Doing acts of kindness requires great wisdom about the ways of the world. You must have an awareness of the differences between people and their individual needs.
Love Yehuda Lave
When
things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a
day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two beers.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls..
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions --- and if Everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls..
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions --- and if Everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else --- the small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.
Visit with grandparents.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first --- the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand.
(Now the most important question)
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented.
The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.
Watch: Thousands Pray at Kotel on Last Day of Sukkot
Arutz
Sheva was on the scene for vatikin prayers at dawn for Hoshana Raba,
the seventh day of the 'Feast of Tabernacles.' watch the video
Thousands of Jews were undeterred by the early pre-dawn hour and cold on Wednesday as they made their way through the Old City of Jerusalem to the Kotel (Western Wall), for vatikin prayers at dawn on the seventh and final day of Sukkot, Hoshana Raba.
Hoshana Raba is traditionally considered to be the last day to affect one's standing before G-d in the new year of the Jewish calendar, when Jews are thought to be judged for the coming year on the merits of their deeds the previous year.
There are various unique traditions in the morning prayer service of the day, such as placing seven (or all) Torah scrolls on the bimah (central podium) as those praying march around them seven times holding their lulavim and reciting the "Hosha na" (lit. "save us") prayers.
Five willow branches, but not those used in the four species in the lulav, are struck on the floor at the end of the service as a reminder of similar services held in the Temple. Some commentators say that the willow branches symbolize the enemies of the Jewish people and G-d's revenge upon them, a major theme of the Sukkot Haftorah scriptural readings.
