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oomis, you said exactly what I would have said. I love it.
Refua shelaima, I will daven for both you and your mom.
Luna, another heartfelt poem. You really speak from the heart. First of all, please don’t think that no one seems to care, because all of us here care very very much. Also, every dark cloud has a silver lining. And after every storm, there is sunshine. As long as we have the capability, we can try to focus on the sunshine and silver linings rather than the dark clouds. But even the darkness itself helps make us who we are, and is sometimes there to fix something that we wouldn’t otherwise have seen, and is therefore for our benefit. Hope things only get better.
And what SaysMe said was really beautiful.
SaysMe, I hope things only get better for you, too. And that thought you said was very interesting. I very much agree with the message that we shouldn’t compare our own spiritual levels to others, because everyone is different and has different things to deal with in life. But I’m not so sure about how that fits into being “sameach b’chelko” in regard to one’s spiritual level. I mean, I understand that we always should need to grow in our spirituality, so wouldn’t that conflict with being happy with the level one is on? But the message is very nice anyway, thanks so much for posting it! Maybe I’ll ask my mom what she thinks, she is usually very good with this stuff.
Wishing you all a great week.
I think Tonks is very special, because not many people would marry a werewolf. She was able to look past that and see the good underneath. And I think Luna Lovegood would do the same.
Yes, you can learn how, but a lot is dependent on either having an ear for music or understanding music theory. I’d say the most important key to composing a song is inspiration and influence. Meaning, whatever your musical inspiration and influences are will directly affect how you compose a song, and what goes into it. Which is why so much music sounds so similar. It is difficult to really be original without understanding music theory.
Kapusta, glad you’re doing a little better.
PE, glad to see you here! I’m doing alright, thank G-d. Thanks!
Wishing you all a good shabbos.
Coffee addict, I’m sorry I didn’t respond to this thread till now. I feel very similar to how you’ve been feeling. Every time I post something, I feel guilty about it, knowing that ayc, one of the most kind, sensitive people that has ever been here, isn’t posting because of the terrible thing that happened. In regard to the whole impersonation, my reaction to it was to be silent and not post anything, though inside I was bursting with anger and disbelief. I know, it isn’t healthy to do that, but that’s what I did. And after everything that happened, I couldn’t bring myself to post for a week. Though now I’ve tried to move on, but I don’t feel proud about that. But I’m glad that you’ll start posting again. Please forgive me for not noticing you were away, lately I’ve been oblivious to anything really going on, since I mainly just go straight to the poetry thread.
Hoping you’re well.
Thanks so much, NOMTW! Yep, music! What did you listen to first? I’m recording the cover song of My Immortal, it’s really hard to sing! I’m sorry you got verbally attacked in another thread. That’s partly why I try to stay away from other threads. Unfortunately, there are people in this forum who love insulting and putting down others. They use this place as a way to get all their anger out, and hurt others in the process. I hope you can get passed it, and move on. I hope you only have positive experiences here from now on.
Think first, blabla, PE, I miss you guys.
epis, oomis’s advice is excellent, as usual. I’d recommend doing what she suggested.
I’d like to post a thought that I’ve came up with during my studying for a final in Perspective Sketching:
When drawing any object, just as important as the object itself is the shadow of the object. Without a shadow, the object won’t look realistic, because it needs to be resting on a surface in order to be realistic, and a shadow is what does that. When drawing a shadow, it is almost always black, or a dark shade of gray.
I think this is all a nice representation of how we should think of challenges in life. The darkness of pain and suffering is like a dark shadow. We need to realize that without it, we’ll just be floating, and not “real” people, meaning, we won’t have a purpose as being human beings. But with the difficulties we go through, that gives us a “shadow” that we can stand firmly upon, and that gives us a “real” identity, and makes us realize we have a purpose here. So really, all challenges in life are part of who we are, and the help make us more real.
