As we look around ourselves and the world we are in, how do we gather and process information. How does this info impact our faith and beliefs.

Faith is defined by Webster as “trust in and loyalty to God” and “allegiance to duty or a person.”

I believe that the key ingredients of faith are God and loyalty.

Faith is for a lifetime, independent of current facts and circumstances.  Today’s rain does not mean that the weather will always be rainy.  A death in the family does not mean that our life will always be filled with sadness.

Faith helps us overcome short term challenges and obstacles, to look towards the future. Our experience of overcoming challenges makes us wiser and stronger.

We can explore Faith in the Torah in the story of Abraham. In Genesis 12, Abram developed his faith in God, a monotheistic deity.  In Genesis 22, Abraham responded to God’s calling with Hinani (Here I am). This first test faith was when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Loyalty is an example of the durability of friendship where Faith in the person helps to shield them from short term challenges.  For example, when someone is falsely accused, a loyal friend will have faith to stand by them and provide moral support and love to help. Gossip and rumors do not impact true friendships.

Belief is defined by Webster as “a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing” and “conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence”.

Beliefs should change based on new facts and circumstances.

After my recent leg surgery, I could not walk. However, I had faith that I would eventually heal and be able to walk again. Overtime, as I healed, I realized that I could slowly, step by step, walk again. My beliefs changed as I got stronger and stronger. My loved ones supported my efforts and fueled my new beliefs. My faith remained resolute throughout my recuperation.

Sadly, there are some people who maintain fixed beliefs, independent of facts and circumstances. The calcification of these people’s minds with fixed beliefs paralyzes them in the past. They are unable to understand and adapt to changing facts and circumstances.

I would like to remember my mentor, professor, and friend Professor Henry Rosovsky who often spoke about the dangers of fixed mindsets.

Professor Rosovsky had a giant impact on the academic community, Harvard, and our world. He had a unique quality of being curious and compassionate. Henry had one of the most facile minds I had ever encountered. He also had one of the most loyal hearts.

Former President of Harvard Larry Bacow eloquently summarized the wisdom and impact of Professor Henry Rosovsky.

“Henry Rosovsky was a singularity. I never met anyone like him and doubt that I ever will. There is a wonderful word in Yiddish, Sechel, that is often translated as wisdom and Henry was certainly wise. But the full translation of Sechel is “the ability to think, to weigh, the strength to judge, and then to come to a decision” That was Henry, and we all miss him”

I greatly miss my regular luncheons with Henry at the Legal Seafood restaurant in Harvard Square. However, I firmly believe that we can all benefit from embracing his Sechel spirit to develop new beliefs and fortify our lives with faith.

Andy and Henry after a lunch at Legal Seafoods in Harvard Square in 2019

Further reading:

You can read more about Professor Henry Rosovsky here, here, and here.

What can we learn from King Solomon about how to seek truth in the face of complexity?

There are two stories of King Solomon which reveal his compassionate calibration of right and wrong in order to adjudicate truth. King Solomon combined wisdom, compassion, and faith in God to help him lead the Children of Israel.

King Solomon and the two feuding mothers:

King Solomon was approached by two woman both claiming to be the mother of the baby (1 Kings 3 Verses 16-28)

King Solomon asked for a sword so that he could cut the baby in half so each mother could have a portion of the baby. The true mother yelled “Stop…Give the baby to her”. In this fashion, King Solomon was able to clearly identify the true mother because of her obvious compassion towards the baby and not selfish focus on her own beliefs.

Today, we each have the opportunity to become a “King Solomon”.

Can we properly identify the true mother who cares about the lasting legacy and opportunity for generations to come?

The trajectory of a false mother’s is clear … and tragic:

I hope that you will stop the sword of cutting the baby in half and save our society from a further and insurmountable ignominious fall.

What did King Solomon dream for from God during a dream?

I looked to the Torah to explore when King Solomon had a dream. (1 Kings 3)

Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

King Solomon replied, “Please give your servant a listening heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.”

King Solomon did not ask for riches or power or honor. He asked for something surprisingly simple. Something that would help him connect with himself and with his community. King Solomon’s listening heart allowed him to help communicate more fully with his community.

Splitting the proverbial baby in order to find fallacious fairness of two sides will truly, and singularly, result in wrong.

King Solomon was setting a test for the two mothers. It was a rationale exercise with an emotional connection. King Solomon certainly did not actually intend to cut the baby in half with his sword. He opened his listening heart to be aware of the emotional calibration of the mothers.

In Genesis 22:1, God put Abraham to a test. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. One could also make the argument that God did not actually want Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. God really wanted to see whether or not Abraham had faith. Upon understanding that Abraham was even willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, his biological future, God sent the Angel to stop the sacrifice.

May we all learn from King Solomon’s test when facing complexity to spiritually combine our of faith in God, rational analysis with our mind, and emotional connection from heart.

1 Kings 3:

5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a listening heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.

When something bad happens, we often ask, “why did this happen?

How can we remain positive in the face of evil?

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says “Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now.”

