Mendel Bluming | Blogger

There is a curious law in the laws of giving tzedakah which requires us to give enough tzedakah to a needy person sufficient for them to be able to give some tzedakah as well. Why does that make sense? Why give them community money for them to give to the community?! Here's a thought to consider: One of the most important gifts that you can give a person, is empowerment. Feeling in need makes you feel dis-empowered and vulnerable. By putting this needy individual in a position of being able to give he can feel again needed and empowered to make a difference and through that transform his trajectory positively. If you are feeling powerless or paralyzed during this COVID-19 time, find someone to whom to give. Go shopping for them. Give them words of encouragement even if you are feeling unsure yourself. Give to tzedakah. Distract yourself from your own worries. By giving you become empowered to make a difference and you are once again reminded how pivotal your role

There seems to be an impossible task before us. Countries seek to reopen economies, commerce and travel and yet fear for the welfare of their citizens. Practically the entire world is in this conundrum together trying to grapple with what the elusive best approach might be. The Jews stood at the sea with an Egyptian army behind them and an impenetrable sea before them. What were they to do? If you were there, what would you have suggested? From all of the ideas and suggestions and thoughts no one could have contemplated that the sea would suddenly split and they would just walk through it. So too in our days sometimes we simply do not have the answers and yet G-d opens up new avenues of possibility. May we indeed find a way out that is both safe and prosperous! Wishing you good health and protection. Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

No one seeks bitter times but if I would ask you honestly to look back at your life thus far and to see from what you have grown most, learned most. Would it be from great times or would it be from bitter times? When we go through a bitter time we often just yearn for it to be over and to blotted out of our memory. My name is Menachem Bluming and Menachem means to find comfort. We are comforted by great successful times but we often find the deepest comfort, the deepest meaning and message to the bitter pills that we are forced to swallow. The Jewish Law is: Bilah marror la yatzah (Talmud, Pesachim 115b) if you swallow marror at your Passover seder without tasting it, you have not fulfilled your mitzvah. Internalize the messages of this bitter time. Do you just wait for life to be back to normal? Make sure that your life is never the way that it was before again, allow yourself to be molded and transformed. Don’t allow this to be a meaningless diversion instead how can th

COVID-19 is exacting a heavy price already on society and many individuals and businesses.  There is a great suffering that you and I can help alleviate: "Social Distancing" What a horrible idea... Yes, we need safe or maybe call it healthy distancing, but social distancing?! Our words affect our thinking; we need to use another phrase. So many people feel isolated and alone, socially distanced. They feel that society sees them as a potential threat and danger. Maybe they live alone and you can live alone even with others living in the house... We need social embracing and encouragement- not social distancing, let's stop using that harmful phrase. Think of someone to call today, reach out to another to help them with or just speak with them. Don't just forward a funny meme or text them - get onto zoom with them or call. Social closeness coupled with safe distancing will get us through this with G-d's help! Mendel (Menachem) Bluming