ICOT, thanks for saying that. I actually think I’m going to upload it to my soundcloud page. And please don’t think that your incredible poem is a mess.. it is truly a masterpiece! I love it just how it is.
I started recording the new song! Hope to have it up sometime next week, though with finals coming up, it may take longer. We’ll see.
Hope everyone’s doing alright.
SaysMe, thanks! Your poem is really beautiful. Many times, I wish that I can be more helpful to the people here than just writing a reply to their heartfelt words expressing pain. But we must make do with what we can, and hope that we can still make a difference, and I think we do.
Kapusta, thanks! Perhaps there is a song in it. Hope today was a better day. Thinking of you.
Luna, thanks! And amen.
ICOT, wow, that was really something! And such a great message as well. As humans, we were created to give and receive, and that is the beauty in us. We are able to think outside of ourselves. Thanks (Tanks) so much for sharing!
nitpicker, thanks for explaining. But I really think you have a talent in poetry and we’d love to read more of your stuff if you so desired to write more. I actually liked all 3 parts. I am sorry that this took a lot out of you. I hope that this writing from your heart helped get you passed whatever was making things difficult for you.
Luna, if your poetry is a reflection of your soul, and I believe it is, then your soul is beautiful, bright, strong, and full of life. Those scars and tears may look dark and sad to the average person, but if we can see the full picture, and continue to have faith that things are for the best and work out, then those scars and tears shine with light and show the world, and yourself, how strong your soul really is, and how you’re worthy to have such a special soul.
kapusta, I’m so sorry to hear that. Know that we all care about you so much and hope that things get better for you.
Here’s a little something I heard from my mom tonight. I hope you all can find it inspiring. It’s a nice parable.
There was a skilled sculptor who decided to create a perfectly realistic statue of a horse, and display it in the town square. So after many weeks of hard labor, he finally completed the amazing statue. It looked so realistic, is was almost impossible to see that it wasn’t a real horse. He then brought it to the town square and proudly stood by it, hoping that people would stop and admire it. But no one stopped to look. Everyone simply took a glance and walked by. Extremely frustrated that his hard toil was all for naught, he struck the horse with a stick, and a large piece of the statue cracked right off. He was devastated. But then, all of a sudden, a large crowd gathered around and admired the beautiful horse with the large gash in it. And the sculptor realized: When the horse was intact, everyone thought the horse was a real horse, and perfectly ordinary, and therefore they didn’t look twice. But a horse with a large piece missing, still standing upright? That, everyone had to see and admire.
And I think this is a good message for all of us going through difficulties. If we all had perfect, trouble-free lives, there’d be nothing special about us, nothing separating us from anyone else. But when we go through difficulties, hardships, and tough times, and still manage to stay upright, we are truly beautiful and unique. We become truly something special, and something to be admired. May we all continue standing upright through our difficulties, and show G-d, and ourselves, that we are indeed special.
Luna, wow! Such beautiful poetry, and so full of emotion and meaning. The one about having two roads in front of you I can associate with because I went through a stage with exactly that in question. Seeing where I am now, I am thankful that I chose the road to continue, even with its challenges, because it is much more rewarding in the long run, and the feeling of accomplishment is like no other. May you have the strength to continue! And your last poem is so true, having a good heart and helping people is worth more than acing any exam. Looking forward to more of your wonderful poetry.
nitpicker, parts 2 and 3 are incredible! You most definitely are a very talented poet, and your message rings so true. Silence can save us, and sometimes keeping quiet yields far better results than speaking our minds. But at the same time, there are situations where speaking up is important. I’m sorry I didn’t get the message in part 2, I don’t really read too many other threads besides this one so I don’t know what always goes on. But either way, I very much like your poetry and hope you stick around here with more! And please don’t think you interrupted anything, you didn’t!
SaysMe, thanks. Yes, I’m trying to show what this thread means to me. I hope to record the song sometime in the next few days.
Kapusta, PE, puppy, and all the others, hope you’re doing okay.
ICOT, thanks. I don’t think I’d publish it, but it’s still fun to make.
