Keeping Pride in Check

March 28, 2014 - Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Holy Land Moments

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

— 2 Kings 5:1

The Torah portion for this week is Tazria, which means “to conceive,” from Leviticus 12:1–13:59, and the Haftorah is from 2 Kings 4:42–5:19.

This week’s Haftorah is the story of a proud man who was humbled. As it says in Proverbs 11:2,“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

The story takes place just after Israel had suffered defeat at the hands of Aram. Ahab, the king of Israel, had been killed by an Aramean archer, Naaman, who scored a direct shot at Ahab’s heart. This success quickly catapulted Naaman to fame, and he became chief of the Aramean army. However, his victory was soon overshadowed by an acute personal problem. Naaman was afflicted with tzara’at, the very same defiling skin disease discussed in this week’s Torah reading.

The Sages explain that the root cause of tzara’at is arrogance. Haughtiness often manifests itself in gossip, frequently cited as the sin that led to tzara’at. However, at the core, the spiritual malady is pride. In Naaman’s case, his success in killing the king of Israel led him to arrogance. He considered himself the greatest warrior in the world. But it was God who directed Naaman’s arrow into Ahab’s heart. The Haftorah we read at this time relates how God cured Naaman both of his pride and his skin disease.

This first step in breaking Naaman’s pride was afflicting him with tzara’at. Not many things are as humbling as being afflicted with an uncomfortable, ugly disease. Next, the solution to Naaman’s problem came from his slave – a young Israelite girl – who suggested that Naaman go to Israel to be cured, essentially forcing the great general to turn to his enemy for help.

Then, upon seeking out the Israelite prophet, Elisha, he was seen only by Elisha’s servant who advised Naaman to dip in the Jordan River seven times for a cure. At first, Naaman was angered by what he considered stupid advice. However, he eventually complied, dipped himself in the Jordan, and was indeed cured – not just of the skin disease, but also of his pride.

I once heard the following advice for putting pride in its place — take pleasure in our achievements instead of being prideful. If I gave you a check for a lot of money and you deposited it into the bank, would you be proud of yourself? Of course not! You had not earned it yourself, but you also would be foolish not to deposit it!

Similarly, God has gifted us all with talents and abilities. He has guided us toward our achievements. These are the things that we can take pleasure in without falling into the trap of arrogance when we recognize that everything has been given to us by God. It’s not us, but God who is deserving of glory. All we can ever do is “cash the check” He has given us and be grateful for His blessings.

What Silence Says

Post from Holy Land Moments Daily Devotional, March 19, 2014 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: ‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’” Aaron remained silent. — Leviticus 10:3

The Torah portion for this week is Shemini, which means “eighth,” from Leviticus 9:1–11:47, and the Haftorah is from 2 Samuel 6:1–7:17.

Sometimes in life we struggle to find the right words to say. However, at other times, the challenge is to say nothing at all. In this week’s Torah portion, we read about one of those times.

It was the eighth day of the Tabernacle’s inauguration in what should have been the most joyous day of Aaron’s life. He had been anointed as the High Priest, and the first offerings he made to God had been consumed by a divine fire sent from the heavens. The day marked the beginning of divinely ordained worship that connected humanity to God in a way never before experienced, and Aaron stood at the forefront.

Then, in the midst of the celebrations, tragedy struck. Aaron’s two sons, among the most righteous men of their generation, came before God with an offering. And because they did so without permission or authority, they were killed instantly.

If ever there was a time to express outrage, this was the time. If ever a person had reason to complain to God, this was the time. However, Scripture tells us, “Aaron remained silent.” Aaron’s silence was more eloquent than a thousand words.

The Sages explain that Aaron’s silence was an expression of acceptance. Aaron could have argued with God; he could have complained about his tragic lot on what should have been a joyous occasion. But his silence implied that he did not question God’s ways. As incomprehensible as they might seem, Aaron accepted that God’s ways were just and good – no matter what.

From where did Aaron obtain this almost super-human ability to trust unwaveringly in God?

Take a look at Aaron’s life experiences. Imagine young Aaron growing up a slave in Egypt. As a child he learned that Pharaoh had issued a decree that all baby boys were to be drowned in the Nile River. His mother became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Aaron must have wondered how God could allow a baby to be born only to be killed so cruelly. It all seemed so tragic, so wrong!

However, Aaron also witnessed how his mother, in order to keep her infant son alive, placed him in a basket afloat on the river. The baby was then discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who took him home and raised him as her own son in Pharaoh’s palace. This child eventually became the savior of Israel. What had seemed like a terrible tragedy became a great blessing!

Through his silence, Aaron teaches us a powerful lesson for our lives. We don’t always see the big picture and we can’t understand God’s ways. But God is always good, “his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). We might not understand God’s ways, but our silence expresses our faith in Him.

The Parable of the Pencil

In the beginning, the Pencil Maker spoke to the pencil saying, "There are five things you need to know before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be." This is what was said.

1. You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.

2. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but this is required if you are to become a better pencil.

3. You have the ability to correct any mistakes you might make.

4. The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write. You must always leave a clear, legible mark no matter how difficult the situation. 

The pencil understood, promising to remember, and went into the box fully understanding its Maker's purpose.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

1. You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

2. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various challenges, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

3. You will be able to correct mistakes you might make and grow through them.

4. The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

5. On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve your higher purpose in life. 

Everyone is like a pencil... created by the Maker for a unique and special purpose.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart. 

Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas to you all!

Please go through these posts
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2013/12/the-gold-wrapping-paper.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2012/12/fwd-bridge-between-two-worlds-merry.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2011/12/christmas-letter-from-jesus.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2010/12/merry-christmas.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2010/12/on-background-joseph-being-righteous.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2010/12/friend-of-mine-named-paul-received.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2011/12/christmas-story-animation.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2011/12/christmas-birds-eye-view.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2011/12/you-can-know-christ-of-christmas.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2010/01/12-days-of-christmas.html
http://kiranmj.blogspot.in/2010/01/why-jesus-is-greater-than-santa-claus.html


Also, do see the movies Its A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. I love those and I'm sure you do (or will) too :)

Also, i now have a new page, MattTauraeb, featuring great music from around the world.
Please show your support by LIKING us on http://fb.com/MattTauraeb

The Gold Wrapping Paper

Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.

As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to buy what was in the shoebox.

Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!"

As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her. But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. "Don't you know, young lady," he said harshly, "when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package!"

The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full." The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there. 

In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

For more such stories, 

visit http://www.weboflove.org/inspiring_stories_10/christmas_stories and

http://osr.org/christmas/20-famous-christmas-stories/

Happy Advent

Happy Advent!

The word Advent derives from the Latin word meaning coming. Basically, it is a countdown to Christmas day from the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and can also be thought of as a new year of the Church. The Lord is coming. During Advent we recall the history of God's people and reflect on how the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled. This gives us a background for the present. Today we can reflect on the past track record of God and so begin to understand what it means to us now for the sake of what is to come, in our own future and that of our world.

As mentioned earlier, Advent worship is like a journey through the Christmas story and most often people use Advent wreaths for the same. The circle of the wreath, made of evergreen branches laid flat, remind us of God, His eternity and His mercy, both which have no beginning or end. The four candles on the wreath represent the hope, preparation, joy and love, where the third candle is light pink and all others are purple, as seen in the figure. These are lit in the same order, one every Sunday. 

The first candle symbolizes faith in God keeping his promises to humanity. Read Romans 15:12-13

The second reminds Christians to "get ready" to receive God. Read Luke 3:4-6

The third candle recalls the angels joyfully singing about the birth of Christ. Read Luke 2:6-15

The fourth reminds Christians that God loves them enough to send his only Son to Earth. Read John 3:16-17

There are many more interpretations of the candles - hope, peace, love and  joy or God's people, the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist and Mother Mary. Please have a look at references 2-4 for various interpretations, prayers and references from the Bible for each week.

The final central candle, the Christ candle is lit the day before Christmas and symbolises what John 8:12 says, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (NIV)

References:

1. http://www.catholic.org/clife/advent/advent.php?id=5

2. http://livinghopeomaha.wordpress.com/about-living-hope/bible-stud/the-meaning-of-the-advent-wreath/

3. http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/adventwreath.html

4. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/advent-devotional-guide-preparing-for-the-coming-of-christ/

P.S.:Thank you Navya Varghese for reminding me :)
This post might be updated or further new posts added from time to time. Please check the main blog.

God is always in control

We always tend to think and worry about what is going to happen in our immediate future. But, it is beyond our understanding how God has written a wonderful story for each of us. All we have to do is have faith and wait for things to fall in place as per HIS plan, the bigger picture. One example I would like to share is about the people you are destined to meet.

For instance, I made three very good lil friends last year, who are located a little far off, physically. I was waiting to receive their email (I gave them my id) once they reached home. And to my surprise, I see I already had their email id 3 years before I met them! How? One fine day, 5 years back, Yahoo! launched their new domain names ymail and rocketmail. So I thought, well why not make one that has just my nickname and I did get the same.. 2 years later I get emails from these friends of mine, wrongly sent to me, more than a couple of times. (The curious part of me kept the email all these years.)

What are the odds of the aforementioned situation being merely a co-incidence? I believe that God has always had all of this planned out :)

This post might be updated from time to time. Please check back at the main URL. x