Mendel Bluming | Blogger

What do you think, should you thank Siri for her assistance?   Some would suggest that it’s just good manners. We say thank you to be polite. Life is more civil when our interactions with others are sprinkled with expressions of etiquette and courteous pleasantries. It’s just nicer that way. If this is the reason to say thank you, then we should thank our software too. By doing so, we create a sense of decorum and civility. It doesn't matter that the technology has no feelings. Our thank you doesn't have feelings either. It’s just protocol. But there is another way of looking at thank you. It is an acknowledgement of choice. When someone does me a favor, they could have chosen not to. Yet they chose to give me their time, energy, attention or resources. So they deserve my gratitude. I appreciate that they chose to share themselves with me, so I say thank you. This only applies to a free agent who can choose. An inanimate object does not deserve thanks, because it did no...

The Medrash tells the story of a king who allowed one of his subjects whom he wanted to award, an hour in his treasuries. He was allowed to take whatever he would like. The king also served hors d’oeuvres and expensive drinks were poured and he had beautiful music playing and rare artwork was displayed. The man had plenty of time and so he spent time on the desserts and the drinks and listening to the music and looking at the art until he realized that his time was almost up! He ran to grab a treasure but alas it was almost too late and what he was able to take was minuscule..   We each have limited time on this precious earth with so much to accomplish. Your mission, your Mitzvahs are like treasures, precious beyond measure. G-d also provides ample distractions to challenge you and make your choices meaningful. Your safety is very important still Omicron is not the major story of the week, your mission in life is. COVID is not the big story of the last two years. Don’t allow y...

I know a big worrier. Everyone told him that worrying doesn’t help anything. One day he realized that 90% of the things that he worried about never came to fruition. His conclusion: Worrying does help!   And he is right. Worrying does help. But you don't have to be the one to do the worrying. You can outsource it. Let G-d worry for you. It comes as a surprise to most of us to learn that we are not running the universe. We are only given control over a small sliver of reality. We choose our behavior, our actions and reactions. We do not choose what impact our actions will have. Whether we succeed or fail, whether we are accepted or rejected, whether we are appreciated or misunderstood is not in our control. It would be unfair of G-d to make us responsible for a problem that we are powerless to resolve. We can only do what we can do. We can make plans, and we can take precautions. They may or may not be successful. That is G-d’s problem. So let Him do the worrying.  Try ...

Gratitude is an acknowledgement of choice. When someone does me a favor, they could have chosen not to. Yet they chose to give me their time, energy, attention or resources. So they deserve my gratitude. I appreciate that they chose to share themselves with me, so I say thank you.   This only applies to a free agent who can choose. An inanimate object does not deserve thanks, because it did not choose anything. We don’t thank the oven for the food, or the car for the ride. We need not thank Siri for her answers. She didn’t choose to share her knowledge with us. The choice was ours, and she is merely the tool. (You may have an obligation to thank the tech giants who made Siri. But you thanked them plenty when you paid for the device. And you continue to thank them by giving them your personal data.) Now you may ask, is there anything wrong with saying thanks to Siri? Isn’t it at least ingraining a good habit? Maybe not. Thanking a robot may be the beginning of a very dangero...

One of the biggest challenges in life is to stay motivated. Your fire and passion and drive burn brightly... until they don't.   Moses stands at the burning bush and he sees a bush aflame and there is no burnout. On Chanukah the cruse of oil was supposed to be out in a day and it lasted longer than anyone could have expected. From where did that lack of burnout come? It is a result of a deep sense of connection to the mission. If our lives are not a repetitive task or a necessary evil of earning a livelihood but rather we feel connected with a mission with which we identify than we feel no burnout because our soul is inexhaustible. The miracle of the menorah was that despite the outside tremendous pressure they felt very connected to the mission and never stopped for a moment to feel nourished by that inner flame. It is interesting that over this Covid time so many people have changed job positions. They felt the lack of mission in a previous employment and they seek some...

