Finding Your Passion

It's fascinating to read about people and their passions. For example, there is a woman named Evelyn Hayes who has a passion for the tomb of our Matriarch Rachel (Kever Rachel). Her heart and soul are devoted to Israel, particularly to Kever Rachel. She bought property nearby, does fundraisers for Kever Rachel, writes poetry about it, etc. I wonder where this comes from! I wonder, who was she in a previous incarnation?!
Former president Kim of South Korea asked Stephen Covey (of the "Seven Habits" fame), "Do you really believe the things you teach?"

Covey: I was taken aback by this question and sobered by it. After a short pause I said, "Yes, I do."

He then asked me, "How do you know you do?"

Covey: I answered, "I try to live by these teachings. I know I fall short, falter a lot, but I keep coming back to them. I believe in them and am inspired by them and I keep returning to them."

Kim said, "That's not good enough for me. Are you prepared to die for them?"

Kim went on to tell his story of many, many years of banishment, of being exiled, of being imprisoned, of several assassination attempts, pressure to cooperate, threats that he'd be killed if he didn't cooperate. He told them, "Then kill me, because if you kill me I'll only die once, but if I cooperate with you, I will die 100 times every day for the rest of my life."

Now THAT'S passion!

And it reminds me of Chana and her seven sons. Despite the enticements and the threats, they were all willing to die for their beliefs.

Because Chana had taught her sons to love G-d and the Torah more than life itself.

The Antiochus' soldiers tried to convince Chana to save herself and her sons: "Foolish woman. Tell your sons to bow down to the idol so that they may live," the soldiers told her. But Chana knew that her definition of life was different from that of the pagan soldier. Her sons would die in this world sanctifying G-d's name, but they would live forever in the World to Come. She whispered encouragement to each son. "Remember that the L-rd is one, there is no other." Not one son bowed to the idol.

When they brought the youngest son, a boy of just seven, to the king - after having witnessed the cruel torture and brutal murder of his six older brothers - the king offered him gold and silver if he would do his will. The seven-year-old boy displayed the same courage as his brothers and taunted the king to carry out his threats.

"Who are you seeking to overpower with your words and enticements? I laugh at your foolishness. I believe in the Torah and in G-d Whom you blaspheme. You will remain an abomination upon all mankind, loathsome and far from G-d."

As the soldiers took her youngest son away to murder him like his brothers, Chana begged to kiss him one last time. As if speaking to all seven children, Chana said, "My children, tell your ancestor Abraham, 'You bound only one son upon an altar, but I bound seven."


The first column of this article is from bikores.blogspot.com/