5 Short Torah Thoughts That Are Meaningful To Me

(I heard #2 from Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, citing someone else. The others are my ideas.

1. King David says that if not for Torah being his joyful play thing he'd be lost in his suffering. We can find meaning in Torah and still be miserable, but somehow through his turbulent years in this world King David managed to not be wiped out by his pain because of the whimsical enjoyment that he found in a Torah life.

2. One source says that this world is similar to darkness. Another states that that the world is a beautiful antechamber before the banquet hall. Contradiction? The resolution might rest in the suggestion that this world is a beautiful place that is covered in darkness. Our task is to shine light and reveal the beauty of this world.

3. The root of the Hebrew words that mean belief and resistance are the same (A-M-N). Often those who protest loudest believe strongest. There's a thin line between wrestling and embracing, between friction and warmth. This is true in many contexts, particularly regarding Judaism, faith in our G-d, commitment to our laws and traditions. People that can't stop questioning their Judaism sometimes are doing so because it is truly the most important thing in their life, and we fight what is most important to us.

4. King David said that "an empty man will not know, and a fool will not understand this." A foolish person does not understand that if you need to fill yourself in a positive way in order to have knowledge.

5.The Talmud tells us that if someone does not mourn with the community he will not see the consolation of the community. This is a natural consequence, a self fulfilling punishment. if you're not there for the sad times, because you couldn't take it, it means you left the community and you won't be there for the happy times. it's like if a kid cuts school and gets out of a quiz, they also are not there for the ice-cream treat after the quiz.