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Sunday, March 20, 2011

"I Don't Need Everything I Want"

Today This morning, immediately after hearing Megilat Ester, I went to the grocery store.  There were just a few things that I needed.  A friend from my street was just ahead of me and offered me a ride home, which I happily accepted.  I had just finished checking out when I realized that I had forgotten something.  I rushed all oer and couldn't find exactly what I wanted.

Then frustrated I ran out trying to catch my neighbor before she left.  As soon as I found her I said:
"I don't need everything I want."
"That's so brilliant," she replied.
And then I thought about it.  We run after more and more, just because we want it, not because we need it. 

Now, the funny thing is that I had sent my husand to buy some candies for Mishloach Manot, the little food packages we give out on Purim.  I had bought some candies, but for whatever reason, I felt the need for more.  And when I was getting everything ready to pack, I couldn't find the bag.  I've wasted too much time looking for that bag.  Then standing there in the store, I had realized that I was wasting time and money.  We'd manage just fine without more.

And now I'm going to tell you a "secret." 

Not only did we manage perfectly fine without that extra bag of candy, it's clear we already have too many candies to give out paired with the cakes I've baked.

We must stop saying and thinking "I want."  What's really most important is what we need.

2 comments:

  1. I haven't baked for mishloach manot in years. When we lived in the moshav everyone ate everyone else's cooking and baking. When we moved to Rehovot I was faced with all kinds of neighbors who elegantly or not so elegantly were more 'machmir' on goodness knows what. I started giving packaged stuff with obvious hechshers. For the past two years I have given ready made packages of mishloach manot made by our local chesed organization. The money goes to feeding poor people all year round. I would rather have a hiddur mitzvah on the tzedaka than on the mishloach manot.

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  2. Baking is so easy for me, and money is harder to find. when I bake I feel like it's almost free. Some people got my vegetable soup. And some people insist that it's not Purim without it.

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