HOW TO STAY IN THE JEWISH FAITH EVERYDAY

How to keep with your Jewish faith everyday? What can we do to practice it when we are not in a Shul or not at a Kiddush or other ritual community gathering? How can we practice our faith everyday no matter where we are, who we are with, or what we are doing?

We have the gift of the Hebrew language as ours. Hebrew can roll off our tongues at anytime. If we cannot chant it loudly, we can always whisper it to ourselves, say blessings every time we eat, before and after a meal. There are blessings we can chant in Hebrew for mostly whatever it is we are doing. We can constantly praise and thank G-d for everything that we are doing, everything that we have, for our relationships with other people, for our families, the list goes on and on and on.

There are Jewish radio stations we can plug into, to keep the singing in our hearts, there are worship service computer audios, and we can always sing to ourselves, no matter where we are, we can sing and remember the Hebrew words and keep up a daily rhythm.

We can write about our faith, we can teach it to our children or others who could benefit from the lessons, as a way to keep peace with all people so the barrier of misunderstandings can be lifted. What people do not know, is what they fear. Fear puts up walls between people and defeats peace efforts, the more we can teach others about our faith, the more comfortable they will feel and therefore the more peace that can be had.

Wear a yarmulke, tallit katan, or other religious garment that identifies you as Jewish. This is a good way to always be in the faith, kissing the tzitzit on a daily basis as it becomes part of you, an extension of who you are--as a Jew, and not just another person on the street. You can become a good example, a mentor, and visually be identified as Jewish, and people will see how righteous a Jew is, by watching your behavior.

Be in communion with other Jews in your community. Hang with them. Pray with them. Get to know them. Solidify your space in your environment with the support of other Jews. Keep up a good relationship with all Jews, Jews of every denomination. Do not segregate. Be inclusive in your friendships, and respect and honor all other Jews.

This is how to keep holy everyday. Continue to wash your hands and recite the blessings. Clean hands clean heart. And of course, study Torah everyday.

FEEDING THE HUNGRY WITH THE MEAT OF THE TORAH

What is it like to be hungry? To be hungry all the time, never having enough food to fill the nagging feeling in your stomach--even after you supposedly had what another says is the right amount of food. What is hunger? It is the weakness in your body parts, the growling in your stomach, the involuntary fasting that one goes through when others are not going through it. It shames one as he asks for more, needing more, hunger wrenching stomach gut not resting, but calling for relief, for more than one bite, for a full cuisine, when there is none available.

Hunger is not shameful, it is a natural biological function of the body to regularly crave food, to need the sustenance to keep the blood flowing and the organs warm and in good shape. Have you ever asked someone for food and they said "No, they will not give you any food." But with G-d as your shield constantly, you can watch them in daily self-destruction as they hold onto selfishness, G-d is breaking them with a rod of iron as they get thinner and thinner, as they ate the food instead of you, when it was your food and not theirs. But their food did not fill them, it was not spiritual food. G-d will shield the hungry as they get regular meals everyday because they share it.. The selfish will get thinner and their clothes get loose as their food will not change them for the better, they eat empty calories.

"Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me." [Psalm 3:1.]  But oh, how we watch the wicked wallowing in their own deceit and oppression as they try to forward it onto others. Diabetes and Gout, Heart Attacks from over-eating meat. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if you give your apple away to the hungry, that'll keep Satan away.

A little food could go a long way if it is shared and not hoarded, and that it is when the food you eat is also spiritual food, because it has been shared, and no one goes away hungry.

REALISM OR PESSIMISM

Taking a realist's attitude towards acknowledging that life has it ups, but more importantly acknowledging that life has its downs. And when acknowledging and validating life's downs, to keep a serious balanced attitude and not go through life pretending all is a ballet and that you are a dizzy dancer in a "wonderful" rose-colored world.

To keep with only the truest of all possible friends, The G-d Almighty Himself and trust Him with all of your difficulties and pray to Him to relieve your daily hardships, and not to get entangled with trying to get nurturing from people who give no compassion or just "listen" and offer no assistance.

Step each step of your day with the fear and love for HASHEM and rely on Him to answer your prayers where mortals cannot or do not do this. Mortals are imperfect and are spawned on by the yetzir harah, [evil intentions], and it is good to always be on your guard and not to trust inherently imperfect mortals.

Only G-d is good, He is the only goodness that is anywhere, and He is everywhere, except in the mouths of the impure, and all mouths have some degree of impurity--human mouths that is.

And knowing that this attitude is realistic and not pessimistic.

GOING WITH YOUR OWN FLOW SINGING YOUR OWN SONG

 

Bravery, courageousness, boldness, speaking out above the din, holding your peace and taming your tongue, silenced when all is just noise, prayer where scoffers dominate, reading where books are burned, sitting when everyone is standing and standing when the norm is to sit. Writing or making art when mathematics takes the pie, listening to the stories of the afflicted when everyone is ignored. Taking someone's side when they are losing, giving a reward to him who has nothing and cannot do anything. Being attentive when the order is to sleep. Relaxing when they tell you to stiffen and exhaust yourself, smiling when everyone else is frowning, enjoying yourself when they want you to suffer, slipping a wrench in the machine, saving a life when they want him to die, obeying the rules when they expect you to rebel.

