Scandals sell newspapers, so we are saturated with article after article about sleazy politicians, financial wrongdoings and the like. When a story breaks which will shed a negative light on a person's reputation, the incident is reported worldwide.
But, when there is a story that portays people in a favorable manner, few pick up on the article and publish it.
Last night I read an article at the Lakewood Scoop about a very honest storekeper. So far, I haven't seen anyone else pick up on the story. So, in case you missed it, click here to read a story not laden with scandal, but with principles of honesty that we should strive to emulate.
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Monday, 13 June 2011
Gratitude
Sara Yoheved Rigler has an article about gratitude on Aish.com which is worthwhile reading.
A couple of months ago, a a mother of two boys approached me to ask if I would tutor her young sons for an English test that they were taking in the beginning of June. In the end, I lent them two grammar books which have yet to be returned.
The family lives across the street from me. I bumped into the mother last week and asked if her children had taken the test. She replied in the affirmative.
"I would love to know what type of questions were asked on the test," I told the woman." Knowing that the boys had a busy school schedule, I asked when I could call them. She said that I could call in the afternoon, since it was Friday and they would be finishing school early.
I called a few hours later and the mother told me her boys were sleeping but she would have them call me. I reminded her that my books were still in her possession and she told me that her sons would return them.
Friday passed with no call or return of the books. Now it is Monday and I still haven't heard from them. I can assure you that when they needed the books, they were at my door at the first available moment.
Let's take more care in returning items in a timely fashion. Let's show gratitude for the favor bestowed upon us. Let me be dan lechaf zechut.
In a similar vein, when someone calls with a suggestion for a shidduch, if you decide that it is not appopriate, at least have the courtesy to call back the person who suggested the idea, thank them and let them know that you aren't interested, for the moment.
A couple of months ago, a a mother of two boys approached me to ask if I would tutor her young sons for an English test that they were taking in the beginning of June. In the end, I lent them two grammar books which have yet to be returned.
The family lives across the street from me. I bumped into the mother last week and asked if her children had taken the test. She replied in the affirmative.
"I would love to know what type of questions were asked on the test," I told the woman." Knowing that the boys had a busy school schedule, I asked when I could call them. She said that I could call in the afternoon, since it was Friday and they would be finishing school early.
I called a few hours later and the mother told me her boys were sleeping but she would have them call me. I reminded her that my books were still in her possession and she told me that her sons would return them.
Friday passed with no call or return of the books. Now it is Monday and I still haven't heard from them. I can assure you that when they needed the books, they were at my door at the first available moment.
Let's take more care in returning items in a timely fashion. Let's show gratitude for the favor bestowed upon us. Let me be dan lechaf zechut.
In a similar vein, when someone calls with a suggestion for a shidduch, if you decide that it is not appopriate, at least have the courtesy to call back the person who suggested the idea, thank them and let them know that you aren't interested, for the moment.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
The good news
A little while ago, I attended a tea in support of an Israeli institution for young women. I approached the principal of the school who was the guest speaker at the event. I asked her for a blessing for a member of the family who was undergoing some medical tests. She calmed me down with her encouraging words and told me that I should promise to donate to her institution when I hear good news. She showered me with blessings and I felt relieved and more at peace.
Today I found out that the results of the test were very reassuring and there was no need for any medical intervention. I was very excited and remembered to call the prinicpal with the good news.
She told me, "I give blessings to many people but so few people call me to report back to me when there is good news. You are special."
Let's remember to call the person whom we burdened with our worries if our problem gets resolved. We thought enough of them to confess our anxieties to them and listen as we tearfully spoke to them when things weren't going well in our lives. Let's think enough of them to impart good news, as well.
Today I found out that the results of the test were very reassuring and there was no need for any medical intervention. I was very excited and remembered to call the prinicpal with the good news.
She told me, "I give blessings to many people but so few people call me to report back to me when there is good news. You are special."
Let's remember to call the person whom we burdened with our worries if our problem gets resolved. We thought enough of them to confess our anxieties to them and listen as we tearfully spoke to them when things weren't going well in our lives. Let's think enough of them to impart good news, as well.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
The parrot
This Shabbos I attended a shiur where the rabbi related an interesting anecdote to drive home his point about how even though we might have had past failures, we can ultimately succeed and turn our past failures into successes.