The Torah observant community should be the easiest customer for climate activism and environmental concern. Our tradition is clear about the responsibility we have to care for our world. Every child attending a religious Jewish school knows that the Torah forbids us to waste any useful resources. The kabbalists taught that every leaf on every tree has a soul, and must be treated with respect. And our sages record G-d's words to the first man, Adam: "Look at the beautiful world I have created. I have created it all for you. Take care not to corrupt and spoil My world, for if you do, no one will come after you to fix it." However, Jews are not big fans of apocalyptic prophecies and doomsday predictions. Other religious groups may be getting ready for Armageddon, but we have always believed in a happy, bright and peaceful future. After all there is a Captain to this ship! The claim that "we have five years to act or it will be too late" was said five years...

Each Fall we get this surreal opportunity of reliving an hour that has already passed. It makes me think about the year that has gone by.   If we were given the chance to live over an hour, a week or a year that we had already lived, would we make different choices? We think that we would but would we actually act differently? The Talmud in tractate Yomah page 86B teaches that when one does true repentance and return to G-d out of love their past misdeeds actually become merits. The explanation for it is that this strong feeling of connection came because of the distance and therefore the distance became a merit. Sort of like when a couple are not getting along and they realize how much it hurts to be apart and that distance draws them so much closer together. Ultimately what the Talmud is saying is that you can retroactively change your past. You can relive that past hour or that past week even if it is not Groundhog Day! Menachem Mendel Bluming, Maryland

Can you guess what is the most often repeated two word phrase in the entire Torah/ Tanach/ Bible? “Al Tira” do not fear is mentioned 44 times! Add to that another 26 times in which it is said in the plural (al tirau), or as many as 110 times when you include other slight variations of the tense. On one occasion or another G-d said do not fear to each of our forefathers! Why is not being afraid so important? What do you think? Here are some thoughts: Fear shuts you down. It causes you to hide and to run away. You have so much to accomplish in life through the mission tailored specifically to you. Fear is the antithesis of living life broadly and proudly and tenaciously. Fear makes you feel that you are all alone. Faith means that G-d has your back and cares about you, you are never alone even in your most difficult times. Do not fear! Mendel Bluming, Maryland

There are multiple biblical obligations to actively save the life of another and not stand by your brother’s blood (Vayikra 19:16). The Talmud in tractate Sanhedrin (73,a) teaches that one is obligated to be willing to endanger himself to some extent in order to save another's life, by doing such acts as jumping into a river to save someone who is drowning, or warding off wild predators or bandits, even though all of these acts involve some level of danger. A person is not obligated, however, to save his fellow if it puts him in great danger. The exact parameters of a great danger are discussed in Jewish Law but they are clearly greater than fighting off bandits or a wild animal. We would not want another to be overly cautious when considering whether or not to save our life and we must be willing to do the same for another, as long as the danger is not considered a great danger. To give a meal to a starving person is an obligation. To give a lobe of one's liver is permissi...

G-d turns to Abraham and says, “I would like to make you into a great Nation but first go to the Land that I will show you, Israel. Only there will I make you a great nation.”   If G-d ultimately wanted to give him a set of laws and rules to live by what difference would it make where he lives? Jews are observant in keeping the Torah in Russia and Argentina, the USA and Greece why could G-d not make Abraham His chosen nation until Abraham went to Israel? G-d's purpose in creation is for you and I to make G-dliness comfortable within the physical world. Israel is meant to be a manifestation of that mission. An entire land that expresses clearly its G-dly connection. G-d was making that clear to Abraham at the onset. If you create a corner in your home that is expressive of a higher calling. If your refrigerator reflects the food that G-d wants you to eat. If the books in your home express a spiritual calling and G-d given mission not only have you done holy things, you have ma...

Imagine if the entire world was destroyed and only you and your family was saved by being on a specially designed ark. The water has subsided and all of mankind has been wiped out and now you open the hatch to finally leave the Ark. Before you do that you sit down with your family and discuss how to build a new world.   What would you do first to build a new reality? The first thing Noah does is plant a vine for grapes; he drinks and he becomes drunk. He drank too much but his thought process might have been the following. You cannot build this world without happiness and joy. If we are infused with happiness in our lives we will be far more driven to do what is right and selfless. Generally when we act selfishly it is because we are feeling down and insecure. Happiness and joy leads to giving and seeing the best in the other. So he said Lchaim! Alcohol was a bad choice but seeking happiness and joy makes a lot of sense. How do you act when you are happy? What are you doing...

