This Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av the first day of the new Jewish calendar month.  It also marks the beginning of the period known as the 9 Days, culminating on the 9th day known as Tisha B'Av, commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Temples.

Talk is cheap, although it seems to come at a big price these days. But really, anyone with an opinion articulates it without fear. That is in part because today everyone feels that speaking your mind is ok no matter the context, language or opinion.

In this week's Torah portion, hired by Balaak the king of Moab, the prophet Bilaam attempts to curse the Jews.  In a series of shaming and even comedic (talking donkey - think Shrek) Balaam is forced to bless the Jews with a series of blessings that are of the greatest the Jewish People have ever received.

It’s a box that I moved into long before I had basic self-awareness. The box is the lenses through which I look at the world.  It’s how I show up for good or for ugly. It’s how I perceive others and judge (sometimes even being judgmental – shocker) what I experience. 

I'm getting it, more and more.  And as I get it, I develop much more compassion towards others, more accepting of their limitations and how that bumps up against me and my jagged edges but also inner strength.