So Many Jelly Beans...

Diamonds in the Rough?

2007-02-07T14:05:00.000-05:00

The other day I took part in a Diamond Tender. Diamond dealers would come in to the office by appointment and bid on parcels of diamonds after inspecting them to see if they were of personal interest. Each parcel contained hundreds of diamonds with varying qualities. (e.x. A VS1 with a VS2) Realize, each dealer may use the diamonds differently which would make the worth of the package completely subjective to each buyer. (Note: some buyers may use lower quality diamonds if they sell to small retail stores or some may insist on higher quality for higher paying clients.)

I, the controller, would sit across from the bidder and present him with whatever package he was interested in. In truth, my job was security. There have been cases where people have hollowed out skin in their palm in order to steal diamonds, or slipped diamonds into their cuffs. Sometimes cameras are not enough, and I have digressed.

I would sit in the office for hours as bidders would sort the diamonds. One by one they would come in, inspect the diamonds through a loop for carbon or “feathers” (damage to a diamond’s value), weigh the stone and check its florescence. Some people would be skilled enough to sort through bags of a hundred diamonds in a matter of minutes. They would snap up the diamond with tweezers, flip it up to the light as they would glance through the loop and finally place it on the scale all within a matter of seconds.

What astounded me in watching this process was the similarity to our hashkafic outlook. In my mind, I could just see a G-d like presence, taking each soul, inspecting it with tweezers up to the bright light, noting the contrast of cleanliness to the black marks. Then He would make piles of different groups. Each would be weighed, its value determined.

The key difference is that most bidders would not bid on a group of stones that had flaws since it lowers the value of the entire parcel. G-d on the other hand, would probably always bid high on every pile.

Lucky us right?

Unanswered Questions

2007-01-29T16:45:00.000-05:00

Rabbi Reisman of the Agudas Yisrael of Madison in Brooklyn presented his past shiur in a different fashion. Rather than discuss ideas he had, he asked questions he thought of that bothered him. These questions did not all have answers and he left it up to the audience to think about.

One of his questions went as follows: In Pirkei Avos it says that the world was created with 10 maamaros ("sayings") to which the gemara in Rosh Hashana asks: But there are only 9? The gemara answers: we count the word "breishis" ("in the beginning") as the 10th.

However, Rabbi Reisman asked: If we count all the times the Torah writes the word "vayomer" during the creation, we will only find 8!? Count "breishis" and you only have 9??

This question was not found amongst the very many sources and commentaries on Chumash, which is all the more puzzling.

Another question: if we know that bnei yisroel only got the Torah on the 51st day of counting, why do we still celebrate the 50th day?

Lastly he asks: the book of Devarim is called "Mishnah Torah" (the review of the Torah) but if this is so, why do we find so many new laws that were not mentioned previously? How is it "review?"

There are other questions he brings, such as the discrepancy in the age of Moshe, and the difference of counting the Jewish people as 600,000 or as 603, 550. There are other problems but they require more detail.

What we are left with is twofold:

1. The Torah has technical discrepancies (40 malkus when we know it is really 39 but "the number is rounded") and yet, if the Torah- which represents "Din" (judgement) is imprecise, what message does that carry for us, who often hold each other accountable for things to the most minute detail.

2. The questions Rabbi Reisman brought forth are questions that every person should have asked in his or her own learning of the sources. How did we miss them? Why have we not asked these blatant and most obvious questions?

(What is harder to fathom is the detail people will get into when talking about Talmudic issues, yet these "imprecise" quandries which are rooted in the Highest Source of all have been taken for granted and overlooked)

The Power of One

2007-01-21T13:07:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about different elements in nature that alone, are simple creations. However, when combined, create a powerful entity. Some examples:

1. A drop of water is merely a drop, but combined with many just like it = an ocean or giant wave.

2. A single hair is a flimsy little strand, but combined comprise the lethal horn of a rhino.

3. A single grain of sand can barely be felt, but combined with others forms a huge land mass.

4. Any ideas?

Bitachon

2007-01-18T09:27:00.000-05:00

I know this should have been up last week, but I think the following idea carries a fantastic message:

Last shabbis we read about Moshe being put into a "teivah" which is the second, and last time, we hear about such a vessel in the Torah.

