The Wisdom of Traffic Jam

Shalom Aleykhem,

First thing, this blog is not yet dead. Haha, I am pretty much alive and well as well as healthy. I am just too lazy to update my blog. Mi an hae yo!

There are wisdoms among the nation; said the sages and nothing could be truer than what I had experienced everyday: Traffic jam.

You might ask, something so annoying, almost a pest by itself, has anything to do with wisdom? I myself is amazed by such inspiration but it struck me just like a thunderbolt.

As usual, I am driving to university like every morning. I am stuck in the traffic and I start to have some evil inclination in my heart:

'@#$#%&* those cars, why can't they move faster!' that sort of things.

Then suddenly it came when I am looking at one car with a lady on board. She seems tired, wore out but nevertheless still on the road with me. Then I start thinking,

'If I, a student in his early adulthood complains about life, this lady besides me should be banging her head against the steering instead,'

What I suffered compared to them is considerably lesser and I do not have classes every morning. Just those few days I have classes this early but yet I start to loose my patient and start yelling, punching my horn as well as my devil-scared frown. After settling down, then it came to me: all this is a miracle happening.

Miracle does not only involved the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. For me, I have witnessed another miracle. Having to wake up early just to face this kind of situation everyday of one's life for the purpose of feeding oneself and one's family is no easy task. Those people who has to put aside personal comfort just to confront everyday's trial and tribulation is a daunting task.

This I see is a miracle happening in its own right, no doubt that jam is caused by wreckless driving, too much of cars etc. but the fact that it is there and the middle-class has to face it everyday at least twice is not something that we can ignore. I have learnt something important that day. Smile more to brighten your day, perhaps those who seen your beam will feel gladden as well.

No doubt it is hard, just try to bless instead of curse. May HaShem be with us all.

Tzav: Eating Blood???

Yom Rishon Shalom!

As the title said, our topic of discussion today will be about the Parsha Tzav (although we will focus on a small portion). In Vayiqra, this are thus written:

22 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 23 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: Ye shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. 24 And the fat of that which died on its own, and the fat of that which is torn from beasts, may be used for any other service; but ye shall in no way eat of it. 25 For whoever eats the fat of the beast, of which men present an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eats it shall be cut off from his people. 26 And ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it is fowl or beast, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whosoever it be that eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his people. (Vayiqra 7:22-27)

So apparently, HaShem told the Jews not to eat blood. This is a Halakah, no question about that but this does not stop the Jews from questioning why?

Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon opined that this is caused by the act of idolatry at that time (Zaba). The Zaba believed that blood is the food of the spirit so consuming it will mean communion with the spirit. In the context of Chinese society, this view has some truth in it. Chinese has viewed blood as something sacred and often thought of it possessing special properties. The practice of Chinese religion nowadays is to have the medium cutting his/her tongue with a razor blade so as to collect the blood which is later on used to write charms, talismans etc..

Eating blood in the context of Chinese society is not repulsive (but to modern health concious Chinese, it is...) but I never heard of using blood as a tool to commune with the spirits. However, I do know that us, Chinese, are notorious with the repulsiveness of being splashed with blood of dogs (giggle)... They say that this is 'sui', meaning you will have bad luck for a long time...

Back to out discussion at hand, why does HaShem prohibit the Jews from eating blood and what does it concerns us? There are still two more reasons forwarded by the Sages of Yisrael, namely:

1. Ramban connects blood and Cheilev consumption as tainting the soul with lowly existence.
2. Rav David Tzvi Hoffman connects blood and Cheilev consumption as cruel because the Torah forbade the Jews from spilling blood of cattle (or animals) unless for the purpose of sacrifice.

These explanations are valid but the problem lies in the application for a Ben/Bat Noach. How do we apply this principle in life? And what does it concerns us and how?

The first question: How?
How do we apply this principle in life? Easy, we avoid consuming blood. However, some authorities do permit blood consumption. For me, I did not eat blood because of the second and third reason: spiritual impurities and cruelty of consuming blood. Blood with its life force is definitely not for us, Noachides to eat.

The second question: Why?
The first and foremost, what is the purpose of the Sheva Mitzvot? To refine every Gentiles so as to achieve perfection in every respect. The Sheva Mitzvot does not ask us to just do the minimum but it is the guideline that teach us how to reach the highest level of spiritual maturity. Even though blood might be permissible but it is better to be avoided as this is an act of refinement of character.

Also, I find a close parallel in B'reshit:

You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it. (B'reshit 9.4)

In a way, HaShem is explaining that animal that is alive cannot be eaten. the nefesh of animal is in its blood so, when an animal departed, the nefesh depart with it so, the blood will be permissible to be eaten. However, one must remember that blood is used in one of the Qorbanot ceremony. In Vayiqra 17.11, you will find that HaShem forbids the Yisraelites again in consuming blood because blood is used as one of the tool of atonement.

So, what is actually the usage of blood (in its refined usage)? As the tool for sacrificial rites, a mitzvah for the Jews and possibly for the Gentiles. As the act of not consuming blood (for the Gentiles), is an act of alleviating oneself closer to HaShem, just like a Ben or Bat Noach abstain from consuming pork because HaShem says that it is unclean and not fit for for consumption if you wanted to refine yourself.

