A UNION OF LOVE BETWEEN YOU AND GOD

To use one's imagination to increase pleasure and increase one's perception of G-d The Al-Mighty. To be in a place where you do not see or hear or feel G-d as a physical presence but instead use your imagination to see G-d, feel G-d and to always be able to have Him as yours because He is in your will, in your mind's eye, a G-d that is everywhere simply because you want Him to be.

To not have a boring image of a god or a sculpture that dictates to you what this god looks like or where and when to perceive him. Instead to be able to summon the presence of the G-d Al-Mighty anywhere and at anytime without any image or any physical object to represent Him.

Having G-d so near, to feel Him in your body or upon the sweetness of your lips, to have love for G-d and for Him to love you, in your holy imagination as you partner with G-d and use Him as a mentor, guide and most importantly as your loved One.

To not mix up your head with multiple gods and confusion this way and that, to have One G-d with One singular focus, to not covet the gods of others, to have complete union and satisfaction with the One G-d Al-Mighty and have His presence be everywhere and anywhere for you to merge with in union.

TO PRAISE GOD AND TO ALSO GIVE PRAISE TO THE DESERVING

To praise or not to praise, is there something wrong with giving praise to someone or for yourself to need and desire praise, to want to be praised or at least just appreciated in your accomplishments, to be loved and cared for and nurtured and praised by others, is this a good or bad feeling, to have a feeling to need to be praised?

As we are instructed to praise The G-d Almighty, it is so that we should offer praise too to our kinsmen and friends when they have an accomplishment that deserves praise. Not to offer just anyone The Nobel Peace Prize, I agree, but if your daughter offers to wash the dishes and to help with the cooking, what is wrong with a little praise? To offer praise to your son when he offers to fill up your car gas tank at the gas station to save you a trip out of doors so you can do other things with your time. When your children excel in school or get promotions on the job. To praise them and appreciate them, to let your sister know you are proud of her, and vice versa, for her to also praise you. To tell your Mother, "Mom, I appreciate everything you do. Gee Mom, you're great! Thanks!"

When a child or other family member does something that deserves praise, should praise be withheld? As we praise G-d, we are to praise each other, as we are to love G-d, we are to love each other, as we are to honor G-d, we are to honor each other, as we are to thank G-d, we are to thank people: this includes our parents, siblings, children, cousins, friends, co-workers, anyone who has meaning in our lives, people in our lives who we cannot do without.

As we use G-d as our good example, as our Mentor and Guide, so are we to serve others in an effort to make the world a better place to live.

RINGING THE DOORBELL OF YOUR FELLOW'S MEZZUZAH

"Take a moment and concentrate on yourself, on your true inner self, not on your performance and how you project to others; and be at peace with yourself knowing that G-d created a very special person which is you."
[Chabad.org]

To have a relaxed feeling of your image of yourself. To feel approval from everyone you come in contact with whether or not they give it to you. To feel confident about your contributions to society, to your family and to your friends. To feel like what you are doing is enough, to not think what you are doing has any lack, to feel the friendliness of your fellow Jewish neighbor and to connect in a holy way with him.

To kiss his Mezzuzah on his doorpost, to take the time to perform this Mitzvah so you connect with The Divine as you speak to your neighbor. To make sure your neighbor knows you come in peace and with good tidings, to offer him a gift of your love and concern for him. To make sure he knows you are there for him at all times, the bad times as well as the good.

To have a conversation with your landsman about teachings of the Rabbis and about The G-d Almighty Himself, to not waste words, to talk of the Divine, to speak about verses in The Torah, to offer someone kind words, to use words that matter, to not waste your words, to speak only of the importance of your mutual connection to The Torah.

To offer kind greetings to one's fellow Jewish neighbor on the Holidays. To greet your fellow with a smile. To give him laughter, to wish him a Shabbat Shalom and a Chag Sameach, to bless your fellow landsman with blessings for safe travel, to invite him to your Kiddush, to make sure your well wishes go to him so he can respond to you with the same.

Take time to be there for your fellow, to bless him, to heal him, to care about him, to pray to The Almighty G-d for your fellow's safety and for him to have happiness, for him to be connected with The Divine as you are too.
 

LABOR AND WORK THAT BRINGS DIGNITY

"This is the first key to personal growth. There is no such thing as spirituality without sacrifice. A field will not yield crops unless one plows and sows. In order to make the Divine potential each of us possesses grow and blossom, an investment of hard work must be made."
[Chabad.org]

Working, everyday doing labor that will reap you a reward. Writing being a type of labor, teaching Torah as a labor, creating as a labor. Laboriously creating, working, doing, acting, learning, carrying, studying, working to reap you a profit.

Profit being measured by how much work is a benefit to you, to others, to the world. Benefiting from your labors. Giving yourself joyous moments as you strive, as you work, as you labor.

Labor being an action to give you a meaningful purpose, a righteous focus to your life.

Not to give up on your work.

To do what you love to do and to do it everyday. To work as a joy, to strive to give someone else the benefits of your labor. To not just labor for yourself. To work to sustain someone. To be the giver of sustenance with your labor for those who lack sustenance and are in need of your profits.

To work, as being a direct descendant of Adam and Eve who were thrown out of The Garden of Eden to be in a life of work.

To not to have an easy life. To no longer have a freedom from work, but to instead have the freedom to do work.

To be able to choose your work and do only the work that enhances and enlightens you, to have a job that is not menial, a job of which you can be proud. To do work that you love to do, and not ever to do a job that degrades you or that you do not like to do.

No occupation is better than another, all occupations are equal.

To know that all work is good, that there does not exist any labor that is injurious, unless it is a labor that cheats and robs people. Never to have to lie or cheat or oppress others as a job because these wrongdoings earn you money. The man who lives in truth but not riches is better off than he who does deceitful work.

Working hard as a way to change the world, a way to heal those who suffer, working in a job that is meaningful and righteous.

Working in the arts to bring beauty to the world.

To be able to retire from work, to still have sustenance in your elder years.