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Master of a Good Name

Rabbi Levi Cunin discusses how nothing happens by coincidence.


During the late 17th century, European Jewry was still reeling from the devastation wrought by the Khmelnitsky pogroms of 1648-1649. The massacres had left tens of thousands of Jews dead, and the grief-stricken survivors struggled to rebuild their broken lives and communities. Against this troubling backdrop, in the small Polish town of Tloste,  Eliezer and his wife Sarah lived a life of simple piety. They had been married for many years but had not been blessed with children.

Eliezer and Sarah were blessed with great wealth. They chose a life of simplicity, only spending money on their basic needs. The bulk of their wealth was used to take care of the guests who would often stop by their village to spend the Sabbath.

Over time, Eliezer and Sarah’s home became famous for their warm and welcoming attitude towards their guests and for many travelers it was the chosen destination for a Sabbath stopover on their way to the larger industrial cities. Each of their guests would receive tremendous honor and love. Most of the guests would arrive on Friday before the Sabbath and Eliezer and Sarah insisted that they remain until Sunday so they would be able to give them ample provisions for their journey.

And so it was week after week, the guests would settle in for the weekend, and by Friday evening, all of the guests would already be on a first name basis with each other.

One Shabbat morning, the guests had just returned from praying, and they were invited to join in the weekly lavish Shabbat lunch spread with all types of delicacies, when a stranger, a  pauper in rags, carrying his possessions in a knapsack, entered the room. The other guests grew suspicious of the new comer and they began to mutter amongst themselves; Who could this be? Doesn’t he know that you are meant to arrive on Friday before the Shabbat to join in? How disrespectful to the generous and gracious hosts not to respect their observance! How come he came today? Why did he not come like the rest of us on Friday?  

Completely oblivious to the other guests' murmurings Eliezer walked over to his new guest and welcomed him with open arms not asking him any questions. All Eliezer wanted to know is whether he already had something to eat and how he could make his guest feel comfortable and at home. After seating his new guest, some of the regular guests asked Eliezer if they could speak with him. “Eliezer” they asked, how could you give such honor to someone who does not honor the way of your household? Poor Eliezer was being beleaguered by his other guests because of his sincere warm and welcoming attitude to the recently arrived stranger!

Eliezer excused himself and went off to a side room where he began to weep; he felt very sad about the reaction of the other guests. Immediately, he reminded himself that in his absence these people may say hurtful words and become difficult to his new guest. He quickly wiped the tears from his face and with a new found inner strength he went out to give even more honor and attention to his new guest.

On Sunday afternoon, Eliezer would walk the guests to the main road where they would continue on their journey. It was then that the mysterious stranger revealed to him that he was none other than the prophet Elijah. He was sent here for the weekend to test the level of his generosity and hospitality; and that Eliezer and his wife had surely passed the test. Because of this great deed of goodness and kindness they would be blessed  with a son in the coming year. Elijah shared with Eliezer a teaching from the Torah that he should impart to his child when he turned two and a half. The message was that he should have no fear of anyone or anything; he should fear only Almighty G-D, Creator of the universe.

A year later the child was born, and he was named Yisroel. He would later become the famous teacher of Jewish mysticism known as Yisroel the Baal Shem Tov, the “Master of a Good Name.” The stories and teachings of the Baal  Shem Tov are filled with light, joy, and inspiration. They are gleanings of light, joy and illumination,  and are a welcoming breath of fresh air and inspirational thought.

The core philosophy of the Baal Shem Tov is that nothing happens by coincidence. The Baal Shemtov taught that everything in life has a Divinely inspired purpose and meaning, even when a leaf falls off a tree it is for a specific Divine reason. The Baal Shem Tov challenged us to search for and commit ourselves to the reason in everything that transpires in our lives. The very fact that you are reading this article and story has an important reason and calling. What's your reason?

The Meaning of the Dollar

Rabbi Levi Cunin addresses the purpose of wealth.


Some pray for it, some slave for it, some devote their best years and finest talents to acquire it. And in many cases, the dollar gets blamed for many ills.

In particular, two basic accusations are leveled against the dollar:

One is that it has usurped the position -- once occupied by the spiritual, the transcendent and the Divine -- of the highest striving of man and the ultimate authority in his life. In this day and age, the dollar is god.

The second is that it is the cause of untold division and strife. It has pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, nation against nation. Indeed, virtually all conflicts are conflicts between the haves and the have-nots. And what do the haves have that the have-nots do not? Money.

But is the dollar really at fault? Is a six-and-one-eighth by two-and-five-eighths inch piece of green and white paper to be blamed for the fact that we have transformed the ultimate means into an ultimate end? That a most potent social glue is used to build walls of hostility and fortresses of isolation?

What does the dollar itself say about its intended and perverted uses?

By divine providence, the designers of the dollar inscribed on it two key phrases. The first, which extends above the large ONE on its reverse side, is "In G-d we trust." Not I, says the dollar, can provide you with solace from the pain of life and security against its uncertainties; not I should serve as the object of your yearning and the focus of your striving. Do not trust in me--trust in G-d. Do not serve me--use me to serve G-d.

