Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love is in the air!  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Follow Your Inner Voice

As Steve Jobs said:

Follow your heart and intuition.

Do good!  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Sunflower and Heart Day

Nice to have a coffee next to a sunflower and heart. 

Sitting and relaxing under a blue umbrella. 

Great way to start off a day!  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

When Hypocrisy Leads To Abuse

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called “When Hypocrisy Leads to Abuse.”

As many of you, I have been following the news about sexual abuse allegations against Rabbi Chaim Walder and have been horrified and disgusted that this renowned ultra-orthodox Children’s book author and therapist is now accused of abusing the same. Like community Rabbis (e.g. Rabbi Barry Freundel) or Jewish educators (e.g. Stanley Rosenfeld), this phenomenon of using a privileged position to take advantage of women and children is certainly, by this time, not new and remains a stain on the Jewish community, no different than that of the Catholic Church or the Boy Scouts for the abuse by its priest and leaders on those that trusted them and the religious values and ideals they represent.

Truly, these horrible acts of hurting, abusing, and scarring for life women and children (including boys) are regrettably alal around us, whether with domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. But fortunately now they are at least “out of the closet” where rather than have the community deny the possibility that such evil exists or even circle the wagons to wholly protect the perpetrators (before fully investigating the facts), we now have greater recognition and are working towards accountability of these wrongs, and hopefully, far greater protection for people in the future.

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Eye Earrings

Like these big blue eyes in the heart-shaped earrings. 

The eyes even have these cool eyelashes! 

We got the eyes (I’s) and the heart (love)—where’s the you?

Maybe we give the earrings to “you” and then it’s I love you!  😉

Remember To Always Be Kind

Nice sign on the electrical pole, reminding us to always:

Be 💗 Kind

What kind?

The kind that has compassion on others, cares and love them, and does what’s right. 

That’s really the only kind worth being! 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Bicycle and Flowers

Why do flowers and bicycles go so well together?

Either way a beautiful display! 

G-d has made such an amazing world for us. 

And all our senses get to enjoy it. 

If you let yourself stop and experience it, your heart and soul can be uplifted with the joy of it all!  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Heart Over Head

While many people may occasionally feel head over heels for something or someone, I liked this saying by Miska Ben-David:

The head will make its plans, but the heart will choose its own path.

In other words, we are often driven by our hearts over our heads!

Passion is a powerful motivator, indeed. 

When passion calls, do you go running too? 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Tefillin: Our Wi-Fi To G-d

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, “Tefillin: Our Wi-Fi To G-d.”

I remember not long ago my son-in-law, Itzchak telling me:

Tefillin are our antennas to Hashem!

And like an antenna, we are able to pray and have our signal amplified to G-d as well as be able to be imbued with G-d’s spirit and direction to us in life. With the Straps of the Tefillin as well as the boxes and knots, we spell out the letters of G-d’s name on our head and on our arm. Thus, we are not only wrapped in this “spiritual antenna,” but we literally wear G-d’s words on the parchment in the Tefillin boxes and with His holy name stamped on our centers of thought and feeling.

In short, Tefillin is opportunity for us to network over Wi-Fi with the Master of the Universe. It takes us out of the daily grind of looking at the world in selfish, shortsightedness of what’s in it for me today, and how can I get more gold and goodies than the next guy or girl. Inside all of us, we have a soul from G-d, and through our spiritual Wi-Fi connection, we can energize that part of ourselves with a good, strong signal straight to the Big Guy upstairs.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumethal)

Everyone’s Heart Is Something

This video has gone viral since Monday. 

A 6-year old girl instructs her mom and dad on how to treat each other better after her parent’s divorce. 

“I just want everyone to be friends.”

“If I can be nice, I think all of you can be too.”

“I want everyone to smile.”

“I think you can get your mean heights to low heights.”

“My heart is something. Everyone’s heart is something.”

“If we live in a world where everyone is mean, then everyone will be a monster. What about the future?”

“If there is a little bit of person, we will eat them, then no one will ever be here, only the monsters will be in our place,”

“I want everything to be good and possible, nothing else.”

So innocent and pure are her words.

Yes, a wake-up call to all of us!

If G-d can endow us with such pristine souls, surely we can nurture these and one day return them to the Maker, certainly no worse for the wear, and maybe even some better with good deeds done. 😉