One Minute Mitzvahs: (Jewish Koans)

In the Haggadah of Passover (the Scripture of Passover), mention is made of the four sons. The Wise Son, the Wicked Son, the Simple Son, and the One Who Cannot Even Ask A Question. All of these sons are part of us and yet the one who most do not recognize or understand the power of is THE SIMPLE SON. Who is he/she? Why is their point of view and contribution not only to the Seder, but to our lives so important? Of course everyone wants to be the Wise one... But The Sim...

How in the world can we live without gossip? What would our relationships be? If we watch closely, most of our conversations are telling tales about others, and listening to gossip about them as well. There seems to be no end to it. When a group of students received a one week task of not gossiping or listening to gossip, they said they amazed. It was impossible to go to lunch, or join in most conversations. Naturally gossip (and slander) seems ordinary, harmless enough. But they are not. The...

This wonderful, one minute mitzvah, is incredibly powerful. It asks us to stop and take note of the ways in which we create stumbling blocks and obstacles for others and ourselves unconsciously, all the time. Mitzvahs are not only here to protect and care for others, they are wake up calls. They ask us to become aware, to recognize what's going on, and to take a moment to stop and change our action, thoughts or words. And what a moment it is. Although we may not realize it, these are ato...

This wonderful mitzvah asks us to be Mindful of what just seems to be lying around. Is it an object that has been lost and belongs to someone? It takes only a minute to stop, pick the object up, care for it and return it to the owner. Return it to its Source. The mitzvah may take you on a journey that takes more than a minute...but your own awareness is opened in a minute. You stop racing, focusing only upon yourself, and see that a loss has taken place, and you may be the one to heal it.&nbs...

As the lights grow stronger each night of Hannukah, we can accompany the candle lighting process by discovering and performing another mitzvah, day by day. Remember it only takes on minute to do. And this minute can expand to days, as the Hannukah lights do. A spark of light which starts small on one night, grows and grows naturally. Most do not realize that it is actually a Mitzvah to be happy. In other words happiness creates a channel for the light to come to us, in many ...

Each Mitzvah that comes to us to do has enormous effects that we have no idea of. These mitzvahs are not necessarily Good Deeds, they are forms through which we channel the divine light and love into our lives and into the world. Without this light we could not exist, and it needs to be grounded into our daily actions, thoughts, words and encounters. All present an opportunity to perform a mitzvah, and it takes only One Minute, to stop, remember that, turn in the direction of the Light ...

The holiday of Shavuous is almost here, the time of the giving and receiving of the Torah, the Eternal Truth. Not only is truth and light being freely given, but we must also be ready to receive it, open and available. A huge part of receiving truth is the ability and willingness to Listen. To listen truly we enter silence and absorb what is being said to us. We don't listen to the mad mind which contradicts itself constantly, but to the larger voice of the Divine, which is waiting to g...

During the Passover Seder four children are discussed, The Wise Son, The Rebellious Son, The Simple Son and The One Who Does Not Even Know How To Ask A Question. Usually we all want to be the wise one. This is the one who knows so much, studies, listens, follows directions. But is this all needed for true wisdom? The four children mentioned in the Seder are parts of all of us. We all contain each one, and all must be integrated. The Simple Son, and The One Who Do Not Know How To Ask A Questio...

The Mitzvahs have many beautiful functions, and one is to rescue us from Time! They prevent us from lapsing into doubt, fear and hesitation, wondering which way to go next. As we do that, the moment i lost, and part of our precious life is gone. This Mitzvah explores the way to break through the miasma of confusion and doubt and take complete action without hesitation, right now!