The utopian Garden of Eden came crashing down because Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. What was it about this fruit that they could not withstand?   This is how the Torah describes it in chapter 4 of Genesis: “The tree was good for food and it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise.” Very interesting description for a fruit! So here is my 2021 perspective, after all the Torah is eternal and its message is as pertinent in our time as it was back then. Our very risky fruit is the iPhone... I certainly don’t mean to offend the iPhone whom I love and depend on... I mean all smart phones. They are a delight for our eyes. Our eyes light up when we get a new text, a new email, a new like on a Facebook post etc. They are desirable to us they are exciting and they make us wise, it can be so enjoyable. Yet it can also be dangerous.... G-d turns to Adam and says where are you and he says I was hiding... Yup, his smart phone has started to take o...

The keys to being a Jew are in your hand, when you hold your Lulav.   The Lulav (palm branch) reminds us to stand proudly as a lulav does. Do not cower. Keeping our Judaism quiet has never healed anti-Semitism and never built our next generation. Stand proud of your rich heritage and people. Your Etrog is similar to the shape of a heart. Have a heart for another. Reach out with kindness and goodness to each other. The Hadasim (myrtle leaves) are shaped like eyes. Watch what you allow your eyes to gaze at. The movies, websites and TV shows and even news casts that you allow yourself to watch. Have a good eye for another. Not everything that knocks needs to be allowed in. The Arravot, willows, represent your lips. Speak carefully. Speak positively, kindly and wisely. Right after the High Holidays G-d provides us with a visual aid to guide our path forward as Jews. Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

Here's a thought: have you ever felt very inspired and uplifted by a great spiritual experience only to have real life wipe out any memory of it rather quickly? A newborn baby, moments after birth, is taken by a midwife and wrapped up in a swaddling cloth. This serves to keep the newborn protected and warm. Having just emerged from the security and nurture of the womb, the baby is particularly vulnerable and sensitive. A good swaddling cloth gives him a sense of protection from the cold and harsh world out here. But swaddling doesn't last long. You rarely see teenagers wrapped up in a cloth with their arms behind their ears. (Though perhaps some should be.) Swaddling is a brief bridging stage between the safety of the womb and the hazards of real life. A well wrapped baby will eventually grow to face life unwrapped. The swaddle cloth just helps him get there. Your soul needs that bridge too. You have emerged from the womb of Yom Kippur a pure and renewed soul. The negativ...

What is the essence and theme of the day of Yom Kippur? If it is a day to say I'm sorry and repent just say you're sorry and let's move on!   What is Yom Kippur? It is a day to focus on the needs and voice of the soul. Our bodies are vocal and demanding. The desires of the body we feel strongly. The soul is more subtle. So today we put aside the body’s demands of work, leather shoes, food etc and we focus on the voice of our souls. That still soft inner voice yearning for connection and meaning that is so often overlooked by the daily din. If you listen closely to the voice of your soul what does that tell you? Your body needs nutrients and so does your soul. Yom Kippur is the day to focus on that. Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

One of the central practices of Rosh Hashanah is to dip an apple in honey to represent that we ask G-d for a sweet and blessed new year.  Aren’t there sweeter fruit to dip in honey than an apple? How about a mango? Peach?   So here’s a thought... Our Apple really needs to be dipped in honey to start off the new year, especially this year. Disagreements about how to respond to the pandemic and the political vicissitudes not to mention everyone’s nerves being a little more tense due to the fears of the pandemic that has already taken 4.5 million lives, our Apples have seen a lot of vitriol. Disparaging and hurtful comments seem to be sent much more easily on social media. For the new year let us dip our Apples in honey. Keep our communications kind, giving the other the benefit of the doubt and not pressing send as often... So here’s my blessing to you that the words that you receive and that you send be dipped in honey. May the new year bring us all sweetness an...

