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The Boat

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

A group of people were travelling in a boat. One of them took a drill and began to drill a hole beneath himself.

His companions said to him: "Why are you doing this?" Replied the man: "What concern is it of yours? Am I not drilling under my own place?"

Said they to him: "But you will flood the boat for us all!" (Quoted in Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra 4:6).

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Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai More articles... |

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, also know by the acronym "Rashbi," lived in the Holy Land in the 2nd century C.E. A disciple of Rabbi Akiva, Rashbi played a key role in the transmission of Torah, both as an important Talmudic sage and as author of the Zohar, the most fundamental work of Kabbalah. He was buried in Meron, Israel, west of Safed.

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Posted: May 25, 2006

Commenting on post by BR

BR I agree with the first part of your post. I think the worthiness of mentioning positive and negative implications are associcated with the sinful nature of man and can be dangerous to encourage people to look at life this way. People do apprear to have an positive outward appearance because they hang out with poeple that are positively influencial, but not the best interest for all. But how does one react to an individual whom might be hungry or in need of a place to sleep when someone says think positive and your circumstances will eventually change (similar to the image in the boat). However, by fully addressing and understanding the issue of character that God wants us to take upon ourselves (making my burdens light) to portray leaves the inner most part of a being permanently changed forever. The question that brought this to a deeper thought is what if you cannot stop the person from drilling the hole? Do we as individuals let our circumstances determine our attitudes

Posted By Don Bridgeman, Murray, KY

Posted: May 24, 2006

The story is only beautiful when explained...! The whole point is that your actions affect others and although you think you are a private individual who has no power on those around you, you are wrong. Just like this man was going to drown everyone around him you too will drown those around you with negative and harmful actions and behavior. This goes for the opposite as well. Your postiivity and positive actions will help thoe and influence those around you to strive to be better.

Posted By BR

Posted: May 24, 2006

Excellent Thought

Everyone should this - think about it seriously - and act accordingly

Posted By David Taylor, Flemington, NJ