NOMTW, thanks! I’m not at my finals yet, another 2 weeks or so, but I’m in the middle of my final projects now. How’s the end of the semester schoolwork coming along for you? And I’ll be playing music at such a volume as well :). That’s cool it’s one of your favorite songs, I used to be into them a few years ago, and just recently got back into them again. It won’t be on itunes, but maybe I’ll put it on my soundcloud page. Hope you can be here more often after the semester’s over!
Luna, I appreciate you saying that so much, and I’m sorry things are tough for you at school and home. You should always feel welcomed and appreciated here, because you are! Always look forward to your poetry, and hope things get better.
nitpicker, that was a really clever poem! Looking forward to part 2.
Hope all of you here are doing well.
So I’m making a cover of a song I like and I’m changing the words a little, and I’m dedicating it to all the wonderful members here in the poetry thread. The original song is called “My Immortal”. My own lyrics are referring to what this poetry thread means to me. Here are my lyrics. Hope you all like them.
I never tire of being here
Never suppressed by all my childish fears
And though we come and leave
I wish that we would never leave
And our presence lingers here, and it’ll never leave us alone
Some wounds won’t seem to heal
Some pain is much too real
There’s just too much that time cannot erase
When you’d cry, I’d wipe away all of your tears
When I’d scream, you’d fight away all of my fears
A softspoken word echoes in my ears
And it’ll never leave..leave me
Your words all captivate me by their resonating light
Unbinding me from the life I left behind
My words attempt to rid you of your haunted dreams
They help me find a new sanity in me
Some wounds won’t seem to heal
Some pain is much too real
There’s just too much that time cannot erase
When you’d cry, I’d wipe away all of your tears
When I’d scream, you’d fight away all of my fears
A softspoken word echoes in my ears
And it’ll never leave..leave me
We try so hard to change our pain into song
And though I may be alone, you’re all with me all along
Think first, thanks so much, and amen, and to you as well!
Luna, amazing poems! Your second one about Life is really something. I’ve never thought of it that way. And about your third one: Always remember that you, yourself, control your your destiny, and you can always choose to disregard those voices however powerful they may yell in your head. That can make the difference between living life as a slave to the pressures of our surroundings, and living life as a person who chooses to follow a path that will bring out the best in us.
SaysMe, looking forward to more posts from you this week!
Rhyme Time, I’m so glad to hear that!
MusicMan, nice! Always look forward to your unique style of poetry!
Luna, wow, short but powerful. It is true that many times our hearts know what is best for us, even though we may feel pressured to follow another path, and we must be true to ourselves. And in your second poem, I think that is just part of a bigger cycle of emotions that we all go through. In order to have growth, we may need a setback, or feel pain, and then learn how to get past it. And once we do, we can repeat again the cycle with happy, joyful, smiling faces. It is up to each of us to choose what part of the cycle we focus on most.
Hope you all had a nice shabbos, and have a great week.
Thank you, Goq, have a terrific shabbos. Hope all’s well by you.
Ohhh, I thought you were talking about the Audi S3. Me and my car craziness.
Shticky Guy, thank you for the mention. I try to limit my posting to the poetry thread, mainly because I think it’s the nicest thread here, but also because I find that I have little in common with, and little to add to, other posters in all other threads, and I’d rather just keep quiet than state my opinions and cause a big stir.
And I really do miss a few posters here, to the point where I felt there isn’t a reason to be here if they aren’t. But I guess I moved on. And that isn’t something I’m proud of.
puppy, beautiful poem! Whoever that little girl is, she is lucky to have you looking after her and loving her. Wishing you continued success in guiding her toward happiness and peace.
Rhyme Time, great poem! It really gives us a dose of reality, but at the same time, there is what to be said of following our dreams if we have the capability. And welcome!
Have a lovely shabbos, everyone.
I think there is a good chance this will lead to lashon harah, an ayin harah, or possibly jealousy. Mods, please close this thread.
