פרסומי ניסא
The car was just going and going...
We are all in it. Surprisingly we all chose to be in this game. It has its detours, fast forwards, yields, rewards, elimination and definitely surprises. The prize not earned by successful results but effort is a lot more than a million $ ...but it's not about the reward... If we want to, we can sometimes see tiny glimpses of it - Hashem's sweet loving messages. It doesn't take much to destroy it and challenge us once again. But that's the game and we want to play it.
December 12th, 2007 Ben Posted in Most Recent Posts, Compassion |
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” (His Holiness, the Dali Lama)
Is compassion lost in today’s society or do people simply disregard it as unimportant in their busy everyday lives? Are we really too involved with our own lives and our own needs that we do not see the need to practice compassion?
Compassion is defined as a deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it. I think as a society we observe the suffering of others, but it seems that less and less people deeply understand others suffering and feel the need to relieve it. Many see the homeless person on the street as they are out shopping and some may even offer change but only a few will stop and offer more than money, maybe a meal or even a friendly conversation. I admit that I too like many others find it easy at times, when I’m really busy, to walk on by and choose to ignore the suffering others but that does not mean that it is right.
How many people notice when others are struggling and suffering at home or at work and consciously do something about it? If you answered yes to that question then think how often you extend that same compassion to others outside of your normal relationships. If you answered no to that question then why do feel that you can not intervene to relieve other’s suffering. Compassion is not something that should be extended to others when you are feeling in the mood or when you feel the need to make yourself feel better, but should be something that you practice every minute of every day to everyone and everything around you. This will create positive energy in your life and in the lives of others around you. Compassion should not only be practiced when someone is suffering in major situations in their lives but also in every moment of everyday, even in the little everyday tasks.
People suffer all the time in their lives and others usually make the situation worse, often unknowingly, by striving to complete everything they need to by the end of their day. Often the needs of people override the suffering of others. Think on this when you next have 5 minutes (and everyone has 5 minutes in their day) - do you do everything you can to relieve the suffering of others, no matter how insignificant they may be, or do you strive to meet your own needs first.
Practice compassion, everyday in every way.
א הֹדוּ לַיהוָה כִּי-טוֹב: כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
ב יֹאמְרוּ, גְּאוּלֵי יְהוָה-- אֲשֶׁר גְּאָלָם, מִיַּד-צָר.
ג וּמֵאֲרָצוֹת, קִבְּצָם: מִמִּזְרָח וּמִמַּעֲרָב; מִצָּפוֹן וּמִיָּם.
ד תָּעוּ בַמִּדְבָּר, בִּישִׁימוֹן דָּרֶךְ; עִיר מוֹשָׁב, לֹא מָצָאוּ.
ה רְעֵבִים גַּם-צְמֵאִים-- נַפְשָׁם, בָּהֶם תִּתְעַטָּף.
ו וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל-יְהוָה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; מִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם, יַצִּילֵם.
ז וַיַּדְרִיכֵם, בְּדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה-- לָלֶכֶת, אֶל-עִיר מוֹשָׁב.
ח יוֹדוּ לַיהוָה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.
ט כִּי-הִשְׂבִּיעַ, נֶפֶשׁ שֹׁקֵקָה; וְנֶפֶשׁ רְעֵבָה, מִלֵּא-טוֹב.
י יֹשְׁבֵי, חֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת; אֲסִירֵי עֳנִי וּבַרְזֶל.
יא כִּי-הִמְרוּ אִמְרֵי-אֵל; וַעֲצַת עֶלְיוֹן נָאָצוּ.
יב וַיַּכְנַע בֶּעָמָל לִבָּם; כָּשְׁלוּ, וְאֵין עֹזֵר.
יג וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל-יְהוָה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; מִמְּצֻקוֹתֵיהֶם, יוֹשִׁיעֵם.
יד יוֹצִיאֵם, מֵחֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת; וּמוֹסְרוֹתֵיהֶם יְנַתֵּק.
טו יוֹדוּ לַיהוָה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.
טז כִּי-שִׁבַּר, דַּלְתוֹת נְחֹשֶׁת; וּבְרִיחֵי בַרְזֶל גִּדֵּעַ.
