I Met Hope Yesterday

B"H

B”H

I Met Hope Yesterday 

Gd waits for a person to repent even to the last day of his or her life.

• Un’sahneh Tokef (part of The Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Musaf Prayer)

He is a loving Gd 

Unconditional loving Gd 

An all Knowing Gd 

As we learn from The Torah, 

We are actually a piece of Gd, 

So there is absolutely no way possible that He could hate us 

or have any negative feelings towards us 

There is absolutely no way to be separate from Him

Its impossible. 

As it says in Tehilim (Psalms) 73:22-23

“And I am foolish and know not; I was as a beast before You. [Yet] I am continually with You.”

Says the prophet and Levite Asaph-

No matter what we do or where we are, we are with Gd and Gd is with us. 

Continuously-

We are never alone.

Sometimes we dont feel connected with Gd, 

Or sometimes we dont feel like Gd is with us, 

And this is only because we are limited beings that wouldn't be able to handle the extreme bliss, feeling totally connected with Gd at every moment. 

We would be paralyzed with fear and dread, 

But Gd doesnt actually want us to be in that position because He put us here to do things and not be paralyzed by that experience.

~

Imagine someone loving you 

unconditionally- 

Just think about that for a second- 

~

Honestly I don’t think anyone or any creation has been able to feel that from any other human or any other creation 

Because 

We are not usually unconditional 

We are not unlimited 

Only Gd is 

We have limits, we have bodies 

Yes we are souls, which is an actual piece of Gd 

but its placed into our bodies 

so that we can actually do something down here in this physical world for Gd, 

If we were just souls, we would be like angels 

Singing praises all day long, 

Not having to worry about working on ourselves 

Because souls and angels are perfect- 

because they are a piece of Gd Himself, 

On the other hand, 

We have another soul, which is our animalistic/instinct/animating/vitalizing soul,

Humans might be part of the “animal species” but when you put a Gdly soul in one, it becomes a Gdly, holy, elevated person. 

We have instincts, 

We need to sleep and eat and make sure we’re ok and we’re safe and we’re taken care of,

An animal thinks of what it can do for itself and how it can keep itself alive, and how it can gain pleasure- 

Even if it has to hurt another animal for it. 

~

Humans with Gdly souls, have to learn and understand how to integrate and “mesh” the 2 souls it has- 

The animal soul, which is focused on self pleasure and keeping alive 

And the Gdly soul which honestly just wants to become one with its source again, (like a flame always reaching up towards its source, the sun,) but was sent on a mission to make the world a more revealed Gdly, holy, kind, good place. 

The focus is for the Gdly soul to guide the animal soul, 

Guiding our passions, 

Guiding our feelings and thoughts, speech and actions, 

Guiding our heart.

Like an untamed and untrained animal, that has enormous amounts of strength and abilities, we are here to guide our “animal soul” towards something positive and useful and uplifting, bringing out its deep, original potential, rather than focus constantly on ourselves, 

~

We’ve been learning something called The Ethics of our Fathers/Perkei Avos each Shabbat/Shabbos since Passover/Pesach, and this past chapter there was a sentence that read, 

“Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, a man would swallow his fellow alive.” 

This was said by Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest 

And honestly that shook me. 

I was like- Wow. 

As Jewish people we have the laws of The Torah. 

The 613 Mitzvos. 

And thinking about it, all humans have moral laws called the 7 Laws of Noah. 

Laws of Morality is something Gd gave all of us humans so that we have a clear understanding of how to make this world a better place, a beautiful garden, instead of absolute chaos-

Even if someone is not Jewish, The 7 laws of Noah still pertain to them, 

And as a Jewish person we have a couple more- 

~606 more. 

Honestly, when you’re in a community that appreciates them and focuses their daily life around them, it doesn’t feel like so much, but when a person feels alone and like it’s all on them, it could feel like a lot, but when we learn the depth behind what a Mitzvah actually is, when we learn that a Mitzvah is actually a way to connect with Gd, it brings out the love and “fear” and feelings behind it, 

When we realize that a Mitzvah is kinda like your spouse asking you if you can “please help with the dishes” and when we realize that its to keep our shared space clean and nice and at the same time, its actually an opening for connection, we do it with happiness, love, good vibes and passion. 

When were able to be part of a supportive, loving, healthy, inspiring community, we are able to rise above our animal instincts of self preservation and think of our loved ones, relationships, community and goals of Gds world.

Yes were individuals, and its important to take into account our own needs, but thats not the whole focus- 

Were here to connect with others and learn and grow from and with each other. 

Gd told us that we are a nation, 

His Holy Nation. 

Goy Kadosh 

“And you shall be unto Me a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation.”

And when we can remember how we were slaves in Egypt, how we were all slaves, and Gd took us out, on the account that we would become His nation, and no one else’s, -learning His Torah and doing His Mitzvos (commandments) aka having a relationship with him-,

When we can remember that we’re not actually slaves anymore, our relationship with Gd is not slave and master, I mean that’s a very level 1 way to understand it, but does a master unconditionally love his “slave”?

No. 

Our relationship with Gd is so much more. 

He’s our Father, our King. 

Our Creator, 

Our absolute source. 

And our love. 

