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“Simply thinking creatively is not the same as being innovative, and only those who risk breaking out of their comfort zone by putting thought into action will discover the profusion of opportunity that exists.”
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“We seldom stop to think—and we certainly should do so more often—that in taking the words of our sages as a description of mere fact, we may miss the deeper meanings which they meant to convey. As a rule, aggadah should not be taken literally; rather, it must be interpreted with the understanding that a higher truth is being alluded to—a truth that is beyond historical perspective, philological expression, or the dimensions of scientific observations. Agaddah speaks to that part of us that understands but cannot articulate what it understands. It allows us to go beyond the realms of the definable, perceivable, and demonstrable. In this sense, aggadah is a form of religious metaphor, a mirror that enables us to form mental images of the indescribable.”
― The Revival of the Dead & the Miracle of Return: Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo's Afterword to Returning, by Yael Shahar
― The Revival of the Dead & the Miracle of Return: Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo's Afterword to Returning, by Yael Shahar
“The calf is capable of walking quite well now," Dazu said. "He never stumbles."
"But I told you to carry him back here," the teacher said. "The first thing a soldier must learn is to obey orders."
Every day, the calf grew a little heavier, and every day, Dazu had to struggle a little harder. He would collapse, exhausted, when he finally got to the ranch, and the calf would bound out of his arms, glad to be able to walk on his own and stretch out.
When winter rolled around again, Médo handed him a wooden sword and asked him to strike as hard as he could at the practice dummy. Dazu looked with distaste at the crude weapon with no edge, but he swung obediently.
The wooden dummy fell in half, cut clean through. He looked at the sword in his hand with wonder.
"It's not the sword," his teacher said. "Have you looked at yourself lately?" He brought Dazu to stand in front of a brightly polished shield.
The young man could hardly recognize the reflection. His shoulders filled the frame of the mirror. His arms and thighs were twice as thick as he remembered, and his chest bulged over his narrow waist.
"A great warrior trusts not his weapons, but himself. When you possess true strength, you can deal a killing blow even if all you have is a blade of grass.
"Now you're finally ready to learn from me. But first, go thank the calf for making you strong.”
― The Grace of Kings
"But I told you to carry him back here," the teacher said. "The first thing a soldier must learn is to obey orders."
Every day, the calf grew a little heavier, and every day, Dazu had to struggle a little harder. He would collapse, exhausted, when he finally got to the ranch, and the calf would bound out of his arms, glad to be able to walk on his own and stretch out.
When winter rolled around again, Médo handed him a wooden sword and asked him to strike as hard as he could at the practice dummy. Dazu looked with distaste at the crude weapon with no edge, but he swung obediently.
The wooden dummy fell in half, cut clean through. He looked at the sword in his hand with wonder.
"It's not the sword," his teacher said. "Have you looked at yourself lately?" He brought Dazu to stand in front of a brightly polished shield.
The young man could hardly recognize the reflection. His shoulders filled the frame of the mirror. His arms and thighs were twice as thick as he remembered, and his chest bulged over his narrow waist.
"A great warrior trusts not his weapons, but himself. When you possess true strength, you can deal a killing blow even if all you have is a blade of grass.
"Now you're finally ready to learn from me. But first, go thank the calf for making you strong.”
― The Grace of Kings
Moses’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Moses’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
5 books
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1 book
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