Smiling alligator in Myakka River state park, Forida.
Week 3-/(Tiferet) COMPASSION-Day 2/(Gevurah) JUDGEMENT
I think it is crucial for our compassion to be used to take care of God's creatures who can't stand up for themselves. The list includes children and alligators. The American alligator was once on the endangered list and on the brink of extinction. Then the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pronounced a complete recovery of the species and now over a million alligators can be found in Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Georgia. I became more familiar with alligators during Passover when I drove in the Everglades and also when I visited Myakka River state park on the west coast of Florida. Even though I want to have compassion for alligators I also need to remember they are wild animals. This alligator may look like it is smiling when in reality it is waiting for prey to eat. Our compassion to be useful needs to be something we have or do on a regular basis and not just happen on whim. It needs to come not just from the heart but also from the head.
After nightfall on Wednesday:
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM
ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is sixteen days which is two weeks and two days of the omer.
No comments:
Post a Comment