What's Growing On?

This is what I learned in the garden:

Plants keep giving and giving and ask for nothing except water -- which is compared to Torah -- in return. According to Hillel, the message of Torah is as follows: "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to others. The rest is commentary. Go and learn." The worst feeling is to be alone and neglected. Therefore, do not neglect your plants! They may ask for nothing, but they need at least to be looked at and acknowledged every once in a while, and given a cool sip of water every now and then. The more you learn about your plants, however, the better you will understand them. The more time you spend with them, the more often you visit them, the more they will thrive. You must understand that water, like Torah, can be beneficial or dangerous, depending on when, where, and how it is applied. Some plants do not like wet leaves, others do not like wet stems, and none of them likes a wet crown (the first few inches of stem or trunk above the soil line).

The source of plant problems is hidden, originating in the roots and soil. The source of human problems is invisible to the eye but often has to do with uncomfortable roots. We are not at peace with who we are, which means our upbringing, our culture, our daily pursuits. Ultimately,
though, our happiness or sadness is determined by our relationship with God.

to be continued . . .

If you are planting a tree and someone tells you the Messiah has come, you are supposed to finish planting the tree before going to greet him (Avot d'Rebbe Natan, 31b).

If you want to lose yourself in a most remarkable book, pick up a copy of Somewhere A Master:
Hasidic Portraits and Legends by Elie Wiesel. Here is a quote from the widely available paperback edition, page 21: "There is a solution to loneliness. It is to be concerned not only with yourself but with everything that goes on around you; help others and you will help yourself. You want to serve God? Start with serving His children. Knowledge is to be shared, as is faith, and everything else." On page 23, Wiesel quotes Pinhas of Koretz as follows: "If all men would speak the truth, there would be no further need to bring the Messiah; he would be here already. Just as the Messiah brings truth, truth brings the Messiah."

"Torah is a Tree of Life for those who grasp hold of it." (Proverbs 3:18)

If Adam had eaten from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, he would have gained immortality. He overlooked the tree of life and ate from the tree of knowledge instead. This teaches that knowledge has nothing to do with life or, more precisely, knowledge in general has nothing to do with knowing how to live. People who are smart do not necessarily know how to live. There is someone who works for minimum wage all week long and does nothing but drink beer and watch TV on the weekend but he is happy. Then there is another person who makes lots of money, eats in elegant restaurants, and worries all weekend about his business. The simple soul who drinks beer and watches TV, because he is happy, is closer to God than the rich worrier. It is impossible to have a serious relationship with God if you are unhappy.

Here are some more gems from Elie Wiesel's book Somewhere A Master: Hasidic Portraits and Legends: "Ask the utmost of man, but accept him as he is. . . What is a true Hasid? Beneath a torn overcoat, inside a hovel, a heart broken but yearning for perfection. And that yearning in itself is enough." (page 30) "He who does not improve, gets worse." (page 37)

I learned patience in the garden. Patience is almost as outmoded as God. Few have the patience to be patient or to pray or to let God come inside. Life is probably lived best in slow motion. You do not see plants grow before your eyes but they are growing all the time.

From Elie Wiesel's book, Somewhere a Master:
"The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference. The opposite of life is not death. It's insensitivity." On page 107, there is a quote from Moshe-Leib of Sassov: "When I present myself before the holy tribunal, I shall ask to go to hell. After all, who is in paradise? The learned, the saints, the pious -- and they don't need me."