The Torah states: And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son and she called his name Reuven, because she said the Almighty has seen my affliction, for now my husband will love me. And she conceived again and she gave birth to a son. And she said, for the Almighty has heard that I am hated, and he gave me also this. And she called his name Shimon (Genesis 29:32,33). What differences do we see in these two verses on how the Almighty perceived Leahs plight? What do we learn from this? In the first verse, the Almighty saw Leahs affliction. In the second verse, the Almighty heard that she is hated. Since we have a mitzvah (commandment) to emulate the Almighty, we need to learn from here to become more sensitive to the emotional pain of others however they express it. People express their pain through words and through variations in their facial expressions and body language. To hear someones pain, be aware of both the content and the tone of voice of another person. The more perceptive you become, the more you will notice slight nuances in tone of voice that reflect painful feelings. Also, learn to see someones pain even if he does not express it verbally. Be aware of slight changes in a persons facial expression, skin color, breathing rate, muscle tone that serves as an announcement of emotional suffering. The more you are able to notice pain, the more chesed (kindness) you will be able to do.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:49:12 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015