One of the major benefits of meditation is the inner peace it cultivates. In Hebrew, the words “Shalom” (peace) and “Shalem” (whole) share the same root. It is impossible to achieve a state of wholeness/completeness in your life without inner peace.
Here is a meditation practice I have been experimenting with recently to increase my feelings of tranquility and peace.
The Israeli election is officially over and some Israelis, American Jews and even the American president seem bitterly disappointed with the result. It’s only natural that after any election there will be some hard feelings and sadness. This is especially true in Israel, where elections seem like life-or-death affairs that will entirely determine the fate of a vulnerable population surrounded by enemies.
So it wasn’t surprising to see name-calling and bitterness on social media following the election results. Although I can understand the disappointment, I think this is a good time for all of us to take some deep breaths and remember that anger is almost never productive for bringing about positive social change or justice.
Have you ever read the book Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life by Byron Katie? In the book, Katie lays out four questions that she says help people alleviate mental suffering and anguish, improve relationships and truly see reality as it is.
Many people swear by this method of inner inquiry, which Katie calls “The Work.” I find it interesting, though, that an alternate technique that Katie admits renders her method unnecessary is buried at the end of the book.
Happy Purim!
In case you missed them, here are my five best Purim blogs:
1. The Happiness of Rosh Chodesh
Rosh Chodesh (the beginning of a new Jewish month) teaches us about the resiliency of the Jewish people and the righteousness of women.
Do you know which singular action is said to guarantee you a place in the World to Come (heaven)?
My name is displayed on a banner that hangs in my high school gymnasium. Nearly 20 years ago, I finished my three years of varsity high school basketball in Massachusetts having scored over 1,000 points.
At the time, I was the second-leading scorer in school history. A few years later, after others players had also broken that barrier, the school created a banner for its 1,000-point scorers.
If the high school version of me had known that one day his name would hang on a banner in the gym, he would have been ECSTATIC. I got into basketball because I craved recognition.
In a surprising turn of events, Brandeis University’s Board of Trustees named Alan “Shlomo” Veingrad as the ninth president of the school, effective August 1. Although not from a traditional academic background, Veingrad displayed outstanding leadership as a player for the world champion Dallas Cowboys in 1992.