The American army was never meant to stay in Afghanistan long term. They were always there to train the local Afghan army and eventually withdraw. Our US army, likely the most powerful in the world, poured trillions of dollars; blood, sweat and tears into the effort. Twenty years, countless resources, sophisticated weaponry and strategies, so that when it counted, they would be able to defend themselves. And after 20 years, America finally pulled out. Would all the effort pay off? Would the training work? The world watched in horror as the Taliban overpowered the Afghan army in no time. All that effort, all that training, gone. The current Jewish month of Elul is one of reflection... When the new generation that we have trained will be left to stand up and take on the fight; for our traditions, morality and values, will they? Have we made sure that they are ready? Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

A business can never succeed if you are always working IN the business rather than ON the business. If each day we focus on putting out the fires, in getting through our to do lists and managing cash flow; the business may be failing miserably and we will have no idea.   Only if a person steps back and asks the tough questions will the business remain healthy. Am I meeting my goals? What is my long-term strategy? Am I aligned with my mission? Should the business still exist? Is it adapting to changing realities? Etc   This Hebrew month of Elul in preparation for Rosh Hashanah is called Chodesh Hacheshbon (the month of honest accounting) and it is meant for us to do just that. To make a true accounting of how we are running our business of life and if it is succeeding in meeting goals and mission. Spend a few minutes on that today... May your business of life thrive with purpose, meaning and happiness! Menachem Mendel Bluming based on Hayom Yom

There is a story of a group of Jews in the 1920's who were debating which political philosophy aligns with the Torah? Each was able to quote the Torah as support for their preferred ideology.  One argued for monarchism, as the Torah itself condones rule by a royal family. Another argued for socialism. Doesn't the Torah command us to share our wealth with the poor? A third insisted that the Torah is communist. We don't really own any property, it all belongs to G-d. No one could win the debate, as each side presented strong Torah proofs for their case. So they turned to Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, to adjudicate.  The Rebbe told them:  "You are all right. Every political platform, indeed every man-made philosophy in the world, is a mixture of both good and evil. Only the holy Torah, G-d's wisdom, is pure goodness. You can find the positive elements of every other philosophy in the world somewhere in the Torah." Profound foun...

I asked Google (July 2021) how many covid mutations have been identified and this is what they told me: “scientists have now identified at least 3,981 unique descendants of the first Covid virus that emerged in December 2019. The Delta itself already has at least 637 descendants that have been identified in the lab.”  Not a family that I would like to be a member of... In the deeper teachings of Judaism, we are taught that unless you eradicate the source of a negative trait within yourself it will mutate indefinitely. In fact, the Rebbe Maharash, one of the greatest Jewish sages of all time, teaches that ego can even mutate in the garb of a pious Jew. A person can be outwardly pious and that outward appearance gives them the feeling that they are holy and must no longer be on guard for their inner viruses, a dangerous mistake. In addition there are times when you are needed to do something important and just at that moment a very pious religious calling comes to your mind. It is ...

When someone cares for your child they are embracing you too because you are expressed in your child. If someone likes you but not your child, that is a contradiction to you. So too with G-d for we are each a child of G-d (Deut. Devarim 14). To love G-d but not the other is a rejection of G-d because each person expresses G-dliness in a unique fashion, a child of G-d. This includes the imperative to love ourselves too.   Mendel (Menachem) Bluming paraphrased from Hayom Yom

The Torah in Bamidbar chapter 30 speaks about the father's central role in annulling his daughter's vows.   Every law in the Torah has a deeper significance and message for us in our conversation between G-d and each of us studying the Torah. Our children make vows when they encounter disappointment and shame, mistakes and blunders. They promise themselves to not try again, to not be vulnerable again. To not open up to a relationship again after they have been burned. To not speak up in a crowd after they have been ridiculed... It is our job to annul those vows of our children and to teach them that they can reach higher and that they are not limited by their past mistakes or by other’s perceptions of them. Annulling these vows is the central calling of a parent for their children. Mendel (Menachem) Bluming taken from the teachings of the Alter Rebbe

