One Value to the Exclusion of all else

A new recruit is asked during an interview what he would consider to be a personal fault. He answered: that I always say the truth. "I don't consider that a fault", the potential boss shared. "I don't care what you think" replied the now less than likely recruit :-) Every value is great but not to the exclusion of everything else... Menachem Mendel Bluming

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Menachem Bluming Muses: How Long Would You Like to Live?

If G-d appeared to you and asked you how long you would like to live, what would you say? 100 years? 130 years? Would you make any conditions like: but they need to be healthy years? The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, chose to bless one of his greatest followers Rabbi Yekusiel Liepler, with long life. The Chassid qualified the blessing and said that he was only willing to accept it if it would be infused with spiritual vitality for without that the years were empty and meaningless to him In Genesis Adam died at age 930, Noah was almost 500 when he started building the ark (not bad!) and Methuselah lived a world record of 969 years! Are you jealous? Would you like to live 900 years? What would you do with that time? We study and marvel at centenarians. We ask them for their secrets and diets, lifestyles and habits. I find it very intriguing that some of the greatest in our history like Amadeus Mozart or Rabbi Isaac Luria, the greatest Kabbalist of all ...
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Menachem Bluming Muses: Date Night

What is the big deal if I make a quick call on Shabbat? It isn't such hard work to dial the number and talk. Will the day of rest be totally disturbed by my 30 second call?? Here's a thought... You are out for a romantic dinner, just the two of you. You make a reservation at a fancy restaurant, a quiet table for two in the corner. Gentle music is playing, lights are dimmed, and the ambiance is just perfect for an evening of romance. You resolve not to talk about work, not to talk about the kids, rather to take the time to really connect and enjoy each other's company. You laugh together, chit chat, and give one another complete focus and attention. Then suddenly you say, "Oh, I just remembered something." You take out your phone and call your business partner to remind him to send a report you are waiting for. It all took no more than fifteen seconds. You quickly put your phone away and smile at your wife. But she's not smiling. You just ruined the m...
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Menachem Bluming muses: The Nationals Win World Series 2019!

Isn’t it interesting that the Nationals lost all three of the games in their own stadium and won all four of the games in Astros Minute Maid Park? Traditionally it is easier to win a game on one’s home turf because you have the encouragement of the fans, the benefit of having slept in your own bed rather than traveling and staying at hotels and a much more familiar playing field, after all half of your annual games are played at home!  Yet the Nationals won every game when they were away and lost every game at home (same with the Astros). We read this week about Noah’s Ark. Water raged around him and yet he and his family were safe and focused on rebuilding a kinder more generous world. So too each of us have the ability, even when we are away from our home familiarity and even when stormy waters seek to crash us and drown us from all sides, to build an ark of protection in which we can find clarity and vision for our futures. Congratulations for the Nationals win! Besides...
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