Whose life are you completing?

 

In the Jewish tradition, there is a concept called a minyan which is when 10 people (sometimes just men) are needed in a prayer group so that someone who is in mourning can say Kaddish (a blessing for the loss of a loved one).  As is with most things in the Jewish religion, nobody explains it better than Larry David so please enjoy this clip from Curb Your Enthusiasm explaining minyans (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wybt8Tyj4V8).


At my synagogue, Beth Torah, I just took on the responsibility of Ritual Vice President where part of my role is to work with the clergy to make sure that there is always a daily minyan in case some member of our community needs to say the blessing over the loss of a family member.  Since you can't really coordinate a daily minyan without actually going to one, I decided to attend this morning to see what it's all about.  As I entered the room, I realized that I was among the first 10 people there that helped create the minimum requirement for the minyan.  I sat down and prayed like everybody else and as is often the case, I think about the TO LIVE AS IF blog and what I can share about my experiences.  So here is my question to you:

WHEN IN LIFE ARE YOU COMPLETING SOME GOAL FOR SOMEBODY ELSE?

Sometimes good karma just happens in life where you arrived at the perfect time to help someone in need or just made someone's day a little brighter by accident.  But what if we looked for those moments or even asked people how you can help them in their life?  What would it look like if you were "completing someone's minyan"?  So if you made it this far in the article, here is my homework of the day:

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
ASK SOMEBODY IN YOUR LIFE HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM WITH A GOAL OR ISSUE.

It may seem odd at first since most people don't make such requests but I promise that you will make a difference in their life just by asking.  They may not even have an answer for you but they will at least know that you are there for them.  The LIVE AS IF blog has always been about making connections and I can't think of any better way to make a strong connection with those around you than this simple request.  Please feel free to share your experiences by writing a comment below.

SHAMELESS PLUG:  I have made a commitment to go to minyan every Friday at Beth Torah in North Miami Beach, Florida.  It starts as 7:30am and is followed by a free breakfast.  If you care to join me in the mitzvah of completing the minyan, please let me know.