A few weeks back I visited one of my favorite spots in Israel and posted a photo of it to Facebook. A friend commented, "I post my pictures from there today too."
I was so happy! My friend was in Israel and he had been there the same day as me. I sent him an email asking, "Where in Israel are you going next? Can we meet up? I'm so excited to see you, my dear friend."
He emailed me back, "Yehuda, I'm in Los Angeles. I meant today I will post my pics from when I was there."
Needless to say I was disappointed but it also made me laugh.
As a writer, I know words can have several meanings and this can be a trap when it comes to spiritual study. It happens often with my books or my father's writings. Students will talk with each other and say things like, "The Rav didn't mean that" or "I think Yehuda was trying to say something different."
We each see, hear and understand things with our own individual filters. It's almost like the world is a huge mirror in which we see nothing but our own reflections.
With so many possible misinterpretations how can we better train ourselves to hear the truth?
When we are thinking only of ourselves, we see things only as they pertain to us. It isn't until we choose to start thinking of others that we can even begin to see things as they really are. As we care more deeply about those around us and look for ways we can put their needs before our own we merit to see a picture much larger than that of just ourselves.
Our ego and its self-serving desires will always distance us from the truth.
The more we include others in our consciousness, the more we distance ourselves from our ego and the greater the revelation of truth will be.
All the best,
Yehuda
I was so happy! My friend was in Israel and he had been there the same day as me. I sent him an email asking, "Where in Israel are you going next? Can we meet up? I'm so excited to see you, my dear friend."
He emailed me back, "Yehuda, I'm in Los Angeles. I meant today I will post my pics from when I was there."
Needless to say I was disappointed but it also made me laugh.
As a writer, I know words can have several meanings and this can be a trap when it comes to spiritual study. It happens often with my books or my father's writings. Students will talk with each other and say things like, "The Rav didn't mean that" or "I think Yehuda was trying to say something different."
We each see, hear and understand things with our own individual filters. It's almost like the world is a huge mirror in which we see nothing but our own reflections.
With so many possible misinterpretations how can we better train ourselves to hear the truth?
When we are thinking only of ourselves, we see things only as they pertain to us. It isn't until we choose to start thinking of others that we can even begin to see things as they really are. As we care more deeply about those around us and look for ways we can put their needs before our own we merit to see a picture much larger than that of just ourselves.
Our ego and its self-serving desires will always distance us from the truth.
The more we include others in our consciousness, the more we distance ourselves from our ego and the greater the revelation of truth will be.
All the best,
Yehuda
72 Name of the Week
Kaf Yud Mem
REVEALING THE CONCEALED
I tap into the universal truths.
Light from the Creator shines upon me, and I am able to see what is actually happening.
My powers of observation are strengthened and I connect to the truth, to what has been concealed until now.
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