Vampire Weekend's Surprising Jewish Stories
6 min read
In the spirit of Crosby, Stills and Nash, “You who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by.”
Rabbi Noah Weinberg frequently said: You know you’re not living to eat, but do you know what you’re living for?
The sages tell us that there are 48 ways to maximize one’s potential. One of them is to always strive to understand one’s heart. Feelings contain information with profound personal meanings. Something bothers me about this guy I’m dating. Don’t marry him until you understand the meaning of this feeling. To make consistently good decisions, we must listen to and understand the meaning of our feelings.
The Biblical character Cain (Genesis 4:3-10) made a big mistake when he failed to bring his best produce as an offering to God. When God rejected his inferior offering, Cain made even a bigger mistake – he became depressed and wallowed in self-pity. When we hate ourselves, it results in depression and depression leads to quitting, which is a form of living death.
In Psalm 100, King David says, “Serve God with joy.” It’s hard to feel joy when putting pressure on oneself. I remember my father telling me that if the screw isn’t turning, don’t force it. Great work in every area of life requires effort but ease up on the pressure and do it with joy. This is especially true when it comes to self-improvement.
Children tend to look for excuses or someone to blame, much as Cain did when he tried to pass the buck and said, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:8) Adults take full responsibility for their actions.
“I set before you today, life and death… Choose life” (Deut. 30:19).
When we are thriving, we feel alive. When we are surviving, we feel dead. The thriving mode is a growing and creative mode. The surviving mode is a self-absorbed and self-preservation mode.
When the spies that Moses sent to scout out the land of Israel before they entered, they encountered some Canaanites. They created a belief that they were too weak and powerless to overcome them, as the Torah says, “And we were as grasshoppers in their eyes” (Numbers 13:33). A person is essentially what he or she thinks about all day. Pay attention to your self-talk. Is it full of negativity and shame, or positive and reaffirming? Equally important is the quality of our core beliefs that form the mental templates that shape how we experience ourselves and the world.
In the classic Jewish philosophical work, The Duties of the Heart (vol 1, pp. 393-395) the author writes that a person should choose a profession that fits his natural creativity and strengths in order to be successful financially. Each of us is uniquely gifted and talented. Identifying your strengths is a key to knowing what your purpose and mission is in the world. Be true to yourself. Trying to be someone else will only lead to frustration and failure.
One of the 48 ways to wisdom is to “share the burden of others.” A helpful thing we can do in bearing the struggles of others is to fully respect and listen to their pain and feelings. When a person experiences being seen and heard by another, it fills his soul with hope, courage, and strength.
Abraham was raised in an idolatrous culture which he ultimately rejected. The voices of society are loud and strong. It takes greatness of soul to listen to one’s own voice and not bow to those who would like us to jump the rail and ride on their train. When we do, we become lost and confused and we lose our individuality.
Every day, we are showered with countless gifts from God. My coffee, my glasses, my phone, my lungs are given daily for free. We make a mistake thinking that we are entitled to these gifts and more. The universe owes us nothing. When we realize this, we can turn from entitlement to gratitude. Only then do enter the light of true happiness.
Another one of the 48 ways to wisdom is to accept the pain of living rather than seek to avoid pain. If we ever hope to experience life in all of its splendor, we must learn to tolerate the pain frustration. No pain, no gain. When we face the challenge, we grow. When we run from it and seek comfort, we stagnate. It’s actually by avoiding the pain of life that brings about suffering. Suffering is the price we pay for avoiding the necessary pain of living. Dr. Carl Jung said, “Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.”
Self-care is my responsibility, although it’s tempting to slip into self-neglect and co-dependency. On the other hand, a life dedicated to self-improvement can lead to a life of self-absorption. Hillel tells us that one should also dedicate his life to giving and service of others.
With great resolve, nothing can stop us. Our problem is that we are full of excuses and rationalizations which weaken our resolve.
The suffering of slavery in Egypt was the beginning of the Jewish people’s rise to spiritual greatness. I once felt trapped in a job that was killing me and it led to being clinically depressed. When I stopped suffering and started trying to understand why I was in so much pain, I discovered something about myself that opened up new worlds of creative possibilities that transformed my life. The obstacle is the path.
“God saw the light He had made and it was good.” Everything God made was proclaimed good. Life is good. It’s an amazing experience to be a conscious, sentient being who can make choices and do so many things, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. This is the joy of existence. It’s exquisite. Don’t stop celebrating being alive.
Nothing can stand in the way of will!! Oh yes!!