Without End

Georgianna and Debra, your comments were some years ago but today in 2020, I read the daily dose and your comments for the first time and was moved like you both. I hope you are both doing well in this difficult time of a pandemic. The words bring me comfort as I am still learning so much at age 62! I am more grateful than ever to be born a Jew and finally know better what it all truly means with the help of Chabads, kind Orthodox Yeshivish Rabbis and their Rebettzins, and even my own children and the support of my husband. Last year I read the Torah from beginning to end for the first time, and will continue to do so every Jewish year cycle. I’m learning and observing so much with awe and joy. (Side note: I do wish the word “fear” was replaced with “awe” since English transliteration aren’t perfect anyway.) Thanks for listening everyone. Reply

Beautifully said! So easy to forget this when our human minds looking backwards just sees our mistakes and failures. Peel them away and you see lessons learned. Push them in the cracks of a whole life and pull out the mitzvot when light and goodness shines. They are there. All the little acts of love. All the prayers, the davinging, the Torah insight, the efforts to be our higher selves. The cracks in the cement of our firm path and commitment are just reminders as we step over them to keep a humble heart. Reply

Thank you Rabbi Thank you again, once more, Rabbi Freeman. Reply

One G-d Truth is one G-d and One G-d is truth.

Thank you Reply

This is great. Existentialism versus Temporalism. It is all within the cycles of life in an endless infinitude where time does not exist. Reply

The Prophetic Voice As we begin to understand the Prophetic Voices, Moshiach is near.

So Eli directed Samuel, "Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, 'Speak, God. I'm your servant, ready to listen.'" Samuel returned to his bed.
(1 Samuel 3:9) Reply

Alive as one who sees Amen...........

He that hovers above, all knowing above and that is below. When eyes see both creations, then as it was said;“He who comes to be purified is aided.” Reply

You have great insight, saying the river of life as we never truly die unless it us to self. Then we can see the real value of the temporary. May G-d give you all you need to fulfill your here and new mission. Shalom. Reply

Thank you Thank you so much Rabbi. Reply

💕 Ecclesiastes said: All is vanity.
That all was idle.
So it is always translated and explained.

But that what you say in the above makes me happy, for last week I read that the original Hebrew word (that was translated as vanity) was "hebel". So much deeper and wider. Because it means "breath" as well! Was not breath the divine gift that gave life?
The german word "hebel" means "hefboom": "that what can lift up and/or lifts up"...

So when all is "hebel" life is both: moving, changing, not to own, not to hold, changing like the current of water in river,
but at the same time living is being like "breath", giving, receiving, spirit, soul.
Breath is that what makes us all (animals too) alive, breath is eternal, it is our link with essence too?
As you write: all involved in G'dly acts are here AND elevated beyond time.
So may be that was what Ecclesiastes said or meant to say. They said he was wise and I did question it, but if he said this.... this makes sense (to me i.e) Reply

What Remains? Let's ask GOD.... The Torah clearly states that we are dust and when we die we return to dust (...for you are dust, and to dust you shall return-Genesis 3:19 ). I don't see any mention of an after of any kind in the Chumash, nor do our forefathers (Abraham, Yitzhak, Yaakov even Moses) speak about an after. They are grounded in the now ....like GOD they remember we are but dust.

All talk of the after is the falseness that comes from fear, the reality that we are just dust. "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 3:19) . And it means ALL! All the stories we tell ourselves about endless meaning.

The true message of the Torah is live today and stop thinking about tomorrow or the world to come (which by the way is not mentioned in the Chumash). This is the Trust that is virtually impossible to listen to. Reply

Without End. I regularly read your Daily Dose. Each one is an inspiration !

Toda raba ! Reply

Is it thus true, like it is written that we should reject what the world offerus us, and that we better concentrate us on what really matters: our relationship with the Lord Himself, in that way renouncing the socializing manner of the world? In what way are we to appreciate the people living beside us in our community? Reply

Your column Shalom. I have read your Daily Dose for some time and have always had a connection to what you have to say. Your words have "cracked my shell" many times.

Thank you. Reply

Meaning in Life I find that these words give me a sense of meaning in life, for me as an ordinary person for sure. I need to believe and hope so much, to have a guide to whom I can trust. I need to learn the path of truth and confidence and I realized that I cannot learn this alone. But the histories of lives that can be taken as examples are already known. Good names that are eternal. Reply

Georgianna, I agree and I cried too after reading. It sometimes we need to know that the good we do (or appempt) is not in vain. And just thinking that we have the support and overseeing (if you will) of anyone so G_dly as Abraham and Sarah, well, that in itself is overwhelming. It also makes me feel ashamed that I do not do better when I could. But we are human, allwe can do it keep trying. Reply

Without End That part of us that is connected to G-d gets drowned out by our worries and complaints. Even though I know they will pass, I let them have the loudest voice.

Reading the Daily Dose today brought tears to my eyes - and more importantly, allowed that inner part to come up for air. Just in that moment, all the other things were dispelled. Thank you. Reply

Opposites or Nothing If I never experienced night ... can I understand day?

If I only hand one arm, would it be my left arm or my right arm?

Without knowing falseness ... how can I know truth? Reply

living again Thank you for all your wonderful writings. I appreciate them greatly. And have a question on this one.

I know that " the thirteenth of the thirteen principles of our faith [is] the belief that those who lived true lives will live again, in a real and corporeal way."

I don't understand how you conclude this from Torah "in a real and corporeal way" as opposed to the still powerful but more experiential (and metaphoric?) way -- Save a life--you are Noah saving the entire world -- you describe in this piece.

Thank you. Reply

Fellow Travelers Shalom,

it is a blessing to read your daily messags. They are a constant re-affirmation of faith.

To have patience is something that I pray to G-d for every day.

We are all weary travelers, it is just that some of us have been welcomed along the way and aided in our journeys.

Chabad is one of those helpers.

Thanks again and I will try to do one helpful thing today to help Moschiach come sooner.

Peace, Reply