Beyond Twelve
Gates
Parshas
Eikev August
7, 2009
Welcome to Beyond Twelve
Gates. Each of us faces adversity. How we deal with
our challenges, though, differs dramatically from person to person. Someone once said,
'I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails.'
Here are a few examples of people who adjusted their sails:
Einstein couldn't speak until
he was four years old, and didn't read until he was seven.
Beethoven's music teacher
said about him, "As a composer, he is hopeless.'
Walt Disney was once fired by
a newspaper editor because he 'had no good ideas.'
Caruso
was told by one music teacher, "You can't sing. You have no voice at
all."
In 1922, Harry Truman was thirty-eight,
in debt and out of work. Twenty three years later, he was the leader of the
free world.
Happy sailing!
Parshas Eikev --
Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25
Eikev begins as Moses
continues to encourage the Children of Israel to trust in G-d and in the prosperity
and health which will follow if they keep the Torah. Moses reminds
them of their numerous transgressions in the desert, including the mystifying
sin of the Golden Calf. He describes the bountiful Land of Israel, including its
seven special, unique and delicious fruits. Moses teaches the people the second
paragraph of the Shema
which stresses the fundamental doctrine of reward and punishment. All that G-d
requires of the Jews, Moses says, is to love G-d, revere Him, and to observe
His Torah. Easier said than done! Parshas Eikev concludes with the
promise that G-d will provide the Jewish people with protection if they observe
the laws of the Torah.
Rabbinic Ruminations
One of the more famous quotes
from the Torah is found in this week's Parsha : 'Man does not live by
bread alone, but by all that comes from the mouth of G-d.' Have you ever
wondered it means?
Physical nourishment and
stimulation aren't sufficient for a satisfied life. J.Paul Getty
once had an intriguing question put to him. He was asked, 'How
much is enough?' Getty smiled and responded, 'A little bit
more.' It's certainly true that whether you're rich or poor it's
nice to have money, but 'man does not live by bread alone.' Man also has
spiritual needs. Spiritual needs are fulfilled from 'the mouth of G-d.'
We need meaningful lasting pleasure in our lives. We need to love,
and to be loved. We need to give to others and express creativity in our
own unique way. And we need to have a relationship with the Almighty.
Quote of the Week
I believe that things happen for a reason.
I'll just leave it at that. I wouldn't say it's been good, bad or other.
I believe it's been good for my growth as a person and a player. I'm thankful
for all of it. -- Matt Holliday
Joke of the Week
Doctor Bloom who was known
for miraculous cures for arthritis had a waiting room full of people when
a little old lady, completely bent over in half, shuffled in slowly,
leaning on her cane.
When her turn came, she went into the doctor's office, and, amazingly,
emerged within half an hour walking completely erect with her head held
high.
A woman in the waiting room who had seen all this walked up to
the little old lady and said, "It's a miracle! You walked in bent in
half and now you're walking erect. What did that doctor do?"
She answered, "Miracle, shmiracle . . . he gave me a longer cane."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading 'Beyond
Twelve Gates'. Comments, questions, requests to be added to our email
list or better jokes can be sent to Pepshort613@sbcglobal.net or adarabba@hotmail.com Care
to know more about Nusach Hari Bnai Zion Congregation? Check us out at www.nhbz.org
If you enjoyed Beyond Twelve Gates, please share with a friend. Thanks to Alan
Haber for his assistance in distributing BTG