There is only one person in the entire Torah whose date of passing is shared with us in the Torah. It is Aaron, Moses’ brother. The Torah teaches us that he passed away on the first of the Hebrew month of Av.   What is significant about the date of his passing because of which he is the only person about whom we are told the exact date of his passing, his Yahrtzeit? The date of Aharon’s  passing is the beginning each year of an intense 9 days of Jewish mourning. During these next 9 days we do not purchase clothing or any large purchases, we suspend building, we do not bathe or hear music or dance for pleasure, we do not cut hair and we do not eat meat or drink wine (besides Shabbat and one who is ill etc) The reason for the mourning is to commemorate the destruction of the Holy Temples which according to Jewish teaching was caused by baseless hatred among the Jewish People. Aaron dedicated his life to strengthening bonds of friendship and relationship (as we are taught i...

Moses is stunned and is silent not knowing how to proceed. Momentarily he forgot what the right course of action was.   At that moment Pinchas steps forward and takes the necessary action and averts further catastrophe, as the Torah attests. When Moses stands with the Jewish people between a rock and a hard place, with the Egyptians behind and a vast ocean in front of them and he tells the people to just be silent that is the moment that a leader steps up. Nachshon ben Aminadav begins walking right through the ocean and as a result the ocean split. This is just a thought not applicable to Moses who truly empowered his people. Sometimes great leaders due to their incredible presence and shining brilliance, deep insight and phenomenal experience, leave no space for others to step forward and to lead. In your family, and your company, and your community there are very capable leaders who if given the space will do a phenomenal job leading. Moses steps back and others immed...

When the prophet Bilaam is forced to bless the Jewish people he says (Bamidbar 23:8) that G-d does not see anything negative in the Jewish people. Rashi explains that when Jacob criticized the rage displayed by Shimon and Levi in destroying the city of Shechem he criticized their anger rather than criticizing them. He saw them as good people just having acted in an inappropriate manner.   When you critique another do you criticize them and invalidate them or do you question their deed? It often makes all the difference in whether they feel annihilated and defensive or (hopefully) appreciative for the helpful guidance. Rabbi Mendel (Menachem) Bluming Potomac Maryland

The Jews had arrived at the border of the Kingdom of Edom and asked for permission to travel through their country. In order to inspire sympathy and understanding from the Edomites, Moshe gave them a bit of the background to their journey:   We are distant relatives, he reminded the Edomites. Our respective ancestors, Yakov and Esau, were brothers. As a nation, we’ve been doing it tough. We were slaves in Egypt and only recently escaped. We’re finally heading towards our promised homeland and it would be much appreciated if you’d agree to allow us safe passage.  In the end, the Edomites denied our request and the Jews were forced to travel the long way around, through the desert. A fascinating teaching of Rashi casts a whole new light on the nature of inter-generational relationships.  In his message to the King of Edom, Moshe relates that “ Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we sojourned in Egypt for a long time, The Egyptians mistreated us and our forefathers.”...

Remember when your little brother was born? After being in your mother's tummy for such a long time, he finally came out to be with you and the family. How exciting. You'd been waiting for so long to meet him and play with him, and then he finally arrived.   Your baby brother was very comfortable inside mummy's tummy, where it's warm and he had everything he needed. But he couldn't stay there forever.  When it was time, he came out to be with you. In a strange way, death is similar to birth. We leave the world we know and enter the great unknown world outside.  All the people who have passed away are in that peaceful and happy place. Just as you were waiting for your brother to come and be with you, the souls of past generations were waiting for your grandfather to join them. Now they are all together. We miss them. But there's nothing to be scared of. Remember you used to talk to your baby brother, even before he was born? He heard you, though he couldn...