Respecting the fool who is really a king, learning from the illiterate, washing a dirty body, dancing instead of stiffening, whistling a tune in the silence, being one with beauty where all is ugly. Taking a chance where it is boring and breaking a rule that is unjust. Knowing the options and opting in when it helps or opting out when out is healthier. Jam with a band and tap your feet where all others are stiff-necked. Celebrating your birthday without disappointment, receiving a gift and thanking someone. Shaking someone's hand, giving someone a hug. Whetting your lips with water and washing your hands from a vessel. Continuing to live again and again, and to remain firm, to take up space. Laugh when nothing is funny, making something funny when it was not in the first place, chuckling and smiling, feeling the rhythm when there is no music. Staying where you are and making a stand. Defying all obstacles, and doing it without a fight. Being able to rest during a thunderstorm. Loving and hating when no one is feeling. Moving your legs when they are stiff. Restraining yourself from junk food, waiting to take the cake.

Flying with the angels when all they offer you is an airplane. Not crying when you feel pain. Resting when they want to force you to work. Cleaning when they want to keep you dirty. Singing when others whisper, and rejoicing when you want to, to live happily ever after, but never to say "The End," continuing to wake up each morning and rising with the sun. Saying I love you when they hate you. Being at one and at peace everyway, everyday, going with your own flow, and doing it again and again, never to close the book.

BABY'S DRINKING MILK FROM HEAVEN

Waiting eagerly for a kind word, anticipating an endless river of tears, giving a smile to get a smile, appealing to them for a grain of sugar, a treat, a reason to be honest, a reason to receive honesty, a path of wisdom, a word of holiness, a body to sway with a nearby spirit, a calling from the depths of the sea, a sandcastle that becomes home, a puddle that is a swimming pool, filtered water from an outdoor fountain, clean hands clean heart.

Both hearts beating, one wants to beat instead of the other, stealing food from mother's plate, not being fed, no windows shining light, enclosed between four dark walls, in a basement, not feeding or drinking, fasting, suffering, waiting to feel darkness becoming light again.

A new life, a new attitude, an angel becoming a companion, a friend in him, a softness of wings as he touches you, turning into gold, becoming a winner, having peace in your heart. Forgiving and knowing the truth. Having an answer, not lying, not being lied to, no one showing pretenses, no disguises or evil, accepting each other—a kiss on the mouth.

A shoulder rub, holding hands, tickling, touching and loving. Darkness transformed before one's very eyes—a candle flame lit, Shabbat a day of rest coming tonight and tomorrow, keeping it together till then, resting in routine, being with G-d all day, a day of peace. No longer thirsting, will be drinking, will no longer be wanting, will be satisfied, will no longer be eager, will be sated, will not be looking, will have found.

Reading The Psalms' words of truth, words of realness becoming an iron suit of armor. A knight in the night on a dark horse riding on a familiar path—no pot holes, sure-footed, horseshoes pounded in solidly nail by nail. Not walking barefoot and not being without shoes, having it all but having nothing. Having Torah at all times, having the reason why, so being fed and fed again and again with G-d's Words.

A TURTLE IN A PROTECTIVE SHELL

Weaning, separating, curling up in a ball. Protection, building walls, inside a book, no one can penetrate, stopping abuse, silencing interrogators, holding up one's hands, a veil over the eyes, a prayer shawl tallit over the head, blinders, not seeing to the right or to the left, siddur words only in front, windshield wipers on, no tears, no regret, a place of solace, a place of solitude, a place of rest, a daily place to go, to not wear armor, to not be in a battle, to stop all wars, to throw away one's bow and arrows, to choose a peaceful road, to not give in, to lotion up your flesh, to keep well hydrated, to breathe deeply, to know your enemies, to feel disappointed, to wonder why, to be sad, to take back one's trust, to retreat like a snail or turtle into its shell.

To have G-d The Almighty provide the shell and hence security, to know, to be aware, to understand, to swim the other way--to find love in a different place.

A REFUGE CITY

Protection, Hashkivenu  Adonai! Help us. In a refuge city--a place kept apart, kept separate, kept safe and secure. Iron gates taller than Goliath with iron gate doors that only unlock from the inside, doors that never open to the enemy, video cameras that chase away ghosts, not even spirits can come inside, candles always lighted, "holy" ghosts are dissolved and cannot penetrate.

Sharp piercing arrows on tops of fences, brick walls the size of pyramids set up to halt the enemy. Safe inside, like a bomb shelter where shrapnel cannot enter.

Warriors in suits of armor lined up to fight against any intruders, safe on the inside, in the womb, in an embryo made of heavy solid concrete, with all the comforts on the inside lining, a womb with a never-ending flow of milk and honey, a cord to continue a flow of manna, cooked kosher foods like pureed kosher meats to nourish an infant, a cradle set up with soldiers who guard it from bloodthirsty invaders.

A place to relax, a place to feel safe and secure,  a place to snuggle under the covers, a place where there is no oppression, a place where no one is able to rule without justice, a place to live, a refuge city.