The question is: how is a "teivah" different than a "sfinah" or "oniyah"?

The answer is technical. The "teivah" lacks a rudder, sails, and oars. Rather, it is just a plain vessel that can stay afloat but which has no steering mechanism. This being the case, if we look at the first time we hear about a "teivah", Noach, given the explicit details that he received about measurements- why would he not build a rudder? (Or, why was he not commanded to build one?)

The purpose of a "teivah" is that a person surrenders control. Noach had no choice in any direction the teivah took nor could he change its course, it was completely in His Hands. So too the teivah of Moshe. Miriam/Yocheved had him in the teivah and released him into the water as if to say "he is Yours, we can do no more to save him."

In a word, the teivah represents "bitachon" in its heighest level. And it is only such bitachon that saved Noach. That same bitachon had Moshe float directly to the daughter of Pharaoh, where the savior of the Jewish people, and nemesis of the Ruler of Egypt who in turn raised his sworn enemy in his own house, as a grandson.

Bitachon.

Life or Cooking?

2007-01-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

Im looking for a solution to my quandary:

There seems to have been a salt spill in a wonderful batter and im worriedthat it will taste too bitter. How do you fix bitterness?

Sometimes the remedy can mean more of the same thing (i.e. certain venomscan sterilize other venoms) but I am not looking to add more salt to theaccidentally bitter mix.

Any ideas how to make it sweeter??

Let me know.

Did I Get It? What About Now?

2006-12-27T08:55:00.000-05:00

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post:

"Ok, this has nothing to do with carnivorous plants but a "jelly bean" of mine is when the popcorn kernels get stuck between your teeth and you spend like an hour or two trying to get them out. Thanks, I feel better now."

Crash & Burn:
Ah, yes. Those wonderful memories. Who among us has not had this incredibly annoying experience, second only to canceling a subscription of any kind? What compounds the dilemma is when you are on a date and have just finished your bag of "Popcorn Indiana" (Fantasticle!) and you know there is something lodged between your teeth but it won't budge.

Would you tell the other person if they had something stuck? Would you chance embarrassing them for even the briefest of moments so that you don't shudder every time you gaze at that giant black spot on their teeth?

Advice: You would be amazed at the accuracy of a Metro card in place of floss. Just don't use the one laying on the floor...unless you want to test your doctor's full medical abilities.

Ironicle (Cont'd)

2006-12-26T14:32:00.000-05:00

After further research, I have come to discover that the carnivorous plants need to feed on insects. The basic reason being that they do not get enough nitrate from the soil itself because it lacks the necessary enzymes. (more specifically: nitrate redctase) Each carnivorous plant ingests different amounts of nitrate based on how much they need to photosynthesis. The fact that the plants use their leaves to capture their prey as well means that they use up some of the nitrate for "upkeep" as well as growth.

Now, this doesn't really answer the question completely. Yes, the plants need to be carnivorous to survive in the harsh environments they are in, but who put them there? Why have them there to begin with? The question remains.

It seems like there will be no satisfying answer to the "Why" asked on creations. We must be satisfied with the fact that we simply do not know. However, there is always something to be learned from any inspection for deeper meaning.

To venture a guess:
If the plants do not eat the bugs, they will die. They can look at the plants around them and hope to be just like them, but they were given different qualities. The carnivorous plants were put in unique situations where what works for the average plant, does not work for them. On the contrary, they must utilize any abilities they have in order to survive. They cannot "relax" within their environment or they will perish.

So too our lives. Every one of us is placed into our unique environment. The parents we have, the siblings, friends, challenges are all specifically designed for us individually. This means that we cannot compare ourselves to those around us and rely on other methods of success in order to achieve ours. Rather, we must each look at our situation, look at our strengths and weaknesses and figure out how best to handle the challenges that make us who we are. How we gain from the nutrients of life are left up to our own devices but they remain within a higher framework of demand. Everything we do contains the potential to fulfill a higher purpose, and that is what makes the struggles in life worth accepting and overcoming.

Note: Don't eat flies, it won't help too much.

