While I am not Jewish, I mourn with everyone who mourns over the victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A dashing young rabbi and his pretty wife were killed in these attacks, they being the people who ran the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center in India.
"For five years, they ran a synagogue and Torah classes, and helped people dealing with drug addiction and poverty," continued the statement. "Their selfless love will live on with all the people they touched. We will continue the work they started."
They are just two victims out of many, their son having been rescued by a kitchen worker.
I go to Chabad all the time.Being Eastern Orthodox in my faith, I find that much of what we practice is not original-- it's outlined in the Old/Original Testament (T'nach) and our Church Fathers seem to have reiterated it since Christians kind of blow off the old laws! Chabad makes it current with present-day writers talking about how they practice mitzvahs. I have become friendly with one of the rabbis who has given me advice that has fallen on deaf ears for several years. Why is it easier to listen to him? He was willing to pray for my grandmother but asked that even though I am Gentile to practice a mitvah, which I did,and innumerable blessings have followed. Anyway, even how Chabad mourns is unique to my Western mindset. Yes, they can use the cash-- but look at this: Yes, there is something we can do.
A mitzvah, a G-dly deed, has the power to reach deep into the core of our being--where we are all one, and the physical distance between us is of no consequence. At this core, a positive deed on our part can help bring peace and goodness to this troubled world.
What better way to mark little Moishe'le's birthday, and to salute the bravery of his courageous parents, than to perpetuate their lives--lives they devoted to bringing goodness and G-dliness into our hurting world!
Take a minute to do one or more of the following. You can make a difference.
* Light Shabbat candles! Jewish women, light a candle tonight! Click here for instructions and local lighting times.
* Tefillin: If you already put on tefillin every day, encourage a friend to do so. If you don't yet, now is a good time to start! Click here to find out how to put this important mitzvah into practice or contact your local Chabad center for assistance.
* Torah study (suggestion: our Daily Study page contains selections from the Torah)
* Say a prayer (suggestion: Psalm 20 is traditionally said in times of distress)
* Charity and acts of kindness: Put a coin in a charity box, give a gift of money to a fellow in need or to a charitable cause, or extend a helping hand to someone who needs it.
* Mezuzah: If you don't yet have a mezuzah get one now! If you already do have one, it may be time to have it checked to ensure that the words on the parchment have not faded. Click here for more information about this special mitzvah.
I hope when I die that poeple do these kinds of things. It's a huge honor to have poeple recite a Bible verse in your memory or to do something good. They even have an article on the body and how when one Jew does something good that the body of Judaism benefits. That is so cool! I don't know what happens when a Gentile prays for them-- does the whole world benefit? Who cares? I pray any way.
This is another disjointed blog post. C'est la vie & bear with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment