Blog Blast for Peace

Tomorrow is the annual Blog Blast for Peace, but we're publishing a day early.

We'd like to share with you a few images... and then a few thoughts on where true peace begins. (Okay, and a cat. But forgive us, we're making you wait til the end today!)

The photos were from this weekend's morning walk.
We hope they bring you as much serenity as they did us when we experienced them:

• a leaf, drifting to the ground in the crisp October air
• the morning sun peeking through the trees, burning away the last wisps of fog
• a tree, resplendent with berries
• fresh pears, just harvested from our front yard
• pumpkins, resting against a tree trunk

Peace.

I once heard a Rabbi say blessings are given individually instead of to many, because a blessing must be tailor-made to the recipient.

Peace is one of the most important of all blessings one can receive. But does it really make sense that this peace be given individually? After all, the opposite of peace is quarrel. And that takes two.

It takes two people to have a disagreement. It takes two factions to start a riot. And two countries to go to war.

So why would it be said that peace must be given to one, and not many?
 "G-d knows where to start," said the rabbi. "He starts with the individual."

Once a person has inner peace, he can have peace with his spouse, peace with his family, his coworkers and peers... and ultimately peace with the world.

But the place where peace must begin is at Ground Zero: inside me.
Only then will I be shalom: whole and complete.

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Source:
Rav. Frand, Parshat Naso
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Oh, and yes, one kitty, sleeping peacefully. And for the moment, the house is at peace as well. (subject to change when he awakens)

Blog Blast for Peace

We know we've posted this before as our entry in the Blog Blast for Peace, 

but it's such a powerful message, we thought it worth repeating.

***

For many years, the U.S. had a governmental affairs office in D.C. headed by a man named Moshe Shearer. This man, a rabbi, had a very interesting insight into the concept of peace.  One of the oldest practices in Judaism, he said, involves a prayer that concludes with a phrase known as Oseh Shalom.

Oseh Shalom is probably the most famous prayer for peace in the Hebrew language – and in my opinion one of the most beautiful, especially when you hear its melody. Translated, it goes something like this:

“May he who makes peace in the high places make peace for us…”

Interestingly, tradition requires that you begin by taking three steps back, then as you say the prayer, you bow to the left, to the right and to the front. Rabbi Sherer taught that the reason for this was to remind us that there is only one way to truly achieve peace among people.

Shalom

Stepping back represents stepping back from oneself, dropping personal agendas and willingly letting go of those strongly held personal viewpoints. This helps remove obstacles that stand in the way of objectivity.

And while pure objectivity may never be achieved, this practice helps you to better understand the viewpoint of your adversary.

Keeping an open mind and striving for objectivity are a critical first step, true, but if we truly want peace we need to be willing to bend.
A little bit of compromise, whether it’s the left, the right or the center, may just be the necessary component to achieving true peace.

May we all learn to step back and be willing to bend.

***

 If you've never heard it, click below:

Oseh Shalom Bimromav. Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu. 

V'yal kol Israel, v'imru Amein.

 ***

Blog Blast for Peace 2012

We posted this last year as our entry in the Blog Blast for Peace, 

but it's such a powerful message, we thought it worth repeating.

***

For many years, the U.S. had a governmental affairs office in D.C. headed by a man named Moshe Shearer. This man, a rabbi, had a very interesting insight into the concept of peace.  One of the oldest practices in Judaism, he said, involves a prayer that concludes with a phrase known as Oseh Shalom.

Oseh Shalom is probably the most famous prayer for peace in the Hebrew language – and in my opinion one of the most beautiful, especially when you hear its melody. Translated, it goes something like this:

“May he who makes peace in the high places make peace for us…”

Interestingly, tradition requires that you begin by taking three steps back, then as you say the prayer, you bow to the left, to the right and to the front. Rabbi Sherer taught that the reason for this was to remind us that there is only one way to truly achieve peace among people.

Shalom

Stepping back represents stepping back from oneself, dropping personal agendas and willingly letting go of those strongly held personal viewpoints. This helps remove obstacles that stand in the way of objectivity.

And while pure objectivity may never be achieved, this practice helps you to better understand the viewpoint of your adversary.

Keeping an open mind and striving for objectivity are a critical first step, true, but if we truly want peace we need to be willing to bend.
A little bit of compromise, whether it’s the left, the right or the center, may just be the necessary component to achieving true peace.

May we all learn to step back and be willing to bend.

***

 If you've never heard it, click below:

Oseh Shalom Bimromav. Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu. 

V'yal kol Israel, v'imru Amein.

 ***

Dona Nobis Pacem: Blog Blast for Peace

Today bloggers from all over are uniting to promote peace. This will be our first time participating, and we thank Coffee, Cats & Yarn for her blog post, otherwise we would not have known about it.

Peace - Shalom - is a pretty central concept to our culture. So we asked Mother to say a few words about it.

*waves a paw dramatically* Take it awaaaaay, Mommy!

  (*eyeroll* There's one in every crowd... )

_________________

Thanks guys.

For many years, the U.S. had a governmental affairs office in D.C. headed by a man named Moshe Shearer. This man, a rabbi, had a very interesting insight into the concept of peace.

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One of the oldest practices in Judaism, he said, involves a prayer that concludes with Oseh Shalom. Oseh Shalom is probably the most famous prayer for peace in the Hebrew language – and in my opinion one of the most beautiful, especially when you hear its melody. Translated, it goes something like this:

“May he who makes peace in the high places make peace for us…”

Interestingly, tradition requires you begin by taking three steps back then, as you say the prayer, you bow to the left, to the right and to the front.

Rabbi Sherer taught that the reason for this was to remind us that there is only one way to truly achieve peace among people. 

Stepping back represents stepping back from oneself, dropping personal agendas and willingly letting go of those strongly held personal viewpoints. This helps remove obstacles that stand in the way of objectivity. And while pure objectivity may never be achieved, this practice helps you to better understand the viewpoint of your adversary.

But stepping back isn’t enough. Keeping an open mind and striving for objectivity are a critical first step, true, but if we truly want peace we need to be willing to bend. A little bit of compromise (whether it’s the left, the right or the center) is a necessary component to achieving true peace.

May we all learn to step back and be willing to bend - whether it's to the left, to the right or to the center.  

Oseh Shalom Bimromav. Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu. V'yal kol Israel, v'imru Amein.