And G‑d called out to the man and said to him: ‘Where are you?’” 

The minister turned to the Rebbe with the obvious question- Did G‑d not know where Adam was? 

At first the Alter Rebbe tried to offer the explanation offered by several of the commentaries which explained that the question “Where are you?” was merely a “conversation opener” on the part of G‑d, who did not wish to scare Adam by immediately confronting him with his wrongdoing. 

“What Rashi says, I know,” said the minister. “I wish to hear how the Rebbe understands the verse.” 

“Do you believe that the Torah is eternal?” asked the Rebbe. “Do you believe that its every word applies to every individual, under all conditions, at all times?” 

“Yes,” replied the minister. 

The Alter Rebbe was extremely grateful to hear this. The czar’s minister had acknowledged a principle which lies at the basis of the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, the very teachings and ideology for which he was standing trial!

The Alter Rebbe then continued, “Ayekah, where are you? Is G‑d’s eternal call to every man. 

Where are you in the world? 

What have you accomplished? 

You have been allotted a certain number of days, hours, and minutes in which to fulfill your mission in life. You have lived so many years and so many days,” (here the Alter Rebbe actually gave the exact age of the minister.) 

Where are you? What have you achieved?” 

We all so to speak are “Adam.” Hashem is constantly calling out to us and asking- Ayeka? Where are you? He knows good and well where we are but is sending us a wake up call. 

It’s easy to get caught up in such a world. 

A world filled with physicality and darkness, and the burdens of our every day routines. 

But that is no excuse. 

Each and every one of us was given a hand-picked, special mission that NO ONE but you can accomplish. 

Before such a special day comes to a close take five minutes to ask yourself, Ayekah? Where am I? 

Where am I going? 

Where should I be going? 

What can I do to get there?

 Good Yom Tov everyone! 

How Will You Build Your House?

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."

The carpenter was shocked!

What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently.

But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.

Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow.

Build wisely!

TidBytes From A Tech Genius

I’m currently reading Walter Isaacson’s, Steve Jobs, a riveting, fascinating biography about the late Steve Jobs.

While Steve was a mad man of sorts and did all kinds of eccentric things such as fasting for weeks, dropping acid in wheat fields, and meditating in his attic, he also was a brilliant man with so much to learn from.

One particular lesson I learned from and really admire about Steve is his attitude. He believed that so long as you put your mind to it there is nothing one can’t accomplish. He really, truly held to this and lived his entire life with this mind-set. One such incident Isaacson talks about takes place with a close female friend of Steve. She recalls how one time Steve decided they were taking a trip somewhere. He told her she would be the one to drive and had her get behind the wheel. The car he was driving then was stick shift and she hadn’t a clue how to drive it. She told him this but he merely laughed it off, turned on some music, and went to sleep. He literally put his life in her hands. She goes on to say that if Steve decided she can do it that must mean she can and for the next 55 miles she drove, for the first time in her life, stick shift while Steve soundlessly slept beside her.

While this may be a bit of an extreme example- no, I am not recommending anyone get behind vehicles they do not know how to operate; I found a very profound lesson from this.

Here are two of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson to help understand: “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine.” And, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” 

We constantly undermine our capabilities and that which we can accomplish. When we decide in our mind we can not do something than no, we can not do that. But it is not G-d determining that fate but us putting it onto ourselves.

Don’t go for the easy, safe route which you know you can do but rather step outside your comfort zone and realize just how competent you actually are.  People surprise themselves every day with that “Hey! I didn’t know I can do that,” thought. Well that’s because you never tried! No matter how far off or out of your league it seems you’ll never know if you can do it unless you try.

Another defining characteristic of Steve was simplicity.

What Apple has done is combine software and hardware into a seamless experience.  Steve’s goal, which he integrated into the whole Apple experience, is to offer products that are simple and user friendly but never at the expense of quality.

No one is asking or expecting of you to make grand, extravagant gestures. It’s really the simplest of acts that can make a world of a difference.

Learning from everyone and understanding Hashgacha Pratis, the importance of everything happening for a reason, we can look at Steve’s passing and really gain a lot from him.

Craziness and all he was a brilliant man who took thinking, innovation, creativity, and ambition to entirely new levels.

Find one thing today that you think is “beyond” you and just go for it, there is no feeling more rewarding.

Whale Or Mermaid?

In a large city in France, a poster featuring a young, thin, and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

 A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym:

To Whom It May Concern...

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active mating life, get pregnant, and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.  They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia.  Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs.  They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans.  They are loved, protected, and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids, on the other hand, do not exist.  If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis.  Fish or human?  They don't have a mating life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they? Just look at them... where is IT?  Therefore, they don't have kids either.  Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me:  I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me happy, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.  With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.

So, we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. 
Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good grief, look how smart I am!"

I read this and loved it. Firstly because unfortunately we do live in a society where weight is a big peer pressure and to see someone putting a positive, humorous twist to it was quite refreshing. More so I enjoyed it because it clearly illustrated the power of perspective. Of attitude. It literally makes all the difference.

Going out to eat with my fam later, can’t wait to embrace my inner whale ;) 

Change Your Vocabulary

Oxford and Cambridge have now decided to remove the words CAN'T and IMPOSSIBLE from their dictionary. 

Jessica Cox, 25, a girl born without arms, stands inside an aircraft. The girl from Tucson, Arizona got the Sport Pilot certificate lately and became the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet.  Jessica Cox of Tucson was born without arms, but that has only stopped her from doing one thing: using the word "can't."

Her latest flight into the seemingly impossible is becoming the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet.

With one foot manning the controls and the other delicately guiding the steering column, Cox, 25, soared to achieve a Sport Pilot certificate. Her certificate qualifies her to fly a light-sport aircraft to altitudes of 10,000 feet.

She's a good pilot. She's rock solid," said Parrish Traweek, 42, the flying instructor at San Manuel's Ray Blair Airport. Parrish Traweek runs PC Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Services and has trained many pilots, some of whom didn't come close to Cox's abilities.

When she came up here driving a car," Traweek recalled, "I knew she'd have no problem flying a plane."

Doctors never learned why she was born without arms, but she figured out early on that she didn't want to use prosthetic devices.    

So, the next time you are ready to tell yourself, "I can't possibly..." remember this amazing young woman and change your vocabulary.