quotes

"Therefore, a man should take care to be generous according to his means, to be magnanimous where magnanimity is called for…weighing all in the scales of Torah." -- The Ways of the Tzaddikim, The Gate of Miserliness, page 323

"People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God's blessing on the one who is willing to sell." -- Mishlei 11:26

"Give, and it will be given to you; they will return to your lap a beautiful measure pressed, crammed full and overflowing. For with the measure that you use to measure, it will be measured to you."-- Mashiach Yeshua, Luke 6:38, DHE

"He who wants to give and also that others should give—he is a saintly man." -- Avot 5:16

"Whosoever possesses these three qualities belongs to the disciples of Abraham our father: a generous eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul." -- Avot 5:22

"One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." -- Mishlei 11:24

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." -- Acts 20:35

"If one is measuring out wine, oil or the like, he must not be over-exact, but give a little more." -- Bava Basra 88b

"The ideal is to give correctly to a deserving poor person, with a pleasant expression." -- The Ways of the Tzaddikim, the Gate of Magnanimity, page 313

"For in the place where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -- Mashiach Yeshua, Matthew 6:21, DHE

questions to ask yourself

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?

quotes

"True zeal consists of one's heart being alert, his mind being wakeful, and his limbs being light for the performance of his labor, but not in overhastiness in any matter." -- The Ways of the Tzadikkim, The Gate of Zeal, pg 293

"Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey." -- Bereishit 22:3

"Rabbi Yehudah be Tema said: Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and strong as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven." -- Avot 5:20

"When a man frees his heart of all other thoughts that reside in it and seizes upon one thought, then he will undoubtedly be zealous in its execution." --The Ways of the Tzadikkim, The Gate of Zeal, pg 283

"You must know that the trait of zeal is the foundation of all the traits, for one cannot constantly be learning. One must eat, drink, sleep , and attend to his other needs." -- The Ways of the Tzadikkim, The Gate of Zeal, pg 285

Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair said: "Zeal leads to cleanliness, cleanliness to separation, separation to purity, purity to holiness, holiness to humility, humility to fear of sin, fear of sin to saintliness, saintliness to the holy spirit, the holy spirit to the revival of the dead, and the revival of the dead to Eliyahu the prophet of blessed memory." -- Yerushalmi Shekalim 3:3, Sotah 49a, Avodah Zarah 20b

"If a poor man comes to your house to ask for bread, do not say, ' I cannot go to bring bread,' but go with zeal to bring it." -- The Ways of the Tzadikkim, The Gate of Zeal, pg 287

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." -- Winston Churchill

"The zealous advance themselves towards the doing of mitzvot." -- The Ways of the Tzadikkim, The Gate of Zeal, pg 285

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." -- Kohelet 9:10

"Do not say, 'When I will be free I will learn'; maybe you will not be free." -- Avot 2:4

questions to ask yourself

Use these questions to evaluate your day:

1. Did you consider the honor of your fellow in all your actions?

2. Did you rise for someone who is elderly and show honor?

3. Did you take time to honor someone today for his/her role?

4. Did you do something without seeking honor? Did you do it privately or publicly?

5. Do you seek to be given honor?

6. Do you honor those who serve you, in whatever capacity that is?

7. Do you seek to honor and help the young?

quotes

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." -- Shemot 20:12

"And one should not study Torah or do any good deed for the sake of honor, but only for the sake of the Creator, Blessed be He, and, ultimately, the honor will come." -- The Ways of the Tzadikkim, The Gate of Love, pg 119

Rabbi Eliezer said: "Let the honor of your fellow be as dear to you as your own." -- Avot 2:15

Rabbi Elazar of Modiim said: "If a man profanes things which are sacred, and offends the holidays and puts his fellow to shame publicly, and makes void the covenant of Abraham our father, and teaches meanings in the Torah which are not according to Halachah, even though he has a knowledge of the Torah and good works, he has no share in the world to come." -- Avot 3:15

Ben Zoma said: "Who is wise? He who learns from all men, as it is written (Tehillim 119:99) 'I have gained understanding from all my teachers.'"  -- Avot 4:1

"Who is honored? He that honors his fellow men as it is written (I Shmuel 2:30) 'For those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be treated with contempt.' " -- Avot 4:1