Shopping, thanks for explaining. And that is definitely true.
PE, so glad to see you back here! But it’s great that you’re keeping busy in the real world. I’m doing alright, thanks! Hope all’s well by you.
nameless, that is a really great poem with an important message.
Shticky Guy, thanks for bumping.
kapusta, thanks for asking, I’m doing alright, thank G-d. My semester is winding down so I’m busy with my final projects, and they’re turning out nicely. I still don’t really have my summer schedule set up, but it’ll happen! Hope you’re doing alright.
Luna, wow, it is heartbreaking what you go through at home. But I am grateful you can come here and open up about it, that is very healthy. I’m sure there are many unbearable times in your house, and I’m sorry for all the suffering you go through because of it. And it is terrible that they ignore your cries for any relief or reconciliation. If your siblings and parents don’t respond well to your pleas, perhaps there is someone else whom you look up to and respect who can take you in when things are rough at home? Believe me, I know the feeling of wearing a mask that shows that I’m fine and happy, when inside I’m really hurt and alone. It isn’t a good feeling, and sometimes I hate the fact that I can’t be true to myself and show people the pain I’m going through. It is best to let it out, and find a person who you can rely on when things get really tough. Wishing you only good, and hope things get better.
Shopping613, nice lyrics! I’m a little confused though, when you say “If everyone did something good despite the fact they thought it was wrong”.. does that refer to a person who is trying to do something wrong but ends up doing good? Or that the thing that was supposed to be wrong ended up being good? Oh, and welcome here!
Hope everyone is doing alright.. Think first, PE, Syag, hope things are ok.
Luna, what a fantastic poem, and it is so great that you can see how much writing poetry can help set you free! Forget about the pressures from the shallow people of the world, you can focus on true meaning and achieve so much more. And I think that was the message of your poem, right? Keep writing, and stay positive!
Progressive Metal and Symphonic Metal. They’re not “new”, but I’ve never seen either of them in Jewish music, and I would love to.
NOMTW, thanks. About the whole music thing, I actually cannot function without it. I need something playing in order to be productive with school work. And I play a few instruments, so not playing them during sefira is incredibly difficult. What I do is listen to music that I don’t particularly enjoy that much, just to have something on so I can still function normally. And I play a lot of air guitar :).
Luna, thanks so much, appreciate you saying that. Hope things get better!
SaysMe, I’m glad it’s not as bad as it seemed! Hoping that finding your direction and summer schedule come easily and quickly! I’m also in the process of preparing a schedule for the summer, as I’ll have a big break from school. I’m hoping to get an internship but that is proving to be very difficult, but I just have to keep working at it and something will turn up. There is no such thing as putting in effort and coming up empty. Something will always work out, whether we plan for it or not!
aproudbyg, I’m sorry for the pain you are going through from these taunts. Unfortunately, a cause for such taunting can sometimes be attributed to how some of the “frum community” views people who are off the derech; namely, that they are to be scorned and “put in their place”, which is the opposite of what should really be done. Also, it can be due to immaturity and low self esteem that people would taunt you for it. I doubt they’d be mocking if their own sibling were in the same situation. They just don’t think like that. Sometimes, people can change, and sometimes they can’t. So if you are able to ignore them, that would be great. And if not, they should be told of what they’re doing and of the pain they’re causing, by someone you can talk to about this and whom these people look up to. And as far as your brother is concerned, continue loving him no matter what.
kapusta, I’m glad you’re doing a little better. Keeping busy is good. Hope your week gets even better!
syag, so glad to see you back in this thread. Hope you’re doing well.
Luna, you write so well, and I’m sorry for the pain you are going through. Having a person who was close to you turn their back and speak lies is a terrible thing. I hope you do have someone close who is there for you and who is loyal to you. From the last few lines of your poem, I can see that you are a very strong person, and you have the confidence to pull through. And I believe in you. Hoping things only get better.