Information taken from:
Hanslin HM, Karlsson PS (1996). "Nitrogen uptake from prey and substrate as affected by prey capture level and plant reproductive status in four carnivorous plant species". Oecologia 106: 370-375.

Ironicle...

2006-12-21T22:44:00.001-05:00

Pitcher Plants, Butterworts, Sundews, Venus Flytraps = Carnivorous Plants. Each with their own unique method of capturing insects with provide nourishment, these plants are quite fascinating.

One might look at these plants and think of the unique designs each plant posseses and the incredible detail each is given. The specific colors as well as the structural design each was given to best suit its survival is nothing short of truely amazing.

The hard aspect of these magnificent creations is the seeming hypocricy of their existence. Plants and flowers have always been gifts shared with someone cared for in the hope of bringing a smile to their face, or beauty to a home. When was the last time you send someone a Venus Flytrap?

The question is this. If the common life cycle of a plant is a mundane and "peaceful" one, why would G-d create just a few plants that survive primarily on the destruction of other creatures?

(for some pictures: http://www.sarracenia.com/photos/dionaea/dmusc19.jpg, http://www.sarracenia.com/photos/nepenthes/nbica01.jpg, http://www.hungryplants.nl/images/Gallery/AS3bSxJudyPJplants.gif)

Whale Wack!

2006-12-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

I was watching the Discovery channel a few days ago and they were airing stories of people who had close or near death encounters with wildlife. Sharks, elephants, the usual. And then I saw something unexpected.

The last story was about a diver who loved to film whales. This man and his partner were filming in an area that restricted the use of scuba tanks because the air bubbles frightened the whales. Since many of the whales (humpback) swam just a few feet below the surface snorkels were used.

After filming a mother and her calf in some amazing footage the man decided to take his final shot. The video he wanted was called "train footage" (I thinkg) where he would remain stationary as the whale passed him by at incredibly close quarters. So it began.

The man had been underwater for one and a half minutes when the perfect shot was in place. Having only a few seconds more the man persisted in getting the shot he was so desperately trying to capture. After eyeing the camera from less than a foot away, the whale swam by when suddenly the man was struck by the tail.

The tail was at the peak of its rhythmic motion when suddenly the whale turned slightly and struck the man across the top of his head. Not knowing if any damage was caused by the sharp barnacles covering the tail, or weather his head was spit open completely by thick tail, the man furiously swam to the surface. After reaching the boat the man had his head inspected and there was a minor scratch. He told Discovery that the tail, 15 feet wide and one inch thick could have easily done much more damage. Had he been directly hit on the side of the head, or neck or even had some ribs broken, the man would have drown. The man closed by saying he holds no grudge against whales and apologized to it for having caused it any fright.

While this episode seems somewhat surreal, a few questions came to mind:

1. Was that shot indeed so critical? Was it worth risking his life for those few seconds?
2. While one can hardly blame nature, would anyone have thought this man was anything other than crazy in the first place had the outcome been any different?

It seems that while this whole event seems somewhat illogical to some, there is a powerful message behind it. Even if it seems a little misdirected, to this man- that shot was everything. His passion, his work all culminated in those few seconds of footage which he decided he could either take at his own risk, or let it pass him by. Not only would no one know if he missed the shot or not, people would understand and instead compliment him on his work thus far.

What I admire in this man is not the situation he placed himself in, but rather the courage he found in facing his own fear for his "greater goal." To him, it wasn't important if others knew he missed that shot- he would know. He would have to live with that missed opportunity which might never again resurface.

It seems as though we are all faced with similar challenges which shape us into two catagories of people: Those that either step aside and wait in the hope of another opportunity to arise which may or may not. And there there are those that find the iron will within themselves to pursue their goals at any cost. The illusion of "challenge" is torn away by the determination these people have in accomplishing what they truly define as "meaning."

Jelly Beans

2006-12-13T10:08:00.000-05:00

People go through strange experiences on a daily basis. Some are extraordinarily annoying, some are extremely pleasant and some are that black jelly bean flavor you try every once in a while to remind yourself why you never eat black jelly beans. Whatever the case may be, if you want to let out the stress by venting your opinion, or want to share a special moment you wish more people had the sense to exploit- every jelly bean has a flavor.

Which is yours?