Some thoughts for today

It's lunch break for me, and I am taking some time out to update my new blog. By the way, I named this blog 'What Am I Here For Anyway?' because Good Morning World, Im nothing really special, just a man who G-d blessed with an incredible family, a beautiful flat in Bethesda, MD and most of all, giving me the most precious commodity in this world --- a Jewish Neshama (soul)!

I wonder and ask, well gee golly, why give little old me a Jewish Neshama! Why not give it to someone like the Dalai Lama, or Mother Teresa! What about Gandhi, Lincoln, Winston Churchill?

I cannot answer these questions, however I have to say the absolute truth: Hashem gave me, little Robert the Jewish neshama, and not Big Gandhi, Big Lincoln and Big Churchill!

This realization thrusts a huge feeling of pride and dread in me. On the one hand I am so great, I have this big powerful soul that makes me one of Hashem's princes! And yet, I am just me, yeah a little guy with an ego, a yetzer hara, and a desire to drive my jalopy at breakneck speeds on the Beltway! In short a man with passions, desires, and a knack for anger. (I will IY"H talk about anger in comming posts). So why did Hashem send me here to Planet Earth?

Rabbi Barry Shafier of http://www.theshmuz.com/ likes this situation to the following. Joe is a crane operator, he is short, squat and potbellied. However he controls a big huge crane that can lift 100 tons of ordinance like it was feathers! I go to Joe and say "Hey Joe, looks like you're eating too many dingdongs, and look at all that beer and pizza you chomp down on! How about coming to the gym, we'll get you into shape!" Joe says, "Yo man, I dont need all that junk, I can lift 100 tons!" I say "You fool! You cant lift 40lbs. That's the crane that's lifting the 100 tons not you!"

Hashem has given us this incredible body and soul. The body and the Jewish Neshama is a portal that activates the spiritual world. What we do with our body and neshama is reflected many many times in the spiritual world. However I am still me, I am like Joe the crain operator. Hashem has given me a huge awesome power and it is up to little old me, little Robert to use this power wisely. May Hashem give us the power and the knowledge to use our bodies and neshamot wisely, to control anger (more on that later....) and to be happy with our lot all the days we are on Planet Earth...Amen!