Rabbi Yochanan ben Baroka said: "Whoever profanes the name of Heaven in secret will pay the penalty in public, whether it be done accidentally or intentionally." -- Avot 4:5

"So then, whatever you want sons of men to do to you, do the same to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets." -- Mashiach Yeshua, Matthew 7:12, DHE

"The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old." ~Mishlei 20:29

"The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame." ~ Mishlei 3:35

questions to ask yourself

Use these questions to evaluate your day:

1. What were the seeds that started to erode your gratitude today?

2. Did you take time to express gratitude to those around you for who they are and what they do?

3. Did you take time to notice the bounty in your life and express your gratitude through words or actions?

4. Were you able to take an unpleasant situation and see the lesson in it?

5. Did someone do something for you and it was difficult to be grateful? Why?

6. After you ate your meals today did you take time to thank Hashem for the food?

7. Did you thank anyone above and beyond what was necessary?

quotes

"The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad." -- Tehillim 118:24

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows." -- James 1:17

"They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." -- Lamentations 3:23

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise You forever." -- Tehillim 30:11-12

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." -- Romans 8:28

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." -- Mishlei 13:12

"At midnight I rise to give You thanks for your righteous laws." -- Tehillim 119.62

"I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise Your name, and the upright will live in your presence." --Tehillim 140:12-13

So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them? -- Kohelet 3:22

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will… -- I Thessalonians 5:18

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. -- Ephesians 1:16

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -- Philippians 4.6

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. -- Devarim 8:10

loving-kindness

{acp _pattern 248}{acp top-intro/}We all need food, sleep, and love.Loving-kindness is acting out in loving and thoughtful ways to bring accord and friendship between those we do and don’t know. This type of living is other-centered and fosters harmony. In an overabundance of loving-kindness, we see excessive doting and lack of care for oneself; in an extreme lack of loving-kindness, we see selfishness and egotism rampant. This trait in balance serves humanity and self, and is considered a vital foundation of the world.Suggested practices:

• Show a smile to at least five people today that you pass by today.
• Lend an ear to someone that you know could use some company.
• Make it a point to ask someone how his/her day is going — whether you know that person or not.
• Give a genuine compliment to someone today.{acp /top-intro}

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moderation

{acp _pattern 248}{acp top-intro/}The middle way frees one from the tyranny of cravings.Moderation is finding a balance in all things and is crucial in healthy living. Going overboard in anything is one way that this trait is imbalanced, while depriving oneself is another. By experiencing everything in moderate amounts, one can live more wholesomely and find true balance.Suggested practices:

• Identify something you do in excess and cut back.
• Is there something that you withhold for no good reason? Try integrating it into your life if it is good.
• Identify a passion. Take a break from it for a week.{acp /top-intro}

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enthusiasm

{acp _pattern 248}{acp top-intro/}Start and finish strong.Enthusiasm is approaching a task with zeal and the desire to accomplish it. It is vital in maintaining momentum in a productive and positive life. If one displays too much enthusiasm, it appears as obsessive and manic, while a complete lack of enthusiasm shows itself as listless and uninterested. Enthusiasm brought out in the right way is contagious and can be very inspirational to many.Suggested exercises:

• Enter into a difficult task earlier than planned and strive to complete itwith all your might.
• Enter a meeting with a cheerful and can-do attitude and maintain that demeanor throughout the meeting.
• Help someone with a difficult task by displaying a helpful and zealous attitude.
• Set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than normal and begin the day with an extra prayer or meditation. Spring into the day with anticipation.{acp /top-intro}

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gratitude

{acp _pattern 248}{acp top-intro/}Let life’s bounty cause you to whisper thanks with each breath.Gratitude is about expressing thanks and appreciation for all that happens and is given in life: planned or unplanned. Gratitude out of whack can manifest itself in two ways. Either we placate or puff up unnecessarily those who have given to us, or we fail to demonstrate gratefulness in any capacity. Gratitude in check is when we respond appropriately with thanks for the gifts and benefits we receive and do so in the proper capacity.Suggested exercises:

• Think of some positive aspects of your life today and express your gratitude and appreciation.
• Send a card to someone you know and express your gratitude and appreciation.
• Express your gratitude to a stranger who is serving you in some capacity today.
• After every meal this week, say a prayer of gratitude. This can either be a traditional blessing from the siddur or perhaps a heartfelt spontaneous prayer.{acp /top-intro}

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