יז אֱוִלִים, מִדֶּרֶךְ פִּשְׁעָם; וּמֵעֲוֹנֹתֵיהֶם, יִתְעַנּוּ.
יח כָּל-אֹכֶל, תְּתַעֵב נַפְשָׁם; וַיַּגִּיעוּ, עַד-שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת.
יט וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל-יְהוָה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; מִמְּצֻקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹשִׁיעֵם.
כ יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ, וְיִרְפָּאֵם; וִימַלֵּט, מִשְּׁחִיתוֹתָם.
כא יוֹדוּ לַיהוָה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.
כב וְיִזְבְּחוּ, זִבְחֵי תוֹדָה; וִיסַפְּרוּ מַעֲשָׂיו בְּרִנָּה.
כג ] יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם, בָּאֳנִיּוֹת; עֹשֵׂי מְלָאכָה, בְּמַיִם רַבִּים.
כד ] הֵמָּה רָאוּ, מַעֲשֵׂי יְהוָה; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, בִּמְצוּלָה.
כה ] וַיֹּאמֶר--וַיַּעֲמֵד, רוּחַ סְעָרָה; וַתְּרוֹמֵם גַּלָּיו.
כו ] יַעֲלוּ שָׁמַיִם, יֵרְדוּ תְהוֹמוֹת; נַפְשָׁם, בְּרָעָה תִתְמוֹגָג.
כז ] יָחוֹגּוּ וְיָנוּעוּ, כַּשִּׁכּוֹר; וְכָל-חָכְמָתָם, תִּתְבַּלָּע.
כח ] וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל-יְהוָה, בַּצַּר לָהֶם; וּמִמְּצוּקֹתֵיהֶם, יוֹצִיאֵם.
כט יָקֵם סְעָרָה, לִדְמָמָה; וַיֶּחֱשׁוּ, גַּלֵּיהֶם.
ל וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כִי-יִשְׁתֹּקוּ; וַיַּנְחֵם, אֶל-מְחוֹז חֶפְצָם.
לא יוֹדוּ לַיהוָה חַסְדּוֹ; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, לִבְנֵי אָדָם.
לב וִירוֹמְמוּהוּ, בִּקְהַל-עָם; וּבְמוֹשַׁב זְקֵנִים יְהַלְלוּהוּ.
לג יָשֵׂם נְהָרוֹת לְמִדְבָּר; וּמֹצָאֵי מַיִם, לְצִמָּאוֹן.
לד אֶרֶץ פְּרִי, לִמְלֵחָה; מֵרָעַת, יוֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ.
לה יָשֵׂם מִדְבָּר, לַאֲגַם-מַיִם; וְאֶרֶץ צִיָּה, לְמֹצָאֵי מָיִם.
לו וַיּוֹשֶׁב שָׁם רְעֵבִים; וַיְכוֹנְנוּ, עִיר מוֹשָׁב.
לז וַיִּזְרְעוּ שָׂדוֹת, וַיִּטְּעוּ כְרָמִים; וַיַּעֲשׂוּ, פְּרִי תְבוּאָה.
לח וַיְבָרְכֵם וַיִּרְבּוּ מְאֹד; וּבְהֶמְתָּם, לֹא יַמְעִיט.
לט וַיִּמְעֲטוּ וַיָּשֹׁחוּ-- מֵעֹצֶר רָעָה וְיָגוֹן.
מ ] שֹׁפֵךְ בּוּז, עַל-נְדִיבִים; וַיַּתְעֵם, בְּתֹהוּ לֹא-דָרֶךְ.
מא וַיְשַׂגֵּב אֶבְיוֹן מֵעוֹנִי; וַיָּשֶׂם כַּצֹּאן, מִשְׁפָּחוֹת.
מב יִרְאוּ יְשָׁרִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ; וְכָל-עַוְלָה, קָפְצָה פִּיהָ.
מג מִי-חָכָם וְיִשְׁמָר-אֵלֶּה; וְיִתְבּוֹנְנוּ, חַסְדֵי יְהוָה.
Thank you Hashem. May it always be so clear.. Your loving care.. guidance