We all know what it does, but what does it say? The second phrase, inscribed on the face of the Great Seal of the United States reproduced to the right, is E pluribus unum (Out of many, one). Yes, the world we perceive with our eyes of flesh is a plural world, a world of great variety and diversity. But our mission in life is to make of the many one, to unite these diverse forces into a harmonious expression of the oneness of their Creator.

People are different -- differently endowed with talents, resources and opportunities. Money can deepen these differences, when it is used to hoard wealth, reward privilege and exploit the needy. But money is far more suited to unite and equalize. It is the ultimate abstractor, converting goods, talent and toil into a commodity that can easily be traded and shared. It is a medium of generosity and cooperation between men and nations, a consolidator of resources to a common end.

The next time you use or pursue a dollar, take a moment to read the fine print.

Adapted from a public talk by the Chabad Lubavitcher Rebbe by Rabbi Simon Jacobson.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

The Message Within Passover

Rabbi Levi Cunin reminds readers of the meaning of Passover.


When I awake in the morning and I am once again blessed to gaze upon the magnificent waters of the Pacific Ocean, it is difficult to imagine what life was like as a slave.

As slaves, we were deprived of choice. We lost touch with our inner-self and became dependent on others. We were conditioned to believe that we could never be as good as  our “masters.” We were pressed by our masters who acted against any moral code and gave no value to our human dignity. We had no rights. Our Egyptian masters could abuse us, belittle us in a public setting, even in front of our children, and all we could do was acquiesce, lest our master become even angry and beat us to a pulp.

Perhaps the deepest part of our slavery -- of any slavery -- is when the "slaves" began to believe the masters, that we were worthless and that we should stop dreaming stupid thoughts like “freedom.”

And tonight, for the 3,324th time, we will give thanks to the Maker of all things, for reaching deep into the Egyptian reality and taking us, the Hebrews, a nation of slaves, into enlightenment at Mt. Sinai.

During Passover, we visit the areas in our lives where we forgot what it meant to be free. We must overcome our impulses, even our addictions, that become a kind of “slavery” that holds us back

Tonight, the first night of Passover we pray for all of humanity to be able to sing in unison, free at last, free at last, we thank G-d Almighty we are free at last.

Learn more about Passover here.

Let freedom ring!


Happy Passover! 

Respecting Our Seniors

Rabbi Levi Cunin addresses the issue of end of life care and respecting our elders.


It has been many years since my dear mother read me a bedtime story. Yet, those precious moments and powerful stories continue to play a powerful part in my life and are a pivotal part of what my wife and I strive to transmit to our children.

In response to a certain unfortunate incident that I recently witnessed with a grown adult and their elderly parent, I share with you one of the many stories. Thanks mom!

When Jack Kunze's 88-year-old wife and life partner passed away, Jack, being incapable of caring for himself, asked his son Marty if he could move in with him and his small family. For Jack, asking anyone for favors was something he did his best to avoid. Since Jack was 16 years old, he had been independent. But with his poor health, Jack was no longer the strong man and now he had to turn to his son Marty for assistance.

Marty’s first response was very welcoming. Together with his wife Suzy and their 10 year-old son David, they helped Grandpa Jack move with them. Young David loved his new reality. Grandpa Jack used to tell him lots of funny stories and was always there to give his support, especially on those days when he returned from a rough day at school.

Grandpa Jack’s condition continued to worsen, and due to the escalation in his Parkinson’s disease, he became less and less capable of caring for himself. During this time, his son Marty was continuously losing his patience with his elderly and frail dad. Marty felt that the current situation was way more than what he originally signed up for. Marty and Suzy enjoyed their social life and taking care of dad was becoming way too burdensome.

And so it was, one night at the dinner table, grandpa Jack was holding an expensive and rare glass in his hand when suddenly he lost control of the glass, and the glass fell on the table, smashing the glass to many pieces and leaving the just cleaned carpet with a big contribution of freshly squeezed orange juice!

“That’s it.” shouted Marty. "I am done! You got plenty of friends and acquaintances, it's time for someone else to take care of you! "

And so it was, Marty grabbed a small suitcase, filled it with grandpa Jack's essentials, and dropped him off at the local community center.

Young David was devastated, but he also knew that it would be a bad idea for him to say anything. And so he retired to his room where he cried all night.

A few days later, young David took a detour on his way home to see if he would somehow get lucky in finding his beloved grandpa Jack. Lo and behold, to his total shock, Grandpa Jack was on a bench in the local park looking more weak and frail than ever before.

"Grandpa Jack, are you OK?" David gave Grandpa Jack a big hug and asked his favorite person on earth if there is anything he could do for him. Grandpa Jack told David that it gets real chilly at night and if he could arrange a warm coat for him he would really appreciate it.

David ran home and asked his dad if he could give him a coat for Grandpa Jack so he won’t be so cold at night. Marty instructed his son to make his way to the attic where there was a bag of old worn out coats. David went up to the attic and disappeared for over an hour when he finally returned. “What took you so long?” asked Marty. David pulled out the coat and showed his dad how he cut the coat in half!  "Have you gone mad? Why did you take such a nice coat and ruin it by cutting it in half! "

Young David took a deep breath and told his dad, “Half I am going to give to Grandpa Jack and the other half I am saving for the time when I do the same to you as you did to Grandpa!”

There are many invaluable lessons we must give to our children. One at the top of the list -- to become a living role model of what it means to respect and honor our elders.

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