Jewish Life Digital Edition November 2014 | Page 37

WISDOM When a person suffers, he should not say that things are bad, but rather that they are bitter. Some medicines are very bitter. Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin TEXT: COMPILED BY LIZ SAMUELS Despise no man and consider nothing impossible. For there is no man who does not have his hour, and there is nothing that does not have its place. Pirkei Avos 4:3 When the Jewish people suffer in any way, the suffering comes in order to improve them and make them better. Our suffering is likened to a father chastising his son in order to have him follow the correct path. The father, however, suffers more than the child when he must chastise him. Baal Shem Tov A person who walks his path in life without regard to ethical standards is like a blind man who does not know his journey is along the bank of a river. The person can at any moment succumb to the dangers of a wrong step and the odds are more certainly toward his being hurt than escaping harm. Rabbi Moses Chaim Luzzatto There are many doors which lead out of the darkness, but man is blind. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov We do not raise our voices when doing mitzvot, for example, when putting on tefillin. Similarly, when rebuking someone, it is not necessary to raise your voice – sincere words and actions will penetrate the most stubborn heart. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he will be asked is not “Have you believed in G-d?” or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?” but, “Have you dealt honourably with your fellow man?” Talmud: Shabbos 31a It is your duty to love Hashem as if you were the only person in the entire world. Rabbi Pinchas of Korez For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. Mishlei 8:11 Just as a person checks his eggs for blood spots, so he should check that his money is “kosher”. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter JL Whether you’re with us for business, leisure or a family holiday, Premier Hotels & Resorts’ wide range of quality destinations offer you the best of all worlds. Discover Premier Hotels nationwide: luxury rooms, conference venues & business centres with free Wi-Fi. Finally, a place where doing more business costs less. Premier Hotels & Resorts wishes you a chag Chanukah sameach. Now in Cape Town, Knysna, Pinetown, Port Edward, East London, Pretoria, Midrand, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport Central Res: 086 111 5555 [email protected] www.premierhotels.co.za