Let’s explore this quote in the context of the story of Joseph, who suffered the most in the book of Genesis.

Joseph was his father Jacob’s favorite among his 12 sons. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him. Jacob’s gifting Joseph the technicolor dream coat epitomized the special treatment Joseph received. The brothers later sold Joseph into slavery and lied to their father that Joseph was killed. For the rest of Jacob’s life, he mourned the loss of his favorite son. Jacob and Joseph’s ultimate reunion was a beautiful moment of personal evolution for them both.

Joseph was then falsely accused of sexually assaulting his slave owner, Potiphar’s wife, and then locked in prison. In prison, fellow inmates noticed Joseph’s gift of presciently interpreting dreams and later referred Joseph to help Pharaoh manage the land of Egypt. Joseph rose to be the second most powerful man in Egypt and saved an entire region from famine.

While Joseph’s arrogance made some of his early suffering self-afflicted, his faith fortified him during his imprisonment and loss of his family.

Although Joseph’s early life was characterized by conflict with his siblings and suffering, he ultimately elevated himself and unified his family. He was able to bring together communities for togetherness with blessings of abundance, peace, and prosperity. Joseph suffered a lot during his life but he ultimately catalyzed so much good for so many.  Joseph’s faith in God carried him throughout his difficult challenges.

In addition, Joseph was also able to unify the Land of Egypt and the Children of Israel.  When “Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt” (Genesis 50:7)

The story of Genesis is marked by continual sibling rivalry and fighting.  Kane and Abel, then Isaac and Ishmael, then Jacob and Esau, and finally Joseph and his brothers. Genesis is concluded with the unity among Joseph and his brothers. Joseph is later buried in Israel by Moses.

Exodus teaches us the true power of faith in God and unity of community as Moses, Miriam, and Aaron are the first truly unified siblings (from their life beginning) and with their faith in God’s promise, they ultimately delivered the Children of Israel to the Promised Land as promised by God.

In the face of bad events, goodness is only possible with faith in God and through unity among community.  Love and support among the community.  While the story of Genesis is marked by sibling conflict in the beginning, Genesis ultimately ends with the resolution of conflict through faith in God and the unification of family and community, which after much suffering, brings about goodness.

Further Reading:

You can read more about the story of Joseph here.

Aesop told a fable about the strength of unity.  A father told his fighting sons to pick up a pile of twigs. First he asked his sons to break them one by one.  Easy. Then he asked one of his son to ties them together. None of the son’s could break the bundled sticks. The father taught the son’s the importance of coming together. You can read more about this story here.

Did you hear the story about …..?  Nearly always captures people attention and curiosity.

Can I list my reasons about….?  Often make the audience shut down.

I would like to share a couple of stories about how Stephen Sondheim and Hillel share stories.

Did you hear the story when Stephen Sondheim shared his story about West Side Story?

When Stephen Sondheim was interviewed about the Revival of West Side Story in 2021, 64 years after its initial debut in 1957, a reporter asked what he thought was the reason that West Side Story remained popular. The reporter also asked Sondheim how he felt about some of the recent changes to the characters and adaptation to the current decade.

Approaching 91 years old, Sondheim said that he learned a lot as he reflected on his life. He said that the various script revisions really did not impact the meaning or appeal of West Side Story.  The reporter asked. “So what is the Story of “West Side Story”? Sondheim thought for a moment. “Let me see if I can put this succinctly,” he said, taking a sip of his wine. “It’s about a young man who grows up by falling in love, and it kills him.” That is the story – timeless pursuit of love.  All of the other aspects of the play are the Plot.  They really do not matter.  It is the story that we remember.  The details of the plot are an afterthought.

Did you hear the story about when Hillel taught a student the Torah while standing on one foot? 

There was another incident involving one gentile who came before Shammai and said to Shammai: Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot. Shammai pushed him away with the builder’s cubit in his hand. This was a common measuring stick and Shammai was a builder by trade. The same gentile came before Hillel.

Hillel converted him and said to him: “That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study.” (Talmud, Shabbat 31a)

These stories both highlight the difference between a story and a plot. The story is the core backbone that resonates with the audience. The plot is all the details and scaffolding affixed to this core. Both Sondheim and Hillel understood that the true story in narrative is its simple truths that grip our emotions and imaginations.

Story Telling Exercises:

I would like to share two exercises you can do to help you tell your own story.

Story Pose:

Place your mobile phone on a table and prepare to record a video of yourself.

Stand on one leg in a yoga tree pose with your hands in the air.

Press record and get back in pose and for 30 seconds and tell your story aloud.

Repeat the previous step 2-3 times.

Listen to your stories and write the words down.

You can then determine your key message.

Why stand on one foot with you hands in the air?

Hillel taught the student the torah standing on one foot in Shabbat 31a.

Standing on one foot makes you focus on the essence of the story and not get lost in the plot. It forces you to speak in a concise manner. When you have to concentrate on balancing you can’t meander into long winded and unnecessary explanations and details.