SaysMe, I’m extremely pained to see the suffering you are going through. For now, you are doing all you can by taking one day at a time, and that itself is a wonderful thing. I hope that very soon, you’ll be able to stand back up on your feet and continue living to the fullest and continue inspiring all of us here. And remember that we are here for you, too, and though we may not seem to be as much a part of your life as your closest friends, we all want to see you happy and care about you very much. Hoping that things only get better.
Hope that everyone’s week gets better.
TheMusicMan, very interesting. I’d love to see more poems from you!
blabla, please hang in there. We all are here to give support, so know that you can come here to be comforted.
puppy, glad to see you back here! Hope you’re doing well.
NOMTW, thanks so much for your wonderful comments, I really appreciate them. Glad you’re back here, hope all’s well.
Luna, I’m sorry for what you’re going through. It’s so hard when people don’t appreciate you for who you are. But know that there is always the ability to grow from any experience, and it all depends on our attitudes. Hope things get better.
kapusta, sorry to hear that. It’s definitely tough during Sefirah. SaysMe has some good suggestions. I don’t know if you like arts and crafts or painting, but I do a lot of that. Like putting together a scrapbook, a collage, doing pastel or charcoal paintings. I can spend hours and hours on those! Hope you find something good to do!
SaysMe, thanks for asking how I’m doing, thank G-d I’m alright. Shabbos was nice. How was yours?
Hope you all have a good week, and hope things look up for everyone!
Health, actually, I ask people to not be RUDE to others. But yes, we should try to not annoy others as well. But the fact is that we all have different views, and as long as we are civil, there is no reason we should be getting annoyed. I don’t agree with MANY MANY opinions of people here. Do I get annoyed and angry at them because they have different opinions? Of course not! I simply move on, and understand that there are other views in the world.
And excuse me- it’s your DUTY to get angry???? No, it isn’t. What you SHOULD do is try to understand that because there are so many different views and opinions out there, we must be as accepting as possible. And if you believe someone is really doing something wrong, you can try to let them know in a POLITE, SENSITIVE way. I repeat: POLITE and SENSITIVE. Not by shouting, getting angry, or being rude. Letting anger into your heart will make you a sad, lonely person.
And who says I even agree with this? All I said was that today is an opportunity for us to show love for each other despite our differences. You know what I did today? I davened shacharis at a minyan that said hallel, and in the afternoon I learned in a kollel with people who would never even speak of today as a holiday. And I was happy in both places.
I will not respond to you in this thread any more, because:
1) I know that nothing I say will make an impression on you.
2) All it will cause is more anger, which is the opposite of what the original point of my post was.
Wishing you a wonderful shabbos.
Sam, it’s like that in a few places I’ve been as well. And I think it isn’t something we can only wish for. It is something we can make a reality with just a little effort and open-mindedness.
Regarding being annoyed by other people’s political views or hashkafos: that is something the annoyed party needs to work on. Everyone is free to express themselves, as long as it is in a polite, cordial way. It is up to the ones who disagree to work on their tolerance and acceptance. Being annoyed at another’s beliefs to the point where you feel hatred is YOUR problem, not theirs.
Think first, that is definitely true, thanks for the comment.
blabla, glad you’re doing better! And I agree with SaysMe, you are awesome!
MusicMan, very interesting poem! I like your approach, it’s kind of surreal. If I may ask, where do you get the inspiration for your unique poems?
SaysMe, you are definitely right. I should try that. Thanks so much for your help, today is much better than yesterday.
Thanks, Think first, me too.
ICOT, thanks for posting it, and you are right about that.
I’d just like to share a thought that someone emailed to me: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain”.
Sam, while you are right, I think we should have the exact OPPOSITE perspective. We should love Yom Haatzmaut, because it is a day that all types of Jews have the amazing opportunity to show ahavas yisrael, and do their best to get along with and give a smile to other types of Jews, despite their differences on this day. What an opportunity it is! We should all go over to someone today who doesn’t do what we do, whether it’s someone who celebrates to someone who doesn’t, and vice versa, and greet them with a smile. Today can be a day where we can reach unbelievable heights by putting aside our differences and showing G-d that we are one nation.
