Things that puff the ego are uninteresting to the soul. While things that nourish the soul, are generally irrelevant to the ego. I love how brilliantly you are bringing this insight to life!
Shavua Tov: I hope this isn't violating any rules if I post a comment from Tom Divine, my spouse:
“I didn’t miss the sour taste in my mouth from saying something nasty.”
What a wonderful insight – by implication, anyway – that different kinds of speech are associated with different tastes. Just think of all that follows. It allows us to ask what speech is uniquely associated with the salty or the sweet. And of what the source of the bitter? What cookbook or other religious text instructs us on the seasoning of a particularly luscious dish?
And of course there are combinations of tastes. Consider the lowly cabbage soup, lowly, perhaps in its list of ingredients, but complicated in its sweet and sourness.
At what dinner party do we serve cabbage soup, and what is under discussion at that party? Who is invited to that party? And, even more important, who not?
Who sets the agenda? And who originates the guest list?
In this way, the tradition moves from Lashon Hara to Hachnasat Orchim. Now there’s a journey worth considering..
Very happy that this showed up in my email (perhaps because I subscribe to Bari's new venture?), although I didn't go through the process of choosing Judaism we all choose the form of our observance & your very thoughtful posts show how much there is to learn about our religion by looking at it through your eyes. Thank you & Shabbat Shalom. Best-Jennifer
Easily one of the top 5 essays I have ever read. Thank you for writing one of those wonderful pieces that as you are reading it, you say to yourself, "Yes! I remember that now. How could I forget that?" I am confident I will read this many many times.
Things that puff the ego are uninteresting to the soul. While things that nourish the soul, are generally irrelevant to the ego. I love how brilliantly you are bringing this insight to life!
Shavua Tov: I hope this isn't violating any rules if I post a comment from Tom Divine, my spouse:
“I didn’t miss the sour taste in my mouth from saying something nasty.”
What a wonderful insight – by implication, anyway – that different kinds of speech are associated with different tastes. Just think of all that follows. It allows us to ask what speech is uniquely associated with the salty or the sweet. And of what the source of the bitter? What cookbook or other religious text instructs us on the seasoning of a particularly luscious dish?
And of course there are combinations of tastes. Consider the lowly cabbage soup, lowly, perhaps in its list of ingredients, but complicated in its sweet and sourness.
At what dinner party do we serve cabbage soup, and what is under discussion at that party? Who is invited to that party? And, even more important, who not?
Who sets the agenda? And who originates the guest list?
In this way, the tradition moves from Lashon Hara to Hachnasat Orchim. Now there’s a journey worth considering..
Very happy that this showed up in my email (perhaps because I subscribe to Bari's new venture?), although I didn't go through the process of choosing Judaism we all choose the form of our observance & your very thoughtful posts show how much there is to learn about our religion by looking at it through your eyes. Thank you & Shabbat Shalom. Best-Jennifer
Easily one of the top 5 essays I have ever read. Thank you for writing one of those wonderful pieces that as you are reading it, you say to yourself, "Yes! I remember that now. How could I forget that?" I am confident I will read this many many times.