Did you ever see LeBron James play?Who would LeBron James rather play one-on-one —
Kobe Bryant or…
Alexander Seinfeld?
Why would he obviously want to play Kobe? Won’t he beat me so much more easily?
It’s obvious, isn’t it? Pleasure in life is not the absence of pain! We find pleasure only through challenges, or “pain” as it were.
No pain, no gain.
There is this guy I know.
He's trying to conquer an internet addiction.
He's trying to conquer an addiction to unhealthy food.
He's trying to conquer an addiction to comfort.
We have such a pull towards comfort - everyone knows that comfort sells.
Judaism says that comfort does not = pleasure.
Comfort comes when you get rid of pain.
Pleasure comes when you use pain to gain.
Think about exercise and sport. Think about learning music. Think about learning anything. Think about trying to be a better wife or husband or parent or child or friend.
Difficulties in life, these are the pain that we need in order to experience the real pleasures of life.
Think about it.
For your table - What are the biggest pains in your life? What are the biggest pleasure?
Shabbat Shalom
PS - This Table Talk was adapted from The Art of Amazement - nearly a decade in print.
PPS - Want to make your Table Talk rabbi happy? Like it, tweet it, or just forward it to someone who might enjoy it.
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