Lifestyle
The Elements of Jewish Living
- Select A Category:
You are in lifestyle True Love (2003)
True Love (2003)
When we really listen, without even thinking about how to respond, we are displaying true love.
Everyone has been asking: “Rabbi, what time can I daven in the morning?
It seems to get light so late!” There are a number of answers to this question. If you are one of the 38% of privileged Americans that own a Palm Pilot, within seconds you can get the exact moment of Alos HaShachar, the earliest Shema, and the earliest time to put on your talis. So much techno-spiritual information at the point of your stylus. Or you can put your computer away and do what the Shulchan Aruch says. “When can you begin davening? When you can see your brother…”
“When can you begin davening? When you can see your brother…” There is something magical about these words. How can you turn to G-d when all you can see is your Palm Pilot? How can you ask G-d to help you through the day when you can't see past your own nose? How can you ask G-d to see you, if you can't see your brother?
Let's consider the plague of darkness that G-d brought upon the Egyptian people. When the rivers turned into blood - there was nothing to drink. When frogs, locusts and grasshoppers attacked Egypt - there was nothing to eat. But what happened when the lights went out in Egypt? What couldn't they do?
“There was darkness across all the land of Egypt - and no man saw his brother!” That was the plague; they couldn't even see their own brothers. This was a plague worse than hunger and worse than thirst; the inability to see past one's own needs and thoughts.
From time to time all of us get caught up in our own thoughts. This is natural and very human. The problem begins when we are so caught up in our own thoughts that they form a brick wall around us and we don't even hear the thoughts of our brother.
The laws of Kashrus teach an important lesson. Everyone asks: when kashering a fork should you use a milchig pot, a fleishig pot, or a treif pot? The answer is that it makes no difference. Being that the fork is “busy” exuding treif - it can't absorb anything! What a lesson - not only for forks, but for people. When someone is so busy making their point, they become deaf and blind! Communication breaks down. When this becomes the culture of society, it becomes a plague. This was the plague of darkness.
Active listening to, and seeing, the world of your brother is one of the most difficult tasks. Listening is very hard work, but it is the greatest expression of love. When we really listen, without even thinking about how to respond, we are displaying true love. Our brother, spouse, child or fellow Jew becomes the center of the world. He or she is what is important. It is only when I can get out of my own little space that I can start davening.
“In all the houses of Israel there was light.” The Ibn Ezra comments that actual light emanated from the houses of Israel. In the Jewish homes there was love, there was caring, there was listening, there was seeing your brother… and therefore there was light. May we all be blessed with light in our homes and in our lives.
View and leave comments • (0 comments so far)
View this article, and others like it, online at: http://www.torahlab.org/lifestyle/article/bo_2003/
