equanimity
rabbi russ resnik
equanimity and adrenaline

A few years ago, I took up rappelling, the art of descending sheer cliffs by rope and harness, so that we could explore the red-rock canyons of Southern Utah. After I had begun to learn the basics, Steve, our guide, said to me, “You’re one of those people who wants to speed up when your adrenaline starts to flow.”

equanimity and adrenaline
loving-kindness
rabbi russ resnik
fairness or freebie?

Some things in life have to be earned, and some things cannot be. We can earn respect and reputation by our behavior, but sometimes we need help, or forgiveness, or just a break, that we haven’t earned and don’t deserve. And we can also give to others gifts they don’t deserve and don’t have to earn. That sort of undeserved kindness is captured by the word Hesed, often translated as lovingkindness.

fairness or freebie?
adaptability
rabbi russ resnik
age and adaptability

The other day I had coffee with Hal, the father of one of our chavurah members. He had just written his second novel, this one based on his amazing experiences as a Jewish-American soldier fighting the Nazis in World War II. We got together to talk about his book.

age and adaptability
silence
rabbi russ resnik
authentic listening

One of the current terms of religious discussion that I’ve grown to suspect is “spirituality.” I’m tired of hearing people say, “I’m not religious; I’m spiritual,” which often means I don’t have any outward signs of religious or transcendent life, but, trust me, I possess many lofty sentiments.

authentic listening
loving-kindness
rabbi russ resnik
chesed in action

Chesed or loving-kindness is an essential human attribute, but it’s first of all a divine attribute. If we want to cultivate chesed, we should pay attention to how Hashem exercises it. And God’s chesed is on display at the conclusion of the Haftarot of Comfort, the passages from Isaiah that we read during this period between Tisha B’av and Rosh Hashanah.

chesed in action

accounting

questions to ask yourself

art-questionsUse these questions to evaluate your day:

  1. What were the "seeds" that started to erode your humility today?
  2. Think of how you responded to praise, or how you responded to someone else receiving praise.  Did you become puffed up when you were complimented?  Did you feel jealous or resent someone else receiving good words?
  3. Did you take the time to truly listen to those around you today, or were you more focused on speaking? Were you able to say words to lift up those around you?
  4. In the course of your day, did you make an effort to wholeheartedly look at your shortcomings today rather than focus on those of others?
  5. Were you able to use prayer or meditation to balance out your humility?
  6. When you are around others, do you often feel superior?
  7. Are you realistic in your analysis of who you truly are?

questions to ask yourself

art-questions

Use these questions to evaluate your day:

  1. What were the seeds that started to affect your enthusiasm today?
  2. Think of matters in which you were successful today, versus ones in which you weren't. Were they a function of your level of enthusiasm?
  3. Do you experience recurring snags in your walk forward or your daily activities? What is affecting your enthusiasm?
  4. If you were on the verge of getting stuck in a rut or wasting time, what did you employ that helped you become enthusiastic again?
  5. Did you use prayer or meditation to help you with your enthusiasm today?
  6. Did you procrastinate in doing something today?
  7. Do you avoid doing certain things because they are not your favorite tasks?

questions to ask yourself

art-questionsUse these questions to evaluate your day:

  1. What were the "seeds" that started to affect your ability to exemplify truth?
  2. Think of several moments when you were challenged to express truth. What was your reaction?  Did you forsake truthfulness for social peace or to prevent embarrassment, or were you weak and not able to stand up for the truth?
  3. If you were unable to express truth today, is this something that you have struggled with previously? 
  4. Were you able to use prayer or meditation to give you strength to work through the circumstances?

questions to ask yourself

art-questionsUse these questions to evaluate your day:

  1. What tests did you encounter today?
  2. Were there any surprises today that caught you off guard?  Were they based on some pre-set expectations you had?  How did you handle them?
  3. Think of several good things that happened today.  What was your reaction to them compared to the difficult things?
  4. If you were unsettled today by something, what did you do to get yourself balanced?  What worked and what didn't?
  5. Were you able to use prayer or meditation to calm your soul?