SaysMe, I’m so sorry for your difficult night last night. Hope today is a better day.
Think first, thank you so much for your kind words. They mean a lot to me.
Thank you to everyone here for your kind words and support, they really helped an enormous amount. I hope to stick around here.
Hoping that all the others here are doing alright.. PE, blabla, NOMTW.
I don’t know about “today’s” singers, but my favorite all-time vocalist is Freddie Mercury.
TheMusicMan’s advice is very good. Those online stores are excellent. Another good site is zzounds.com, I’ve gotten a lot of gear from them. They have excellent warranties and fast shipping.
SaysMe, kapusta, thank you so much for your words of support and encouragement. They greatly help.
SaysMe, I’m not really a social person, and getting out and meeting people is something I would have a difficult time doing. But you’re right about the purpose of this thread, and I need to keep that in mind. I am sorry your mentor recently stopped helping you. It must be very difficult for you right now, and I’m sure you can relate to how I’m feeling. Your positive attitude definitely helps me, and though I usually try my best to maintain a positive attitude, I have pitfalls just like anyone. Thank you so much.
ICOT, what a fantastic poem, I love how it was written. And a great message as well. It really helped me. Thank you so much for posting.
Too Cool, nice poem, and yes, many times things can be confusing, and we may not know what is wrong and what is right. There are different approaches we can take when in that situation. We can ask others for guidance, we can use our intuition. Ultimately, making choices is just part of being human, and though we may sometimes make the wrong choice, we can always use that as a learning experience, and grow from it.
Kapusta, you’re right, that’s a good way to look at giving support. I hadn’t thought of it like that. It definitely was helping me as well. And that’s apparent from the fact that in the past couple weeks, I haven’t been giving support and my feelings of loneliness were definitely related to that. Thanks for the wishes of finding someone in real life I can look to for support, I appreciate it.
I’ve realized that many times, all I need is for someone to ask me “how are you?” or to wish me a good day. Such a comment, though it may seem small and pointless, can raise my spirits to the point where I feel cared about and can comfort me for a long time. We should never underestimate the power that a simple greeting or well-wishes can have. So, I hope you are doing well, and wish you all a great night. And thanks.
YosHChayal, amen. And thank you for your services in the army which helped let Jews in Israel continue doing mitzvos and learning Torah. May the fallen soldiers be remembered for blessing.
Hi SaysMe. You have no idea how much I appreciate you asking about me. Yes, I’m busy with school, but unfortunately, that isn’t what’s been keeping from the cr lately. What’s been keeping me away is the intense emotional suffering I’ve been going through the past couple weeks. I’ve been suffering from severe loneliness. It may sound not so bad, but when one doesn’t have any support from the people who matter, in this case, friends, family, and community, it gets unbearable. I’ve been staying away from here because I didn’t feel entitled to continue giving encouragement and support to people here if I myself needed it so much. Also, I don’t want people thinking that I’m above anyone, or so strong and never sad or depressed, because in reality, I am just as weak as anyone, probably even more, and I didn’t know how to ask for a helping hand here because I never know how to ask for it, since I’m not used to being helped. Also, I’m no poet, and don’t know how to write a poem to express myself. I express myself by writing music.
And I need to apologize to everyone here, first of all for not being here the past few weeks. And secondly, for all the support and encouragement I’ve given.. because I’ve been doing it for a selfish reason, to make me feel like I am making a difference, to give me some sort of purpose. Did I REALLY have all of your well beings in mind? Was that my first priority? I don’t think it was, and I really apologize for that and hope you can all forgive me.
