Serenity isn't freedom from the storm, but peace within the storm.

2006-03-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

Good and Evil

"Darkness, no matter how ominous and intimidating, is not a thing or force: it is merely the absence of light.

So light need not combat and overpower darkness in order to displace it. Where light is, darkness is not. A thimbleful of light will therefore banish a roomful of darkness.

The same is true of good and evil: evil is not a thing or force, but merely the absence or concealment of good. One need not "defeat" the evil in the world; one need only bring to light its inherent goodness".

The Lubavitcher Rebbe.

2006-03-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

2006-03-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

2006-03-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

2006-03-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

2006-02-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

"...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.

The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"

- Mark Twain
("Concerning The Jews," Harper's Magazine, 1899,

2006-02-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

2006-02-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Intolerance lies at the core of evil.
Not the intolerance that results
from any threat or danger.
But intolerance of another being who dares to exist.
Intolerance without cause. It is so deep within us,
because every human being secretly desires
the entire universe to himself.
Our only way out is to learn
compassion without cause. To care for each other
simple because that 'other' exists.

- Rabbi Menachem Mendle

2006-02-06T23:35:00.000-08:00

"I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations … They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth. The Romans and their empire were but a bubble in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the globe and have influenced the affairs of mankind more and more happily than any other nation, ancient or modern."

- John Adams, Second President of the United States
(From a letter to F. A. Van der Kemp [Feb. 16, 1808] Pennsylvania Historical Society)

You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart, nor find out what a man is thinking; how do you expect to search out God, who made all these thing

2006-02-06T00:38:00.000-08:00

2006-02-05T23:47:00.000-08:00

Hello all, this is the first post to this not so thought out blog. Even if this does not entertain others at least it gives me what to do, which is good enough for me. Here I am in cincy trying to acomplish the first real feat of my life, to become a Rabbi on the books. Who would have thought Kazi doing smicha does not ring true but it is. i have passed the first exam by two very prominent Rabbi's of the Chabad comunity (even though my chavrusa said i barely passed). I have found that you can do anything as long as you put your heart to it. Yes its true its not just some folk tale. Anyway enough talk for now gotta get some sleep.