Thursday, August 5, 2010

Soul and Giving


On Wed morning Shira, myself and our care worker went to a mall to watch Maxine perform for children. Maxine is a music therapist with a masters degree in psychology but she also has a show created specificly for toddlers. It's not easy to keep a toddlers attention for 45 straight minutes but Maxine is a master at it and really understands what children need. Shira has only seen Maxine perform 2 times because we have been so afraid to expose her to germs in social environments. Shira of course loved the concert and watching mommy and all the children responding to mommy. After the concert the mall gives out balloons to children. Shira was given 2 balloons and when we walked away I heard a little girl start to cry hysterically because she didn't get a balloon. I told Shira a little girl was very sad because she didn't get a balloon and would she like to give one of hers to the little girl. Shira being Shira said, "that's not good daddy! We can give her a balloon!" We walked over to the girl and her mother and I said my daughter would like to give her little girl one of her balloons. The mother looking over at Shira laying in her stroller drooling with her oxymeter and food line going under her shirt, her orthotics and wrist brace said, "no it's ok you don't have to she'll be alright" probably thinking what is this I couldn't take a balloon from this girl. Shira in her very low volume voice was saying, "don't cry have a balloon!" I held Shira's hand in mine because she can't raise her own arms and moved her arm in the direction of the little girl with the pink balloon in her hand. Shira gave the little girl the balloon and the little girl started to settle down but was still hyperventilating. I almost lost it (cried) when Shira did this. Shira is my song in this world, my mitzvah girl (good deed).

Below is an explanation about soul by a chassidic master Rebbe Nachman. I found it interesting.

The differences between the body and the soul are vast. Yet their combination is what makes "man." They can work together in perfect harmony.
Rebbe Nachman taught:
A person must care for his body, so that it shines with each spiritual advancement he achieves. for the soul perceives and understands extremely lofty levels, while the body remains ignorant of them. A person must therefore purify his body, to enable it to share in the soul's perceptions. The soul will also benefit from a body which is finely attuned to spirituality, for fi the soul falls from its spiritual level, the body which has experienced Godliness will enable it to regain its previous level of holiness.

This can occur because the body has attained a corresponding level of purity.
For a person to attain this level of harmony and cooperation between body and soul, he must break the brazenness of the body's lusts and desires by countering it with "holy brazenness, " the stubborn will to bring himself to spirituality, come what may. In doing so, he allows his soul to blend completely with his body.

The means through which the body blends with the soul is the performance of the mitzvot (charity or good deed). The more good deeds a person performs, the greater his body's subjugation to his soul, allowing the body to actually feel the soul's attainments. (Likuty Moharan I, 22:5, 8) from Anatomy of The Soul Rebbe Nachman Of Breslov

2 comments:

Sky said...

Brad this is a wonderful post, Shira is so awesome, what a big heart! I just love her!!!!

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