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Encounter the Unknown with Strength
ENCOUNTER THE UNKNOWN WITH STRENGTH
UPON HEARING GOOD NEWS
הוהי הָּתאַ ךוּרָּב .ביִטֵּמַהְו בוֹטַּה ,םָלוֹעָה ךֶלֶמ וּניֵהֹלֱא Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Majesty of the world, who is good and does good.
UPON HEARING BAD NEWS
THINK
When we hear about the loss of life, the Jewish response is Baruch Dayan HaEmet, Blessed is God, the true Judge. Rabbi David Aaron writes: When I first heard this phrase, many years ago, I was bothered by it. After much thought, I began to understand the true meaning of the statement. It is a reminder that we are not the true judge, so we must never judge what anyone else is going through. We must simply offer our compassion.”14
REFLECT
Have you experienced judgment at a time that was challenging to you? Have you ever caught yourself judging another without truly understanding their suffering? What can help you hold back judgment and offer authentic compassion?
CONNECT
The Talmud teaches that Rabbi Akivaused to travel with a candle, a rooster, and a donkey. The candle provided light for Torah study, the rooster helped him rise early, and the donkey was his transportation. Once Rabbi Akivastopped at a town. It turned out there was no place he could sleep there that night. What did he do? He thanked God and went out of the town to camp. There, the wind blew out his candle, a cat ate the rooster, and a lion ate the donkey. What did Rabbi Akiva do? He said, “All that God does is for the good!” The next day, he learned that the town had been ambushed the previous night and he was saved by camping outside the city and by having neither candle nor rooster nor donkey that could have attracted attention to him.
PERSONAL PRAYER
You are the source of everything. May I always appreciate the blessings in my life. May I perceive goodness Even in times of hopelessness. Help me remain trustful. The source of all good, the One true Judge, is behind everything.
— Raissa Ellis,
Warsaw, Poland
14 Ronit Ziv-Kreger, The Art and Practice of Living Wondrously, A Momentum Publication, forthcoming.
