fbpx

A Moment in Time: Being Able to Laugh

[additional-authors]
May 17, 2017
Dear all,
Not long ago, a teen in our congregation walked past the above sign in the front office and into my study.  (I wasn’t in there at the time).  When I heard her voice, I went to my study, marched her out to read the sign, and waited for her response.
“I wasn’t here to see you,” she began with a smile.  “I was here to get candy from your jar.”
I tried, I really tried not to burst out laughing.  But I failed.
What can you do?  To her credit, she was a very quick thinker.
It’s really important to be able to laugh in these circumstances.  They offer a moment in time to deepen ourselves with reality, ground our hearts with levity, and lift our souls with joy.  Seek out those moments, as they are the building blocks of life!
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
Photo taken by Jeremy Gimbel
A change in perspective can shift the focus of our day – and even our lives.  We have an opportunity to harness “a moment in time,” allowing our souls to be both grounded and lifted.  This blog shows how the simplest of daily experiences can become the most meaningful of life’s blessings.  All it takes is a moment in time.
 
Rabbi Zach Shapiro is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Akiba, a Reform Jewish Congregation in Culver City, CA.
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Bringing Israeli Doctors Back

ScienceAbroad works with two groups in medicine: physicians who leave Israel for fellowships and Israeli students who attend medical school in Europe.

The Antizionist’s Dilemma

It’s not easy being an antizionist these days. Especially if you’re determined to live in accordance with your most important moral imperative: the denigration of the world’s only Jewish state.

How the Supreme Court Adapted Parshat Shoftim

The Torah offers a better model than avenging and avoiding. It offers a safe opportunity for parties to meet and peacefully explain their perspectives, which might have been misunderstood. They can offer apologies and, where necessary, make amends for harms caused.

Can One Be a Non-Observant Orthodox Jew?

The tradition has always been bigger than any one person’s grip on it. What draws me is simple: I think these texts are a good part of why we are still here as a people. I want to know them and, in my own way, embrace them. Orthodox is where I turn.

Lies, Damned Lies and the Right Side of History

One question alone matters these days: Does this fact strengthen my tribe, or is it bad for it? If bad, it must be suppressed, denied, explained away. The higher truth is the narrative that serves the cause, the quest of the righteous and true.

Life Lessons in Old Age

Hardship and joy are present at every step. There is no time when it will be all good, so focus on the good and carry on. There are always moments to savor and appreciate.

Is Mamdani Helping Bibi?

By explicitly linking Mamdani’s efforts to rising levels of antisemitism, Netanyahu was able to frame himself as a defender of Israel against growing international hostility.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.