Facing Hardship, Finding Humility

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called “Facing Hardship, Finding Humility.”
Like Celine Dion, no matter how much fame, fortune, or power any of us amass in our lifetimes, none of these things make an iota of difference in the time of G-d’s eternal judgment of us. The only thing that matters and carries on are our good deeds!

When we are young and vibrant and the world seems so small in a way, we can tend to think we are invincible, but as we get older and more mature, we learn that everything we do in life that strays from the Almighty’s path for us has a price to be paid and a humbling before our Maker.

(Credit Photo: Anirudh Koul via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celine_Dion#/media/File:Celine_Dion_Concert_Singing_Taking_Chances_2008.jpg)

Skull Bags

Handbags in the shape of human skulls. 

Is that your dead sexy best?

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Strong and Knowledgeable

If you know your own strength and what you can do…

Then you also know what you can’t do.

While our dreams and imagination can be “the sky’s the limit,”

The reality is we are human and we have to learn, grow, and make progress incrementally.

Still it’s a fight every day to get stronger as people and as souls. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Shabbat: Time Vs. Space

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called “Shabbat: Time Vs. Space.”

When we choose to keep the Sabbath, we mark a day of the week in time, where we reject all the worldly pursuits of space and materialism in lieu of recognizing that there is a higher power, G-d Almighty, and that as Ahmari says ‘everything else is ephemeral and passes away with time.’

What we do to make things holy in time rules over what we do purely physically in space, that nothing but G-d is timeless, and everything material reverts back to its origins and is gone from time as if it never even was. In the end, we need to live our lives with the forethought that the spirit goes to the everlasting afterlife, but the body goes to the physical grave.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Just Call It By My Name

People often give money for “charity” but then force the institutions to call the buildings or parts thereof by their donor’s names.

It a matter of Quid Pro Quo!

Just a few examples of naming after people:

Carnegie Hall

Rockefeller Center

Whitney Museum

If you call it by their names, then they feel like they are somebody!

Even the rich and mighty people know they are going to die, but they want to be remembered long after.

Everyone should say their names!

But honestly, it’s not only completely egotistical, but also idolatrous.

The wealth that G-d grants us is for us to live and do good in the world–not to glorify ourselves.

Having your name on a building, museum, hospital, university or stadium doesn’t demonstrate you’re charitableness as much as your narcissism and desire for some sort of immortality.

However, there is only one G-d and it’s by Him that we should give honor, credit, and thanks!

Giving charity is what you do because you can and it’s the right thing to help others, especially when you have an overabundance.

Donating to put your name in lights and on people’s tongues is nothing but self worship.

All building should be stripped of the names of these people.

Recognize and raise up G-d.  Man is just his servant. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)