May this helps... If I have any mistakes, please notify me... However, do remember to quote the authority involved... TQ...

Lessons, Lessons, Wherefore art thou...

Shalom,

This post will be quite peculiar and a short one. Anyhow, it will never be less thought provoking or ignorant at its best. Let's start...

It is always incumbent in our life for some shiurim (or lessons) in our life. Often, when someone hits the wall, he will instantly know that 'I must be careful with where am I heading next time when I am walking...'

This is our daily life, but how about in a more abstract pattern? Let say, in term of life, the successes and failures of life? Surely we heard the axiom 'There is never regrets but only lessons in life' but how far are we to accept such deep meaning in an instance when, let say, you just hit someone with your car!

This is the thing, prevention is better than cure, why truly learn from your mistake when you have the opportunity to learn it from others? Or even you can learn it from the Torah!

That is why we need to have lessons in our life, no matter what kind of lessons, lessons that are given by others and lessons learnt in our life. However, how far will we go to have such lessons and inculcate it in our life? This depends on the individual and one tips do it all: learn by stages. It is never all or nothing...

So, when you fall, pick yourself up, but when others fall, pick them up too and in the process learn with them. Seek spiritual inspiration, and this is the ultimate lessons that you will have without experiencing the real things yourself...

Eating normally and Healthily...

Yom Shevi'i Shalom,

When we eat, have we ever thought of eating as a pleasure? I would say that I did but that is, actually, not an appropriate thing to do...

Why? One simple reason: have you seen animals stuffed themselves with foods? Have you ever seen plants over-photosynthesise until its fruits become so big or its stem filled with starch granules? That will be unthinkable... Obesity exists in the animal world, only when the animal is forced to eat by either its owner or its herder!

If only we eat like the non-humans, then everything will be eliminated. No more obesity and no more cardiovascular diseases. If only we learn modesty of eating from a dog or a cat for example...

So what we should do? Don't overstuff yourself and yes, this should be directed to me too!!!

This is almost like a community message suddenly. Note this:

"A righteous person eats to satisfy his soul (Proverbs 13:25)"

So why we eat? To serve HaShem! Especially for us Gentiles, should eat more to make this world a better place, to make this world truly habitable... To build peace and to remind ourselves of the duty. The holiest task should be left to the Jews, not of our meddling...

Subsequently, just do what we should. eat accordingly, like an animal (with etiquette of course) and don't overstuff...

Yom Shevi'i Shalom,
Henri the Overweight...

Is Dying a Form of Liberation?

We live in a time where turbulence happens almost everyday and mass suicide is not an uncommon matter nowadays. Dying, to some people, is a form of liberation. Also, this concept has its root in paying too much of an attention to the life after. This is when people start to think that that place is a better place, when one starts to think that the world afterlife is a place that will fulfill our need... This is one big no no; Our Sages have never said such a thing to us.

There is three categories of time: past, present, and future (if you say there is more than this, it might be true as I did not take physics, so sorry for that if I am wrong). What is past? Things that have already pass by, happenings which are now bygones, things to be learnt from and forgotten. There is no need to dwell in the past, we only have to look forward.

What is the future then? The future is the time when we cannot predict and cannot foresee. We can only plan to do the best in the future but actually we do not have the power to influence the future as nobody will know what will happen in the future. Only G-d knows. What can we do then? Plan well and do your best, then leave everything to HaShem. HaShem will help those that help themselves and HaShem will know who tried his best or not...

What is the present then? Well, as the name implies, this is, really, your present, a gift. This is when you can truly make changes and truly make this world a better place. Hillel the Elder says, ‘If not now, when?’. This epitomises the way of HaShem, if not the present, when it will be done. No one can change the past and no one can change the future. What can one truly do is to change the present...

This applies same to the above question, is dying a form of liberation? No! Why? King David says this ‘Dead man cannot praise You (HaShem) from the grave...’. When you think that by dying you are liberated, you are actually trying to escape reality and worst of all, responsibility. If you think that dying is elevating yourself to a better world, then you are downright selfish.

Why is that so? Try imagine this situation; just because I wanted a new phone, I trade my old phone for a new one; then you are happy and I am happy but is this an act of pious deeds? You will tell me instantly ‘what the heck?’ but when you apply the same thing to the condition above, treating death as liberation of life, you are no where far from that mobile trader.

Just because you are fed up with life does not mean that you have the right to escape from this seemingly hopeless world. Have you done your part in making this world a better place? You might say that I am just an individual what can I do? Remember this; HaShem turns a killer and a stummer into a greatest Prophet of all, Moshe!

Live in this world, know that everything has an inherent G-dliness in them. This is up to us to discover them. No one say that this is easy but if you never try, you will neve know.

What should I do? Stretch out your hand and touch everything and see everything, G-d is to be found anywhere. Appreciate the qualities of everything in your life, even the lowliest of all, the rock, sang a song to HaShem (Psalms 148).

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