In addition, the combination of standing on one foot and raising your hands in the air creates pressure and anxiety. This nervous anxiety can replicate the feeling of public speaking in front of an audience. On the other hand, sitting on your couch is too comfortable. Standing on one leg with your hands in the air like a tree pose simulates the experience of presenting publicly to an audience.

Dream cards

This is another exercise of sharing a story in a group setting. In this case, it is a short and concise dream that you are sharing. The short message on the dream card focuses on the Story and does not allow you to get lost in the plot. You can read more about this memorable creative exercise here.

My personal footnote:

My mom, Myra Yellin Goldfarb Outwater (of blessed memory), taught me and my brothers our love of Broadway. We saw all of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway shows and listened to his music over and over again while my mom drove us around in her car. Myra was a Drama Desk Award writer for over 50 years and never once missed a weekly deadline.

Steve Jobs talking about Pixar and storytelling

Steve Jobs said “no amount of technology will turn a bad story into a good story” and that Pixar’s early films had to prioritize a good story because the cost of animating was so high. He also shared insights into Walt Disney’s approach to storytelling. You can see more of his story insights here.

Further reading

• You can read more about Stephen Sondheim’s interview here and here.
• You can read more about Hillel’s story here and here.

Recently, I had a series of conversations with a few different friends that inspired me to write this blog.

The first conversation was with a friend named Sam.

Sam told me that he found that certain milestones no longer motivated him in the same manner they had earlier in his life. Sam is extraordinarily successful individual both personally and professionally. Additionally, he has overcome many challenges along the way.

Considering Sam’s search for new sources of motivation, I told him “Sam, you need to find a new can of spinach! Popeye routinely opened a can of spinach, gulped it down, and suddenly his strength was restored.” As Sam evolved and grew, he no longer reacted to his personal cans of spinach in the same way.

As we journey through life it is important that we take time to reflect. We must consider what aspects of our lives are constants and what are variables that need to adapt to our as we change and grow.

The second conversation was with a friend named Athena.

My friend Athena is a lifelong learner, continuously seeking new sources of knowledge and wisdom. Athena told me about how she found that children can be our greatest teachers. She described both learning from her teachers and from her students.

I learned that youth is not just a matter of biology. It can also be about philosophy. Youthful perspectives can stimulate fresh developments of the body and fight off calcification of the mind.

The final conversation that inspired me was one I had with a friend named Faisal. I had joined his family in Malta for a vacation.

One day, Faisal announced that we were going scuba diving. I had never been scuba diving before. Faisal is kind of a superman guy who is both athletic and adventurous. If I’m being perfectly honest, I was afraid.

During the drive to the diving spot, Faisal’s youngest son, Abdulla, a precocious 9-year-old, told me that he was not afraid and I did not need to be afraid either. He told me: “Uncle Andy, I will be right next to you. We can do it together! Trust me!”

The time to dive arrived. When I began to lower my head and mask below the water, I watched Abdulla and learned from his lead. My fear faded and my hopes soared. It was simply majestic to discover a new world under the water’s surface. I truly felt transformed. My trust and faith revealed an entire new world of possibilities.

On drive back from the dive, we passed the actual set of the 1980s “Popeye” movie filmed in Malta.

I didn’t consider the meaning of seeing the movie set of Popeye until my conversations with Sam and Athena.

Sam’s metaphorical loss of appetite for “Spinach” helped me reflect on our search for potential eternal sources of inspiration. Athena helped me think about our search for great teachers and the need for learning regardless of one’s biological age. Abdulla taught me to overcome fear.

When I combined these lessons from these three seemingly unrelated encounters, I realized that faith is my source of strength and that by trusting others, I could transform to cross new boundaries.

When I looked to the bible, the story of David vs. Goliath came to mind.
(In 1 Samuel 17, the story of David vs. Goliath unfolds.)

David knew who he was. He was not a warrior in military garb. He was a young and simple shepherd son whose source of strength was not a sword made by man, but his faith in G-d. Although he was the youngest, by defeating the Goliath, he was able to teach his community that one’s inner confidence emanates from an external source of faith.

While Popeye’s Can of Spinach can restore his strength and help win a fight. David’s faith in g-d, helped transform him into greatest potential, from a simple shepherd boy who defeated Goliath, to the leader and King of Israel.

With faith in G-d, it is not a limit of what we can be but rather what we can become.

I invite you to seek a new “Can of Spinach”, new teachers, and with renewed faith, to transform to cross new boundaries and evolve to new possibilities.

In 1 Samuel 17, the story of David vs. Goliath unfolds.

Goliath, the Philistine giant, an experienced warrior taunted the Children of Israel for 40 days. (10)  “Give me a man and let us fight each other”

 David, the youngest of 7 sons of Jesse, a simple shepherd who had not previously acted in war.

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

But David said to Saul, The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.  David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.  Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

Additional Reading:

You can read more about the Popeye Movie Set in Malta here.

Did you know that March 26th is National Spinach Day?

Andy’s maiden deep sea scuba dive, thanks to a boy named Abdullah!