How Can You Smile When You're Stuck in Endless Traffic? 5 Points to Ponder

Are There Better Lives Than These?

About two weeks ago, I met an old acquaintance. After a minute of conversation, he looked at me suspiciously and asked in astonishment, "What's this?" I told him, "A kippah." He continued, "Are you in mourning?" "No," I replied. He looked at me in bewilderment and said, "Are you crazy?" I chuckled and told him, "I'm not crazy, I've sobered up." The friend burst into laughter as if I had told a joke...

Dear friends, returning to faith is not madness; it is awakening. I lived in falsehood, and now I am discovering the truth. I was so close to falling off a high cliff with no way back, and at the last moment, "someone" reached out and saved me from crashing... Is there a greater joy than this?

People do not understand the significance of returning to faith. They think that believing in the Creator of the world means everything is forbidden: you can't work, you can't have fun, you can't breathe... They see religion as limiting and suppressing one's desires. But they don't understand that it's actually the opposite. Submitting my desire to the Creator's will, which demands I behave differently, fills all my desires and needs.

For example, let's say I feel like telling a juicy story about a friend who did something unacceptable to make fun of him or diminish him in everyone's eyes, but I hold back because the Creator commanded me to avoid gossip. I understand that repressing my desire to tell and overcoming the urge elevates me and fulfills my true desire, for I would like to be respected and not gossiped about, just as I wanted to do to that friend.

"Secular" people don't understand what happens to those who return to faith. They think they've "gone off the rails"... They can't understand how a religion, which they perceive as restrictive and dark, can produce people so happy with their lot. But the answer is simple: those who believe in the Creator, who see the Creator in every detail of their life, lead a life full of joy and devoid of worries. They have no sadness over financial loss, no fear of undergoing necessary medical tests. They don't hold grudges against someone who insulted them. They feel like the wealthiest person in the world simply because their heart beats and they can see and hear...

Faith has turned me into a better person – one who doesn't get angry over every little thing (I try), who knows how to be patient (I strive), and who appreciates things we often take for granted, like breathing, standing on one's feet, having work, a wife, and children...

Believe in the Creator, who watches over you and takes care of you every moment, and that everything He does is for your good! This faith allows you to be calm even when you're stuck in endless traffic after a tiring workday because you understand that perhaps you don't need to get home earlier. I don't know the heavenly calculations, but I always tell myself for strength that perhaps the Creator wanted to prevent an early encounter with a drunk driver on the road, so He delays me in traffic...

And if I'm single and a girl I very much wanted to marry rejected me – I don't break and even thank the Creator for arranging it that way. I don't know the heavenly calculations, but I always tell myself for strength that perhaps the Creator spared me an unhappy marriage and divorce in the future.

A person who believes in the Creator - in any delay or difficulty, all they do is thank the Creator for putting them in that situation. And if something happens to them that "seems" in their eyes as "bad," they will be calm, without a drop of worry in their heart, because they know it is for their good.

Are there lives better than these?

Did the Creator "Forget" to Plan the Brain?

Have you ever asked yourselves why, even at birth, a baby's organs are whole and functioning properly except for one - the most important organ in the human body - whose function is limited and continues to develop until at least the late twenties? Which organ is this?

The brain!

At first glance, it seems illogical: we would expect the brain - the most important organ in the human body, the center of control and regulation, responsible for thinking, remembering, learning, the center of emotion - to be fully operational from the first days of life, just as we find with the other organs. Why then does the brain remain limited at the start and require further development? Could it be, God forbid, that the Creator "forgot" to plan the brain, or did not "manage" to complete its functional design?

I received an answer from observing my precious two-year-old daughter.

Her entire world right now is dolls, games, and snacks. Give her a chocolate snack, and she's over the moon... She enjoys playing with new toys, watching dogs and cats on the street, swinging on a swing, and sliding down a slide.

If we assume her brain function was "high" in terms of thinking, learning, and remembering like an adult, what would happen then?

We would find a two-year-old preoccupied and sad with issues of livelihood, poverty, illnesses, finding a match, raising children, buying a house... the list goes on. Such a brain, dealing with these issues, could ruin her childhood and harm her tender and delicate soul. At this age, her pure soul is not a suitable vessel for such rugged encounters.

The Creator, in His mercy, gives the newborn a chance to grow in peace, comfort, and tranquility. He allows the delicate soul to grow without being aware of reality, thus preventing it from all the fears and dangers that could arise. Initially, the Creator "turns off" the brain's high cognitive abilities and gradually improves its functioning in line with the person's developmental needs.

Of course, there are additional explanations for the brain's development over the years, but this explanation alone testifies to boundless wisdom and, no less, compassion. The Creator gave the newborn the best conditions to adapt and grow perfectly!

