Friday, October 21, 2005

Here & There

Before his passing on the 18th of Tishrei, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov moved to a house in Uman that overlooked the old Jewish cemetery. In in Chayei Moharan #138, his disciple Reb Noson related a conversation he had with Rebbe Nachman on the subject of a person's awareness of his own mortality:

He started to speak about life and death saying, "Surely the only difference between life and death is very minimal: now a person is here, then afterwards he lives there" - and he gestured with his hand to the cemetery.

Indeed, our lives in this world our only temporary and there is only a thin thread separating us from death. Sitting in the sukkah these past few days has helped me reflect upon the things in my life that are not as secure as I imagine them to be. It makes me grateful to Hashem for His constant protection in this vulnerable world.

4 Comments:

At October 22, 2005 at 9:54:00 PM EDT, Blogger Idiot the Wise; AKA: INSPIRE said...

Really enjoy looking thru yoursite...
Wanna check out some poetry, street art and other cool stuff fom the streets of jerusalem...
www.poeticchemistry.blogspot.com

shalom and much love,

yehoshua

 
At October 23, 2005 at 8:13:00 AM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

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At October 23, 2005 at 5:10:00 PM EDT, Blogger Alan aka Avrum ben Avrum said...

Dear ASJ,

Indeed, the fragility of the sukkah is such that it parallels that of our lives, that we purposely leave the roof thatched to remind us of The One Above, and that He and only He rules the universe-that even in the face and aftermath of absolute tragedy does He "open (His) hand and satisfy every living thing with its desire". I am ...

Sincerely yours,

Alan D. Busch

 
At October 23, 2005 at 6:13:00 PM EDT, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Thank you for your comment, Alan.

 

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