B"SD

Jewish Words of Wisdom: Quotes from 1999

Quotes from the Week of 17 Tevet 5760/December 26, 1999

"If you love someone, never ignore him. When you love someone, it means you exist. Ignoring somone means, 'In my book you don't exist.' If you love somone but in their book you don't exist, that really hurts." (Get High! The Wisdom of Rabbi Sholmo Carlebach Z"tl, p 6)

"Everybody believes in G-d, hopefully. But do you know how much G-d believes in us? The world stil exists. That means G-d believes in us; believes we can fix everything." (Get High! The Wisdom of Rabbi Sholmo Carlebach Z"tl, p 19)

The above quotes from the pamphlet are also part of a larger book titled Open Your Heards: Stories & Teachings of Rabbi Shlomon Carlebach


Quotes for the Week of 21 Cheshvan 5760/October 31, 1999

" 'G-d created' (Gen. 1:1). It happened that a heretic came to R. Akiva and asked 'This world--who created it?' R. Akiva replied: 'The Holy One, blessed be He.' The heretic said, 'Show me clear proof.' R. Akiva replied, 'Come back to me tomorrow.' The next day, when the heretic came, R. Akiva asked him, 'What are you wearing?' The heretic replied, 'A garment.' R. Akiva asked, 'Who made it?' The heretic: 'A weaver.' 'I don't believe you,' said R. Akiva; 'show me clear proof.' The heretic: 'What can I show you? Don't you know that a weaver made it?' R. Akiva then asked; 'And you, do you not know that the Holy One made His world?' After the heretic departed, R. Akiva's disciples asked him, 'But what is the clear proof?' He replied, 'My children, even as a house proclaims its builder, a garment its weaver, or a door its carpenter, so does the world proclaim the Holy One, blessed be He, that he created it.' (The Book of Legends, Hayim Nahman Bialik and Yehoshua Hana Ravnitzky, eds. p 6-7)


Quotes from the Week of 14 Cheshvan 5760/October 24, 1999

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You, In G-d, whose word I praise, in G-d I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? (Psalms 56:4-5)

" I trust in the love of G-d for ever and ever. I will give You thanks for ever, because You have done it; and I will wait on Your Name, for it is good, before Your pious ones." (Psalm 52:10-11))

"O Israel, trust in the L-RD; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the L-RD; He is their help and their shield. You who fear the L-RD, trust in the L-RD; He is their help and their shield. The L-RD has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the L-RD, both small and great." (Psalm 115:9-13)

"The fear of man lays a trap; but whoever puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe." (Proverbs 29:25)


Quotes from the Week of 13 Tammuz 5759/June 27, 1999

"If I forget you Jerusalem
May I forget my right hand
May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
If I ever don't think of you
If I don't raise up Jerusalem above my highest joy
(Psalms 137:5,6)

"As long as there is life, there is hope." (Talmud)

"Halleluyah! Praise HASHEM, O my Soul! I will praise HASHEM while I live, I will make music to my G-d while I exist. Do not rely on nobles, nor on a human being for he holds no salvation. When his spirit departs he returns to his earth, on that day all his plans perish. Praiseworthy is one whose help is Jacob's G-d, whose hope is in HASHEM, his G-d. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, Who safeguards truth forever. He does justice for the exploited; He gives bread to the hungry; HASHEM releases the bound. HASHEM gives sight to the blind; HASHEM the bent; HASHEM loves the righteous. HASHEM protects strangers; orphan and widow He encourages; but the way of the wicked he contorts. HASHEM shall reign forever -- your G-d, O Zion -- from generation to generation. Halleluyah! (Psalm 146 from The Comlete ArtScroll Siddur)

"Righteous people are not perfect beings who never make mistakes, who never experience burnout. Rather, righteous people are those who despite everything, despite falling, despite burnout, stand up, start all over again, and continue to express their loyalty to our Heavenly Father." (Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis in her book The Committed Life)


Quotes from the Week of 11 Nisan 5759/March 28, 1999

"The powerful person is one who is master over himself" (Ethics of the Fathers4:1 as quoted in Rabbi Twerki's It's Not as Tough as you Think)

"It is better to have less
if it is with peace of mind
than to have abundant wealth
but with a tormented spirit."
(Kohelet (Ecclesiastes))


Quotes from the Week of 28 Shevat 5759/February 14, 1999

"When you help someone else financially, realize that the money you are giving away is not really yours. Really the money belongs to the person to whom you are giving it! The Almighty has merely made you His messenger to collect that money and give it to its rightful owner."

"Today, write a check to your favorite charity and tell yourself, 'I am G-d's messenger!'"

"(see Rabbi Chaim Zaitchyk - Maayanai Hachaim, vol.3, p.138; Rabbi Pliskin's Consulting the Wise)"

The above quoted with permission from Rabbi Pliskin from Aish HaTorah's Daily Lift e-mail. To subscribe to this list, go to the Aish HaTorah site.


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