As the Jewish nation, we are His “spouse” 

He chose us, 

and continues to choose us even after all we did and all we do,

because He actually knows what He created. 

He created Humans 

Perfectly imperfect beings, 

He could have created perfect beings, but He didn’t want to. 

He wanted to create something that would be pulled in 2 directions, 

Because He wanted a being that would be able to blend and mesh both worlds, heaven and earth together, and have a relationship with Him from our own personal free choice, not because we were pre-programmed, something real.

He wanted and wants our heart, our passion, our energy, our strength to be for Him, for holiness, for revealed goodness and kindness, 

Angels cant do that. 

We can.

And we are able to do that through accepting His laws/wants daily. 

Not once a year, 

But as a daily commitment, no matter where you are, where you live or where you find yourself. 

No matter what you did before, what you’re doing now or what your future looks like, 

He continuously loves and chooses us again and again, 

Unconditionally, 

And for that, 

We choose Him too. 

And when we continuously choose Him, living our daily lives for Him, we get to feel and sense a more revealed unconditional love from Him, the more we reach out and connect, the more we put ourselves out there, the more windows and doors of connection we open, the more of a connection we will have…

Its wholesome, filling and fulfilling.  

To me, its meaning. 

~

It’s not my place to write about the people I saw yesterday, 

I came to help, in any way I could, I came to bring happiness in any ways I could. 

I came to bring a sense of love and respect and humanity In a place that’s not usually known to, 

In a place that usually strips people of their innocence and respect, humanity and warmth. 

I don’t want to write about what I personally saw, 

because I believe people deserve privacy, and these moments were very sacred. 

But I will write that people do have a piece of unconditional love in them, 

no matter what their loved ones did, are wearing, or are going through,

I saw it through the tears and hugs- 

And I saw it through all of the volunteers and people who were part of this day.

And it made me remember that, 

Although we’re not Gd in any way, 

We were made to be able to emulate Him as best as we can, 

And that is what I saw yesterday. 

I saw the Gdly, yet human ability we all have to unconditionally love each other, and I saw a deep, huge amount of strength. 

And from that, I have hope in humanity. 

If only we could love each other so much, that we wouldn’t have to come to times of pain and suffering. 

If only we could love each other enough before. 

If only we could remember how holy and human we are before and lift each other up before it comes to a point that strips us of that. 

If only we could remember that we’re here for each other and with each other and 

If only we could remember our similar goal, 

Of making this world a better place. 

With unconditional love. 

~

Sometimes that animal soul inside of us tries to convince us to do something not the best for ourselves or humanity, and if we listen to it, 

Then it might take us down a rabbit hole of, 

“I did something not good, so I’m not a good person anymore, and I can’t go back to being good, so let me do more not great stuff.”

This little voice inside of us might get us depressed and when a person is depressed, numb to things, that might lead a person to possibly do more not great things, 

But the thing is- 

We are not bad. 

At all.

~

Our thoughts, speech and actions might need fine tuning, or improvement with the help of the right education or guidance, but we are never and will never be “bad” 

Its not even a potential, 

There is not a slight chance that we can be bad, because when our essence is a literal piece of Gd, and if Gd is totally good, and is unconditionally loving, and all the other good stuff, 

That means we are too, 

and just our human daily choices, and behavior has room to become better- 

We all have room to be guided, taught, inspired, understand more,

We all have room to improve and become better, because were human.

~

As a human being who’s also Jewish, 

I'm not perfect, and I make mistakes, 

Everyone makes mistakes because were all human.

But knowing that its not the end, 

Knowing that we can still come back even if we’ve thought or said or did something not great, 

It keeps us alive. 

Even just that one thought and idea, that keeps us going and keeps our hope alive. 

Freedom starts inside, 

Freedom starts in our thoughts

No matter where you are, 

You can be free.

~

I met a girl named hope yesterday 

In a place where people think there is none. 

And if anything,

That gave me chills. 

Looking around. 

Seeing hope. 

Feeling hopeful

Feeling inspired. 

Knowing that it’s a real thing, 

Even if some of us weren’t able to walk out yesterday, 

There was absolute hope that everyone will, 

and 

As I heard yesterday, 

A quote from Nietzsche, Viktor Frankl and Hersh Goldberg-Polin

"He who has a 'why' to live for can bear almost any 'how'."

When there’s a why, 

There’s a how. 

When theres a will, theres a way.

And the why, still needs you and still loves you.

Your why still believes in you. 

Your soul believes in you.

~

We all have hope, 

and being together,

being connected with others, 

having community and interacting with others that teach and guide and inspire and bring more hope, and positivity,

That’s our goal and our purpose. 

Making this world a better place, 

Learning Torah and doing Mitzvos, 

Being kind to someone else, 

Doing a simple act of kindness and compassion,

Even a little bit every day, 

No matter where you are, 

That is our goal and our purpose- 

~

Redemption is all of our hope. 

We are worth it.

We are all deserving of it-

And it’s coming. 

~

I met hope yesterday.

I forgot her exact age. 

But I know that she’s more than 5000 years old. 

~

And stronger than ever.

~

How can you show others a little bit more love and support?

How can you add more hope into your daily life?

What Mitzvah can you choose to do to improve your relationship with Gd and receive more revealed light in your present stage of life/environment?

-The Passionate Jew