The Pirke Avot (Wisdom of the Fathers) is a book I turn to often in my life. The old sages had an excellent grasp of human nature, and how to rise above the all-too-human traits of jealousy, greed, anger, egotism, etc. The pithy, simple words of the rabbis' teachings are almost Zen-like. Each page is like reading the contents of a fortune cookie that advises you how to be a better person. Today, I bring you Judah ben Tema:
Be strong as a leopard,
light as an eagle,
swift as a deer,
and brave as a lion
when carrying out the tasks of righteousness. (Ch. 5, V:23)
When Ha Shem created us, S/He contained within us a piece of everything that had been created before us. So, we have the strength of the leopard, the lightness of the eagle, the swiftness of the deer, and the courage of the lion already within us, just waiting to be summoned for our use. What do each of those qualities mean to you as you carry out the tasks of righteousness today? How do they help you accomplish that goal?
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