Rabbi G. Kosovar, a well-known elementary school principal in Yerushalayim, went with a delegation of principals to visit Beit Chinuch Ivrim, a school for the blind in Jerusalem.A young man of about 16 years old, came over and felt Rav Kosovar's head and then face, and asked him "You are a rabbi, true?"
"True." Agreed the Rav.
"Tell me" demanded the boy, "Rabbi, have you danced today?"
Now this was getting confusing. "Danced?" Rav Kosovar asked him. "It's 10:00 in the morning, where might I have danced?"
The bachur responded with great feeling, "You opened your eyes this morning and saw the world around you... I would give my life to see the world before I turn seventeen! I've never seen anything, ever, since the day I was born. And you opened your eyes today, seeing, and you didn't dance!!?"
When we lift our siddurim, and see the holy letters before our eyes and say the bracha in birchos hashachar of "Baruch Ata...pokeyach ivrim", let us think for even the briefest moment how it all could have been different...praise Hashem, and let your heart dance!
very VERY powerful... thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat was seriously amazing. Thanks so much for sharing that. So when we thank hashem by the bracha of Pokeach Ivrim we REALLY have to open up our eyes and appreciate all of the amazing beautiful gifts hashem gave us and is giving us this very second and we have to appreciate the beautiful world around us. When a person sees limits in other people, all of the sudden they wake up a little and feel grateful that they don't have that limitation. (Ex: s/o handicapped)But really we should always constantly thank hashem every second we are alive and breathing. And when it's hard for us, we can ask hashem to help us open our eyes and see the good in every situation.
ReplyDeleteRD-thanks, glad you liked! Me too, which is why I posted it :-)
ReplyDeleteAnon-you are 100% right. But we shouldn't need to see those who don't have to get us to appreciate what we do have. Let's try to keep our focus on the positive and take the time every day to thank Hashem for the unbelievable things we have - the way our body works is just a starter - and this will keep us happy and positive!
It's all about perspective, isn't it? Sometimes we have to be hit over the head to open our eyes.
ReplyDeletewow amazing if only we woke up and danced outof thanx 2 hashem every day.
ReplyDeletebtw i heard wen u say pokeiach ivrim u shud ask hashem 2 help u c the good in everything and to help u notice all the small and big things He did 4 u like make the bus rite away
thanx 4 posting this
MW-that's right. And when you see someone who doesn't have, it makes you appreciate what you do have!
ReplyDeleteAnon-that's such a good point! Pokei'ach ivrim is a great place to ask Hashem to let you see the good in everything - big and small!
a boy once turned blind after a fewe years he told someone, only after i became blind, thats when i began to see
ReplyDelete