He related an anecdote about a man who boasted that his parrot could say the Shema Yisrael. He would bring it to shul and the parrot would perform for the congregants. No one believed him and the man collected 500$ from those who bet against this seemingly impossible feat. The parrot was brought to shul but would not speak. Disappointed, the man returned the money and left the synagogue in shame.
When he got home, he got angry with the parrot.
"Because of you, I lost money and I suffered terrible embarrassment," he said.
The parrot responded, "You'll see that it will work out for the best and I will have made you even more money when you approach the congregation again in a month's time. This time bet 1000$ and I will perform for you. Now aren't you happy that you will have doubled your money?"
The rabbi concluded, "So too, can we turn our failures into successes. Hashem doesn't want us to fail. But if we do, we are given more channces to use our failures as an opportunity for growth."
He related an anecdote about a man who boasted that his parrot could say the Shema Yisrael. He would bring it to shul and the parrot would perform for the congregants. No one believed him and the man collected 500$ from those who bet against this seemingly impossible feat. The parrot was brought to shul but would not speak. Disappointed, the man returned the money and left the synagogue in shame.
When he got home, he got angry with the parrot.
"Because of you, I lost money and I suffered terrible embarrassment," he said.
The parrot responded, "You'll see that it will work out for the best and I will have made you even more money when you approach the congregation again in a month's time. This time bet 1000$ and I will perform for you. Now aren't you happy that you will have doubled your money?"
The rabbi concluded, "So too, can we turn our failures into successes. Hashem doesn't want us to fail. But if we do, we are given more channces to use our failures as an opportunity for growth."
Sunday, 8 May 2011
The wrong man
Debbie Greenblatt writes in Mishpacha about emunah and marriage. She describes a woman who suffered great emotional pain in her marriage. She had confided in Ms. Greenblatt that "she married the wrong man. She insisted that there had been another person in her youth who would have been more suitable, and she should have married him."
Ms. Greenblatt responds that , "while this fantasy may be useful as a coping mechanism in a difficult situation, the underlying premise is untrue and a tremendous obstacle in rectifying the situation. If we believe that we are where Hashem wants us to be, it will help us put our entire being into the effort of building and repairing our shalom bayis."
How many of us also have a person in our past that was more suitable? Let's stop living in the past and uttering if only and let's concentrate on making the most of the marriages we are in. Let's work on the present, whether it is on getting into shape, becoming better people, enrolling in courses etc. We are in the situation where Hashem wants us to be so let's work to be at peace with where we are now.
Ms. Greenblatt responds that , "while this fantasy may be useful as a coping mechanism in a difficult situation, the underlying premise is untrue and a tremendous obstacle in rectifying the situation. If we believe that we are where Hashem wants us to be, it will help us put our entire being into the effort of building and repairing our shalom bayis."
How many of us also have a person in our past that was more suitable? Let's stop living in the past and uttering if only and let's concentrate on making the most of the marriages we are in. Let's work on the present, whether it is on getting into shape, becoming better people, enrolling in courses etc. We are in the situation where Hashem wants us to be so let's work to be at peace with where we are now.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
A great investment opportunity
Grandma phones her daughter and says, "I'm coming to see you in half-an-hour".
When she arrives, her grandson runs to her, cuddles her and gives her a kiss. "Grandma", he says, "we don't need anything".
"What do you mean" Grandma asks.
"When you phoned," says her grandson, "Mummy said, "that's all I need! Now you're here, we don't need anything.
In a lot of families, no matter how many siblings there are, the brunt of taking care of Mom and Dad falls disproportionately on one child.
Last week a reader in Hamodia wrote to rabbi Abraham Twerski about the anger the individual feels that the entire burden of her father's care falls on her while the siblings don't put in their fair share. She wanted advice from the rabbi as to how to deal with the anger that was eating away at her.
The rabbi answered as follows.
"Suppose someone told you of an investment that was certain to increase grealtly in value. You shared this information with your siblings, but they had no interest. You did invest, and the value of your ivestment more than quadrupled. How would you feel toward your siblings? Angry? Probably not. You'd feel sorry for them that they lost this opportunnity.
