(1) Nonheeb 6/11/2008 12:51:00 PM
MO
People, everyone discriminates even in thought and I mean EVERYONE black to white - white to black. Our brains, emotions, habits, family-life, nonfamily-life is always evolving in change. Most of us like me hope we can continue to move forward by being good people within (it starts in the center) and affect those around you. People that are 'tuff' outside and then kind to family are going through change themselves in identity. People in an evolving state of mind never stop asking themselves their entire life, "Am I being good". It's a conscious question that exists in most of our sleep even. But our actions must follow our good intentions and that example shown in public helps our evolvement. We need to all continue our positive growth in the right direction and hope others after us will follow to secure our continued existence.


(2) Rosen 4/8/2008 9:37:00 PM
Judaism and Hashem never forget
Thanks for taking this in perspective to think about, Rabbi.

While we may forget who we are as Jews, Judaism and Hashem never forget.

It's all a matter of whether one's goodness outweighs his foolishness and mistakes. It's important to be the best one can be, and G-d will judge upon the rest. It's certainly a lot to think about by the time we go to the heavenly court before Hashem, whether we've been selfish or selfless from charity starting at home to extending out to the poor and impoverished.


(3) Dr. Daniel Aldrich 4/8/2008 6:20:00 AM
So true
This was a great reminder of what really matters -- especially when it is all too easy to "let one's guard down" at home!

(4) Ruth Housman 4/6/2008 3:59:00 PM
the dynamic duo: inside/outside
Hi, I found this to be very provocative and interesting. I do perceive that what one does at home is very important, namely those relationships but there are surely people who are very rough on the outside, meaning they cheat and do some really truly awful things, and then go home and are very beautiful people to their wives and children. I think we have seen this dynamic in popular movies, like the "gangsta flicks". I am not so sure the true measure of identity, meaning who we are, can be just measure through our intimate relationships, because surely exclusion, discrimination and other ways of being do exist on the "outside' and we make outsiders of groups we do not accept. So this has its problems for me as a way of judgment of character. So No, I think this has to be wrong, and yet, of course, it is so very important to be a good and humane person and this should be inside and outside. I heard from a rabbi that all one's mitzvots were somehow counted in some kind of celestial way, and this led to some kind of "reward". Now this, too, bothered me terribly, because it seems the pleasure of doing for others is what counts and the only thing. Well, that's my two cents worth. It's all food for thought and the bottom line.. of course... is be a good compassionate humane being in all acts, wherever you go. This should be the YOU that is counted and you do count. We all do!


(5) YaelinTokyo 4/6/2008 8:02:00 AM
Thanks for a great video!
Rabbi Friedman,

Another gem about the most holy of relationships!