"Hashem Told Him to Curse"

"He insulted me in front of everyone in the office! Can I stay silent?"

The urge to burst out and be angry in this situation is almost uncontrollable. However, a person who looks accurately at what happens and trains themselves to prepare in moments of calm before the test arrives can stand up to the trials of anger.

Regarding the insolent behavior and curses of Shimei Ben Gera, King David said: "Hashem told him to curse" (2 Samuel 16:10).

At that time, King David was at his lowest point. He had to flee Jerusalem because his son Absalom sought to kill him. During his escape, Shimei Ben Gera confronted him, threw stones at him, and cursed him. "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed and troublemaker," Shimei Ben Gera hurled at the king, adding more harsh words against him.

Abishai, son of Zeruiah, who was among those accompanying King David, wanted to restore the king's honor and retaliate against Shimei Ben Gera for his wrongdoing, but David did not allow him to harm Shimei. King David said: "Hashem told him to curse" – these curses and humiliations were sent to me because of me and for my good. This pain proves that I have matters to correct!

Neither Shimei Ben Gera nor anyone else can cause humiliation. The humiliation is decreed from above. Shimei Ben Gera was merely a messenger, though he will receive his punishment from Hashem (he had the choice; no one forced him to be the executor of the decree and to act improperly. But that's his separate account with the divine).

A well-known rule: "No one stubs their finger below unless it is announced from above" (Chullin 7a). Everything that happens to a person – significant or trivial, joyous or sorrowful, predictable or surprising, through another person or via 'natural disaster' – is all decreed by Hashem, all is just, and all is for the good.

Even if troubles befall someone, heaven forbid, they are for the person's good. These troubles, even if caused by another's negligence, insult, or offense, do not stem from the other's power.

A person struck with a stick does not think of getting angry at the stick in the hand of the hitter. The stick has no power of its own. Likewise, any insult or financial loss caused by another should strengthen the belief that they are merely the stick in the hand of divine providence. Everything Hashem does is for the good, and thus, there is no need or benefit to anger. Instead, one should channel their thoughts to self-examination to determine what needs correction, for which reason this pain came to them.

(From the wonderful explanations of Rabbi Zamir Cohen, shlita).

A Natural Cleansing System

What becomes of leftover food forgotten in the fridge for several days? The food dries out, decomposes, and starts to smell. Unpleasant...

Throughout the day, we chew many foods in our mouths, leaving food residues between our teeth. How do they not dry out?

Meet the ultimate rinsing system that helps clear food residues from the mouth – saliva.

Saliva contributes to dental health by rinsing food particles between the teeth and neutralizing acids that harm teeth.

Saliva is used to soften the food. Thus, along with the grinding action of the teeth, the food becomes easier to swallow and digest. Saliva contains antibacterial components that help combat infections and, of course, various enzymes that speed up food breakdown processes.

Dry mouth occurs when the body produces little or no saliva. Any saliva in the mouth will be thick and sticky. Dry mouth is not just a feeling of thirst, but also a loss of taste and impaired digestion.

The amount of saliva a person secretes in a day ranges from one to two liters. We produce about 25,000 liters of saliva during a lifetime – enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool. How does our body "produce" this vital fluid exactly in the mouth?

"Biology Lessons"

Recently, a young woman approached me and said, "Your points for thought irritate me. If you want to bring me closer to religion, know that it only distances me from it." She continued, "All these biology and nature lessons are simplistic, uninteresting, and sometimes boring, and that doesn't necessarily mean Hashem made them or that there is a Hashem"... At this point, I understood where it was headed and changed the subject...

Friends, the "point to ponder" I write, edit, or compile is meant to give a person the opportunity to contemplate the wonders of creation and decide for themselves if there is a Hashem... Beyond that, sometimes those few minutes of reading the "point" cause a person to stop taking things for granted, such as breathing, hearing, seeing, that their heart beats, and more...

There's no escaping it, the fact that the world is created with wisdom and miraculous planning is clear proof that the world was created by a superhuman entity with immense powers. Could it be that all these world wonders, attesting to planning, coordination, and purpose, were created without a guiding, supervising hand? The infinite genius of the Creator is reflected in every aspect of creation, from animal behavior to the creation of wondrous natural systems such as the sun, and down to "the crown of creation" - the human body and the soul within it.

Even a child's logic screams that the world was created with immense intent, how much more so the wisdom of an educated adult like that young woman. So, how can she deny such an obvious truth?

Unfortunately, someone who refuses to believe in the Creator, even if presented with thousands of testimonies and proofs, will deny them all... But I have one request for you, the reader: I expect an intelligent person to ask, investigate, deepen, and clarify as best as they can, who is responsible for the wondrous world we live in, whatever the conclusions may be...