Tales of the Hasidim: Peggy Kugel

Posted At : September 4, 2008 1:00 AM
Related Categories: Philosophy

A story by Martin Buber, appearing in Tales of the Hasidim and also in Ten Rungs: Hasidic Sayings.

Contributed and read by Peggy Kugel: "I like this piece because it reminds me that there are old lessons to be learned from new technology." Peggy is a wife, mother, attorney, volunteer, organizer, reader, Girl Scout, crafter, volkswalker, orienteer, and geocacher. She has lived in Anchorage for 30+ years and donates to the Alaska Run for Women.

In several of his books, Martin Buber tells the story of a famous Hassidic rabbi, Abraham Yaakov of Sadagora. The rabbi insisted that something can be learned from everything, even from the inventions of his time.

"Everything can teach us something, and not only everything God has created. What man has made has also something to teach us."
   "What can we learn from a train?" one [student] asked dubiously.
   "That because of one second one can miss everything."
   "And from the telegraph?"
   "That every word is counted and charged."
   "And the telephone?"
   "That what we say here is heard there."

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"What can one learn from a fictional rabbi, real clergy and politicians?
"That if someone in authority utters inanities, there will be some who will find them profound."

# Posted By Big Laa | 9/4/08 7:59 AM

One could add: Whatever we post is received Elsewhere.

# Posted By William | 9/7/08 2:47 AM

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