Posts related to King David on 148 West

Kindness builds the world. It’s not me saying that. It’s King David (Psalms 89:2). People who do kindness, especially people who actively seek to do kindness, are building God’s world.

We usually don’t think of being a father as an opportunity to be kind or to do kindness, but it certainly is. Bringing a human being into the world to serve and connect with God, to teach that human being how to navigate through life—those are huge kindnesses.

So if there’s a little person who doesn’t have his built-in Dad to provide the “how to navigate through life” kindness, it’s a huge kindness to be step in and do what Dad can’t. It’s an ever greater kindness to get people to be that person.

When I was 16, my father a”h/o.b.m. died suddenly. He survived World War II, being sent to Siberia, but died in his home by falling down a flight of stairs. It took me over 25 years to realize what I had lost, to understand what my friends had had—what my children have had—that I did not. (My wife recently pointed out that she could count on one hand how many times I have talked about my father in our 35 years of marriage.)

So when I see The Mentoring Project providing mentors for boys without fathers, it resonates. They are doing something that is beyond noble. The Mishnah teaches, “Who is wise? One who learns from anyone” (Avot/Ethics of the FATHERS 4:1). We should learn from their example.

“I threw it all away.” Ruth of Moab

Now, she didn’t really say that, but she could’ve. She was a princess, beautiful and wealthy. She could have had pleasure and power had she stayed in her native land, instead of migrating to the Land of Israel. But she saw something in her late Jewish husband, or in her mother-in-law, Naomi, or in both. When Naomi set out to return home to the Land of Israel and tried hard to dissuade Ruth from joining her, Ruth refused. “Wherever you go, I will go.” Even to poverty, even to risk my life because I don’t yet know everything about being Jewish and may commit a sin. It’s worth all that—and more—to be Jewish.

Ruth never regretted her choice and was never bitter about it. She was such a kind and loving person that anything she looked at became blessed.

So what happened because this woman threw it all away and became Jewish? We ended up with King David and his Tehillim (Psalms). And we will end with tikkun haolam when Mashiach comes, swiftly and soon, in our lifetime. Amen.

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