Ah, I see what you mean now. Yes, there are times when G-d wants us to use seemingly “negative” traits to serve him. Because, every middah can be used in a good way and in a bad way. I agree with you about that. However, here’s the thing: That is the absolute minority. I think that most of time, being an accepting, calm, peaceful person is how G-d wants us to be. Also, I think that even that minority lacks clarity, for the following reason: So a person isn’t supposed to show pity and support to someone who “strays from G-d”. The problem is that since there are many, many different interpretations of how to serve G-d in our generation, it is inevitable that someone raised in a certain sect will find himself being able to be closer to G-d in another, for whatever reason. So now, should his original sect berate him for that?? I don’t think so. So, I think one should be VERY careful about that. I do agree though that there is no place in Judaism for gay marriage. And yes, we must completely wipe out amalek when the time comes.
I think that in a perfect world, where everyone knows exactly the correct way to serve G-d (like when we received the torah), it is correct to ostracize those who rebel against G-d. But we are not in that world right now. The vast majority of Jews don’t follow your lifestyle, or even mine. And we cannot ostracize and condemn them for that, because since basic emunah is so lacking, anything they will view as negative from us can cause greater damage than good.
So yes, I agree with your above post if we were living in a world like when we received the torah. And when mashiach comes, we will be in that world, and even greater. Until then, I think we should be cautious.
That’s all I can post right now. Thanks for this discussion, and have a wonderful chag!
ZK, you don’t have know anything about poetry to be a part of that thread. I don’t know anything about poetry. Just take a quick look.
Logician, yes, it is possible if I think one way, even though I may know there are other ways of thinking, I obviously choose to the think the way I do because I feel that the other ways of thinking are wrong. But even with that, I can still understand that there are other ways of thinking. I see your distinction. Thanks for clarifying.
Toi, wonderful. So we have a disagreement in how to serve G-d, and that is something I think we both knew going in. If I truly am someone who’s values are not that of Torah, and that my beliefs terribly impact the Jewish nation, then I am saddened that being a kind-hearted, sensitive, thoughtful, caring, moral, and positive person are things that G-d doesn’t want, and are things considered “products of a corrupt American society”. Quite honestly, I’d rather die than give up those values. I’d rather die than be judgmental, rude, arrogant, and closed-minded. So far, in my time in the CR, I’ve helped many people find confidence, given an endless amount of support and care to a few who needed it, and possibly saved one from ending her life. And if you think all that makes me a person who is “terribly impacting the Jewish nation”, then you really need to sit down and rethink your own values. I am not saying this to insult you. I really think you should think this and ask yourself “What does G-d really want from me?”
Again, wishing you both a wonderful chag.
Thanks, Logician, I appreciate your tame reaction to my outburst. Regarding my priorities, I’ve gotten most of them from my the way my mom raised me, and I consider my mom, as I said, a very righteous, G-d fearing person. So I don’t think they are an influence from the “American” value system. I actually dislike much of the American value system, as I think it encourages laziness and shallowness.
In regard to your middle paragraph, this may sound funny, but I think our disagreement here has a lot to do with our disagreement last week (or was it 2 weeks?) about “good” and “bad”, as I think they share the same foundation. Namely, that we can choose to see things the way they are using our current perspective (which would be seeing something as bad, and in this case, seeing ourselves as right and the other person as wrong), or we can choose to attempt to see things on a larger scale, undisturbed by our own personal perspectives, in which something “bad” may become good, and in this case, understanding that the other person may have another opinion because of his perspective. At least I think the two things are related.. what do you think?
Yes, I see what you mean about Rabbis “battling” out their opinions, and it’s true that many times, one opinion may have prevailed. At the same time, there is a vast amount of things that people still hold differently about, even after many years. And for these things, it is possible that there can be two or more valid approaches, depending on the person.
Thank you for this discussion. And Toi, I am sorry for my outburst, I just hope you can now see where I stand. Chag sameach to both of you and your families.
ZK, you are describing the poetry thread exactly.
Thanks, No One Mourns. Wishing you success in whatever you decide to do.
Hope you all have an enjoyable, inspiring chag.