Mendel Bluming | Blogger

G-d's name is not mentioned in the megillah scroll of Purim because it all looked so natural. Politics, connections, persuasion and schemes etc but behind it all G-d was guiding and putting all the right pieces in place. Isn't that the story of our lives? Look at your life, how much of it (in retrospect at least) can you now see as having been guided from Above? Menachem Mendel Bluming

An open miracle is somewhat of a disappointment for G d. Once all is said and done, He got His way only by ignoring the norms of this world He created—by breaking His own rules. If He can only perform miracles by bullying Nature, He may as well concede that our world is a place where He does not belong... So He also makes another sort of miracle—the sort that blends seamlessly into the order of things below. These are impossible miracles: They break no rules, but change everything. In truth, they are the most awesome of miracles—these that reveal the Infinite unrestrained within the finite nature of everyday things. Chabad.org and Menachem Mendel Bluming

The same Bible which warns us not to take revenge describes G ‑ d Himself as "a vengeful G ‑ d." How can this be? If we are told not to be vengeful, why does G-d not practice what he preaches? But that is exactly the point. The very fact that G ‑ d is vengeful allows us humans not to be. No human justice system is foolproof, so ultimate justice is in His hands. He will right the wrongs and punish the wicked. In this world or in the next, in this lifetime or another, in ways we may never know, justice will be served. It's funny, you often hear people disparaging "the vengeful G ‑ d of the Bible." They somehow think that a vengeful G ‑ d will produce vengeful followers. The opposite is true. It is precisely G ‑ d's vengefulness that enables humans to let go of the desire for revenge.  We know there is a true Judge, and He will do justice. So we humans can leave the vengeance to Him, and get on with living. Credits: Rabbi Moss, Chabad.org, Men

Placing flowers on a grave is not a Jewish tradition. Why not? Here's a thought: While flowers are a beautiful gift to the living, they mean nothing to the dead. In death, the body which is ephemeral and temporary is gone, and all that remains is that eternal part of the person, their soul. The body, like a flower, blossoms and then fades away, but the soul, like a solid stone, lives on forever. In the world of truth, the place we all go to after life on earth, what counts is the lasting impact we had on the world. It is the achievements of the soul, not of the body, that remain beyond the grave. The money we make, the holidays we go on, the food we eat and the games we play – these are all flowers that die along with us. But the good deeds we do, the love we show to others, the light we bring into the world, these are eternal. If you want to honor your loved one, take the money you would have spent on flowers and give it to charity in their memory. Then take a modest stone th