Rabbi Kedar's blog

This people is known by three signs:

Being compassionate, shamefaced, and charitable.

Everyone who has these three signs is worthy of cleaving to this people.

And I believe that God is speaking to me and through me when I feel that way. I believe that God has planted in me very one of us the desire for more, the reluctance to settle for what we have and what we are, with all of its ambivalence. Our challenge is to want more of the right things.

Our senses are constantly being assaulted. Sometimes it is intentional messaging by those who want to sell us a product or convince us of something. At other times, it is just the noise of the city and of daily life... In order to see, hear, and understand God's message to us, God's direction for our lives, we have to be able to filter out all else that we see and hear that compete to claim our attention. If we aren't able to do so, then we will not be able to discern God's presence in the world or in our lives.

You can't care for others effectively unless you first care for yourself. You are the number one; never demote yourself. If you refuse to exercise, take medicine, get psychotherapy and care for yourself, you won't be very helpful to other people who need you. If your father has Alzheimer's and you micromanage his life without regard to yourself, you will likely pay a price. Caretakers have a higher mortality if they don't make time for themselves. In addition, their other relationships will often suffer.

Rabbi Heshel said:

"A man should be like a vessel that willingly receives what its owner pours into it, whether it be wine or vinegar."

Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim

Baruch Ata Adonai Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam a-sher ke-d-sha-nu b- mitz-vo-tav, v-tzi-va-nu al s-fi-rat ha-omer.

Praised be you Adonai our God who rules the Universe instilling within us the holiness of mitzvot by commanding us to count the Omer.

Today is the thirty-third day of the Omer.