In memory of my father Dovid ben Eliezer whose yahrzeit is tonight.
Love Your Neighbor's Journey?
For some people, reunions are dangerous.
They haven't seen someone for years, and then they reconnect. They start hearing about their successes and failures in life and can't help but compare their life with their friend's life, for better or for worse.
The question for your table is: Isn't that just inevitable? Doesn't everyone do that?
I know at least one person who did not do that. He is not with us anymore, tonight is his 21st yahrzeit (see above and pic to the left).
My father genuinely rejoiced in other people's successes and shared with them their struggles, without any of his own ego mixed in. What was his secret?
I suspect he was able to fully achieve "love your neighbor" because he naturally fulfilled the latter part of the verse: "as yourself." When you know your own intrinsic value (which is infinitely precious, by the way), then you're able to see the full intrinsic value in other people, no comparison needed.
So that leads to the obvious question: How can a person cultivate one's own intrinsic value?
Shabbat Shalom
Appreciated this Table Talk? Like it, tweet it, email it...
No comments:
Post a Comment