You have the precious mitzvah of kibud av, for which the Torah promises great reward. Your siblings are not taking advantage of it? You should feel sorry for them, and when you pity someone, you can't really be angry at him."
Something to think about, n'est ce pas?
When she arrives, her grandson runs to her, cuddles her and gives her a kiss. "Grandma", he says, "we don't need anything".
"What do you mean" Grandma asks.
"When you phoned," says her grandson, "Mummy said, "that's all I need! Now you're here, we don't need anything.
In a lot of families, no matter how many siblings there are, the brunt of taking care of Mom and Dad falls disproportionately on one child.
Last week a reader in Hamodia wrote to rabbi Abraham Twerski about the anger the individual feels that the entire burden of her father's care falls on her while the siblings don't put in their fair share. She wanted advice from the rabbi as to how to deal with the anger that was eating away at her.
The rabbi answered as follows.
"Suppose someone told you of an investment that was certain to increase grealtly in value. You shared this information with your siblings, but they had no interest. You did invest, and the value of your ivestment more than quadrupled. How would you feel toward your siblings? Angry? Probably not. You'd feel sorry for them that they lost this opportunnity.
You have the precious mitzvah of kibud av, for which the Torah promises great reward. Your siblings are not taking advantage of it? You should feel sorry for them, and when you pity someone, you can't really be angry at him."
Something to think about, n'est ce pas?
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Turn off the cell phones
A friend sent me a WMV file of a lecture that I was unable to attend. As I sat down to listen, the first thing I heard was the incessant ringing of a cell phone, disrupting the lecturer from proceeding.
A rebbetzin spoke in the neighborhood a while ago. The person who introduced her stressed that the rebbetzin wouold be highly disturbed if cell phones went off during her lecture.
"Please turn off your cell phone," she requested.
The rebbetzin started speaking. After a while, a cell phone went off.
Her look of displeasure would have rattled anyone.
She requested that cell phones should be turned off. A few minutes later she was, once again, disrupted by the ring tones of a cell phone.
This week, Mishpacha published a letter signed by leading American rabbis about how if the phone rings, it shows contempt for kavod shamayim.
Therefore is it obligatory for each and every person to completely close their phone before entering the Shul.
They wrote that it was a bizayon for a person to spend the little time he engages in speaking to Hashem and asking for his needs without cutting himself off completely from outside wordly influences.
A study on multitasking found the following.
Even if your soccer skills rival Ronaldo, though, hang up your cell phone before navigating busy city streets. Everyone had lower crossing success rates when talking on the phone. “It seems that pedestrians are able to tune out music on an iPod, but that preparing to speak or speaking causes impairments,...”
http://blogs.menshealth.com/health-headlines/athletes-think-faster-than-you/2011/03/30
So, turn off the cell phone. Be considerate and show the proper respect to G-d when in shul.
A rebbetzin spoke in the neighborhood a while ago. The person who introduced her stressed that the rebbetzin wouold be highly disturbed if cell phones went off during her lecture.
"Please turn off your cell phone," she requested.
The rebbetzin started speaking. After a while, a cell phone went off.
Her look of displeasure would have rattled anyone.
She requested that cell phones should be turned off. A few minutes later she was, once again, disrupted by the ring tones of a cell phone.
This week, Mishpacha published a letter signed by leading American rabbis about how if the phone rings, it shows contempt for kavod shamayim.
Therefore is it obligatory for each and every person to completely close their phone before entering the Shul.
They wrote that it was a bizayon for a person to spend the little time he engages in speaking to Hashem and asking for his needs without cutting himself off completely from outside wordly influences.
A study on multitasking found the following.
Even if your soccer skills rival Ronaldo, though, hang up your cell phone before navigating busy city streets. Everyone had lower crossing success rates when talking on the phone. “It seems that pedestrians are able to tune out music on an iPod, but that preparing to speak or speaking causes impairments,...”
http://blogs.menshealth.com/health-headlines/athletes-think-faster-than-you/2011/03/30
So, turn off the cell phone. Be considerate and show the proper respect to G-d when in shul.
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