By Jay Litvin
 | Are you hero or victim? The hero who never cries nor feels the fear, the panic, the regrets that are part and parcel of his condition? The victim who never encounters his bravery nor feels the transcendent power of rising above death, if only for a moment? Neither have bitachon...
8 Comments Posted
I enjoyed reading Jay's articles, and am saddened to hear of his death. A family friend died yesterday as well. So the concept of bitachon is important. It's interesting because Judaism is, of course, distinct from new-age pantheism in that we are supposed to make all sorts of distinctions. All is God, and we ought to be present at all moments, but we are also supposed to be drawing lines between things. Prety much every aspect of our lives is supposed to have lines drawn. And I wonder why. I wonder that perhaps the failure of those who want to just jump to the idea of bitachon is that one cannot really get there until one really understands and practices the idea of havdalah. It's a weird conflict but it feels right. As a Jew who is thinking all the time of Jewishness but not doing much Jewish
|
Any person who lives in that way has everything..... all the love and joy a human being is able to feel.
And yet we ( all too often ) say 'no thank you' to just that.
|
I never knew Jay or recall reading any of his articles. Now that I have and find today is his Yahrzeit, I feel a great sadness and loss. His personality comes through in a tremendous way in every article. What a guy! He was one year younger than my husband and me. Too young to die. His memory is truly a blessing. Thanks for sharing him with us.
|
I never knew Jay Litan. I never knew the meaning of bitachon. I know them now and will never forget them.
Thank you for sharing this most beautiful message and much gratitude that Mr. Litvan continues sharing wth the world even after his earthly death.
|
every time i read one of jay's phenominal articles i am drawn to tears.....not from the serious or at times morbid subject matter, neither by the deep emotions evoked by this intelligent, thought provoking and heart stirring, beauty of an article written by a master chasid and talented author, in fact jay's whole point in many of his articles is to teach us that crying over that is.....well....silly........the reason i cry is because im selfish....its because i begin to think and feel what kind of mentsh....and how great a mind.....with such a clear and truly REAL view on life and torahwas lost. i cry for myself that i never got to know him while he was alive and am stuck with only learning from his brilliant articles....in fact i am depressed at the thought that i lived at the same time as him and was complety oblivious to his existance. i cry because now all i have left to do is say ....i love u my dear jay am truly sorry that i missed u....but thank u
|
Awesom, truly beuatiful veiw. It makes me think though, if you did something bad in the past; people treat you bad (rightly so, although you should do unto others as you'd have them do unto you). But they say "the greater the sinner, the greater the saint". So the past lays the ground in my opinion for a future of bigger badness or greater goodness. But that depends on "the now". If someone is changing for the better right now, you shouldn't wait for the change to injoy their new personality, you should take time "NOW" to nurture that change. So living in the now is very important.
|
The month before my father passed away, at an age similar to Mr. Litvin's passing, he spoke of bitachon. Mr. Litvin's article brings to mind the very thoughts I contemplated when I was in mourning--what about the celebrations of the future? what does it mean to live? when is living more than just surviving?
Very beautiful article, indeed! It really touched my heart.
|
|
| |
|
LOGIN
ASK THE RABBI
Read this article
