May 10, 2004
darkness and light
Hasidic parable
A rabbi asked his students, When is it at dawn that one can tell the light from the darkness?
One student replied, When I can tell a goat from a donkey. No, answered the rabbi. Another said, When I can tell a palm tree from a fig. No, answered the rabbi again. Well, then what is the answer? his students pressed him.
Only when you look into the face of every man and every woman and see your brother and your sister, said the rabbi. Only then have you seen the light. All else is still darkness.
adj 1: concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions; "ecumenical thinking"; "ecumenical activities"; "the ecumenical movement" [syn: ecumenic, oecumenic, oecumenical] 2: of worldwide scope or applicability; "an issue of cosmopolitan import"; "the shrewdest political and ecumenical comment of our time"- Christopher Morley; "universal experience" [syn: cosmopolitan, oecumenical, general, universal, worldwide]
Posted by tripp at May 10, 2004 06:29 AMSpeaking of Hassidic. The house next door
where I live is also a Hassidic "synagogue."
Sometimes at night I'll see smoke and hear
this loud folksy music. I look out my window
and it is a group of men and women dressed all
in black with large candles dancing around
in a circle singing some song. There are also
children joining along.
It is totally cool. Sometimes they are so loud
it's the kind of loud that somebody would call
the cops for disturbing the peace.
It is at this moment that I wish I had a really
good camera --- I would definitely journal it.
If I joined in, I wonder if they would notice?
Posted by: Teresa at May 10, 2004 11:42 AM