Soul Effects

~ This is dedicated to God's protection over our brothers in battle in Israel. May we all pray for them and increase in goodness in the merit of their safety ~

A preschool teacher was once teaching her class. Taking out a few pictures depicting the weather, she points to the first picture which depicts a sunny day, and asks: "Class, what's the weather here?" 

"Sunny!" Everyone yells.

How did they know? Simply because they saw the sun and its rays. Next came a picture depicting a rainy day. The children all guess correctly again, pointing to the dark clouds and numerous rain drops.Out came the 3rd picture.

"What's the weather here?" asks the teacher.
"It's windy!" Everyone yells.
But how did the children know? Unlike the sunny day or rainfall, there's no wind to point to. 

The children could see the effects of the wind - the leaves flying off, the man and kite bending backward, and more. Love works like this as well. It can't be seen, weighed or heard. But its effects on our lives are clear. 

Radio waves as well. They're everywhere even though we don't see them. If one brings a radio into their room and turns it on, the waves can be heard; they just needed a proper vessel to be expressed. 

The soul too can't be seen and it can't be heard. But its effects are apparent. Like radio waves, the soul too needs a body to express itself and to carry out its purpose. Through a smile, a laugh, a tear, or a moving experience, we can see hints of the soul. 

If we look at the Hebrew words for wind and rain, we discover something fascinating. Wind is Ruach, as is the word for soul/spirit. Spirituality/matters of spirit is known as Ruchaniyut. Like the wind in the picture, the spiritual can't be seen. Rain in Hebrew is Geshem, and  physicality is called Gashmiut. Rain, like all things physical, is clear and apparent. 

Judaism teaches that a spiritual, Godly life force exists and sustains all of reality. It may not be seen, but through its effects - such as the movement of life and the Divine Providence in our lives and so much more, we can deduce its existence. Each of us are holy souls passing ourselves off as just pieces of flesh (some with better abs than others). The challenge is to notice that which isn't readily apparent, to see with our mind's eye, sensing the subtleties of this world, the silent underlying force pulsing through our bodies and this universe. Sometimes it doesn't take a miracle or momentous occasion, but rather a simple, subtle, silent moment in nature.

...And a great and strong wind splitting mountains and shattering boulders before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake-not in the earthquake was the Lord. After the earthquake - fire, not in the fire was the Lord. And after the fire came a still, soft voice. (Kings 1, Ch.19:11-12)

Shabbat Shalom from Tzfat, Israel!