Harmony at home is a matter of emphasis:
Let dissonance slip by.
Celebrate beauty.
See Igrot Kodesh, vol. 14, p. 62. See also ibid., vol. 8, p. 58.
From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.
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shumel
Mclean
August 8, 2016
I have been reading some of your quotes! Thank you for the attention if you are reading this. I am a profound lover of Chabad a bit. Thanks.! Reply
Reuven Green
October 28, 2009
Wishfull Thinking
If Yaakov would have dealt with Lavan according to whats said in these lines, he wouldnt have done all the things he did do to protect himself from him -and quite probably- we wouldnt be here today as Jews.
If David would have dealt with those who killed Avner according to those lines -he wouldnt have given them the death penalty as he actually did.
If Moshe would have dealt with those who made the Golden Calf the way those lines say, three thousand of Israel wouldnt have been killed by the Leviim.
And the same could be said about the men that were killed because of Korach, and about the man that was seen gathering wood on the Sabath -and many more.
Wanting to see in Reality all but pink is wishfull thinking: living in the real world -in a Torah way- requires more than that. An awareness of Evil as such, and the devising of ways to deal with it.
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Paul Gabriner
Holland
September 1, 2023
in response to Reuven Green:
The Rabbi's words are admittedly idealistic, but they are intended for today's readers, not for the historic personages of the Torah.
An ideal by definition can never be attained. It's like a light in the darkness, indicating the direction we should be going in, each step bringing us a step closer. Ultimate union with God may be possible for a saint, the rest of us must be satisfied with coming progressively closer to the Ideal without ever achieving it! But we have to keep trying! "You are not required to fulfill your task, but neither are you allowed to relinquish it"!
The great rabbi teaches us how life SHOULD and CAN be lived. The Torah teaches us this, too, but in her historical narratives also how life WAS lived. They are two different things!
And now for the future, do we really want to strive for life as it WAS or for LIFE as it SHOULD and COULD be??
Reply
Sam
California
September 1, 2023
in response to Reuven Green:
You obviously don’t understand what the quote is telling you. This isn’t talking about bad. When something is wrong, yes, you must go ahead and subdue it. Yet this isn’t the case here. Read the third word. Home. This is showing us that so much dissonance between spouses, friends, coworkers, and others close to home is simply because of small, often only ‘annoying’ things, that if we choose to ignore, and concentrate on the good instead, would generate peace. This isn’t about ignoring true evil and allowing our world to fall apart. This is about living on a higher realm where small negative things don’t bother us, and allow us to live a happier life. Reply
Roberto d' Goldstein
Miami, Fl
October 28, 2009
Harmonization
Infinite patience and trust in G-D and the reason this I say this is that when we have infinite patience it is because it produces peace
and then we could have harmony.
It works with us...if we just have infinite patience. It is not what we need ...it is how to get it. It is better to teach than to learn.
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Anonymous
October 28, 2009
Meet haiku master Tzvi Freeman. . .
OK, this isn't haiku but it is close enough. Very meditative.
Thank you for the thought.
Reply
Home is where the Heart is.