Sunday, May 3, 2009

There and back: A wet journey

Today's HaYom Yom, as graciously provided by Chabad.org, says the following:

Our teacher the Baal Shem Tov said: Every single thing one sees or hears is an instruction for his conduct in the service of G-d. This is the idea of avoda, service, to comprehend and discern in all things a way in which to serve G-d.

This idea was really brought home this morning when I came to my ride rendezvous location place twelve minutes early, and waited 27 minutes, and then found out my ride left three minutes before I arrived. Gee, thanks for telling me. Then I went to 770, and after praying the Shacharis services with joy and verve I took a nap on a bench for an hour while waiting for another ride. Note to self: Next time, don't sleep right next to where the congregational responses will be being responded-it's not conducive to sleeping.

So there I was, standing in the rain, and I find out that there's no room for me in the car. Gee, thanks for picking up your phone an hour and a half ago so I could have taken a train back to Morristown. At this point though, it wasn't even worth it, because by the time I'd have gotten to the Rabbinical College of America I would have missed shiur, which was the only reason to go. So instead I just trudged back to my dear sis's in the rain and went to sleep on a couch for three hours.

So what's the lesson I learned out of all of this in my service of the good G-d? I'm not sure if I have learned one yet. Sure, it was frustrating for about three minutes, but I got over it pretty quickly. There's more important things in life. Still though, I rather doubt that this is what I was supposed to learn today. Oh well, maybe I'll find out, maybe I won't.

27 comments:

bonne said...

Well make sure you find out about poisonous lion claws.

Just like a guy said...

Now that's what I call a nice pertinent comment.

le7 said...

Sorry. I hate when that sort of thing happens. I've gotten stuck walking a few miles through the ghetto because of miscommunication.

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

You learned never to trust a ride. That way you'll make shiur next time and be able to serve God by finding out about poisonous lion claws.

Anarchist Chossid said...

Hmm, I heard a few stories this Shabbos about Ahavas Yisroel from a Lubavitcher gabbai, who is also a rabbi, and who may also be working for the Israeli government as a sniper. Maybe you can share them with your friends.

e said...

The lesson is: people are stupid.

e said...

Subscribing

the couch said...

the lesson is thank G-d you have a kind and gracious sister with a couch.

le7 said...

And thank G-d for the couch too. (You know, just in case).

Nemo said...

Poisonous lion claw = treifus?

Just like a guy said...

le7: that's life, eh?

Modeh: because there's no better way of serving G-d, right?

CA: I'd love to!

e: deep.

Couch: yay sister!

le7: right.

Nemo: quite possibly. Btw. I asked the Rabbi your question from Thursday night, and he answered, in true Jewish fashion, "It depends".

Nemo said...

On?

Just like a guy said...

Your question about shechting a vadei treifah and finding out that it's totally treif.

le7 said...

(I was trying to protect the gorgeous black couch from the evil eye).

Anarchist Chossid said...

Hmm. My cousin in Israel bought for himself a black couch with red outline.

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

Better than teyreh? No way!

Just like a guy said...

le7: gorgeous? I'm not sure if I'd go that far.

CA: fascinating. Now that I know that, what do I do?

Modeh: hamaaseh hu haikar!

Anarchist Chossid said...

If you ever have to buy a present to my cousin in Israel, don’t buy him a black couch with read outline. Unless he needs two. Which he probably doesn’t.

Just like a guy said...

What is this read outline of which you write?

Anarchist Chossid said...

Just a black couch with a red line running around its perimeter. It was a bit of a macabre joke, since in Russia, when someone dies, you put his portrait in a black background with red outline.

Just like a guy said...

Ok, I won't buy him a couch.

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

TRS: Not when it comes to getting clawed by a poisonous lion.

CA: Bet there's a Russian psycopath somewehre who has a room full of mutilated portraits of his enemies on black backgrounds and every time he bumps one off he draws a red outline around it.

Anarchist Chossid said...

No, but apparently there was a Russian psychopath with a room full of brains. (Not, not me. Close, though.)

http://tinyurl.com/crywsr

(Actually, I am thinking this is how my attic will look like in 20 years, iy"H.)

Anarchist Chossid said...

Sorry, I meant this.

Just like a guy said...

Modeh: you think? Oh right, it's in siman 57 and in Mesechta chullin.

CA: that is pretty freaky shtuff.

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

i think what? I'm a soon-to-be-repenguinified yeshiva bochur. I don't have to think.

Just like a guy said...

Modeh: Really? Where are you going?