Women's Wisdom
Rabbi Arush’s Garden of Emuna has already sold over A MILLION COPIES! It’s also one of my favorite books of all time. So last summer when I heard that Rabbi Arush had written a new book called Women’s Wisdom especially for women, I ran, didn’t walk, to buy it and read it ASAP.
And Women’s Wisdom was well worth the dash to the bookstore. Reading Women’s Wisdom was like discovering Garden of Emuna all over again. So simple. So revolutionary. So amazing.
And now, Women’s Wisdom is available in ENGLISH too! ENJOY this video about and excerpt from the newly-released translation by Garden of Emuna translator extraordinaire Rabbi Lazer Brody (http://lazerbrody.typepad.com) that I hope will make every single Jewish mom reading this hold her head a lot higher today!
from the newly-released Women’s Wisdom
by Rabbi Shalom Arush
Any portrait by Monet or DaVinci is lauded for its intricate beauty. The overwhelming attention to detail, the specific hues, the color combinations and the overall artistic effort are mind-boggling. These artists surely deserve credit for their masterpieces. But ultimately, what they’ve accomplished is but a mere fraction of what any mother- you– can accomplish. Even the most famous masterpiece in the world is a beautiful, but stagnant and lifeless canvas.
Now, imagine that the mother is the artist and the child is her work of art. If such praise is awarded to artists for their work, how much more should we be praising and rewarding mothers for what they do! They painstakingly and lovingly mold their children, and provide them with a nourishing base from which they can connect to Hashem and grow to become outstanding people. Mothers deserve far more credit than any mere artist. A mother enables her child to live a beautiful, meaningful life. An artist merely paints an illusion of meaning and beauty.
The fact that you have the ability to bring such light into the world should always be a source of strength and inspiration to you. Times get tough and children can wear us down occasionally. But never despair- you can do it! Even when things are difficult, you are still most definitely able to approach motherhood in a state of happiness and faith.
Always remember: Once a woman understands the depth of her greatness and her abilities, she will be able to overcome her anxiety and become the happy, able, and content mother she is meant to be. Children are both a mother’s largest source of joy, and her greatest source of stress. How you approach motherhood is up to you, but just remember that you have a wonderful Divine-instilled capability of doing your task.
When a person is happy with her lot in life and the task at hand, she taps into reserves of moral strength that faith gives her and she succeeds. If, however, she sees her task as a dull, stressful, and unimportant burden- something she does because she feels she has no choice- she will never be successful. A woman who only complains about how difficult being a mother is, and who does everything she can to take the easy way out, simply won’t succeed. Having a healthy perspective on motherhood is half the battle.
How you approach motherhood is a vital component affecting what type of wife and mother you’ll be. A woman must regard motherhood as a marvelous opportunity to grow, both emotionally and spiritually. Motherhood is a sign that Hashem believes in you and that you can raise your child properly. By viewing motherhood in this light, a mother will enjoy success, enormous satisfaction, and Hashem’s blessing in everything she does.
Reprinted with permission from Women’s Wisdom: The Garden of Peace for Women by Rabbi Shalom Arush, translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody. Learn more and order from http://www.breslev.co.il. Regarding donations or distribution contact 972-52-224-0696.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com user Greekadman
I would have much more appreciated if they’d provided an excerpt from the book that had to do with the relationship of husband and wife, instead of about motherhood. I don’t know how many women are buying the book because of its references to raising children, but I was looking for some sign of liking the author’s words about how a woman should relate to her husband.