direction.

"no other area of observance required such strict adherence to formalities as the ritual at the temple in Jerusalem. the description of the rules and customs according to which the ceremonies of sacrifice were conducted occupies almost a whole section of the mishnah. significantly, however, the two main tractates of that section begin with a statement about the inner attitude of the priest, stressing the principle that the validity of the ceremony depends first of all upon what goes on in the mind of the priest. having set forth all the minutiae of the priest's performance, the editor of the mishnah resumes the original principle and concludes the second tractate with a statement that almost sounds like a proclamation:

'it amounts to the same, whether one offers much or little - provided one directs his heart to heaven.'"

-abraham joshua heschel.

burden.

as prophets,

we are overwhelmed by our sympathy for God,
we are burdened by our sympathy for man.

as prophets,

we stand before the people and plead for God,
we stand before God and plead for the people.

as prophets,

we are wearied by the heaviness of sin,
we are carried by the force of this mighty Love.

"then i saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. i saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. and i heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new!' then he said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'

He said to me: 'it is done. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. to him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life."

-revelation 21.

this moment.

"it was the eve of the Sabbath when they left the cave, and as they came out they saw an old man carrying two bundles of myrtle in his hand, a sweet-smelling herb having the perfume of paradise.
-what are these for, they asked him.
-they are in honor of the Sabbath, the old man replied.
said Rabbi Shimeon to his son:
-behold and see how dear God's commands are to Israel...

at that moment they both found tranquility of soul."

-abraham joshua heschel.

promise.

"He shall not grow dim or be bruised until He has established the true way on earth..."

-isaiah 42.

Jesus mean and wild.

"in the end, the lover of truth and the doer of love will sometimes, like Jesus, be both mean and wild - mean with righteous anger, and wild with inconsolable grief: "jerusalem, jerusalem!"

-mg.

the heart of God.

"A precious vineyard - sing to it!
I, the Lord, am its keeper;
Every moment I water it.
Lest any one harm it,
I guard it night and day;
I have no wrath.

Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!
I would set out against them,
I would burn them up together.
Or let them lay hold of My protection.

Let them make peace with Me,
Let them make peace with Me."

-isaiah 27.