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February 13, 2012
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Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
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Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Dec. 23, 2003
/ 28 Kislev, 5764
Lighting our way to the palace of the king
By
Rabbi Yonason Goldson
http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
There is a story of a prince, a true prodigal son, whose antics and
excesses taxed his father's patience until the king, with no other recourse,
sent his son penniless into exile to learn responsibility and humility.
The prince wandered from place to place, half-starving, unqualified for any
craft or labor, until he finally found work as a shepherd in a distant land.
The job of shepherding was not overly difficult, but the sun burned the
prince's back by day, the wind froze him at night, and the rain soaked
through his clothes in winter.
Other shepherds built little huts to protect
them from the elements, but whenever the poor prince tried to build himself
a hut it toppled over in the first strong breeze.
Years went by, until at last the prince heard that the king was coming to
the province where he lived. There was a custom in the kingdom that people
would write their wishes upon scraps of paper and throw them at the king's
carriage. Any requests that the king picked up a read would be granted
immediately. So the prince positioned himself along the parade route and,
as the king's carriage passed, he took careful aim and tossed his note.
The paper fell at the king's feet. He unrolled it and, recognizing his
son's handwriting, he began to weep. For the note asked if the king would
give the prince a little hut to protect him from the sun and the wind and
the rain.
"My son could have asked to return to the palace," cried the king, "but he
no longer knows he is a prince."
So it was in the days of the Maccabees, when the Jewish people were so
steeped in the physical aestheticism and indulgences of Greek culture that
many of them forgot that they were in exile, forgot that they were
inheritors of a priceless spiritual legacy, forgot that they were children
of the King.
But a few didn't forget. A few risked their lives to honor the Sabbath, to
circumcise their sons, to study the Torah of their fathers and grandfathers,
to preserve the divine spark that had guided their ancestors for a thousand
years. And, when their moment came, those few took up arms against their
oppressors and fought for the privilege of living as Jews. They recaptured
the Holy Temple and, as they rekindled the menorah, divine light flooded the
streets and courtyards of Jerusalem, pushing off the darkness of exile,
waking the people from cultural forgetfulness, inspiring a generation to
remember its ancient roots cast its aspirations once more toward the
heavens.
Today, 2,168 years later, we too live in an age of spiritual darkness, when
the loudest and most persistent voices in our surrounding culture cry out to
expunge every mention of the divine, to condemn every moral judgment, to
sanctify every perversion in the name of "tolerance." We live in an era of
unprecedented material comfort and convenience, tranquilizing our bodies and
our minds so that we can easily stifle the yearning of our souls.
But when the days are shortest and the nights are coldest, just then can a
little light shine forth and dispel much darkness. Like a lighthouse
guiding a ship home, the lights of the Chanukah menorah can draw us back
from the abyss of spiritual oblivion. And as we add candle upon candle and
light upon light, the growing radiance of the menorah reminds us of the
divine flame that has guided us through the darkness of exile and saved us
from the darkness of assimilation for generation after generation.
If we, like the Hellenist Jews, allow the material values of contemporary
culture to shape our thinking and guide our actions, then we have truly
forgotten who we are. Like the prince whose soul longed for nothing but a
little hut to protect him from the sun and the rain, we will be destined to
live out our days in futility.
But if we cling to all that which is noble within us, if the values of
Jewish culture drive us to perform acts of kindness and charity, to devote a
few moments each day to heartfelt and meditative prayer, to treat neighbors
and strangers alike with respect, to set an example of morality and
character for our children — then we will have rekindled the spark of
divinity inside us, and we will have earned the privilege to have our
Father, the King, bring us home.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes uplifting articles.
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JWR contributor Rabbi Yonason Goldson teaches at Block Yeshiva High School and Aish HaTorah in St. Louis. Comment by clicking here.
© 2003, Rabbi Yonason Goldson
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