Large swaths of the States of Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia are blanketed by billions of cicadas. If you don’t live in the states, you have no idea what I am talking about but if you live there, they are a big part of your life during these weeks of Spring 2021. After burrowing underground for 17 years the cicadas await their grand exit into the world for a short few weeks to accomplish their mission. What do they do for these few weeks? They mate and bring little cicadas into the world and then they pass away... Maybe what the cicadas are teaching us is to never devalue the magnificent privilege and calling of marriage and welcoming children into this world. For that their entire wait and their entire lifetime becomes worthwhile... Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

The Torah, in the portion of Behaalotechah, speaks of the Jewish People's complaint about the manna in chapter 11 verse 6.   As part of their complaint they said that “there is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes”. So why is that a complaint? So the only food is manna, why does that not make it a delectable cuisine? How do you know if something is too expensive or not? You compare it. You compare prices, you compare schools that your children get into. You compare summer vacations. Through comparison we know if we are doing well, if not we are never sure.. The Jews complained that they did not feel good about their cuisine because there was nothing else to compare it to, to know if it is really good. Social media has exacerbated that ability and need to compare to what others have rather than finding joy in the gifts that we are given and that often leaves us complaining that whatever we have is not enough. Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

In many states of the United States this spring of 2021 will welcome in billions of Brood X cicadas. With over 1 1/2 million of these creatures per acre the region will be blanketed.   They live just long enough to mate and then they soon pass away. Their progeny fall into the earth where they borrow for the next 17 years to emerge again. Imagine a mother cicada sitting with her children beneath the earth before they emerge: “Listen here my dear children cicadas! These are the moments that we have been waiting for. It will be only a brief few weeks on this earth and then you will be gone. Make sure to fulfill your purpose and mission because there is only a small window of opportunity.” Our souls too descend to this earth for a very short period of time and before they descend they are warned to be righteous and to remain focused on the mission (Talmud Chapter Three Niddah). Don't allow the time to slip through your fingers because before you know it, your allotted time is ...

Have you ever wondered why G-d chose the Sinai Desert to give the Torah? I would have suggested Jerusalem or Tzefat or L.A., but why a desolate desert? Here’s a thought... There are times when we are distant from Jewish community physically or psychologically... Maybe one is alone in a hospital room or on a college campus that lacks Jewish community or in covid quarantine. Maybe they live far from Jewish infrastructure or are far from Jewish observance. Torah is never far from you! Your relationship with Torah and G-d is always accessible and available to you. You can connect wherever and whenever. There is no specific venue or time required, just that you open yourself up to that meeting and you will find G-d to be close! Torah was given in a barren desert because even in the desolate deserts of life and this world, G-d is always close. He yearns for a relationship with you and removes all barriers to invite you in... Mendel (Menachem) Bluming

G-d shared with us why He created you and me.   To speak in human terms, a true gift is something that the recipient cannot attain on their own. G-d is perfect and Almighty, omnipotent and omniscient, so what can we possibly give Him, what can He possibly want that we can give? Due to His perfection He lacks accomplishment, overcoming obstacles and partnership because who can be His partner... He chose to shine His light through you, we call that a soul. Through you He lives vicariously and when you overcome obstacle, when you accomplish, when you choose to be His partner in refining this world and living in accordance with Torah values, He accomplishes what He could not on His own. This, G-d shares with us, is His purpose in Creation... Only you can give G-d this gift and fulfill this purpose. Menachem Mendel Bluming, Potomac Maryland

You feel so much a part of my life. Wherever I go, I see people thinking and talking about you. Whenever I put on my face mask or have to go on another zoom, I think of you.   I remember when you were far away. You had that exotic sounding name. They've called you Corona. You were almost like a curiosity, we didn't know what are going to look like. But then you arrived. Schools and workplaces were shut. Everyone was home, and there was an endless stream of sad news. Death, illness, overcrowded hospitals. Frankly, wherever you went, you wreaked havoc. You have changed how people live, travel, work and study. You've changed everything. Now, hopefully, you will be gone soon. Maybe you should take with you some of the "gifts" you brought. Working at home, for example, sounds like an attractive idea on paper. But ask anyone with young kids and a small living space what they think about it. So many of your other "gifts" are not necessary either. St...